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Old Thu Dec 05, 2013, 11:23pm
beware big brother
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich View Post
Opinions aren't necessary equal. And punctuation would certainly help your presentation.
Since we have decide to become grammar police I might suggest to you that starting a sentence with a conjunction is not the best way to tell someone their punctuation is lacking. While not strictly forbidden, it is considered acceptable only in informal written communication.
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Old Thu Dec 05, 2013, 11:38pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Since we have decide to become grammar police I might suggest to you that starting a sentence with a conjunction is not the best way to tell someone their punctuation is lacking. While not strictly forbidden, it is considered acceptable only in informal written communication.
Since when are we formal here?

We are, however, a step above ten-year-olds text messaging. I hope.
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Old Thu Dec 05, 2013, 11:58pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Since we have decide to become grammar police I might suggest to you that starting a sentence with a conjunction is not the best way to tell someone their punctuation is lacking. While not strictly forbidden, it is considered acceptable only in informal written communication.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich View Post
Since when are we formal here?

We are, however, a step above ten-year-olds text messaging. I hope.
And that "rule" has largely been put to rest.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:00am
beware big brother
 
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Perhaps we are not that formal. It is still ironic to point out another's lack of grammar using sentence structure that isn't widely accepted.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:06am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Perhaps we are not that formal. It is still ironic to point out another's lack of grammar using sentence structure that isn't widely accepted.
I'll point out that this is merely your opinion.

Quote:
A frequently asked question about conjunctions is whether and or but can be used at the beginning of a sentence. This is what R.W. Burchfield has to say about this use of and:

There is a persistent belief that it is improper to begin a sentence with And, but this prohibition has been cheerfully ignored by standard authors from Anglo-Saxon times onwards. An initial And is a useful aid to writers as the narrative continues.
from The New Fowler's Modern English Usage
edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996.
Used with the permission of Oxford University Press.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:34am
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Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Perhaps we are not that formal. It is still ironic to point out another's lack of grammar using sentence structure that isn't widely accepted.
You'd have a good point if your assertion about its acceptance were actually correct.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:46am
beware big brother
 
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Next time you are writing a report at work, a cover letter for a new job, or anything else that requires a degree of professionalism, go ahead and start sentences with coordinating conjunctions and see how it works out for you. Doing so is a grammatical trick that should be used judiciously and is really only effective in narratives and story telling.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:52am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Next time you are writing a report at work, a cover letter for a new job, or anything else that requires a degree of professionalism, go ahead and start sentences with coordinating conjunctions and see how it works out for you. Doing so is a grammatical trick that should be used judiciously and is really only effective in narratives and story telling.
Or internet boards. Punctuation still helps - even if it's not correct - with readability. Rich's point is still valid. I'm not sure what yours is.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 12:56am
AremRed
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Originally Posted by Adam View Post
I'm not sure what yours is.
Someone once told me never to end a sentence with a preposition. I told them prepositions are not things I end sentences with! :)
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 02:27am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Next time you are writing a report at work, a cover letter for a new job, or anything else that requires a degree of professionalism, go ahead and start sentences with coordinating conjunctions and see how it works out for you. Doing so is a grammatical trick that should be used judiciously and is really only effective in narratives and story telling.
Sorry, already do most of those things...and not one person cares.

I doubt I could find one person that matters that actually cares anything about a preposition at the beginning of a sentence. There would be very few jobs that depend on rigid academic grammar that would be worth having. Most intelligent hiring managers care about how well you might actually do the job, not some archaic grammar rule.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 08:45am
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Are We Using A Blue Font For Sarcastic Posts ???

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Originally Posted by Camron Rust View Post
I doubt I could find one person that matters that actually cares anything about a preposition at the beginning of a sentence. There would be very few jobs that depend on rigid academic grammar that would be worth having. Most intelligent hiring managers care about how well you might actually do the job, not some archaic grammar rule.
NFHS editor? Those that write the "User's Manual" for products that are made in China?
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 08:45am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny d View Post
Next time you are writing a report at work, a cover letter for a new job, or anything else that requires a degree of professionalism, go ahead and start sentences with coordinating conjunctions and see how it works out for you. Doing so is a grammatical trick that should be used judiciously and is really only effective in narratives and story telling.
The web is informal, we are not writing dissertations. However, even informal writing requires punctuation and capitalization.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 08:42am
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Lost In Space ...

Since we're nitpicking, we can tell the age of posters on the Forum by how many spaces they place after a period at the end of a sentence. Old timers like me, who learned to type on a typewriter (look it up younguns, or watch for one on Antiques Roadshow) were taught to hit the space bar twice after the period at the end of a sentence. Forum members who grew up during the digital age, and learned to "type" on a keyboard, are taught to only hit the space bar once after the period at the end of a sentence, which is now considered the accepted practice.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 09:07am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post
Since we're nitpicking, we can tell the age of posters on the Forum by how many spaces they place after a period at the end of a sentence. Old timers like me, who learned to type on a typewriter (look it up younguns, or watch for one on Antiques Roadshow) were taught to hit the space bar twice after the period at the end of a sentence. Forum members who grew up during the digital age, and learned to "type" on a keyboard, are taught to only hit the space bar once after the period at the end of a sentence, which is now considered the accepted practice.
This depends on which writing style you're using. Chicago uses one space, for example. Others use two. I had a crappy time editing my Chicago Style papers for this reason.
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Old Fri Dec 06, 2013, 10:17am
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Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post
Since we're nitpicking, we can tell the age of posters on the Forum by how many spaces they place after a period at the end of a sentence. Old timers like me, who learned to type on a typewriter (look it up younguns, or watch for one on Antiques Roadshow) were taught to hit the space bar twice after the period at the end of a sentence. Forum members who grew up during the digital age, and learned to "type" on a keyboard, are taught to only hit the space bar once after the period at the end of a sentence, which is now considered the accepted practice.
Dang it, Billy! Thanks for placing me squarely in the "old timers" category!
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