While locusts are devouring my days, some light gripes for posts
Is there any excuse for any person who’s literate in English to write “there’s a few ways” instead of “there’re a few ways”? Oh, I could understand it, I suppose, if the person is writing dialog for an illiterate rube, but I’ve run across an author who does it consistently for all characters, whether the characters are common folk like you and me or a cast of nothing but people with multiple advanced degrees.
There’s no excuse for that. None.
There’s no excuse for me looking at your saying “there’s no excuse” and seeing nothing at all wrong with it.
Well, Mel, that’s because there’s nothing wrong with “there’s no excuse” because “excuse” is singular, of course.
Yes, David, I know this. But for a second or two did I confuse you? That’s all I was going for.
Mel, I’m about three cupsa coffee shy of my primary load this a.m., so I can’t answer that with certainty. *heh* It was certainly a cortical pause moment, though. 😉
Cortical! Ohhhh how clever. 🙂
Ok. On a more serious note: I suppose if you’re an author, there is no excuse to do that for all characters unless all the characters have the same background. However, I think it’s perfectly acceptable for someone who is literate in English to write things on her personal blog the same way she would say them to her friends and family. Things like “there’s a few ways” and “Ima do this or that.” hehe.
“Clever”? I think you mistake me for someone who’s twice as witty (1/2WitX2 :-)). Well, on your own blog, I expect you to do what you darned well please, but I expect plurals and singulars in verbs and subjects to match around here, and any author who accepts money for his work and can’t keep the two straight deserves 100 lashes with a dangling participle. To start. The author’s editors and copy readers deserve even worse.
agreed.