Don't Shoot the Messenger! (Adventures of a Critic)

TIME FOR A LESSON KIDS!

This is a very simple concept and it's very short. Sorry I haven't updated-it be Christmas fellas! Yay! 

Happy Holidays! Let's start with happy note, eh?

Now let's get to the actual point. Thank Shaba_Smith for this chapter, I read some of her "Wattpad's Dirty Secrets" (which is great by the way) and this topic came up. Something she said just fit perfectly with a story I critiqued not long ago. (it's not in my library, I couldn't even-good LORD).

This is a grammar lesson. That's right. We're getting to the technicalities right now-this is ridiculous people. Learn these. I'm going to cover Their, They're, and There; Your and You're; It's and Its; Whose, Who's, and Hoos; To, Too, and Two; Then and Than; Through and Threw. This is important stuff-if you don't know the differences, here they are and memorize them-get them ingrained into your brain. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO BELIEVE. 

Their, They're, There. 

Their means it's a possession to someone. The Trick-or-Treaters said the candy was theirs. 

They're means "they are". They're off to go Trick-or-Treating.

There is a place or can be a point of action. We've already gotten candy from there.

All in one sentence, it can happen: ...they're going to do their candy trade over there. 

THEY'RE is pertaining to them (they are), and THEIR is talking about THEIR candy, and over THERE is pertaining to the place where they are going to do the candy trade. Understand?

(I don't know why I decided Halloween so close to Christmas-oh well)

Your and You're

Your is something that is associated with a person. Your Christmas present is under the tree.

You're is "you are". You're going to see Santa?

You can see both in one sentence: You're going to buy a present for her, Cheryl, she's your sister.

YOUR is pertaining to Cheryl, where as YOU'RE is demanding that she is going to go get her sister a present. Understand?

Whose and Who's and Hoos

This I usually cut slack for, this is sort of hard-BUT you should know it by probably thirteen. 

Whose is belonging or talking about a person. Whose record is in the player right now?

Who's is "who is". Who's going to help me pack?

Hoos is an owl. The owl's hoos were heard around them in the forest. 

All in one sentence: Who's going to answer the question about the different hoos of owls?-discuss with your group and learn whose turn it is to answer. 

WHO'S is pertaining to who is going to answer the question. HOOS is the sound that they are supposed to answer the question about. WHOSE is pertaining to the person who is supposed to answer the question. 

To, Too, and Two

To is to talk about something that is being affected or expressing motion to somewhere. She seemed to understand, right? and I'm going to the mall to shop for Hanukkah presents. 

Too is pertaining to something that is added or is shared, and is to express limits. I need to find stuff for Kwanzaa too! and Goodness, you work too much. 

Two is the number 2. I have two apples in my basket. 

All in one sentence: I have to go to the mall too, I have to get two more presents for Hanukkah. 

The TOs of the sentence express the motion of going to the mall. The TOO is talking about how this person has to do it as well as someone else.  The TWO is the number of presents this person has to get for Hanukkah. 

It's and Its

It's is "it is". It's going to rain. 

Its is pertaining to the object or thing that has already identified or obvious. The bird sheds its feathers.

All in one sentence: It's time for the dog's walk, so go get its leash.

IT'S is pertaining to the the time-it is the time to do something. ITS is talking about the object that is obvious because it is told that it's a leash. 

Then and Than 

Then is talking about time, at that time, or afterwards. Then the train took us to the North Pole!

Than is comparing something, it is the second part. The train ride home from the North Pole was a lot quieter than on the way there. 

All in one sentence: Then we looked at paint swatches, and I liked the first one better than the second one.

THEN is talking about what they did after what was just talked about. THAN is referring to the comparison that is being made between the two shades. 

 Through and Threw

Through is going across or inside something. Or continuing in time during a point in time. I walked through the crowd. (another example, I sifted through her belongings, tossing some things, keeping others.)

Threw is having thrown something. I threw my backpack on the chair.

One sentence example: I threw his belongings at him because I was so through with this relationship. 

THREW is talking about throwing his belongings, THROUGH is referring to how she has gone past the point of the relationship or how she is done with it. 

Make sense?

Just for the record-and person, you know who you are-if I EVER hear this: "people get what I mean, I don't understand why it's a big deal," again, I will personally hunt you down and shove a Merriam Webster Book into your face. Seriously people, it matters. SOMETIMES THE ENTIRE MEANING OF A SENTENCE CAN BE CHANGED WITH THESE SIMPLE SETS OF WORDS.

I'm sick of correcting this-it makes me cringe. If you're over ten, you should know the majority of these-sorry, that's what I think. I understand making the mistake sometimes, because when you're typing at a thousand words a minute, you tend to miss it sometimes. If it's CONSTANT-then I have a problem. I mean seriously-this isn't that hard. I'm being EASY by saying that whose and who's (and hoos) is harder, because really, it's not. 

Good rule of thumb. If it has an apostrophe, it is two words combined into one. A lot of time it is "is" or a form of "is". Sound it out as you're writing if you're unsure: does "you are ball" make sense? If not, then "you're" is the wrong one to use. 

Please, for the sake of all that is in literature, learn this. It's really sad when an author doesn't have the BASIC understanding of this. I mean BASIC. I will cut slack if it happens once or twice, because everyone's prone to make mistakes, but if it's CONSTANT I just want to scream. Seriously. Learn 'em. I've made it easy for you-you don't have to look them up yourself now, just look on here and there are most of them.