It's Nothing Impressive, but still...
I hate having to be in a rush, but tonight, I am seriously rushing through this. I am doing everything I can to avoid sacrificing the quality you all deserve, but you gotta understand, I write this stuff up while at work. Yep, I have a boring nightshift job that usually allows me the time I need to get this stuff done- but every once in a great while, real work comes a knocking and the job has to come first. Ultimately, that means that I get behind on my stuff, because today, I had a truckload of it come in- and my regular co-worker is out, leaving me to do all of it on my own.
This beauty takes me anywhere from 4-5.5hrs to put together (seriously) depending on how much content I got to stuff in and how much I feel like rambling in closing thoughts. To make things more dificult, the first blog of the month is usually the one with the most content because I am catching up two weeks worth! Alright, I apologize for taking up this intro to bitch and moan, and will get back to your regularly scheduled blog complete with snarkiness and heaping helpings of fresh Valucre content.
Even if look a little frazzled at this point. :P
Even if look a little frazzled at this point. :P
What's Happening Valucre?
The Chosen Goes to Round Three- Yes, you read that right! Chosen has finally moved on to round three, with our battles dwindling down to the best contenders. These fights should start to get very serious, and hopefully, there will be no more timing out. This might be your best opportunity to get your fix with some awesome T-1. Come check it out, you won't be sorry... okay, maybe that is a bit of an overstatement, you very well might be. 0_o Check out the latest in the lounge.
Chosen Tournament Betting?- I kid you not my friends, if you want to gamble on the Chosen fights, you now have the ability. Administratively approved, you can bet through the house of Valucre on which participants you think are going to win the current matches, and you can even bet on who you think will make all the way through, claiming the title of this years champion, and being presented with the possible opportunity to fight Faustus, previous winner of the Chosen. If gambling is your thing and you have some extra VB lying around, come place your bets.
Prime Candidates and Campaigns- I am leaving this notice up for another week, as it certainly could use some exposure. If you enjoy leadership roles within Terrenus and Genesaris, you have opportunities to take on similar responsibilities for places within Renovaito- jump on it while you still have the chance.
The Tea Party- An Alice in Wonderland inspired RP, this will be the birthday celebration of Raspberry, another one of those Dugrace royals. This is meant to be a big, open event, with many activities and plenty of food for your characters to boot. You can expect a loose posting order, with lots of opportunity to mingle, and perhaps bump elbows with some other noteworthy folks inside an IC capacity. There is quite a bit of work put into this, so you should at least give it a glance.
The Essence of Life: Wonders of Nature- This looks really cool. This interest check is looking for individuals interested in getting involved in a series of quests with someone seeking to discover the essence behind all life. The quests will likely all be centered around Genesaris, but an exception might come up at a later time. You can expect puzzles and riddles, difficult obstacles and the discovery of ancient secrets- an awesome quest of epic proportions. If you are looking for something cool that you can commit to in the long haul, you have no need to look any further than this thread.
Hail to the Glorious Contenders- Perhaps Patia's first major hosted event, this will be a large scale festival and tournament, with several interesting activities taking place. You can participate in a joust, a poetry/writing contest, or a potion making contest (Love potions, if I recall correctly). The first is a chance based activity, with the joust results determined by the Valucre dice system. The second is purely with your writing talents and creativity, while the last focuses on logic. There are several IC threads surrounding these events, so there is lots of opportunity to get in some solid RP. Come support Patia, and make your appearance.
Role-play Adaptation of a Classical Play: Pick the Play- The interest check has been out there for a while now, so now comes the time to decide which play will get pushed forth. So far, only four votes have come in, even though more people expressed interest in the first place. If you plan to participate, were on the fence about it, or only plan to follow the thread, you are all invited to come have your say in which play should go up. Vote over here.
Terrenus Military Recruits- The Terrenus military is looking for some recruits, with opportunities for advancement readily available. The only thing left off the table with certainty are peacekeeper positions, so don't ask. Otherwise, you have a wide variety of positions available, so long as they are focused on city defenses. As Supernal put it- he's tired of leaving his Terrenus pie on the windowsill to cool, only to find that some naughty child has made off with his dish! Conscriptions are here.
