Grammatical rant

[feliciakw]

Okay, I've got to get this out of my system. I've seen it one too many times today, and it's gonna drive me nuts.

The past tense of the verb lead is LED, people.

Lead--pronounced with a short "e" sound, is a metal.

So if today Sam leads the way into the house, but Dean took the lead yesterday, Dean led the way.

Their bullets are usually silver or iron, not lead. Though the bullets for the Colt might have been lead. Lead is what cop bullets are made out of.

As in, "Eat lead," the scoundrel sneered.

Or lead poisoning.

Or a lead pipe.

Got it?

So, Sam led the way into the basement. Dean followed, careful not to trip over the lead pipe at the bottom of the stairs.

The next time I see lead used as the past tense of the verb, I think I'm gonna cry.

Or spork my eyes out.

One of the two.

Note: I know this misspelling does not make these authors bad people. It is the fact that spellcheck recognizes lead as a real word that this gets overlooked. And of course first drafts and dashed off posts are riddled with errors, mine included.

But this is in finished stories, folks. Please, please, PLEASE, proofread your own work. And then have someone else proofread it. And then put it aside and proofread it again later. Computers cannot replace the nuance of the human brain.

Comments

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Heh. The one I always somehow commit despite best efforts is who's/whose. Thank goodness for beta readers.

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

*sob* Please do not to be adding to my pain.

Yeah, that one makes me stop and ask what I'm saying. So does it's/its. But it's not so much that I don't know the difference as I've started dropping my apostrophes. (And wow, didn't that sound like an entendre. Shut up, Dean.)

Beta reader? You lookin' at me? Um . . . yeah. Today's Saturday, isn't it. I said I'd get that done this week, didn't I.

I'm such a procrastinator.

You know, my college friends and I wanted to start a group, Procrastinators Anonymous, but we cancelled the first meeting until further notice.

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I almost never slip up on its/it's, but whose/who's trips me up constantly without me noticing.

*laughs* I was in no way dropping hints, honest! No worries.

[just-ruth.livejournal.com]

Have 50% of a SPN contest fic finished. Would you be interested in vetting it for public viewing?

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

*blink, blink* *points to self* Me?

>.>

Lol! I'd be glad to, but just so you know what you're getting yourself into . . . I'm not the most, erm, timely beta on the planet. Just ask izhilzha and kalquessa. If you're on a time limit (and for a contest, it sounds like you are), you might want to ask elsewhere. But if you don't mind delays, sure. Pop it on over to the bunqui95 at yahoo addy.

How long of a fic are we talkin'?

[just-ruth.livejournal.com]

My regular beta is going to summer school so I'm searching around for someone to grammar-nazi me. :)

It's looking like it's going to be about 3,000 words, but, yeah, I have to have it ready by August 1st.

If you'd be interested in other things I've written, I have a sticky post at my journal where I list them all. :)