Here is how to be good at words.
Did you know that your parents and teachers lied to you? They did this to improve their own self-esteem. All of these grammar rules they taught you aren’t rules at all, and you don’t need to follow them.
1. You should never end a sentence with a preposition
FALSE! Ending a sentence with a preposition is a sign of confidence and superiority. They only taught you this so-called “rule” to keep you down. Try breaking it, and everyone around will see that you are not someone to mess with.
2. All sentences must end with a period
FALSE! While periods are the most common, it is also perfectly acceptable to end a sentence with any of the following:
- an exclamation point
- a question mark
- a comma
- an adjective
Depending on the context, it can make your writing a little harder to read, but it’s no less valid,
3. A predicate is what Mr. Morton does
FALSE! A predicate is actually the last word of a sentence.
4. Emoji are not a valid substitute for words
FALSE! Emoji are generally discouraged in high school and college essays because your teachers are totally fascists, not because they’re actually wrong. Don’t believe their lies! 😡
5. The Oxford comma should be omitted before the last item in a list
PARTLY FALSE! All commas should be omitted in a list. They are used to separate clauses, not list items. Parents teachers and so-called writers might say otherwise, but they are just trying to make you a lousy writer so that you won’t be published. Writers, in particular, don’t want any competition, so they’ll do whatever they can to prevent you using commas correctly.
6. All real words are in the dictionary
FALSE! Real words can be found everywhere, including novels, billboards, and even websites! You don’t need to look in the dictionary to see them.
7. All languages have the same grammar
FALSE! Only most languages have the same grammar. There are a few fringe languages, such as interpretive dance, with no grammar at all.
8. You don’t need quotation marks around quotes
FALSE! Famous author Cormac McCarthy forgot to use quotation marks in his first published book, and spread this rumor around to mask his mistake rather than correct it. Now, countless writers think it’s the norm. But it’s not.
Keep these things in mind and you’ll be writing with the best of them. Eventually,