Star-Crossed (Out) Lovers

I have always loved to read and write. I suppose that may be why I love words in general: the way they sound, the way they look on a page, the way they flow together, the reactions they can illicit, the innumerable nuances of meaning they hold. However, my love affair with words has, at times, been one-sided; they don’t always love me back. I have not always been able to grasp all of the rules associated with words, which can make my relationship with writing a frustrating one. Had it not been for a particular teacher in high school, I may have blundered along through life without being able to identify the difference between an adverb and an adjective or active and passive voice… that is, until enrolling in this course.

At this point in my linguistic development I feel fairly confident in my grammar skills. My sister teases me because I always seem to know (and notice) when something is spoken or written incorrectly and what is actually correct. When it comes to grammar, I know what is correct and incorrect and how to make my sentence structure stronger. I just don’t always know how to justify my choices or what the rules are which govern them. So, I would really like to become more sure of what the specific rules are and which terms are associated with each rule. For example, I’m not quite sure what the “objects” and the “subjects” of a sentence are and how they relate to each other. I find myself over-editing and slashing words from my writing if I’m even slightly unsure of whether or not it is correct or articulate. There are times when I’ll leave a word out of a sentence because it doesn’t sound “quite right,” which makes me sad. That word may have deserved to be there! Knowing the terminology of grammar rules will help me to explain corrections in student work and to ensure that my own writing is correct.

One specific area of grammar which I would like to become more comfortable with is punctuation. More specifically, I’d like to know when and when not to use comas and semicolons. I was told by a previous professor that I overuse commas, so I try to use them minimally. However, sometimes I think I leave one out when it really should be there. Knowing how to use punctuation correctly will help make me more confident as a writer.

I’m looking forward to this class, if only to bolster what I already know about grammar. I feel that being more sure of myself as a speaker and a writer will not only help me in my own education, but will also help my students one day. And who knows- maybe they'll fall in love with words just like I did.