#Structures of English

[wordweavewonder]

WordWeave WonderXpress: Ten MISSED conceptions about the English language you prolly don't know!

Welcome on board, thrill-seekers of language! I am Kyle, and I will be your guide in today’s adventure. Fasten your seatbelts for an exciting voyage through the bizarre realm of English language today. Prepare yourself for turns, twists, and a ton of fun as we dispel several falsehoods that have long caused misunderstandings in language. Hop on in and welcome to WordWeave Wonders! Our destination? English language misconceptions!

1. Before I After E Except After C:

With several exceptions, the English language does not strictly follow this norm. Terms like "seize" and "weird" contradict it, thus it's more of a suggestion than a hard and fast law. We must be alert to this peculiarity of English spelling.

2. Apostrophes and Possession:

Because "its" indicates possession and "it's" is a contraction of "it is," people frequently confuse the two words. Names with an apostrophe ('s') provide an additional level of intricacy; whether to use an apostrophe or not depends on the style guide and the individual.

3. 'An' Goes Before Words That Start with H:

Words that begin with 'h' should use 'an' before them depending on the sound rather than the letter. Even though the word "history" starts with a "h," the sound is a consonant "h," hence the correct phrase is "a history" rather than "an history."

4. Hyphens and Dashes:

Dashes have distinct functions in sentence construction, whereas hyphens link words in particular instances. Understanding the differences between emdashes, endashes, and hyphens improves the accuracy and readability of your work.

5. 'Would Of' and 'Off Of':

Accepting the appropriate contractions, like "would've," helps prevent the widespread misunderstanding that arises from the spoken contraction "would've" sounding like "would of." Like this, using shorter prepositions in place of "off of" preserves professionalism and clarity.

6. English Proficiency and Regional Dominance:

Although native speakers may perform exceptionally well in spoken English, advanced writing calls for abilities. Proficiency in writing is not enough to master academic writing; one must also grasp formal structures, styles, and conventions.

7. British English Superiority:

Even while American and British English both have distinctive qualities, it is arbitrary to think of one as being better than the other. Since language is a living thing, it is always changing and offers unique linguistic flavors that are influenced by the historical and cultural backgrounds of its speakers.

8. Starting Sentences with Conjunctions:

It is not a grammatical rule, but a stylistic preference, that sentences cannot begin with a conjunction. This method has been employed for decades by numerous well-known writers, from Shakespeare up to Bard, adding to the language's organic flow and fluidity.

9. Ending Sentences with Prepositions:

Rather than being a matter of grammar, the dislike of concluding sentences with a preposition comes from historical influences. Enforcing strict restrictions prohibiting the use of prepositions at sentence ends can impede the expression of natural language in English.

10. The Passive Voice Predicament:

The passive voice has definite use in informational communication; it is not intrinsically wrong. Even though it's best to avoid overusing it, there are instances in which the passive voice improves clarity, particularly when the action's performer is unclear or irrelevant.

That's it, language daredevils! Even though English grammar has its peculiarities, the journey is unquestionably exciting. Thus, welcome the curves and accept the twists as the delight of language takes you on a memorable adventure! Once again, I am Kyle, your humble guide, signing-off as you take off from today’s ride. Peace!

About the Author:

Kyle Christian C. Villalon, simply known as Kyle, is a bona fide student of Bulacan State University – Sarmiento Campus currently taking the program of Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English, and Minor in Mandarin.

Kyle has been a self-proclaimed connoisseur of fine arts, natural science, history, anything weeb-ish, and cats throughout his lifetime. He has been a representative of his school in matters of journalism and science and garnered a couple of awards. His hobbies include painting, drawing, sketching, art viewing, reading history books, watching anime, motorcycle riding, and rubbing the bellies of their family cats. 

He is currently writing and illustrating his own one-shot comic and juggles academics at the same time as of writing. He aspires to become a professional comic creator and an educator someday, hoping to graduate college without going insane.

