Your vs. You're

Okay, this is probably my biggest annoyance to date.

If your Mother Tongue is not English, I 100% understand your confusion. However, if you were born and raised and continue to speak English - GET IT TOGETHER!!!

Your is the second person possessive adjective, used to describe something as belonging to you. Your is nearly always followed by a noun.

Examples:

What is your name?
What is your problem?
What time does your watch say?
What was the name of your elementary school?


You're is the contraction of "you are" and is often followed by the present participle (verb form ending in -ing).

Examples:

How am I supposed to believe that you're telling me the truth?
So, you're going out tonight?
Congrats! You're now a married couple!
 You're really getting on my nerves.

GRAHAM'S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #11

You didn't actually think I was done, did you? There are a ton of commonly mispelled words to list, so here we go:

Again

Almost

Amateur

Annually

Disastrous

Discipline

Doesn't

Dumbbell

Especially

Exaggerate

Exercise

Existence

Lying

Marriage

Memento

Mere

Necessary

Ninth

Noble

Noticeable

Occur

Occurrence

Relevant

Religious

Rhyme

Rhythm

Safety

Sapphire

Satelite

Saxophone

GRAHAM'S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #10

Commonly Misspelled Words:
Accommodate
Achievement
A lot
Among
Desperate
Didn’t
Dilemma
Dissect
Eighth
Embarrass
Exceed
Exhilarate
Liquefy
Magically
Mayonnaise
Mediterranean
Mileage
Naïve
Ninety

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GRAHAMS GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #9

SLANG WORDS!

We find ourselves using slang words more and more frequently. Although we do not always realize that we are actually using slang, we need to become more conscious of this habitual behaviour, as it causes confusion in certain situations.
Being from Nova Scotia, I tend to over use the slang term, “Eh”. I did not realize it until I began tutoring ESL (English as a Second Language) to a couple of students from South Korea. One day, one of the young women asked me, “Eh? What is an ‘eh’?”
With the above being mentioned, I thought it would be interesting to list some of the common slang terms we tend to use, as sometimes it helps to visualize the things we need to correct.

• Bluenoser - a resident of Nova Scotia
• GTA - greater Toronto area
• KD - Kraft dinner (processed cheese power, macaroni noodles)
• Winterpeg - Winnipeg, Canada

Obviously I have not listed a vast majority, but the above are a few I have heard in the last couple of hours today.

GRAHAMS GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #8

Canadian VS United States Spelling of Words

I know, it seems odd that two countries that speak the same language would spell their words differently. Generally, Canadian’s use the same spelling rules as Great Britain. American’s do not.
Each post, over the next few days, will include a different letter of the alphabet, and which words are spelled differently between the two countries.

Common Differently Spelled Words: (C=Canadian & A=American)

Acknowledgement (C) Acknowledgment (A)

Armour (C) Armor (A)

Behaviour (C) Behavior (A)

Colour (C) Color (A)

Dependant (C) Dependent (A)

Endeavour (C) Endeavor (A)

Fibre (C) Fiber (A)

Glamour (G) Glamor (A)

Honour (C) Honor (A)

Humour (C) Humor (A)

Stay tuned for more!

GRAHAMS GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #7

Simile VS. Metaphor

Definitions of:


Simile - A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the words "like", "as", or "than".[(Wikipedia, July 25th, 2010).

Example: “Life is like a box of chocolates”


Metaphor - A metaphor is an analogy between two objects or ideas; the analogy is conveyed by the use of a metaphorical word in place of some other word. (Wikipedia, July 25th, 2010).

Example: She feels that she is living in a fish bowl.



In the English language, we tend to incorrectly treat the simile and metaphor as the same thing. They are not. Although alike in most ways, a simile is a type of metaphor, but a metaphor is not a simile. Confused yet?

A metaphor is a term that has many, many different meanings, types, and examples. A simile, on the other hand, is strictly a type of metaphor that uses, “like”, “as” or “than”.

GRAHAM’S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #6

An idiom (Latin: idioma, “special property”, f. Greek: ἰδίωμα — idiōma, “special feature, special phrasing”, f. Greek: ἴδιος — idios, “one’s own”) is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.[1] There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in American English.[2] (Wikipedia, July 25th, 2010)

In plain English, an Idiom is a word or phrase that sounds like it means one thing, but means something else.

