Semicolons

Why use a semicolon? I so often see semicolons used where they aren't supposed to be used, and I see them not used when they should be. The point of a semicolon is to join two independent clauses.

The rule is, that if the two clauses can stand alone, it's okay to use a semicolon.

NEVER use a semicolon with a conjunction. A conjunction is a word that combines two independent clauses (for, and, yet, but, so, nor, or).  Since a semicolon and a conjunction most often have this same function, it's not necessary or grammatically correct to use both in a sentence.

To make it easier, my high school teachers taught me that it's most appropriate to use a semicolon when you have two contradicting clauses. This way, the contrast between the two clauses can be seen better since they are in the same sentence.

Sand-Which

     Did you know that the word sandwich is not a compound word of the words sand and which?
A compound word combines two words that can stand alone as words, into one big word!
     Examples are, boardwalk, lifetime, grandmother. These words can be broken up into two words that can stand alone with their own meaning.
BUT, the word sandwich is not a compound word! It only has one H in it, contrary to popular belief. Many times I've seen people spell it as sandwhich, as though it is a compound word.
     This hits home for me (no pun intended) because my hometown is actually named Sandwich, and I know it is spelled like the food, so it helps me remember the correct spelling for the word.

Dunkin' Donuts has ruined it all.

     I am blaming Dunkin' Donuts for the fact that people incessantly spell the word doughnut as donut, which is incorrect. Yes, it is easier to write it this way, but I really believe that people just don't know that it's spelled as doughnut. They have no idea that Dunkin' Donuts just spells it that way for slang.
     What sparked my need to write about this is because I saw it spelled as donut  two times on Twitter today.  Twitter and Facebook are the forums that I usually see all of the grammatical errors that bother me so much.
     It's not that I'm some type of a snob, because I know that's how a lot of people see people like me who get annoyed about grammar mistakes. I will not correct someone on Facebook in public about a spelling mistake (unless I'm in a really bad mood and I dislike the person.) I just really think that how you present yourself on these public forums is really important, especially as you grow older. That's why this blog is what I needed.  Somewhere to blow off my steam when I get mad thagt people can't speak or write correctly.
     So back to doughnuts.  In conclusion, I think the popular coffee chain really ruined it for the world and now no one knows how to spell the actual word! That's my theory.

Coulda Woulda Shoulda

Okay so this post is different because I'm addressing an error in speaking. So often I hear people say "I should of gone too." This is not proper English, no matter how convinced you are that it is right, it's not. The proper way to say it is should've.

Why?
Because the word is a contraction, as I've written about before. It joins together the words should and have. So don't say should and of.  And it's definitely not shoulda (sometimes I say this I'll admit.) The same goes for would've and could've. They are all contractions with the word have.

Am I cooler THEN you?

Then and than.

This is another huge pet peeve of mine.  All the grammatical errors that I rant about bother me, but this is one that really rubs me the wrong way because if you're going to make a comparison between two things, do it right.

It is very simple. Use than when comparing, and use then every other time. That's all there is to it.

Than: comparison
Then: at a point in time/addition to

So the title of this post is wrong. I am not cooler then you, I am cooler THAN you. Never use then in a comparison and you'll be golden!

It's vs. Its

This one is a little bit special because I make this mistake so often. Since adding an apostrophe s to nouns usually shows possession, with it's, adding an apostrophe just means it is, and no apostrophe shows possession. I always forget this, and I know that many people also do as well.

Here are some examples:

It's cold outside. 
     In other words, It is cold outside.

That has its own name.
     Shows possession of name.

Affect? Effect.

This mistake is so common. I'd be a rich, rich girl if I had a dime for every time I saw this error.
In simplest terms: Affect is a verb and effect is a noun.

One word is used to show action, and the other one is a person, place or thing.

So you would never say this:
How does that effect the final product?  In this sentence, effect is clearly used as a verb, which doesn't work because affect is a verb, not effect.

Instead it would be:
How does that affect the final product?

Effect is used as so:
The effect of not studying for the exam is possible failure.  In this sentence, effect is used as a noun.