Legends of Adaviel: Looking for Characters- The interest check specifically mentions royalty right off hand, but she's also looking for anyone looking to make characters based in, or having traveled to, this new addition to Valucre. There is a group that contains (what she calls incomplete) tons of lore, and there are a variety of noble family positions the author would like to get filled- but mundane roles are encouraged as well. Come help our member get her new land off the ground, it looks quite promising. :)
Featured Read of the Week- Love at first sight... it's a concept true only in romance novels, but when it comes to reading, sometimes you just know. You know from the first post of each participating member, that you have come to love this thread, and that you not only will feature it, but be following along as it continues its story. This is such a thread, and as two well known writers of the site team up with one who is less familiar, but great in his(?) own right, they begin to craft something breathtaking. There is just something mesmerising in the first post, with the soft writing that draws you in, hints of local culture woven in with the story of someone different, someone unique. The follow up builds further on that callus culture of people, opening the second participant's story with something evocative and sad- it hit me right in the feels. The third wraps up with something lighter once again, with character who is known to some as someone interesting for his goodness, and misleading simpleness. Congratulations to Desolate, Faustus, and ThesisTheory for being the authors of our Featured Read of the Week!
Propugnaculum I-
The character Ashton (ThesisTheory) readily throws in his with Jericho’s cause, but the character Jackson (Desolate) is unsure, and only willing to follow along in pursuit of seeing the evil spoken of for himself. With that, their band is formed, and Jericho names the first place he intends to begin rooting out Evil: Patia, where a rumored thieves guild resides.
Like I said, despite the crunch for time, I am still serving up some fine Valucre cuisine. Also, even though I am pressed for time, I read that entire thread in full, so be damned sure to check it out. If you don't, I'll send this cock after you.
This Week's Feature: World of Valucre- Tech and Magic
At a Glance: Keeping with our cycle of a week for each land and then something focused on the world itself, I decided to take a look at tech and magic in general, when talking about the world of Valucre.
Technology: The very first thing to mention is that one should keep in mind- nowhere in this world do you find things like the internet. However, beyond that, the level of technology varies widely. Some locations have little to none, with their most advanced items being that of the medieval period in Europe. Conversely, you have a couple locations whose technological advancements are quite profound. If you are looking for advanced technology, you are going to be in one of two places: Renovatio, where machine guns, mechanical airships, and walking tanks exist; or Antigone Isles, where technology has advanced to the point of Steampunk sorts of settings, with some additional magitech creating mundane computers (more like early processors for storing and computing data) and even motorcycles. Keep in mind, there are no traditional cars, no modern computers, no readily available cell phones, no AC/DC outlets, radios, or similar things. In some places (Terrenus and Genesaris primarily), magitech creates things that replace some technologies- so read around and see what is available!
Magic: Ah, magic is something that is amazingly diverse and so long as you do not exceed mild powers, your limits mainly consist of what your imagination can come up with. Iselyer is meant to be the land best known for their diverse uses of magic, given that they shy away from tech and stick to sword and sorcery based goods. Again, the emphasis on magic is more to do with creating quality RP and cool ideas, and less about powers that are just good for destroying everything. Although, we have to admit, explosions are cool.
Welcome:
Happy Shackles:
Happy Shackles is new and stuff and other than that, has little else to say! They did say they were brought here by Susitsu, so that is cool- appreciate referrals. I do have to wonder though, what makes Shackles happy? Perhaps a bit of oil to lube up the old joints? Someone particularly famous to shackle? This might be a philosophical quandry for the ages folks!
Lillium Aquae:
Lilly is another one of those folks who spent a couple of days lurking before deciding to give a commitment a try. She's like what she has seen so far (of course) and so it seems that was enough for her to exit the protective bubble of the shy and see if she can meet some folks. Quick, someone go be nice to her before that bubble comes back, haha.
