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Maybe I’m a grammar snob (actually I know I am) but I imagine I’m not alone in having writing-related pet peeves.
Two of my “favorites” are when writers use “they/their” to refer to a single person when gender is unknown, i.e. “I tried to get that crazy driver’s license plate, but they drove away too fast.” (And yes, I know this is become standard practice, but still. Yikes.)
The other biggie is excessive use of “ly” adverbs, i.e. “He walked slowly down the stairs and carefully lifted the lid of the intricately carved chest.”
What are yours?
😂 I know I have a lot of grammar pet-peeves in writing, but I can’t think of any at this moment.
Not all those who wander are lost.
Hahah oh yes those bother me too! I’m trying to think what mine are….
One of them is when almost every sentence starts with ‘the.’ It’s just…. *shivers*
Courage, dear heart ~ Aslan
Ha ha, this is funny 😛 I can’t think of many peeves, but one of them is when a single word is used multiple times in the same sentence or closely related paragraphs. I like it when folks make use of synonyms — there are so many words you can use to convey the same thing, and it makes reading interesting!
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.That’s a good one, @wingiby-iggiby, and one I’m unfortunately sometimes guilty of, because I tend to try to keep my vocabulary simple when writing stories.
Great question. Probably run-on sentences. I know it can be a style of writing, but when the author just keeps tacking on “and”, it annoys me. Not quite sure why. I think it’s just a bit harder for me to follow. 😀
"I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell."
I totally get it! I do it myself a lot, and so I search the internet for synonyms, which is actually sorta fun 😀 . (I was writing a part describing a staircase and an alcove just off of it, and there are not many synonyms for stairs, LOL it made me nuts to keep saying “stairs” over and over again). Sometimes using a weird word for something can just throw the reader off; but I think doing that would work well for comedy, such as a “woody perennial plant,” in substitute for “tree.” I think I’m just droning on, so, uh, yeah….
Ahhhh!!! Yes!!! I don’t like “and” and “and” and “and.” Not at all. But have you read “The Places Beyond the Maps” by Douglas Kaine McKelvey in Wingfeather Tales? I don’t think he used “and” over and over again, but the way he ran his sentences together…. wow. It was such a beautiful story, and the way Peterson described it in his introduction, yeah, that’s what I mean.
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Yes!! I have! I know, he has such a beautiful writing style… I could never write with such elegance and beauty and description like he does. But yeah!  I think he did have run-on sentences, but, you’re right, the way he did was so lovely and stunning. (I can’t even find a decent word to describe it!)
"I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell."
I suppose the truly great writers can break pretty much any rule, but as for the rest of us, we’d better mind our P’s and Q’s.
@zee I have SO many grammar pet peeves! My biggest peeve is when people use “try and” instead of “try to.” Also, when people misuse “sit” and “set” ALL. THE. TIME.
Courage, dear heart.
It was amazing….. it gave the story such a heart…. like you were inside Cobbler’s soul…. really feeling his pain….the loss…. the shame….. the thought…..
it is so hard to describe!!!
Yes! I totally agree. Those who are experienced just know how to break the rules and make it seem like they aren’t….
Those are some interesting ones! But they make total sense (why they are annoying, I mean)!
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Exactly! I want to be like that, though I don’t know if I ever can.. Maybe some day, if God wills. 🙂
"I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell."
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