Hi, guys!
Have you ever had a conversation with a friend and you blurt out a word that makes you pause mid-conversation, with a look of bewilderment, and ask, “Is ___ a real word?”
What is a “real” word? I came across this question when reading “A World Without Whom;” a book written by Buzzfeed’s Copy Chief Emmy J. Favilla. (She does a great job explaining what otherwise would be boring rules of writing in a funny, quirky way. 10/10 would recommend.)
In chapter 5, “Getting Things As Right As You Can,” Favilla refers to a Ted Talk given by Curzan, a linguistic expert, who says we, as a society, have assumed dictionaries to be other-worldly and “unauthored, as if they came from nowhere to give us answers about what words really mean” (p. 82). I like to imagine words magically appearing in the pages of every dictionary after being blessed by the dictionary gods.
Unfortunately, instead of a gorgeous blond Norse god dictating our lexicon, WE dictate it! That’s why people say languages are alive; they constantly change and grow as new words fall into the pot! “Bae” is officially in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, guys! Plus, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (which means exciting and wonderful)! How supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Alright, we’ve established that a “real” word doesn’t have to be one you find in a dictionary. With how fast everything changes, I wouldn’t be surprised if “yeet” entered the dictionary soon! However, don’t completely throw away everything your middle school teacher taught you when writing! Analyze what would be appropriate for the situation! If you casually say, “hospitified” instead of “hospitalized” in a conversation, the Grammar Police aren’t going to come after you. If you write, “yaaass” in your bachelor degree dissertation, they’re definitely coming for you. But in this blog? I can say it however many times I’d like to. #Yaaass
And, in case you were curious, in chapter 6 of “A World Without Whom,” Favilla says, “[…]the official style for the next-level yes takes three “A’s” and two “S’s” (p. 184). #YaaassGrammar
In this book, Favilla graciously displays all of the punctuation we use (comma, semicolon, exclamation point, etc.), and ranks them worst to best — according to her. ← Do you know what that dash is called?
Uh…dash?
Yeah, no. I thought so too! Turns out, there are two types of dashes: an en dash and an em dash.
En dash (-) is the shorter dash that is used as a synonym for “to” or “through.” For example, If I wanted to say, “My 2019 to 2020 school year was difficult,” I would use an en dash in place of the word “to.” The sentence would now look like, “My 2019–2020 school year was difficult.”
You can also use an en dash in regards to time! “I went to lunch from 4:30–6.”
“I read pages 153–239 in ‘A World Without Whom’ this week.”
So, en dash is used to signify ranges, typically shown with numbers! It’s the smallest dash! Remember that.
The em dash ( — ) is the longer dash used similarly to parentheses, commas, semicolon, or colon! If you want to mark a break in your sentence — like this — use an em dash! It’s like physically showing the reader to breathe and take a small break.
Here are some examples:
“Mom cut me off before I could say anything — she was set in her opinion.”
“Harry — who possessed an invisibility cloak — snuck through the Hogwarts castle in search of the Mirror of Erised.”
In my opinion, if you can use a parentheses, comma, semicolon, or colon, instead of an em dash, then do so. But, again, that’s just my opinion! You do you!
NOTE: hyphens (-) are not a type of dash, so don’t be confused! Hyphens combine words (as in trick-or-treat, hands-on, or well-behaved).
To reference the title, perfection doesn’t exist. If you think you should start a sentence with an “and” or “because,” then do it. Don’t stress about not sounding like a 19th century novelist! I often compare myself to other writers, but the fascinating thing is, is there is no one who writes like you in the whole wide world. You’re incredibly unique. Keep learning, keep bettering yourself, and keep having fun! This is a point Favilla frequently makes throughout the book and it’s very refreshing.
There are so many more rules Favilla mentioned in this chapter; I wish I could go through them all with you. That means I have more material for future posts, though! :)
If you’re looking for an entertaining and educational book, check out “A World Without Whom.” You’ll never laugh as hard about grammar than you will reading this! Until next week, guys!
~Servus~
