ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Does anyone think it might be a good idea to have a spot where we can ask questions on English Grammar?

I am often confused by my word processor and I am not confident enough to back my instinct. I would love to have somewhere I could post a question, now and then, and get a learned answer.

eg. When you write a quote - does the full stop (question mark etc) appear before or after the "-" ?

I reckon that's a great idea . . . all we need's a grammar mentor.

When it comes down to the nitty gritty of it, a brilliant poem can come unstuck by something like a misplaced apostrophe at the pointy end of competitions.

It's not hard to be confused by your word proccessor, Zondrae . . . my "spill chequer" gives this the 'all okay' (I know - it's an oldie)

I halve a spilling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss Steak’s eye kin knot sea

When eye strike a quay, right a word
I weight four it two say
Weather eye is wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh

As soon as a mist aches is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye con put the error write
It’s rare lea ever wrong

Eye jest run this poem threw it
Eye is shore yaw pleased two no
It’s letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew

Grate eye deer Zondray

I agree, excellent idea!
Robyn
PS Love the poem Marty. As a former editor, I've seen so many of those it would make you weep... especially when the culprit has been me, in a hurry!

My Grammar's busy in the kitchen baking lamingtons ...

Hi Zondrae

The question mark goes inside the quotation marks in normal speech: "How are you going?"

But if you're including a quote as part of a sentence, it doesn't: Who was it that said "the pen is mightier than the sword"?

But someone will undoubtedly come up with complications/anomalies!

Cheers
David

The sad thing is that we appear to be the last generation to care about grammar.

Stephen, I definetly care about Grammar if she's baking Lamingtons

Great Idea,
Most of us seem to be in the same boat, in fact I'd guess there are very few who are really on top of it.

I liked David's example, I've learned something already!

Terry