Myths are fictitious stories, but they have a lot of power. Lightning never strikes the same place twice is one myth that I’m sure you’re familiar with, and it is a dangerous one. Lightning could strike the same place in less than ten minutes, or it could wait thousands of years to strike that place again.
There are a lot of myths in the world of grammar too. Maybe these myths are learned from friends, colleagues, or family members. But you can be sure they weren’t learned from a grammar book because they are wrong, and just like zombies, they need to stay buried.
A run-on sentence is just a really long sentence.
Wrong! Another name for a run-on sentence is a comma splice, and they can be short, long, or somewhere between. Why comma splices are wrong and how to fix them is clearly explained in this article: Comma Splices.
Irregardless is not a word.
If irregardless isn’t a word, then why is it in the dictionary? Well, it is a word, but even the dictionary labels it as nonstandard. Irregardless is a portmanteau word—a word made by putting together parts of other words—from irrespective and regardless.
Never end a sentence with a preposition.
The only time you shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition is if the sentence’s meaning wouldn’t change if you removed the preposition. For instance, “Where are you at?” is wrong since “Where are you?” means exactly the same thing. And arranging the words in a sentence so that the preposition isn’t the last word often makes your sentence sound pompous and awkward.
Someone once criticized Winston Churchill for ending a sentence with a preposition. His reply? “That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put.”
Never split an infinitive.
First, what is an infinitive? It is the tenseless form of a verb preceded by to, such as to glorify or to bow. When you split an infinitive, you place one or more words between to and the rest of the verb, such as to mockingly glorify or to humbly bow. Placing a modifier between the two parts of an infinitive is a natural thing to do.
Never start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, it is rank superstition that a coordinating conjunction—for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so—cannot properly begin a sentence. And writers have been starting sentences with coordinating conjunctions for centuries.
Never start a sentence with because.
According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, this “rule” has never had any basis in grammar. When grade-schoolers are first learning to write, beginning a sentence with because often leads to not a complete sentence but a sentence fragment. Make sure your sentence has at least one independent clause, and you’re good to go.
Never start a sentence with however.
Yes, it is perfectly fine to begin a sentence with however. According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, when used to present a contrast, it should be followed by a comma. But when used to mean “in whatever way” or “to whatever extent,” however is not followed by a comma.
When a word starts with a consonant, you always use a before it. However, if a word begins with a vowel, you always use an before it.
If only it were that simple. The sound, not the letter, controls whether a or an appears before the word. A is used before words beginning with a consonant sound, including /y/ and /w/ sounds. So we would say a European country, a uniform, and a eulogy.
An is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. So we would write an herb garden, an FBI agent, and an M&M.
When the rules call for whom, never use who.
I love the way David from Khan Academy explains this one.
When you’re asked how you are, it’s wrong to answer, “I’m good.”
Uhm, no. Am is a linking verb, so it needs to be modified by an adjective such as good. Since well can also act as an adjective. you could also answer “I’m well.”
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