References:

Ginger Article - 8 biggest misconceptions about the English language. (n.d.). Www.gingersoftware.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024, from https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/8-biggest-misconceptions-about-the-english-language

Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language. (2014, September 1). The Writer’s Cookbook. https://www.writerscookbook.com/fake-rules-of-grammar/

Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, December 20). Common English usage misconceptions. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_English_usage_misconceptions

10 Misconceptions About the English Language. (2015, May 19). Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64150/10-misconceptions-about-english

[magnetothemagnificent]

Almost every "this thing I learned in grade school is useless in my everyday life" claim can be answered by the fact that grade school is meant to give you a general education, not a specialized one. It's supposed to teach you a little bit about everything so that you can get a sense about what you might be interested in. A future doctor won't know they're interested in medicine if they don't learn anything about biology in grade school. A future writer won't know they're interested in writing if they don't learn anything about literature in grade school. A future civic worker won't know they're interested in civics if they don't learn anything about history or government in grade school. So of course you'll end up looking back and thinking that some things you learned are useless.... because grade school isn't about you individually. It's about everyone, it's supposed to ensure everyone has a chance to explore their interests and have a solid foundation for their futures.

[slavhew]

gritting teeth yeah man whatever jake english whatever whatever what ever

[yorksnapshots]

Kexby Bridge, North Yorkshire, England.

Built 1650, now closed to traffic bar walkers and cyclists since 2017 when major defects were found.

[ro-bee]

What is bro even yapping about? 💀

[rosypenguins]

Drew, Jake and Daisy and the misadventures of not understanding how Generative AI works.

[riley-coyotl]

Dog shapes are so wild. These two are pretty much the same size, they take up the same general space, yet Kelpie is a few pounds heavier, Juni is slightly longer in body, and Juni's paws are SO dainty and light compared to Kelpie's big round chunky paws!

[hiso03]

Well, I just realized how much I love Barry and Hal's Saint and Sinner dynamic (not a big surprise, to tell you the truth), but I just find it to be a very simple way to encompass and understand their dynamics.

Hal is the sinner.

An ordinary man, similar to everyone else who has so many flaws that we can all point out.

Hal is a very ordinary person, who you can relate to because of his selfish and human attitudes.

It can be cruel, but it can also be fair.

He can be heroic, but he can also be a villain.

Hal can play any role.

He has that exquisite duality that makes him feel so real and human that it even hurts and uncomfortable to see how much he fails.

Barry, on the other hand, is the most idealistic model. Just like Clark.

A good man who acts based on principles, values and logic.

A man who would be able to put his life at risk to be able to take care of the rest.

A selfless, altruistic and nice man, the kind of person that anyone aspires to be. However, I can still understand why Barry appreciates Hal so much and deep down aspires to be a little more like him.

First Barry believes in the goodness of everyone, no matter how hard Hal tries to pose as a villain and a terrible man, he will never convince Barry of that vision; Because under his "vision" of a saint, he believes that everyone can get a second chance. Everyone has the right to rectify their lives.

He also admires him for being who he is.

All those "bad" characteristics that others see, Barry can't help but find somewhat positive.

Hal is willing to talk openly regardless of what others think.

Hal could put himself first over the rest when he thought it was necessary.

Hal could refuse and be cruel to protect himself, things that Barry often wants to do, but it is not until his limit is exceeded that he does them.

Then he realizes how much he'd really like to be like Hal and that rectifies his idea that Hal isn't that bad.

And Hal wants to be like Barry, kinder and smarter.

Able to inspire others and have a hope that can fill others with that feeling. Hal would like to be more like that ideal that Barry is, but he knows he can't be.

So he just observes it and tries to take care of him.

What other purpose does a sinner have if not to protect the purity and truth of a saint?

Hal hates himself wishing he was a little more like his friend's saint.

And Barry wants to be a little more sinful and free, like his mundane friend.

From there, born their admiration and mutual appreciation.

They can see and admire qualities that perhaps the rest cannot or are interested in seeing.

[caput-medusae]

redditors have the slightest amount of media comprehension challenge (impossible)

the amount of people who still cannot grasp that the Stranger is Gandalf truly baffles me. they have given us every visual and narrative clue possible and nerd ass fanboys are crying in the comments that he’s definitely a Blue Wizard because the actor has not yet turned directly to the camera and said: “I, Daniel Weyman, am playing the character of Gandalf in Amazon’s The Rings of Power.”

