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Miscellaneous Usage Problems. Double Negatives. “I can’t get no space around here!” Can’t get any can get no She didn’t do nothing about it. Didn’t do anything did nothing I couldn’t hardly stand it. Could hardly She wanted to go irregardless of rules. Regardless.
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Double Negatives • “I can’t get no space around here!” • Can’t get any can get no • She didn’t do nothing about it. • Didn’t do anything did nothing • I couldn’t hardly stand it. • Could hardly • She wanted to go irregardless of rules. • Regardless
Being that Seeing as how On account of Could of Might of All of a sudden Off of All of these Because Because Because of Could have Might have Suddenly Off All these Faulty Connectors and Adverbs
Two Word problems • A lot—colloquial, anyway • He took a lot of paper to the test. • He took a whole ream of paper to the test. • Already/All ready • Already=past He asked her already? • All ready=preparation Is she all ready for the dance? • All right • Though he was in an accident, he is all right.
Like and As • Like is a preposition that may ONLY be followed by a noun/noun phrase • She looked like her mother. • She seemed like a nice girl. • As/As if is a conjunction and MUST have a subject and a verb (even implied) following: • She played as her mother had played. • Say it as if you mean it. • Exceptions: Comparatives as-----as • She’s as lanky as John. (is lanky understood)
Adjective and Adverb Forms Adjective Pred. Adj. Adverb • Fast talker was fast ran fast • Steady top was steady walked steadily • Easy work was easy did it easily • Real girl was real really happy
She did a good job. She did well at golf. She felt well. She felt well. (sense of touch) She felt good. She did a bad job. She did it badly. She felt bad. She felt badly. (sense of touch) She felt bad. She felt unwell. Good/Well Bad/Badly
Troublemakers • He was hurt badly. ….badly hurt. • She was really beautiful. (adverb=very) • She was a real beauty. (means actual) • It surely/certainly was lucky. • It was an awfully nice present • NO-NO’s: • It sure is cold. • It’s pretty cold. • It’s awful cold.
Distinctions: prepositions and adverb pairs • Further---additional material • Farther---additional distance Talk further on how much farther we have to go . • Between—preposition used with two items • Among—preposition used with more than two. She hovered among the team members, between the quarterback and the kicker.
More pairs • Besides –preposition meaning additional • Beside –preposition meaning next to Who’s going besides Karen? Who’s sitting beside Karen? • Toward –preposition indicating direction • (towards—same thing, but less accepted) She felt good toward John.
One or two syllables 2 items/people – er Today was warmerthan yesterday. 3 or more --est Today was the warmest day all week. Three or more syllables 2 items/people—more Today’s temperature was more moderate than yesterday’s. 3 or more—most Today was the mostmoderate day all week. Comparatives:
Good: She was a good skier. Better—comparing 2 She skied better than Mary. Best—more than 2: She was the best skier in the group. Bad: She was a bad diver. Worse—comparing 2 Her diving was worse than his. Worst—more than 2 She was the worst diver on the team. Most Famous Troublemakers:
Different From -- not than • List the ways in which she was different from me. • You can’t tell which one is different from the others. • Explain how the South was no different from other regions in America. • The government obtains funds differently from any other entity.
Can vs May/Will vs Shall • Can=physical ability to He can lift it. • May=permission to He may go, too. May I go with him? • Note: we use may more to indicate doubt than to indicate permission. • Will=simple future He will go, too. • Shall=emphasis He shall go! • MacArthur: “I shall return!”
Punctuating Quotations • Put quotation marks around a speaker’s words. Use a comma (question mark or exclamation mark when appropriate) at the end of the quote if the dialogue tag (ie. Said Jon) comes after the quote; a period if the quote ends the sentence: • “You can’t be serious!” said Jon. • “Yes, I am,” answered Mary. • Jon retorted, “Well, you shouldn’t be.”
Punctuating Quotes, 2 • If the dialogue tag (ie. said Mary) comes in the middle of the quote, use a comma if the tag interrupts a sentence. Note that you use lower case at the beginning of the rest of the quote: • “I don’t want to go,” said Mary, “ because I can’t stand you!” • “Well,” exclaimed Janis, “if that’s the way you feel!” • If the dialogue tag comes in the middle of the quote, but the first part is a complete sentence, place a period at the end of the tag and start the last part of the quote with a capital letter: • “I don’t want to go,” said Mary. “I can’t stand you!”