While I was tutoring a couple of gals in English as a Second Language, I realized how very important it is to learn these expressions and what they really mean.

Here is a list of samples that I feel are commonly used:


A Blessing In Disguise - Something that may seem bad, but is later realized to be good.

Example: At first I was upset that all of the cake had been eaten, but I realize, due to my diabetes, it was a blessing in disguise.


A Chip on Your Shoulder - Being upset or having an bad attitude over something.

Example: I do not understand why that cashier has such a chip on his shoulder!


Go the Extra Mile - To go above and beyond what is expected or required of oneself.

Example: Jennie is such a nice person. She always goes the extra mile for her friends.


Pass the Buck - To avoid responsibility and/or pass the work onto another.

Example: I wish you did not leave work early, I feel like you really passed the buck.


Tie the Knot - To get married

Example: I cannot wait until the day I finally tie the knot!


These are just a few examples of Idioms. It's amazing how we don't even realize how often we use them as Native English speakers. Just for fun, try to make a list!

GRAHAM'S GRAMMAR TIP #5

The heroic HYPHEN ( - )

Laws of the Hyphen:

1.) Use a hyphen to divide a word at the end of a line

Example:

If you don’t know at first where you’re supposed to hyphen-
ate a word, ask someone who does know!

2.) Hyphenate a compound adjective when it precedes the word it modifies.

Example: I need to find myself a full-time job.

GRAHAM’S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #4

The Ambiguous Apostrophe (‘)

1.) To form the possessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an ‘s’.

Examples: Lyndsay’s computer; Jennie’s calculator
Also, if the addition of an ‘s’ produces an unpleasant sound, only add the apostrophe. Normally, this would happen when there is already a double ‘s’ sound.

Examples:

a.) For old times’ sake
b.) For goodness’ sake
c.) Chris’

2.) To form the possessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe after the ‘s’.

Example: Boys’ clothes. ***If the plural form of the word does not end in ‘s’, add an apostrophe and an ‘s’. Example: Boy’s wear clothes.***

3.) Use an apostrophe to show where letters have been omitted in a contraction.

Examples: Cannot = Can’t; Had not = Hadn’t; Did not = Didn’t; It is = It’s

GRAHAM'S GRAMMAR TIP #3

THE SASSY SEMICOLON (;)

Unfortunately, the simple ‘comma’ does not cover it all… 

RULES:

1.) Use a semicolon between independent clauses not joined by and, but, nor, for, yet, and so.

Example: Understand the problem; don’t just fix it.

2.) Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by such words as for example, besides, nevertheless, etc.

Example: I’m pretty sure she was wrong; nevertheless, it is not worth the battle.

3.) Use a semicolon between items in a series if the items contain commas.

Example: The winners of the Spelling Bee are Andrea, first place; Jose, second place; and Heather, third place.

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Please contact Lyndsay via email: grahamsgrammar@hotmail.ca

GRAHAM’S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #2

The always punctual COLON (:)

1.) Use a COLON to mean “note what follows”.

Example: Before I go camping, I must remember to pack the following: tent, sleeping bag, toothbrush, and a lantern.

2.) Use a COLON before a long, formal statement or quotation.

Example: We remember Martin Luther King’s famous words: I had a dream…

GRAHAM’S GRAMMAR TIP OF THE DAY #1

The Confusing COMMA (,)

When and where does the comma fit???

1.) Use commas to separate items in a series: Example – My favourite movies include Avatar, Finding Nemo, and My Girl.
2.) Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet, when they join independent clauses (unless the clauses are too short): Example – I did not like that book in the beginning, but it ended up being a good read.
3.) Use commas to set off nonessential clauses and phrases: Example – My teacher, who gives extra help, knows that I am trying really hard.
4.) Use a comma after introductory elements: Example – Hey, how are you doing today?
5.) Use commas to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence: Example – you can turn right, I’m certain, on a red light.
6.) Use a comma in certain conventional situations (to separate items in dates and addresses, after the salutation and closing of a letter, and after a name followed by a title): Examples –
December 20th, 2009
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Dear John,
Cordially,
John Smith, MD

DO NOT OVER-USE THE COMMA!!!

This is a pet-peeve of mine!

Contrary to popular belief, a comma is not necessary in EVERY sentence. Use commas in moderation, otherwise whatever you have written just becomes annoying to read.