Grammar-O

Grammar-O Wednesdays
with Ocieanna

Welcome to grammar day on Seriously Write. If you’re a regular visitor here, you know that Ocieanna, our good friend and fellow blog hostess, went into cardiac arrest early in January. She’s doing well, but needs a little more time off. In the meantime, Annette and I (Dawn) will carry on in Ocieanna’s place until she returns. Please continue praying for her. Thanks!


Ready to test your skills?

The following sentences may contain grammar, punctuation, spelling, or other writing misdemeanors. Your job is to find the infraction and set it right. Try not to look at the answers below.

Have fun!

Sentences to correct:

1) What a winter! My oldest daughter lives in Brooklyn, New York, my neice lives in Chicago, Illinois. Both cities recently recieved a ton of snow. My daughter walked or took the subway to wherever she needed to go, my niece was still stranded after digging her car out of 4 foot of snow because the roads weren’t plowed.

2) We don’t often have to contend with snow in Seattle, but our winters are still filled with chilly temperatures, wind, and rain. Roads covered with black ice and mass power outages are two things we dread.

3) There’s nothing better when its cold and damp outside than to snuggle inside by a roaring fire and to eat comfort food. You know ….chili, and homemade chicken soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

4) If we’ve had a bad day and need even more comfort, there’s always pizza, buttered popcorn-and CHOCOLATE.

5) God’s word can be comfort food for our souls. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13 NIV)

6) Having a bad day? A bad week? A bad year? Savior God’s warm, wonderful comfort.



Corrected sentences:

1) What a winter! My oldest daughter lives in Brooklyn, New York; my niece lives in Chicago, Illinois. Both cities recently received a ton of snow. My daughter walked or took the subway to wherever she needed to go; my niece was still stranded after digging her car out of four feet of snow because the roads weren’t plowed.

2) We don’t often have to contend with snow in Seattle, but our winters are still filled with chilly temperatures, wind, and rain. Two things we dread are mass power outages and roads covered with black ice.

Note: The way the last sentence was originally written, the road was covered with both black ice and power outages. Roads can’t be covered with power outages.

3) When it’s cold and damp outside, there’s nothing better than snuggling inside by a roaring fire and eating comfort food. You know … chili, homemade chicken soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Note: The first sentence has been rewritten to flow better. An apostrophe has been added to the word it’s because it is a contraction. The word "and" was taken out in the second sentence.
Note: An ellipsis is currently written: space, three periods, space.

4) If we’ve had a bad day and need even more comfort, there’s always pizza, buttered popcorn—and CHOCOLATE.

5) God’s word can be comfort food for our souls. “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13 NIV).

Note: Quotation marks are needed at the beginning of the quote, as well as at the end of the quote. The period comes after the reference, not before.

6) Having a bad day? A bad week? A bad year? Savor God’s warm, wonderful comfort.

How well did you do?

I use The Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s Dictionary as my sources.