Skip to main content

Things I Love Thursday - Grammar Nazis



Because it has been a decade for some of us (just go with it) and even longer for others since your last grammar lesson in high school, I just want to tell you how much I love it when people use correct grammar. Some of my favorites, when used correctly, are:

It's and its
  • It's means it is or it has. If you can't substitute one of those for it's, you shouldn't have the apostrophe in there. Example: It's been rough tapering this week. It's going to be even worse next week.
  • Its is the possessive form of the word. Yes, possessives normally have an apostrophe, but this is an exception. Get over it. Example: I put my Garmin on its charger but forgot to plug it in.

Your and you're
  • Your is a possessive pronoun. Don't remember possessives or pronouns from middle school (or probably elementary school)? Basically it shows ownership. They are YOUR running shoes. It is YOUR marathon PR.
  • You're is the contraction for you are. If you can't replace you're with "you are," get rid of the apostrophe and the e. Example: If you don't have some bad runs, you're doing it wrong. Or you're a freak of nature.
There, their and they're
  • There indicates direction. I would add that it is an adverb, but I don't want to confuse you. Direction can also mean location. There can also be used like a pronoun. This one is a little tougher so here are two examples: 1- You can pick up your race packet over there. 2 -There were too many port-a-potties at that race, said no one ever. 
  • Their is a possessive pronoun. It is like "your." Still confused? Remember that whole ownership thing. Example: Look at their bloody nipples!
  • They're is a contraction for they are. Don't stick the apostrophe in in there and add an e at the end unless you can substitute they are for the word! Example: They're going to kick booty at the Ogden Marathon next weekend.
To, too and two
  • To is a preposition. Don't remember what a preposition is? Lets just say it means in the direction of. If that is still throwing you, learn the uses of too and two, and then use TO when the others don't work. Here are some examples anyway: She went to buy bananas. To run or not to run; what a stupid question.
  • Too means very, many, also or a degree of something. Examples: I am too sore from my marathon to walk down those stairs. She wants to qualify for Boston too. That is too much foam rolling for one day.
  • Two is a number. You probably learned it in preschool. Maybe even before. As in when you weren't much older than TWO. If you use this one incorrectly, that's just sad.

There is no shame in printing this out and hanging it above your desk. Bookmark it on your iPad. Add it to your favorites. Or take a screenshot and save it on your phone. You can even make it your screensaver. Or just hire me to edit your Facebook, IG and blog posts. Up to you.

Comments

  1. Haha! I love it! To bad its not over they're. OK sorry, I had to! :0)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the lesson. You're... I mean your too... I mean two kind.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am a total grammar Nazi too, but I just don't admit it. Thanks for sharing what I don't dare to.

    Another one I see so often is lose and loose. People talk about losing weight but they say loosing and that drives me nuts. Oh well...there are definitely worse things in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the loose / lose thing is rampent on the internet.
    It's a mess ;)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love your comments! They make my day, so be sure to let me know you stopped by. And I always try to respond to your comments, so let me know if you have any questions for me or if there is anything you want to see on here!

Popular posts from this blog

Carpet Burn On My Butt (and a giveaway)

After two lame, pathetic, lackluster weeks of running, I woke up excited to run yesterday. And today, I wore my running clothes all morning in anticipation of my nap time run today. Even in spite of sore glutes and tired quads from getting in some P90X Core Synergistics last night, I couldn't wait to get moving on Millie. I am a planner. Today I had a plan to get my run in while my girls slept, and my day was organized accordingly. I am also a creature of habit. The first thing I do when I roll out of bed every single day is make my bed and my girls' beds. If I do something else first, it throws off the entire morning. I am a creature of habit when it comes to my running routines as well. There are a few things that differ depending on whether I am running on Millie or outside, whether my girls are asleep or not, and whether or not they are joining me in the jogger. Yet, no matter when, where, how far or with whom I run, some things are always the same. My hair goes into a pony

I wasn't sure going in...

Yep, I'm checking in. Why? Because I did something completely out of my comfort zone that I wanted to share with you. Last week I went to a place near Salt Lake called Dexa Body, where I got a DEXA Scan. For those unfamiliar with what that is, I asked Google to help us out:  "Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry  ( DXA , previously  DEXA ) is a means of measuring  bone mineral density  (BMD). Two  X-ray  beams, with different  energy levels , are aimed at the patient's  bones . When  soft tissue   absorption is subtracted out, the  bone mineral density  (BMD) can be determined from the absorption of each beam by bone. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology." Since that is pretty medical sounding, here's my take. A DEXA Scan is a tool to measure your total body composition. It specifically breaks down the regional composition of your lean and fat tissue. It gives a fat distribution

Social Media: Some good, a lot of bad, and way too much ugly

There are a lot of good things that come from social media. We can connect with people we have lost touch with. We can unite as a group (runners!!) with a comment interest. We can promote a good cause. Sadly though, what social media does best is makes us feel bad about ourselves and makes us feel negatively towards others. This isn't just my opinion, although I can unquestionably support the truth behind this based on my own experience. I have spent way too much time feeling bad about myself as a result of comparing myself to others based on their Instagram or Facebook versions of themselves. And there are several people I have started feeling negatively about or have become completely annoyed with because of their IG and FB posts. It isn't just me though. There are actual studies that can back me up on the negative impact social media can have. I have read dozens of articles reviewing many different studies that show the overwhelmingly negative (vs. positive) effec