Thursday, December 27, 2007

Dissonant Resolutions



I learned a valuable life lesson yesterday when a homeless street urchin burst out from between two parked cars, grabbed my jacket lapels and informed me (and about two dozen other shoppers milling about their vehicles) that when joining two independent clauses, I should “be goddamned sure to use a comma followed by a conjunction, a semicolon alone, or a semicolon followed by a freakin’ sentence modifier!”


Should I get the opportunity to re-visit high school, I think I'll endeavor to pay a little closer attention in English class.

7 comments:

paisley said...

just goes to show you... we all used to be somebody.....

Anonymous said...

Okay, okay, I confess...it was me. Half a semester of trying to teach English Comp to college freshman does funny things to an individual....

Word Catalyst Magazine said...

I think in high school we were more interested in graduation than in punctuation! I still say we get educated way too young. We should all feel free to go when we're ready to learn.

Jo Janoski said...

Oh, that character! It really is Karen, you know. When I met her in downtown Pittsburgh, she was running through the streets on a grammar crusade of some kind, just as you describe. I had to drag her to the restaurant, kicking and screaming...screaming about syntax all the way. She is the "Syntax Screamer!"

Bubba said...

Oh... that was "syntax" you were screaming? That does make more sense than yelling "men's cracks"...

Sorry, my bad... I think I need to get my hearing checked.

kaylee said...

I do not know what to say,
I am shocked ,
I thought everyone
knew that.(G)
love the things that happen
to you.
klk

Anonymous said...

is, now, the, time, I. should, reveal, that, I, know little, about, puctuation%, or*should:I,wait/until~later