LeavesFallSilent:
There are some pretty cool usernames out there. For some reason, this one strikes me as something just awesome and I have no idea why that is! Oh well, the name impression aside, LeavesFallSilent is a formerly retired Role-player who realized the best times of his life were spent role-playing, so he's back to kick the dust off his shoes and start again. Welcome, and good luck!
Kyoki the Great:
Her name is Jess, and she's giving other role-play sites a try just to see what they are like. She plays trombone, watches anime, loves pasta and making friends- though, she admits to being a bit akward. I'm tempted to shout out NERD, but I realized that would be a serious case of the pot calling the kettle black. :P
HirakuShigari:
She says she took advice from a nice person (We have those??) and came to check out the site. She's been a shutin most of her life, since her childhood neighborhoods weren't exactly the greatest- a bit of a shame. But, thanks to it, she is now an online RP enthusiast as well as artist. She hopes to get feedback as well!
CS SailorPink:
Hey, she says thank you for checking out her hello message and says hello! She asks for a bit of patience, as she is newer (though not new) to RP, and still has to get the hang of some of it. That said, she's happy to be joining our community. Welcome!
Ettra:
Revisiting the addiction, Ettra is here to role-play. Since we don't believe in giving up that habit, I'd say Ettra has come to the right place. They like originality, prefer male characters but will play females, and proclaims their love for you already. :P
Chieheart:
Chieheart is new and proud- well, sorta. They struggle with their introduction threads and so Chieheart feels at a loss for what to say. Well Chieheart, you need to say little, for we're interested in you coming in and getting into the RP. You can tell us more about yourself all in due time. ;)
Insane Angels:
Also known as Paige, she feels like a total n00b, but hopefully we can change that. Unfortunately, she lost her login info to another site and now has to leave, or be banned anyway (Harsh rules, wow!). Well, it's their loss, for we are happy to have you. Welcome welcome.
Sethema:
New to Valucre, not to online RP, she has come to accomplish what many have- build up her writing and storytelling skills. She formerly belonged elsewhere, but after a hiatus, the website vanished. Those vanishing websites, always a pain in the rear! Well, it was good for us, for we got another member- welcome to Valucre!
Shaggy2dope:
Sporting an ironic name, given that he is no fan of ICP, but has to show off how '2 dope' he is. He came by to introduce himself, and expects to get aclimated quickly. Welcome!
Catfox:
She would not blame you for not reading this, but since you are, it apparently means we're friends already. Whoo! Another refuge from a website of no-more, she's experienced in RP but needs a new home. Well catfox, welcome to your new home!
HimJL:
New to the site and eagerly seeking RPs. In fact, so much so, that he has his character sheet right in his introduction thread- how is that for efficiencey?
Shuwen:
New to Valucre, not to RP, and one who prefers melee fighting. He plans on playing a Kung Fu wizard, an odd combination if I ever heard of one. Welcome to Valucre!
DashAndSekky:
New to Valucre, and willing to be called many variations of their username. They plan to get into RP, make some friends, and promise to stay out of trouble. Thank you for coming Dash!
Returns:
Akara:
Seems like she was working on the shortest return-trip time ever, when she mentioned she was probably leaving for good, and came back to us a few days later :P. Welcome back Akara.
Larko Malcog:
Gone on a lengthy Hiatus due to some life stuff, he's now back and ready to RP. Welcome back!
Guardian:
He's been gone a little while, but he came by to visit while on a 30 day leave from the army. Welcome back!
Capricious:
After a lengthy hiatus of his own, Capricious is back and ready to get back to Rping, socializing, and fulfilling other cliches- hey, cliches are fun! Welcome back :)
Vixen:
She was taking a nap (which apparently also involved getitng busy with some Cosplay) but now she is back and pushing the RP activity. Welcome back!
15 new members and 5 returns? Awesome stuff, and it makes me quite happy! In fact, it makes me pretty damn excited :P
Given how much of a rush I am in to get done, I was tempted to leave out stuff. And you know this would have been the first to go. Damn my overachieving ways! I must complete all my work, even if it means typing like my life depended on it. >_>
Silly, but it works for me. Maybe you too?