“but it doesn’t happen that way in the books!” they sob. No one cares!! it literally does not matter!!! this is the middle earth cinematic universe for god’s sake! it’s middle earth-616! it’s different from the books just like the PJ trilogy were different from the books!! go outside!!!

And then worse than that, they whine and cry about it being a “mystery box” or a “guessing game” - brother it can’t be a mystery box because it’s not a mystery!!!!! they already told you who the character was in the first season!!! they expected you to have the two brain cells needed to figure it out from the obvious narrative clues!!!!

i know it’s my fault for being on reddit in the first place, but i am genuinely going to lose my mind!!!

[bl00dalchemist]

Opinions on kakaobi? :)

i am insane for them, they live rent free in my damn brain y'know.

[misiahasahardname]

it’s raining tacos????? idk man what do you want from me?

making up new awesome non-au related gijinkas… (was originally gonna digitalise all of them but i got lazy lol)

apple is definetly my favourite to draw right now lol

[lyculuscaelus]

You must have noticed a certain pattern in these lyrics from EPIC: the Musical:

“Do what I/say and you’ll/see them a/gain—‘yes sir’”

“Teucer will/shoot any/ambush at/tack and”

“Why are my/eyes and my/heart and my/soul so/heavy” ”I keep on/tryin' to em/brace you both/why won’t you/let me”

“Here in the/root of this/flower there/lies such a/power to/take her on You must con/sume and di/gest it then/you’ll mani/fest a (being)”

“(We’ve) suffered and/sailed through the/toughest of/hells now you/tell us our/effort’s for/nothing?”

“Dangerous/oceans and/beaches I’ll/go where Po/seidon won’t/reach us”

“(While) you were so/focused on/turning my/men into (snacks)”

“(Sirens) know a/bout every/route and ho/rizon Now I know/how to get/back to my/island”

“There is no/price he won’t (pay)” “I am not/letting you/get in my (way)”

… (I remember finding more but can’t pull them from my vague memory. I’ll add some when I recall. You all are welcome to help, of course!)

Had to appreciate this specific prosodic element in Epic. All the chains of dactyls+the spondee at the end really remind you of the epic it’s based on—the Odyssey, an epic poem in dactylic hexameter.

An example for your curiosity:

ἦμος δ᾽ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥο��οδάκτυλος Ἠώς, Now check this out: ἦ-μος /δ᾽ ἠ-ρι-γέ/νει-α φά/νη ῥο-δο/δάκ-τυ-λος /Ἠ-ώς, ‒ ‒ | ‒ ⏑ ⏑| ‒ ⏑ ⏑| ‒ ⏑ ⏑| ‒ ⏑ ⏑ | ‒ ‒ “When the early-born rosy-fingered Dawn appeared”

(Check the tags for more info)

[yorksnapshots]

A Mini-Henge.

At the Himalayan Garden, North Yorkshire, England.

[melikes-reads]

To German speakers

Serious question: how do you think, before you talk?

I've been watching German tv series and reading German fics, so my reading and listening comprehension is improving.

But.

German syntax is puzzling. Extremely so.

I know the grammar rules, I do! But my mind automatically goes subject + verb + object + conjunction + subject + verb + object when I want to speak.

When I write, I have time to reflect about the correct order of each word (and pieces of a word!), but trying to speak and remember where every part of the speech goes, and the right declensions… Impossible.

So, any advice?

[startrekmemequeen]

Thinking about Noonien Soong again...

People give him a lot of shit for "being a bad father" but i don't think they realize how hard it actually is to have an android kid.

It's fucking hard to be a parent. That's just a fact of life. Ask anyone who has kids. But imagine if your child also has enough physical strength to stop a moving car with one hand and can think about 10 000 things faster than you blink. But they still have trouble regulating their emotions. They still new to life, everything is new to them. You have to explain things to them, you have to teach them everything. But their brain is something so complicated and difficult, how can you even know that conventional methods will work on them? Do you have to go back and make adjusments to their programming or is it a matter of finding the right words to explain a very complicated subject in a way they would understand? Is their brain capable of comprehending this particular thing? It's your job to find out!

