Looking for a Grammar Forum...

[Brian G Turner]

That said, even I don't speak or write like a Dick and Jane reader.

People often misunderstand the recommendation to write simply. What is meant is to write like your natural writing voice - ie, how you write in your forum posts - not write like a child.

 

[olive]

... What is meant is to write like your natural writing voice - ie, how you write in your forum posts ...

Great. I'm doomed.

 

[DannMcGrew]

It just occurred to me that the grammar lessons at KhanAcademy.org may be very helpful to you. They have helped several of my adult literacy students and lessons on other topics are my go-to resource for learners at all levels. I myself use their lessons often when I need to keep ahead of a student I'm tutoring in a subject that's not my strong suit.

Khan Academy

tinyurl.com

Kahn works best when you go with/follow the program -- reinforcing your basic knowledge before moving on. Although, picking out specific topics can be of help with an immediate problem.

 

[AlexH]

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Great. I'm doomed.

I make a fair proportion of my living writing sf in my Northern Irish voice. Just like I post on forums

 

[-K2-]

Thank you everyone. That gives me a number of ideas and resources to work with. I appreciate everyone taking the time to help me out.

K2

 

[Jesse Harris]

K2, I am getting caught up and just read your original post. When I first heard you ask about a grammar forum, I thought you were asking so you could volunteer to help others. As someone who is new to this forum, I have only been reading your most recent postings. I have found them written well from both a mechanical and stylist perspective. I would encourage you to reevaluate your self-determined need for grammar assistance. What you write has that "voice" that everyone talks about but no one seems to be able to define clearly.

 

[chrispenycate]

When I first joined this place, I was already a pedant, even if I wasn't a writer. Actually, being precise about it, perhaps I was a technical writer. I did translations, as British English was my mother tongue, while I hadn't lived in an English speaking county for twenty-five years.

I started doing critiques, specialising in grammar and punctuation, spelling and technical verisimilitude. I marked mistakes in red, and a number of my productions came out looking as if they'd been infected by a serious rash. People disliked being told their control of the language was insufficient - I'm not actually sure whether they had been expecting "Oh, that's marvellous", or expected us to write the stories for them - and, even if I'm not the nicest of people I consider squashing ambition and creativity to be avoided, and stopped critiquing, but had already improved the punctuation on the site considerably.

But if you desire basic grammatical analysis of something I am here, mouldering in my retirement flat, with time on my hands. All right, my sister (who went into teaching, like the majority of my family, and even gave a 'creative writing' course for a while, would doubtless be better - but she's not into speculative fiction (what use is fiction that doesn't speculate? I suppose 'what use fiction?' is a futile question). So Chrons got me - a technically educated sound engineer, with no letters involved in his formal training (and you know how letters majors consider us semi-illiterate techies).
I'm old, my pedantry extends to things that are nowadays quite accepted (like split infinitives and comma splices), invariably use subjunctive mood in general conversation - an old fogie - but I have free time, and would be quite happy to give grammatical analyses to anything communicated to be by thick-skinned potential authors - probably not novel length, I'm a bit slow - major works might take me a while.

 

[-K2-]

@chrispenycate and everyone. Thanks again, but, I'm working with not what I would call a typical learning disability, but one nevertheless, I suspect due to how late in life I began to learn. Many things I learn so quickly--and retain--that a number of people have incorrectly assumed that I was highly educated. Then I speak, or write something creative (vs. technical), and my lack of education becomes clear. I don't care about that.

What I care about is learning to write correctly. I'm not looking for fame or fortune. But, I'd like what I write read and enjoyed. I write GREAT stories. Unfortunately, the telling takes a bit to wade through . In any case, I know what works for me and what doesn't. Though it would work, I have absolutely NO intention of burdening members here past the usual stuff we post... and no, though I recognize and appreciate the kind generosity so many have extended to me, I'm firm on that point.

Let this thread die... Simply know this. After a break to try and learn particular things, I'm back picking at and editing my primary project. And I am horrified by what I'm seeing. That's because, I have learned here, in the way that works for me.

You all, do help me already...in every single thread I participate in. And I thank you.

K2

 

[The Judge]

Simply know this. After a break to try and learn particular things, I'm back picking at and editing my primary project. And I am horrified by what I'm seeing. That's because, I have learned here, in the way that works for me.

I was going to "like" your post for this, but that might suggest I like the fact you're horrified! But it's good to hear that you're already picking up errors.

And while I'm here, since we can't get you to put up things for querying, just be careful over your commas -- you sometimes add them where they're not needed and they interrupt the flow of the sentence. The usual way to decide if a comma is needed is to see if, when reading, you pause for any length of time. (Short pause = comma; anything longer and you're looking at semi-colons, colons and then full stops [periods].) So

• but, I'm working and But, I'd like -- even if you pause after the "but" in speech, I'd advise you never to put a comma there
• That's because, I have -- treat "because" like "but" so no comma ever, even if you do pause
• You all, do help me -- no comma here

That comma quirk aside, though, the whole post was fine grammatically, and -- as Jesse says -- your posts usually are. So stop doing yourself down!


MOD's NOTE: To any newbie reading this, I've here broken a firm rule that we don't critique or criticise other members' posts on Chrons, no matter what the mistakes. I've only done so because K2 has asked for help on grammar points previously, and I'm using this as a final opportunity to help since he won't be letting us assist him further. It won't happen again, and it isn't carte blanche for anyone else to do it anywhere.

 

[-K2-]

'I' never mind being corrected. But I realize the point is to avoid habits and to not have someone think it's acceptable.

That said, the comma issue as it applies to SPEAKING the sentence, is a big part of my problem. Not due to my speech issues, but because I'll add commas where there should be a brief pause in how the sentence is read aloud. Unfortunately, that sometimes breaks up a clause incorrectly. Another problem is, I'll question portions of a sentence (like the example posted previously) where there is not a noun+verb combination.

So I'll keep working at it.

Thanks everyone!

K2