Example 1b: The secret was known only to Billy and me. This is passive writing, so it might not be the best example, but it is what I can think of at the moment. If the secret is no longer known to Billy (someone shot poor Billy) you would say the secret is only known to me. Therefore, use me.
The Tea Party- An Alice in Wonderland inspired RP, this will be the birthday celebration of Raspberry, another one of those Dugrace royals. This is meant to be a big, open event, with many activities and plenty of food for your characters to boot. You can expect a loose posting order, with lots of opportunity to mingle, and perhaps bump elbows with some other noteworthy folks inside an IC capacity. There is quite a bit of work put into this, so you should at least give it a glance.
The Essence of Life: Wonders of Nature- This looks really cool. This interest check is looking for individuals interested in getting involved in a series of quests with someone seeking to discover the essence behind all life. The quests will likely all be centered around Genesaris, but an exception might come up at a later time. You can expect puzzles and riddles, difficult obstacles and the discovery of ancient secrets- an awesome quest of epic proportions. If you are looking for something cool that you can commit to in the long haul, you have no need to look any further than this thread.
Hail to the Glorious Contenders- Perhaps Patia's first major hosted event, this will be a large scale festival and tournament, with several interesting activities taking place. You can participate in a joust, a poetry/writing contest, or a potion making contest (Love potions, if I recall correctly). The first is a chance based activity, with the joust results determined by the Valucre dice system. The second is purely with your writing talents and creativity, while the last focuses on logic. There are several IC threads surrounding these events, so there is lots of opportunity to get in some solid RP. Come support Patia, and make your appearance.
Role-play Adaptation of a Classical Play: Pick the Play- The interest check has been out there for a while now, so now comes the time to decide which play will get pushed forth. So far, only four votes have come in, even though more people expressed interest in the first place. If you plan to participate, were on the fence about it, or only plan to follow the thread, you are all invited to come have your say in which play should go up. Vote over here.
Terrenus Military Recruits- The Terrenus military is looking for some recruits, with opportunities for advancement readily available. The only thing left off the table with certainty are peacekeeper positions, so don't ask. Otherwise, you have a wide variety of positions available, so long as they are focused on city defenses. As Supernal put it- he's tired of leaving his Terrenus pie on the windowsill to cool, only to find that some naughty child has made off with his dish! Conscriptions are here.
Legends of Adaviel: Looking for Characters- The interest check specifically mentions royalty right off hand, but she's also looking for anyone looking to make characters based in, or having traveled to, this new addition to Valucre. There is a group that contains (what she calls incomplete) tons of lore, and there are a variety of noble family positions the author would like to get filled- but mundane roles are encouraged as well. Come help our member get her new land off the ground, it looks quite promising. :)
Featured Read of the Week- Love at first sight... it's a concept true only in romance novels, but when it comes to reading, sometimes you just know. You know from the first post of each participating member, that you have come to love this thread, and that you not only will feature it, but be following along as it continues its story. This is such a thread, and as two well known writers of the site team up with one who is less familiar, but great in his(?) own right, they begin to craft something breathtaking. There is just something mesmerising in the first post, with the soft writing that draws you in, hints of local culture woven in with the story of someone different, someone unique. The follow up builds further on that callus culture of people, opening the second participant's story with something evocative and sad- it hit me right in the feels. The third wraps up with something lighter once again, with character who is known to some as someone interesting for his goodness, and misleading simpleness. Congratulations to Desolate, Faustus, and ThesisTheory for being the authors of our Featured Read of the Week!
Propugnaculum I-
Three different men come together from three different places, each worlds apart in their origins and their views. The initial meeting starts with relations described as tenuous at best, given their initial distrust and some misunderstandings as well. After putting away their differences, albeit begrudgingly and at the strong urging of Jericho (Faustus), the one who brought them together, their organizer begins by telling them of his purpose- one beginning with a dream, and ending with metaphor. When put simply, the man reveals his intent to be to form a group fixed on disrupting the forces of evil, to put down wickedness in the lands and overcome it.
