Funny List of Grammar Goofs

This is an easy post for me.

Each item is an example of the error it describes. I’ll show you the first couple, then click the link to get them all. I confess I edited the example list. (the original number 2 is incorrect. Those are adverbs, not prepositions.. and you have permission to end sentences with them. Actually, you also have permission to split an infinitive, but I left that one in.)

1. Remember to never split an infinitive.

2. The passive voice should never be used.

3. Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read.

The site has some fluff at the top, but the list is easy to find.

https://www.listsofnote.com/p/avoid-commas-that-are-not-necessary

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

First the comic. Can you explain the difference?

“Well” is an adverb. It describes his ability to detect odors.

“Good” is an adjective. It describes his body odor.

Did you get the answer correct?

Two examples of two in a row in the cartoon; second and third panels:

You might know that technically, the word that looks like a preposition is really an adverb when you have a separable verb (such as “put up” and “stress out.”) And these adverbs can go at the end of a sentence, such as “put ’em up” and “Don’t stress me out.”

But what about when you have more than one? The kid’s “up with” feels like an adverb, but the teacher’s “over” feels like a preposition. After all, she could have ended the sentence with “over this.” That gives “over” an object. Maybe we have some flexibility here. The longest series of prepositions I know of is five:

Come on up to over by the picnic table.

Where would you say the adverbs stop and the prepositions begin? Can you come up with a longer series? Feel free to put something in the comments.

The verb I’m thinking about is “to blend in.” Do we have an adverb for it? Well, here’s the pattern I’ve seen in this situation. Last panel.

How would you say it? What verbs can you think of to change into adverbs?

Here’s the comic. Panel 1:

Using adjectives to modify verbs is common, so I didn’t notice this until a commenter pointed it out. She should have said “…heal more slowly.” After all, she teaches English.

Um, same mistake in panel 3.