Failure to launch
Kim Kardashian’s dance moves proved to be just as sloppy as her language. Baby may have back, but she does not have votes — from TV viewers or Grammar Guard.
Here’s an excerpt from her Sept. 30 post.
To be honest last week, I cried so hard when I got home, just knowing this is SO hard for me and I really am trying—but my inner shyness is making it look like I am just not trying. I think I took it way to seriously and I was a nervous wreck on Wednesday.
A comma gives a reader pause. “To be honest” is an introductory clause that can be set off by a comma because it calls for a natural pause. There is no need to insert a comma after last week, though. It directly modifies cries. It also suggests that “to be honest last week” goes together, which it does not.
This is an exception to the general guideline for punctuating introductory clauses or phrases. Typically, an introductory clause or phrase should be more than three words in order to call for a comma. If it’s three words or fewer, it probably doesn’t require a comma.
- When Kim left the show, she bawled uncontrollably.
- When Kim left she bawled uncontrollably.
Exceptions are made for clarity. Use a comma when its absence would make a sentence confusing.
- Ever since, the show hasn’t been the same.
A weepy Kim misused the dash. She shouldn’t inserted a comma before the conjunction but. She also misspelled too. She took the show too seriously, putting an excessive amount of thought into it. To with one o is a preposition.
To describe a person’s “inner shyness” is redundant. Any personality trait is obviously an internal one. Kim may have a penchant for the extra padding that comes with redundancy. But we do have one question: How shy can the star of an X-rated home video be? Really?
Lastly, Kim should’ve said her shyness made it look as though she’s not trying. Like is used for nouns. She danced like an old lady. But when a verb is present — in this case, trying — you need a conjunction.
Perhaps Kim would consider this point trivial. She’s already got one conjunction that appears very well received, exactly as it is.
1 Comment
Random Post
Leave Your Comments Below
Subscribe
Picture Imperfect
View All in Picture Imperfect
Recent Comments
- Kylie Batt
in Specter the Defector - Fuckoffer-804
in Specter the Defector - Kylie Batt
in ABC, mind your p's and q's - Kylie Batt
in Too much hope, not enough commas - Kylie Batt
in Toned arms, lax speech - Kylie Batt
in Comparing partners - Kylie Batt
in True comfort - Kylie Batt
in Beauty Queen v. Blogger - Kylie Batt
in Specter the Defector - Kylie Batt
in Too much hope, not enough commas
Most Popular
Guardians
Categories
- Politics (67)
- Celebrity (45)
- Sports (17)
- Business (8)
- Weekly highlights (5)
- New fame (4)
- Other posts (8)
- Media (13)
- Technology (1)
Tags Cloud
Archives
- April 2009 (5)
- March 2009 (3)
- February 2009 (2)
- November 2008 (6)
- October 2008 (42)
- September 2008 (37)
- August 2008 (50)
Oh nooooooo! I know this is a grammar site, and I love it. I’ve shared it with my teenage son, hoping that something you write sinks into his brain and sticks there. BUT,
When Kim left the show, she balled uncontrollably.
When Kim left she balled uncontrollably
… it’s “bawled!” I grew up in the ’70s, and “balled” had a VERY different connotation then. Your usage is quite funny, but I’m not sure you were going for humor here.
Keep writing, though; I’ve become an addict!