Grammar rules are changing, always have. But how far is too far? I was
taught never to start a sentence with “and” or “but.” I just did that. Today
it’s acceptable. However, we need to know the rules so we know how and when to
break them. Here are a few of my pet peeves:
I’ve heard young authors say that commas just get in the way, so they
don’t use them at all. Is that really wise? Unless he/she only wants to
self-publish, they won’t get anywhere with a traditional publisher. It also
leads to confusing sentences. The baby has a bottle rubber ducky rattle and
shoes. Is that a “bottle rubber ducky rattle and shoes,” a “bottle, rubber
ducky rattle, and shoes” or a “bottle, rubber ducky, rattle and shoes?” All
three conjure up different items. The only item the reader knows for sure is
the shoes.
When I’m reading in past tense and come across words like: ago,
tomorrow, yesterday, and such, it pulls me out of the story. Those terms convey
speaking in present tense. I use: before or earlier, the next day, the day
before, and such. Dialogue is different. The author is quoting what was said.
I was taught all foreign words are italicized, even the ones we use
every day. (Okay I’ll admit we underlined them in the days before computers,
but the same rule applies.) Words like via,
and others I can’t think of right now.
Then there are the words that have similar meanings that are not
interchangeable. The one I hear the most often is the misuse of “less.” It’s
often used when it should be “fewer.” Less cannot be counted, fewer can.
Examples: less money—fewer dollars, fewer calories—less fattening, I could go
on, but hopefully I have made my point. If it can be counted, it should be
fewer—if not, it should be less.
Grammar changes, and always will, but let’s not come off as less
educated than we are.