The character Ashton (ThesisTheory) readily throws in his with Jericho’s cause, but the character Jackson (Desolate) is unsure, and only willing to follow along in pursuit of seeing the evil spoken of for himself. With that, their band is formed, and Jericho names the first place he intends to begin rooting out Evil: Patia, where a rumored thieves guild resides.
Like I said, despite the crunch for time, I am still serving up some fine Valucre cuisine. Also, even though I am pressed for time, I read that entire thread in full, so be damned sure to check it out. If you don't, I'll send this cock after you.
Lore of the Week!
This Week's Feature: World of Valucre- Tech and Magic
At a Glance: Keeping with our cycle of a week for each land and then something focused on the world itself, I decided to take a look at tech and magic in general, when talking about the world of Valucre.
Technology: The very first thing to mention is that one should keep in mind- nowhere in this world do you find things like the internet. However, beyond that, the level of technology varies widely. Some locations have little to none, with their most advanced items being that of the medieval period in Europe. Conversely, you have a couple locations whose technological advancements are quite profound. If you are looking for advanced technology, you are going to be in one of two places: Renovatio, where machine guns, mechanical airships, and walking tanks exist; or Antigone Isles, where technology has advanced to the point of Steampunk sorts of settings, with some additional magitech creating mundane computers (more like early processors for storing and computing data) and even motorcycles. Keep in mind, there are no traditional cars, no modern computers, no readily available cell phones, no AC/DC outlets, radios, or similar things. In some places (Terrenus and Genesaris primarily), magitech creates things that replace some technologies- so read around and see what is available!
Magic: Ah, magic is something that is amazingly diverse and so long as you do not exceed mild powers, your limits mainly consist of what your imagination can come up with. Iselyer is meant to be the land best known for their diverse uses of magic, given that they shy away from tech and stick to sword and sorcery based goods. Again, the emphasis on magic is more to do with creating quality RP and cool ideas, and less about powers that are just good for destroying everything. Although, we have to admit, explosions are cool.
New Members and Returns!
Welcome:
Happy Shackles:
Happy Shackles is new and stuff and other than that, has little else to say! They did say they were brought here by Susitsu, so that is cool- appreciate referrals. I do have to wonder though, what makes Shackles happy? Perhaps a bit of oil to lube up the old joints? Someone particularly famous to shackle? This might be a philosophical quandry for the ages folks!
Lillium Aquae:
Lilly is another one of those folks who spent a couple of days lurking before deciding to give a commitment a try. She's like what she has seen so far (of course) and so it seems that was enough for her to exit the protective bubble of the shy and see if she can meet some folks. Quick, someone go be nice to her before that bubble comes back, haha.
LeavesFallSilent:
There are some pretty cool usernames out there. For some reason, this one strikes me as something just awesome and I have no idea why that is! Oh well, the name impression aside, LeavesFallSilent is a formerly retired Role-player who realized the best times of his life were spent role-playing, so he's back to kick the dust off his shoes and start again. Welcome, and good luck!
Kyoki the Great:
Her name is Jess, and she's giving other role-play sites a try just to see what they are like. She plays trombone, watches anime, loves pasta and making friends- though, she admits to being a bit akward. I'm tempted to shout out NERD, but I realized that would be a serious case of the pot calling the kettle black. :P
HirakuShigari:
She says she took advice from a nice person (We have those??) and came to check out the site. She's been a shutin most of her life, since her childhood neighborhoods weren't exactly the greatest- a bit of a shame. But, thanks to it, she is now an online RP enthusiast as well as artist. She hopes to get feedback as well!
CS SailorPink:
Hey, she says thank you for checking out her hello message and says hello! She asks for a bit of patience, as she is newer (though not new) to RP, and still has to get the hang of some of it. That said, she's happy to be joining our community. Welcome!
