So many people post complaints about other people's creative work, saying, "It's a pet-peeve when...."
In this entry, I'm going to complain about some issues that dog me when I write. If I make grammatical errors while doing so, I am only supporting my points.
First complaint:
None of us are hungry.
None of us is hungry.
The second one is correct. The object of the prepositional phrase, "us," is plural, so it makes it feel like we need a plural for of the verb. We do not. None is no one. If we rewrote the line and took out the "of us":
No one are hungry.
No one is hungry.
I get caught by this sort of thing from time to time.
Second complaint:
I sometimes forget the comma before a conjunction that introduces an independent clause.
That man is dangerous, and a butler can be expensive.
That man is dangerous and a butler can be expensive.
The first one is correct. Otherwise, when we get to the word "can," we've read that the man is both dangerous AND a butler, and then the word "can" throws us off, and as readers we now have to back up and figure out what's going on.
Third complaint:
My third complaint is about the word "just." I put it everywhere. I use it more than hot sauce.
He was just outside, just beyond the door, but the mail arrived just in time, just in case you were wondering.
This is such a challenge for me. I often do a search for the word, just to take it out.
Fourth complaint:
This doesn't come up often, but when it does, I can't seem to stop myself from choosing the wrong one:
As to whether or not...
Whether or not...
The second one is enough. We don't need the "As to," no matter how many times we've seen it.
Last complaint is about the word "would" and its unnecessary use.
Every Christmas, he would open his gifts...
Every Christmas, he opened his gifts...
The second is better. Find the wood, er, "would" in your writing, and see if you can't pluck it out.
Of course, there are many more examples in my own writing I can complain about but I think I'll just leave it there.
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