You live in a colony so you're a part of a community and so is your child. If a one year old human child has a tantrum and hits someone, that's totally normal. But what if an android does that? Everyone in your community would be terrified cause they'd think you built that "evil robot" from horror movies and they would want to burn your android (and probably you) on a stake. In fact, even if your child just says something weird or misinterprets a social que, people might become wary of them. So you have to make sure that no accidents happen. It's tricky to keep an eye on a little human all the time, but your child is faster and stronger than any human adult.

There's no parenting book about all of that, cause you made an entirely new type of creature. Problems so unique that no one ever even thought of them become a part of your daily life. And you have to deal with it, you have to figure it out because you CHOSE this fate. You couldn't possibly imagine how this will turn out, because no one has ever done that before. But you still made that choice. You chose to bring a new kind of life to this world. Of course, you could've just built the android, taken all the credit and called it a day. You could've secured a future and a good reputation for yourself. You could've made integrating them into human society and helping them develop someone else's problem. But you didn't. You chose to be there every step of the way. You could've stayed just a scientist. You chose to become a parent. Now you have a child and you're responsible for them. If anything bad happens, it will be your fault. Good luck.

[zilritsch]

How would Dream and Phil interact on a daily basis?

(And maybe Techno too)

A little story, I hope you like it!

A moment of late regression, Dream is about 9-10 years old.

- How are you, mate? - Phil comes over, shuffling his slippers on the floor. Dream is sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with the hounds by his side, his forehead buried in a book. Phil catches a glimpse of the cover, squinting, trying to figure out what kind of copy it is. Two figures, one against the backdrop of a dragon, the other with a holy sword.

Dream blinks sleepily, trying to comprehend the present.

- What are you reading? I haven't seen a book like that in the library. - Phil taps his claw on the book, trying to focus the boy's attention on the question.

- Found it at Techno's. Said I could take whatever I wanted. - the boy frowns sweetly.

- Oh, sure.

- Mhm, something about admins and a hero who saved the server. - Philza's eye twitches. Maybe he should tell Techno not to let Dream near his collection of books that haven't passed the Council's censorship. Otherwise Phil will go gray.

- Nice mate, and how many have you read? Do you mind if I take it? - gently taking the book from the child's hands.

- Nooo, - Dream stretches his hands forward, trying to take the book. He pouts at Phil. - Give it back, I'm at the most interesting part.

- You were lying on a book, kid. It's time for you to sleep. - Phil chuckles, he stands between his outstretched arms, not surprised when Dream wraps his arms around his waist. The book disappears into the inventory. Dream himself buries his forehead in Phil, and whines.

- Come on, it's time to sleep, - Phil easily picks up Dream in his arms, - I'll even read you a bedtime story.

- Mmmm, - Dream hums, laying her head on his shoulder and humming her nursery rhyme.

Phil feels completely satisfied. His baby is safe in his arms and really cute. Dream could talk any nonsense and Phil would be pleased. He climbs the stairs while Dream meows in his ear.

Phil gently lays him down in the nest, adjusting the pillows on his sides. He goes to the bookshelf, choosing something from the children's books. He runs his fingers along the spines until he hits the last one. A shiny cover with a white horse. Hmm, maybe Dream will like this, considering how much he's been eyeing Carl. A grin spreads across Phil's lips as he realizes this is no ordinary horse.

Oh, his boy will be thrilled.

- Guess what I found, Dreamie.

- Raccoo in a bag?

- What? No! - Phil chuckles at the absurd answer. - I found a really good book. Look, - a claw taps the head of a painted horse.

Dream's eyes widen and he squeals.

- It's a unicorn! It's so cool! - Phil chuckles, sitting down in the nest, hugging Dream with his wing when he snuggles into his side. The boy looks at the cover in awe, even running his fingertips, tracing the outline of the horn.

Phil opens the book. Dream falls asleep halfway through.