SenoraPostrophe's grammar workshop...

[SenoraPostrophe]

...go on, ask me anything.

this is "geeky" in the sense that very few other people care about the ins and outs of it btw.

I'm amazed by the number of people who say they know nothing about grammar.

i care

I care too

I was neevr ever taught anything about grammar. All I know (little) I have gleaned from books, or Pedants.

When are commas, colons and semicolons appropriate?

I always write Jesus' but have seen Jesus's. I think I am correct - am I?

oh good!

I made a joke about tranisitive verbs earlier but then realised I was being pompous.

It's the one thing that Spanish schools do better than UK schools actually.

I take it this can be punctuation too..

newlife yes you are

though I had an editor once who said that both were ok

See, that's how little I know.

I care too. I asked this back in April and did get an answer, but I still think it's an interesting one if you want to get your brain going:

In a sentence like this:

"It was made clearer by my putting it into writing."

or this

I was helped by your knowing the answer.

I know (or at least I think I know) that it is correct to say my and your rather than me and you, but why? It (the my/your) always seems to be followed by a gerund in the instances I mean, if that helps.

you actually say 'jees-yous' as well

not 'jesuses'

And would you go for Berlioz' or Berlioz's?

newlifenewname: both are correct: it's a stle thing. I prefer Jesus'

colditz: basically a comma is a pause, and a semi colon is a slightly longer pause; you might use a semi coln, for example when doing an extra bit of a sentence that doesn't really need a new sentence. You can use a colon when adding an explanation or a list like this one: the colon sort of separates it off.

Please explain transitive and intransitive verbs.

Also, please explain correct use of "you and I" and "you and me".

I thank you.

I cannot believe the amount of MNetters that spell grammar - grammer or benefit- benifit. At least once a week one of those crops up.

I don't get the mix-up between advise and advice either. Funny, isnt' it?

Ahem, isn't, not isnt'

The one thing I've always wanted to know - is it right to use the same word twice (next to each other) in a sentence, when sometimes you don't have any other option?

eg;

if you're talking about life improvement - "the you you always wanted to be"

with a comma it seems silly - "the you, you always wanted to be"

I know in that example there's alternative words but I've had occasions with no alternative (can't remember one though!)and just used the double anyway.

Lio: good question. (actually that's another use of a colon: separating a name at the beginning of a sentence)

the two uses refelct the fact that the -ing form is two grammatical forms. There is the -ing form of a verb, which is the continuous form: eg "I am writing this", or "me knowing that means that...". But the -ing form of a verb can also be a noun (called the gerund), as in "swimming is a very popular sport". Using your example, when you say "me knowing" you are using the continuous verb, where "my knowing..." uses the gerund, or noun.

sorry that's probably clear as mud. have had wine.

Not grammar but I can't believe the amount of people who spell "lose" wrong.

So many people say they want to loose weight...drives me nuts!

beansprout:

(pasted from the benign neglect thread) transive verbs must have an object (i.e. there must be someone or something which is having something done to them). For example, "tell" is transitive because you can't really say "he told", but only "he told a story" (or some other thing). Intransitive verbs are verbs which have no object, like "say" (you can't "say a story"). Most verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively, and parenting is one of these - you can say "we parent our children" AND "we parent well".

re "you and I" and "you and me" - it depends if you would otherwise use "I" or "me". Eg you would say "shall you and I go to the cinema?" (because you would say "shall I...?" ), but "it's down to you and me"

wk007: I agree, no comma necessary.

lio: sorry if that was patronising: just re-read your post. I mean both forms are correct. do you mean you don't get the differnece between advice/advise or you don't get why others don't get it?

So if you say a prayer, is 'say' a transitive verb in that instance?

Thanks sp, always looks like I've just made a mistake and missed it, especially in essays but if I have your official grammatical approval I'm happy.

No patronising felt here .
For advise and advice, I don't get why other people don't get it. Practice and practise I get, because they are pronouned the same and spelt the same, but there is no precedent I can think of (off the top of my head) for pronouncing 'ise' as a hard ess sound.