Grammar Mechanics (Basic)

Making Mistakes the Right Way {a writing tip thread}

Guys, I'm being such a terrible person. I haven't updated since forever. Kill me, murder me. I know. But  frankly, this "writing thread" slips my mind because most of you don't give me your personal takes on the topics I've covered so far. I will be trying my best to respond to all of you, so do give me your personal feedback! Anyway, back on topic. I'll be covering basic grammar mechanics because from last chapter's poll, you all agreed that this would be what I would cover next. 

(P.S. Don't worry, you can trust me on my grammar mechanics. I'm from America and English is my first language. However, everybody makes mistakes so if you have a disagreement with my decisions on things, do tell.) 


Nouns: words that are either a:  place/person/thing

Verbs: words that describe an action that the noun is doing


Now from my past experiences with authors whose first langugae is not English, I've realized they had verb confusion with plural and singular nouns. (I've reviewed several stories at two shops so far, so I have enough exposure to come to a conclusion.) 

EXAMPLE: Everybody have an ounce of sadness in their body.

As native-speakers of English, we already know this is wrong. Hearing it sounds terrible to the ears, and reading it hurts our eyes even more. However, those who are bilingual, they somehow think that "everybody" is a plural noun. 

The rule is, when your noun in your sentence is singular, your verb should end with a "s" in most cases. 

EXAMPLE: Byunghyun dances crazily on the stage with his other members.

You see, Byunghyun is a singular noun, which is why the verb ends with a "s." Now, if the noun's plural...

EXAMPLE: The teenage boys imitate B.A.P's "push-up" dance in their latest single, One Shot. 

Teenage boys is plural, therefore, the verb doesn't end with a "s." Now, let's talk about my first example I gave out. 

Everybody assumes that "everybody" "everyone" "no one" "anybody" and whatnot are plural nouns. Incorrect. Everybody is one group of people, and one is thus, singular. So to correct my first example, the correct way to say the sentence would be:

Everybody has an ounce of sadness in their body. 

If you still don't get my little "grammar" lesson, comment below and I'll try my best to help clear things up! 


 

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-justadreamer-
I will try to update tomorrow or Saturday, if latest. [PST | 8:20 PM]

Comments

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travellingIdeas
#1
Chapter 12: i agree, i love it when the writer put the twist inside the story (esp if the story was mystery! and more love if it's nicely written!) i was like 'wait, so all the time i was wrong? w-wait what?'
dddddd6
#2
Chapter 13: Hey um, I have a question. I have a title for my story, but it is already the title of a real book, can I still use it?
dddddd6
#3
Chapter 11: i thought the second person point of view is when the main character talks to the reader from within the book?
smolder
#4
Chapter 11: I apologize, but I must disagree. In fact, the second person narrative is widely enjoyed in literature. Although it is hard to write, it can result in something beautiful when executed well. Heck, one of my favorite novels is written in the second person point of view. I understand that a lot of these so-called "you" fics on AFF are a load of crap, and I feel sad because they are butchering the second person narrative. However, I do not believe you should immediate judge a fic by the narrative/point of view it takes.
zarawrshi #5
Chapter 13: Uh..*ugly sobs*
you're one of my fav. 'rant-er' T^T
congrats and good luck btw! ^^
IcyWish
#6
Chapter 13: Oh, well congrats on graduating!!
And I found your "rants" funny and helpful! ^.^
kaykayenoel #7
Chapter 13: Wah, that's too bad. But I can understand why you'd want to stop if your schedule is getting busy. Well, I won't be unsubscribing, but I hope you all the best! :)
SongKyuHae
#8
Chapter 5: I totally agree.
I immediately lose interest in the fan fiction if it has terrible grammar and not the right font.
You give great tips by the way,thanks!
I'm bilingual, do you think my English is bad?
zarawrshi #9
Chapter 11: Yup, answered! Thanks for your opinions! :)
But as for me, the 2nd POV is a major turnoff. *shrug*
unfamous #10
Chapter 10: I'm agree with all of this O.o + this is a nice tips ..