Ettra:
Revisiting the addiction, Ettra is here to role-play. Since we don't believe in giving up that habit, I'd say Ettra has come to the right place. They like originality, prefer male characters but will play females, and proclaims their love for you already. :P
Chieheart:
Chieheart is new and proud- well, sorta. They struggle with their introduction threads and so Chieheart feels at a loss for what to say. Well Chieheart, you need to say little, for we're interested in you coming in and getting into the RP. You can tell us more about yourself all in due time. ;)
Insane Angels:
Also known as Paige, she feels like a total n00b, but hopefully we can change that. Unfortunately, she lost her login info to another site and now has to leave, or be banned anyway (Harsh rules, wow!). Well, it's their loss, for we are happy to have you. Welcome welcome.
Sethema:
New to Valucre, not to online RP, she has come to accomplish what many have- build up her writing and storytelling skills. She formerly belonged elsewhere, but after a hiatus, the website vanished. Those vanishing websites, always a pain in the rear! Well, it was good for us, for we got another member- welcome to Valucre!
Shaggy2dope:
Sporting an ironic name, given that he is no fan of ICP, but has to show off how '2 dope' he is. He came by to introduce himself, and expects to get aclimated quickly. Welcome!
Catfox:
She would not blame you for not reading this, but since you are, it apparently means we're friends already. Whoo! Another refuge from a website of no-more, she's experienced in RP but needs a new home. Well catfox, welcome to your new home!
HimJL:
New to the site and eagerly seeking RPs. In fact, so much so, that he has his character sheet right in his introduction thread- how is that for efficiencey?
Shuwen:
New to Valucre, not to RP, and one who prefers melee fighting. He plans on playing a Kung Fu wizard, an odd combination if I ever heard of one. Welcome to Valucre!
DashAndSekky:
New to Valucre, and willing to be called many variations of their username. They plan to get into RP, make some friends, and promise to stay out of trouble. Thank you for coming Dash!
Returns:
Akara:
Seems like she was working on the shortest return-trip time ever, when she mentioned she was probably leaving for good, and came back to us a few days later :P. Welcome back Akara.
Larko Malcog:
Gone on a lengthy Hiatus due to some life stuff, he's now back and ready to RP. Welcome back!
Guardian:
He's been gone a little while, but he came by to visit while on a 30 day leave from the army. Welcome back!
Capricious:
After a lengthy hiatus of his own, Capricious is back and ready to get back to Rping, socializing, and fulfilling other cliches- hey, cliches are fun! Welcome back :)
Vixen:
She was taking a nap (which apparently also involved getitng busy with some Cosplay) but now she is back and pushing the RP activity. Welcome back!
15 new members and 5 returns? Awesome stuff, and it makes me quite happy! In fact, it makes me pretty damn excited :P
Other Highlights?
View Site Leaders- If you wonder who is in charge of what, or who the staff are, you can find this on the view site leaders page. You can find it under your quick links, or click the link provided. It shows you the Administratators, Team Leaders (also mods) as well as those on staff positions.
Did You Know- About the Notice of Excellence? If you see a post or thread that really stands out to you and you want to draw attention to it, use the Notice of Excellence! This is located in the Watercooler and is a great way to give others some recognition. Check it out the Did You Know here. To see all the Did You knows, go here.
Closing Thoughts?
The subject for today is one that should give more attention
to, but today, I am not going to give it much. Continuing in the series I setup
a few weeks ago, we are going to be going over another one of the subjects used
in standardized testing in my state. That subject today is Conventions.
This closing thought will probably stand as a bold affront
to that very idea, as I am sure it will come away with at least a dozen easily
correctable errors, but yolo, right? Well no, I hate Yolo, so scratch that.
What I mean to say is that I simply lack the time to go back through and edit
this up so that everything is smooth and free of errors. Conventions are
largely just that- going back through and touching up, looking for problems. Is
your grammar correct? Have you spelled everything the right way? Do you
capitalize where you should and use your words and punctuation correctly?
I am not about to preach on about how your posts need to be
perfect and at a level where you could score an easy A on a college dissertation.
However, there is a level of proper usage that most would consider reasonable
and thus a level you should commit yourself to meeting. The great thing about
this area is that it might be one of the easiest to fix, though it will take
some work on your end. Once you are willing to put in that work, you can really
clean some things up.
