http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/ Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer worries about being a grammar snob--even a little bit. She's got a great tip to remember it's from its. But I don't think she needs to worry! I think we need more grammar snobs! People might say that in the Big Picture of Life, who cares if you use it's or its, lose or loose, etc. But you know what I think? I think that all these little things add up to make the Big Picture of Life! If you make a mosaic with a lot of dull or broken tiles...won't your final product be unpleasant? You might not notice one tissue dropped by one person...but multiply that by a million, and...well, you get it. So, so, so...what is my "Works for Me Wednesday" tip? I'm not going to write about my absolute pet peeve of spelling, loose and lose. Part II of today's spelling lesson (Shannon must have been up early for part I!) is "affect and effect." This one is so easy it's silly. "Effect" is a noun. You often use 'the' with nouns. (The cat, the ferret, the backyard.) "The" ends in "E," and "effect" begins with "E." Just match them up! "What is the effect of reading Shannon's blog each day?" "Affect" is a verb, an Action word. It does something to something else. "How will that affect me?" Now, if you don't have a 'the,' just try to change the sentence to use one and see if it works: "What effect does blog hopping have on you?" Change to "What is the effect that blog hopping has on you?" Capisci?
12 comments:
Great tip! I always get that one wrong. Now I won't. So now can you explain lay, laid, lie, etc in a way I can remember?
I'm with Gina, thanks and now can you explain lay, laid, lie, etc in a way I can remember?
You known, I think this might actually help me keep the two straight! Hopefully the effect will positively affect my writing!
Hey thats awesome. I needed a refresher. Laura
Amen, sister!
Yup.
And just for fun, one of my more recent sayings: Sometimes the space I'm staring at is the Big Picture.
Somehow, I think you'll get that one.hehe
Good one! I try to use grammar effectively myself.
Some days it's easy to remember, other days not so much. Thanks for stopping by!
Brava! I'll keep in my how it effects someone when I affect knowledge of grammar that I do not possess ;)
Cheers!
Julie
What an amazing affect this will have on many women. I agree, more grammar snobs are necessary. I also have to admit that at times I just become tired and lazy and the effect I have on others must really be irritating at times.
excellent tip! I'm going to write that one down, b/c I never know which one to use!
Maybe this will help, though I suspect it makes more sense in my head than it will when I try to explain it.
"Lie" and "lay" go together:
You lie down in your bed, or you already lay down.
This is a bit of a stretch, but the past tense comes first in the dictionary just like in real life. I mean, if you already did it then the past tense came first, right?
It's the same with "lay" & "laid," but "lay" and "laid" always have an object, meaning you do them *to* something. You lie down, you lay a baby down.:
You lay a book on the table; you already laid the book on the table.
"Laid" is past tense, and it comes before "lay" in the dictionary- so if you did it first, it comes first in the dictionary.
So, did I just totally confuse everyone for life?
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