Grammar errors are everywhere. My boyfriend and I always joke about how they’re even in the word grammar itself. People often spell it, “grammer,” which makes me think of nickname for someone’s sweet old grandma. I love entertaining tricks like this to help keep grammatical rules straight in my head.
Page 177 of the Topical Guide in our textbook has a notation on one of my favorite grammar mistakes: alot. The book tells us that “alot” is never proper, it should always be spelled “a lot.” That’s good advice, but kind of easy to forget. Years ago, I saw a comic strip about a furry little monster called an alot, who was the author’s representation of the error. I’ve never forgotten it, and chuckle to myself every time I see it. Below are some highlights from the comic:
The alot is so cute! I wish there was a similarly enjoyable way to keep “already” and “all ready” straight in my head. I struggle with that one. The book tells us that “already” is an adverb, while “all ready” is an adjective phrase. Since “already” and “adverb” are one word, while “all ready” and “adjective phrase” are two words, I’m going with that. I know it’s not as great as the alot, but I never claimed to be a comic strip artist.
I found a lot (not alot) of errors this week. One was in my Canvas assignments for another class. The professor wrote:
“Remember, I'll be working on giving you content through Canvas so we can spend more time working in class so you can be more comfortable with the software.”
That appears to be a run on sentence!
You're not alone. I also see the word, “a lot” frequently misspelled. The cartoon figure you posted is helpful. I'm also looking for clever and memorable ways of remembering all these grammar rules. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the “Alot” creature when I was younger. It is a creative way to help students remember that “a lot” is two words. I try to come up with my own tricks when I cannot find a useful one.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I was taught another trick. I could not spell the word “definitely” correctly until my aunt called this word an “e” sandwich. I used to always switch the last “e” and “i.” Now I no longer have that problem.
I also see "a lot" mistakes very often. I think "a lot" is a confusing word, simply because it's one word, but it's two words when it's spelt out. I absolutely love the example of the alot, I had never seen that before. Thanks!
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