Here's an error I see all the time, and it bugs the heck out of me:
Let's try and go to the grocery store tomorrow.
What?
Tomorrow you're going to try (at something, I don't know what), and after you try, apparently you want to go to the grocery store.
What you want to say is the following:
Let's try to go to the grocery store tomorrow.
Please don't think I'm singling out anyone because of this error or that I don't want to read your blogs because of it. It's a mistake that's all over the place.
I have good news for you. Next week's TIP TUESDAY will feature a guest post by the man who doesn't write guest posts. He's The Silver Fox, who blogs at The Lair of the Silver Fox, and he's going to try to help us learn how to write better dialog. His dialog is mighty smooth.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
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| Thanks, fishducky! |
I'm not conscious of making that error you mention, but I guess if we were conscious of our errors we wouldn't make them because they'd stand out.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter in Houston said that a few days ago she went to her nearby Starbucks and it was closed due to Harvey. Her family's house went unscathed during the hurricane and so did their neighborhood. They were among the fortunate ones.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I wonder if Starbucks is closed because they can't get supplies. One of the restaurants in our neighborhood opened the day after the hurricane but closed in two hours because they ran out of food.
DeleteI am positive I am guilty of the try error, especially since I rarely self edit. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteNo need to be sorry. I love your blog.
DeleteI'm guilty of this occasionally, I confess.
ReplyDeleteI'm guilty of it, too, occasionally.
DeleteI'm going to try AND catch your blog next Tuesday!!
ReplyDeleteYou do that, funny lady.
DeleteWould it make you feel less irritated if you think of that sentence as having some "understood" words left out? It would read as "Let's try and (let's) go to the grocery store tomorrow." But why bother when you can just say "let's try to go ..." Much simpler that way. BTW - what should I have done with the period missing from the quote? I need you, Janie!
ReplyDeleteIs your question about "let's try to go ..."? It should be "let's try to go . . . . " The first three periods are ellipsis and the fourth one is the period that shows you're ending the sentence instead of only interrupting it with ellipsis. The periods are supposed to have spaces between them, too. My favorite professor would be proud of me for remembering so much of what he taught me.
DeleteIt feels good to be needed, Wilma.
Next Tuesday? Oh, crap, I'd better stop reading about Julie Newmar online and get to work.
ReplyDeleteI'll try and have that guest post ready on time. [ducks]
Arrrrrr. I'm ignoring you.
DeleteAvast, Janie! I am very much guilty of trying and doing instead of trying to do, in speech at least and probably in writing as well. I do try to fit in with the riffraff. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And if someone doesn't like it, they can bloody well walk the plank!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the ellipsis needing spaces, either. I've often wondered but never bothered to Google it. Shame on me! With the world at our fingertips, it's laziness on my part not to look it up.
Why look it up when you can ask Janie Junebug and make her feel needed--so needed that no pirate will make her walk the plank, matey?
DeleteGreat cartoon. I love dialogue, and will surely tune in.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a tough time for you, Joanne, but I like seeing you in the blogosphere.
DeleteOughttobiography. Ha!
ReplyDeleteWe always appreciate writing tips. Thank you:)
Have a great one.
Have a great one yourself, cutie!
DeleteI don't think this is one of my sins. I feel no pride though, there are plenty I do commit.
ReplyDeleteAs do I.
DeleteHmmn. I will have to look out for that one. I love your tips, Janie. I hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteI read a first draft of the guest post. I think writers will find it very helpful.
DeleteThis is the sort of grammatical error I would make in speech, but not in writing. I'll try TO pay attention from now on.
ReplyDeleteHi Janie - try is not a good word is it - we use it way too often. Love Fishducky's cartoon - brilliant ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteACK! I have no doubt I've made this error. What would we do without you? The blogging world would be a grammatical mess.
ReplyDeleteGood tip! I don't have much to add to this, I think you said it all. I do like your tips.
ReplyDeleteTotally, totally guilty of using "and" ALL THE TIME. Even start sentences with it. I do think it is definitely a regional way of speaking...you betcha! Don't know about the rest of the US, though, eh? I do tend to write just like I would chat over coffee with you. ;)
ReplyDeleteSometimes the way people speak and write can be so annoying
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this tip. I love English language, but between translating Hindi sentences and learning fro my kids I don't know how many times I have written wrong Enlish LOL
ReplyDeleteHi human, Janie,
ReplyDeleteSome might think you're a tad pawdantic, but I understand what you mean.
Pawsitive wishes,
Penny 🐶
Guilty as charged, though I'm getting better. You really don't want to see my rough drafts. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the guest post next week!
Love,
Jessica
An oughtobiography. How funny and yet, not a bad idea. But mine would be too long, too many ought to's. :-) Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDelete"Try and go" is annoying, but not nearly as aggravating to me as "goes missing" or "went missing." Those latter is even used in newspaper articles nowadays. (sigh)
ReplyDeleteOops! I bet I'm guilty, certainly in speech. But you're spot on, of course! Thanks for pointing that out!
ReplyDelete