Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Never-Say-Neverisms

I found this on the web
Never-Say-Neverisms
by William Safire
1.Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read. 2.Don't use no double
negatives. 3.Use the semicolon properly, always use it where it is
appropriate; and never where it isn't. 4.Reserve the apostrophe for it's
proper use and omit it when its not needed. 5.Do not put statements in the
negative form. 6.Verbs has to agree with their subjects 7.No sentence
fragments. 8.Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. 9.If any word
is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. 10.Steer clear of
incorrect verb forms that have snuck into the language. 11.Take the bull by
the hand in leading away from mixed metaphors. 12.Avoid trendy locutions that
sound flaky. 13.Never, ever use repetitive redundancies. 14.Everyone should
be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
15.I must have told you a million times to resist hyperbole. 16.Also, avoid
awkward and affected alliteration. 17."Avoid overuse of 'quotation "marks" '
". 18.Avoid commas, that are not necessary. 19.A writer must not shift your
point of view. 20.And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. 21.Don't
overuse exclamation marks!!!!! 22.Place pronouns as close as possible,
especially in long sentences, as of ten or more words, to their antecedents.
23.Write all adverbial forms correct. 24.Avoid un-necessary hyphenation.
25.When dangling, watch your participles. 26.It is incumbent on us to avoid
archaic phrases. 27.Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
28.It's hard to imagine a phrase when you will have needed the future
perfect. 29.Unqualified superlatives are the worst. 30.Last but not least,
avoid cliches like the plague.
bye
Arianna
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 1.Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read.
<snip>
LOL
That's wonderful, Arianna.
I hope you don't mind, I've cross-posted it to sci.lang.translation where there's
been an interminable argument in the last couple of days.
An Irish translator said that his client had refused to pay because the sentence
"Nobody takes any decisions" was ungrammatical. The thread so far runs to over 60
messages. Practically everyone found something to criticise in this short and
apparently simple sentence, no consensus of opinion has yet been reached
(especially between the Brits and the Yanks), despite the fact that it's been
crossposted to alt.usage.english, and the thread looks like going on for ever.
Don't ever let anyone tell you a translator's job is easy.
(GCPillan please note!)
Mary
(remove "nospam to reply)
---
Under construction

 2.Don't use no double negatives.
      --------        ---
If I used double negatives, would it be a mistake ?
Then, why did he use "Don't.... no..." ? (see above)
I thought that using double negatives was a mistake, and that any(...)
should be best used.
Moreover, there is a famous song by TLC, which says "I DON'T want NO
scrubs", and also "I DON'T want to
meet you NOWHERE"...
Since those girls are American, may it be a slang/AmEng form ?
Or is it wrong?
Bye Asoka xx'82
<< However fast you may run, you will never overreach the ball >>


It's wrong, but commonly used by under-educated native speakers and rock
stars.


...
:I found this on the web
:
:Never-Say-Neverisms
:
:
(Snip wonderful never-isms)

stars.
Thank you for clearing up my doubts.


 Arianna
Aggiungerei anche 'A preposition is a bad word to end a sentence with'.
Franco

 Franco
LOL
Bravo.  Sono sicura che ce ne sono degli altri da aggiungere alla lista.
Ciao



  What a great post. divertente! It prompts me to post a site for word
play. Ciao, Carolina
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