Spelling: First, the spellchecker is your absolute best friend. Seriously, this thing saves my arse all the time, because admittedly, I am not a strong speller. Using a spell checker ensures that I catch those spelling errors and then post up content that is free of them. To improve in this area (so I can become less reliant on the spellchecker) I have been memorizing the spelling of words based on saying their spelling phonetically. For example, the word ‘conscience’. This is pronounced ‘Con*Shence’, which really is not even close to the spelling. To remedy this, I have trained myself to think of it as ‘Con*Science, which is the proper spelling. Now, that one makes some sense, but another trouble word for me is ‘Conscious’, as I always want to mess the middle up. To remember that, I think of it as ‘Con*sci*ous’.
Spelling: First, the spellchecker is your absolute best friend. Seriously, this thing saves my arse all the time, because admittedly, I am not a strong speller. Using a spell checker ensures that I catch those spelling errors and then post up content that is free of them. To improve in this area (so I can become less reliant on the spellchecker) I have been memorizing the spelling of words based on saying their spelling phonetically. For example, the word ‘conscience’. This is pronounced ‘Con*Shence’, which really is not even close to the spelling. To remedy this, I have trained myself to think of it as ‘Con*Science, which is the proper spelling. Now, that one makes some sense, but another trouble word for me is ‘Conscious’, as I always want to mess the middle up. To remember that, I think of it as ‘Con*sci*ous’.
Silly, but it works for me. Maybe you too?
Grammar: Grammar
is one of those things, where getting to a decent level with it is pretty easy,
but mastering it is a huge undertaking. English has a lot of silly rules and
special exceptions and subtle nuances- so I expect no one to go out and get
this down to a perfect science. Unless you have a Masters in English maybe-
then you have no excuse. Some examples are things like:
Example 1a: Billy and I went to the store, instead of Billy
and me. If you were to drop Billy and go to the store by yourself, you would
say, “I went to the store”. Easy way to remember this rule- drop the other
person and then think of how you would say it.
Example 1b: The secret was known only to Billy and me. This is passive writing, so it might not be the best example, but it is what I can think of at the moment. If the secret is no longer known to Billy (someone shot poor Billy) you would say the secret is only known to me. Therefore, use me.
Example 2: That vs Which: That is a restrictive pronoun,
Which is a relative clause. Essentially, use that to limit something to that of
what you are talking about, and use which when you are including something that
could be involved, or might not be. This can be a little confusing, but think
of it as exclusive versus example. The new game is only available at that store (only available there), which
comes with three different promo covers. In this case, there are three promo
covers, so you are not limited to one. If I had more time, I would explain this
better. I recommend following up with some research :P
Example 3: Lay vs Lie. You lay something down, but something
lies still. If there is no direct object in question, do not use lay (or, you
can use it differently, if you are saying she was a good lay :P). You lie down,
the thing lies there, but only something or someone can lay something else
down. The past tense of lay is laid (another euphemism :P) while lie is lied.
Lie and lied also means someone is being dishonest- isn’t English fun?
Example 4: Whether and if. Whether says you have
alternatives, if defines a definite statement if something proves true. I don’t
know whether or not I want to go out yet. This says I might, or might not- it’s
still up in the air. However, I could say: If Joe goes out, I don’t want to.
This means that there is a definite cause and an effect- one condition proves
true, so the other must follow.
This is list could go on forever. Do some reading on common
errors and make sure you clean those ones up, and you will have come a long
way. ;)
Last thing I can say (I am seriously out of time here) is
watch your use of punctuation. Commas serve for a short pause, Semicolons have
medium pauses (soft) and long pauses, and periods indicate a full halt.
Semicolons are not so ‘fashionable’ anymore, but I like them personally.
Experiment a little, and do some reading. I hate not having the time to go into
it myself, but alas, these thoughts must close.
I hope this works well enough for you guys. See you next
week!
- Acies
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." ~ Marie Curie
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