Grammar Nazi
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You mean there are people who don't know the difference between waist and waste?
Yes, just like the difference between their and there, and see and sea.
There and their (and they're) I could understand the confusion (kinda)... but not see and sea (or C).
I think they're just easy mistakes to make. Maybe see vs sea isn't the best example. Your and you're is a good example of homonyms which are too easy to mistake for one another; usually, your is used instead of you're. I was texting someone recently and typed two instead of too. I don't know why I did it, though I consider maybe due to having recently been thinking of numbers.
...only if you wear the tiara...
...I Know! I know!...my waste comes from below my waist...
...and people around here say "am-blee-ance"...instead of am-bul-ance...makes my teeth itch...
Doing some editing/proofreading today for a newbie author and it reminded me of something else: dialogue tags. 95% of the time, 'said' is enough (if you need a dialogue tag at all--many times you don't). Keep your 'cajoled' and 'murmured' and 'quipped' and...well, any other dialogue tag... 'for special'. Our eyes naturally fly right over 'said'. Most anything else makes us pause and evaluate if it's the right word. Not generally a great idea, because if it isn't right it takes the reader right out of the story--they're paying attention to the man behind the curtain rather than his tale. 'Laughed' is it's own case. Someone can 'laugh' a word or two, but a whole sentence? Several sentences? Not likely. It's a weak dialogue tag--best to use it sparingly.
I confuse 'sometime' and 'sometimes' occasionally, or sometime(s). Can anyone give examples of correct usage? Does 'sometimes' simply refer to more than one time?
If 'Should I have?' is in dialogue or internal monologue, it's fine.
My rule of thumb for using 'that' is to read the sentence and see if it makes sense without it. If so, I leave it out. I never knew I used it too much until I went to a writers' crit group and saw it crossed through several times.
'That' is a word that you can overuse if you don't know that it doesn't belong. 'That' is a word you can overuse if you don't know it doesn't belong.
I appreciate bad dialogue/structure, and the meece in my head a-wheelchurning contribute:
"I don't believe you just said that," she mouthfarted.
"How did this incessant torture come to pass," he exasperated.
"I don't believe you just said that," she mouthfarted.
"How did this incessant torture come to pass," he exasperated.
I see "only" used (more often said) incorrectly. Generally, "only" needs to precede the word it's modifying.
"I only eat bacon and eggs for breakfast," means you just eat them--you don't pet them or hide them or beat them.
If you mean that's the one meal you eat for breakfast, the "only" must modify the meal: "I eat only bacon and eggs for breakfast."
Other incorrect examples:
"I only need to do one more math problem."
"She only likes rock and roll music."
"I only eat bacon and eggs for breakfast," means you just eat them--you don't pet them or hide them or beat them.
If you mean that's the one meal you eat for breakfast, the "only" must modify the meal: "I eat only bacon and eggs for breakfast."
Other incorrect examples:
"I only need to do one more math problem."
"She only likes rock and roll music."
What if a person does beat the bacon?
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
