22.3.2 Grammar and Spelling
Some commonly-confused words and their appropriate meanings:
Word Meaning
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it's contraction of "it is" 'It's not easy being green.'
its possessive pronoun. 'The mummy lost its mommy.'
their possessive third-person plural pronoun. 'Where is their
leader?'
there adverb. 'He's over there.'
pronoun. 'There is a large dragon.'
noun. 'He left from there.'
they're contraction of "they are" 'They're all dead.'
you're contraction of "you are" 'You're lucky to be alive.'
your possessive 2nd-person pronoun. 'This is your disease.'
whose pronoun, singular or plural. 'Tell me whose it was.'
adjective. 'She knew the family whose house we bought.'
who's contraction of "who is". 'Who's on first?'
to A preposition: I walked to the city.
too Can be replaced with 'also', in addition: The child
went to the store too.
two More than one, less than three.
hole An opening or hollow space. 'There's a hole in the ground.'
whole Used to refer to the entire thing, 'I spent the whole day
hunting', or something that is not broken. 'Most of this
city is in ruins, but this building is whole.'
compliment To pay flattery. "You look lovely today."
complement To accentuate or go along with. "The blue complements the gold."
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Proper nouns:
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Proper nouns (names, places, etc) should be capitalized. In Aetolia, this
includes races and organizations. Examples:
- an Atavian-winged coat
- a Dwarf's engraved beard bead
- a hearth so large a Troll could sit inside
- a Sentinel warrior versus a sentinel practitioner of the class
- a Delosian bastard sword
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Common comma uses and mistakes:
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Commas in the wrong places can break a sentence into illogical segments or confuse readers with unnecessary and unexpected pauses. Here are some examples of incorrect comma usage:
The general design of these pants, is preferred by many people.
- The comma separates the first half of the sentence- the subject-
from the verb, 'is.' Subjects and verbs do not need separation.
A wool blend, and a soft cotton are both fabrics used in this design.
- This is a common misuse, using a comma before every conjunction.
If the second part is not a complete sentence, and it is not
linking at least three ideas (Oxford comma), the conjunction does
not need a comma.
These boots will easily fall off, because they have no laces.
- If it was written the other way- Because they have no laces,
these boots will easily fall off.- It should have a comma.
Correct use of the comma can clarify a sentence so the reader understands exactly what is being said. Correct uses of the comma are shown in these examples:
This dress is crafted in shades of red, blue, and gold.
- Linking three separate ideas/nouns together.
The street is wide at the entrance, but it is more narrow further on.
- In this case, 'The street is wide at the entrance' is a complete
sentence, and so is 'it is more narrow further on." Two complete
sentences need to be combined with a conjunction and comma.
A jewel, glowing a brilliant shade of amethyst, sits on the back wall of this shop.
- Qualifiers or adjectives that modify a subject, if they occur after
the subject, should be separated by commas.
Well, I think you need to go back and start over.
-A comma after an introductory phrase. (First, As you know, Although, etc...)
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Subject-Verb Agreement:
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The gem sparkles brilliantly in any given light.
The gems sparkle brilliantly in any given light.
- Verb conjugation must agree with the quantity of the noun. This is
typically accomplished by the addition or exemption of an -s.
They both look good.
- Both- implied compound (plural) subject, look
That one looks good.
- One- simple (singular) subject, looks
Note:
A collective noun (a singular word used to define a group) identifies as a simple (singular) subject, especially when treated as a unit acting in the same manner.
ex. A pair of pants rests on the counter.
A column of eyelets marches down the back.
The family plays in the park.
etc.
Multiple collective nouns identify as a plural subject, as well as a collective noun where the components are acting in different ways.
ex. The pairs of pants rest on the counter.
The row of buttons are crooked as a result of being fastened incorrectly.
As well, multiple simple nouns identify as a compound subject (two or more simple subjects that are joined by a conjunction such as: and, or, but) and are conjugated as plural.
ex. The dress and the gown rest on the counter.
- The dress and gown= Both/They rest on the counter.
Thus, the subject is compound (plural), the verb is singular.
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Hyphens
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First of all, if you are uncertain about the use of hyphens, ask for help.
Most common trap is the compound words. Here is a very general rule when it comes to those:
- If removing one of the words changes the meaning, you will want to
use a hyphen to connect them. For example, 'a man-eating shark' is
a shark that eats humans, while 'a man eating shark' is a man who
is eating shark meat.
- If neither the compound noun nor the hyphenated noun can be found in
the dictionary, treat them as separate words.
- Compound verbs that can not be found in a dictionary should be
hyphenated.
Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should be hyphenated if they are written with two words, but not when it goes above one hundred.
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Colons (:) and semicolons (;):
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A colon is used to explain or list elements of the subject referred to prior to the colon.
'Experience can be gained from a variety of sources: PK, bashing and completing quests, for example.'
A semicolon, on the other hand, is used to connect two separate, but related, clauses.
'Bashing your way through Xaanhal isn't so hard; I once saw a level 90 Cabalist do it.'
