Rules and Definitions



Do not use exclamations to show excitement.
Semicolons break up the flow.
Adverbs pave the road to hell.
Adjectives are too much tell.

Knowing this why do I defy
Because my inner voice is yelling...

ex·cla·ma·tion point
punctuation for exclamation: a punctuation mark (!) used after an exclamation or interjection, and sometimes after a command

sem·i·co·lons
punctuation mark: a punctuation mark (;) used to separate parts of a sentence or list and indicate a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period

ad·verb
modifier of verb or adjective: a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence, e.g. "happily," "very," or "frankly"

ad·jec·tive
word describing noun: a word that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun

Get out from under them
Resist, unlearn, defy

I wonder why anyone bothered to invent these parts of speech. Maybe so students would have more to diagram in English class.

Okay, I do know the reasoning behind not overusing these things. Just in a snarky mood. Still mad at my internet connection (4 more weeks. Crap.), and now Tropical Storm Bonnie is keeping me locked up in a small space with two bored 8 year olds. Eek.

Lyrics: Brandon Boyd, Incubus. Out From Under
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Comments

Aubrie said…
I do use them on occasion. :)
July 23, 2010 at 4:19 PM
Unknown said…
I use an occasional exclamation point in dialogue. I mean, sometimes we need them. Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode where Elaine edited a book (that was her job) and added tons of exclamation points? It was hilarious.
July 23, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Linda G. said…
No exclamation points? Get out! But they are are so very, extremely, superbly, expressively useful! ;)
July 23, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Karen Jones Gowen said…
I think exclamation points, adjectives and adverbs are so freakin' awesome that we've all done them to death!! Which is why now the rules say Stop Already!
July 23, 2010 at 6:42 PM
Anonymous said…
The English language is there to be used.

Just not abused is what I tell myself as I remove yet another ;
July 23, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Stina said…
I abuse exclamation marks when leaving comments on blogs!!!! :D
July 23, 2010 at 7:27 PM
Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said…
No kidding. Rules can be general, right? There are times when modifiers juice things up nicely. Is that really so bad?

Nahh, not in my book. Now if it's every other word that's different. Snark away. :D

~that rebel, Olivia
July 23, 2010 at 9:38 PM
Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said…
BTW, be safe from the storm! (See, we needed that little ball and bat.)

~that rebel, Olivia
July 23, 2010 at 9:39 PM
Susan Fields said…
I do like my semi-colons! :)

I hope you weather the storm okay and the two bored 8 year olds don't drive you batty!
July 23, 2010 at 10:55 PM
Lola Sharp said…
I too like a semicolon.

But I like how you used Incubus lyrics in this post, even more. :)

I miss you.

Love,
Lola
July 23, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Jemi Fraser said…
I think I use so many exclamation points in my blogging because I sometimes feel deprived of them in my writing. I have 2 of them in my current ms (in dialogue), and I worry about there being too many :)
July 24, 2010 at 10:16 AM
DL Hammons said…
I'm an equal opportunity abuser. I don't discriminate when I trash grammar! (notice that exclamation point).

:) Keep your head down as that storm passes by!
July 24, 2010 at 11:35 AM
roh morgon said…
Rules are meant to be bent, even broken. How much progress does the human race owe to those who defied the rules? Most of it.

Creativity is spawned from desire to get around those rules. True creativity is when rule-breakers are lauded for their achievements!

So slip in those compelling adverbs, weave in the colorful adjectives - just use them wisely and perhaps the literary pendulum will slowly swing away from the spare style so popular today and back to a landscape of the writer's choosing.
July 24, 2010 at 10:03 PM
dolorah said…
Eh, I learn the rules as I go. Someone is always telling me I can't write that way. No biggie; if I listened to everyone, I'd never write a single phrase for worry if its not correct by every standard.

......dhole
July 25, 2010 at 2:23 AM
Sangu Mandanna said…
Yep, know exactly how you feel. Yes, it's a bad idea to overuse them, but it's ridiculous to tell us not to use them at all. They're there for a reason and there are situations where they work better than anything else!
July 26, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Angela McCallister said…
Rules were made to be broken on occasion. Some of the best writing I've seen breaks the rules. I guess you just have to have good judgment on when it fits to do it and when it isn't necessary to defy them.

BTW, I have an award for you over here!!!!
August 1, 2010 at 4:29 PM
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