Grammar and Punctuation

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maya

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aertep said:
I'm trying to brush up on my French and I'm just glad I don't have to write anything in that language right now. I don't think I could. I hadn't thought about non-native speakers. That's an even tougher hurdle.

I'll do the same. Feel free to ask, and if I can help, I will--or direct you to a resource that can.

Is there a grammar lesson board here?

Oh I do wish I was trying to learn French, then you and I could learn together. I'm thinking it would be a lot more enjoyable.

To be fair, at least the language you are learning is considered sexy. (No offense intended to any German-speakers out there.)

You don't fancy German, by any chance, do you?

PS - I have many French friends over here, who love their language beyond belief. I'll have a word with them; they may be intersted in conversing with you (they are still trying to perfect their English). If you're interested, PM me.

xxx (I kiss everyone, I'm "European" now.)
M
 

Lilybiz

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"

"I heard a light sigh and then my heart stood still, stopped dead short by an exulting and terrible cry, by the cry of inconceivable triumph and of unspeakable pain. `I knew it--I was sure!' . . . She knew. She was sure. I heard her weeping; she had hidden her face in her hands. It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head. But nothing happened. The heavens do not fall for such a trifle. Would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justice which was his due? Hadn't he said he wanted only justice? But I couldn't. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark--too dark altogether. . . ."

Marlow ceased, and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha. Nobody moved for a time. "We have lost the first of the ebb," said the Director suddenly. I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky-- seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.
"

---Joseph Conrad's first language was Polish.
 

expatbrat

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Should dyslexics be banned?

Hi guys,



I am dyslexic! As such everything I write begins life in word, I then copy paste it in. This very post started out in word.



For so all you so clever spellers etc out there, I would like you to know that I have had over 100 articles published AND I believe I can write. I actually think I can write rather well. But my spelling so far off being correct that spell check doesn’t even have anything to recommend!



Take yacht for example. If I want to spell yacht I write boat then hit shift F7 and choose yacht from the list (I just did that to get the first spelling of that damm word!!) Otherwise I get a bunch of nonsense from my original spelling of yatch (hatch, batch, catch. No yacht.)



It is annoying. I wish I could spell correctly the first time every time. I wish I could but I can not. So I have to work with what I have. Right now I am working on a book – it is my first book and it is currently full of errors. It is also full of highlighted sections of “add more here,” “find correct name of hotel,” “fix this up later.” Once I have been through it a few times I will give it to some guru grammar spelling freaks to correct (I’ll have you know that we – the non spellers – call you spelling gurus freaks – in the same way non-exercises call those whom do - fitness freaks).



Of course it will be correct before it goes to the publishers, but that will be because of other peoples help, not because I got it right.



Should all dyslexics be banned from word processors?



Do you grammar guru’s believe I should quit writing?
 

Lilybiz

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expatbrat said:
Should all dyslexics be banned from word processors?

Do you grammar guru’s believe I should quit writing?

On the contrary, expatbrat. I can only speak for myself (and I'm probably one of those freaks you refer to), but it sounds like you're not taking shortcuts. You're going to a lot of trouble to send out a clean manuscript with things spelled right. You're putting in the effort.

You have the extra hurdle of being dyslexic. Not everyone has that hurdle. Some people just don't want to bother.

I'm just recommending that people put in the effort. I think it's to the writer's advantage and it gives you an edge over the people who don't put in the effort. Obviously, expatbrat makes and effort to send out an excellent manuscript or expatbrat wouldn't have so many publishing credits.

If you don't take that trouble, in many cases the manuscript won't get read. A misplaced comma here and there isn't going to matter. Glaringly obvious errors in every sentence, however, make a manuscript hard to read. If it's hard to read, the reader won't bother. They have 500 more to read and the day is long.
 
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