How (not) to speak English properly

["Cara O Sullivan" <cara_osullivan -at- modusmedia -dot- com>]

I have no idea where this gem came from--it was forwarded to me by a
co-worker. I thought the list would get a chuckle out it.

Cara O'Sullivan
Documentation Writer
Modus Media
Lindon, Utah

How (not) to speak English properly

1.  Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2.  Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3.  And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4.  It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5.  Avoid cliches like the plague.  (They're old hat)
6.  Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7.  Be more or less specific.
8.  Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually)
unnecessary.
9.  Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10.  No sentence fragments.
11.  Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12.  Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13.  Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary;
it's highly superfluous.
14.  One should NEVER generalize.
15.  Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16.  Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17.  One-word sentences?  Eliminate.
18.  Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
19.  The passive voice is to be ignored.
20.  Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.  Parenthetical
words however should be enclosed in commas.
21.  Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
22.  Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
23.  Understatement is always the absolute best way to put
forth earth-shaking ideas.
24.  Eliminate quotations.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I
hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
25.  If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times:
Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it
correctly.
26.  Puns are for children, not groan readers.
27.  Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
28.  Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
29.  Who needs rhetorical questions?
30.  Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

And the last one...

31.  Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you 
submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of 
your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr

Have you looked at the new content on TECHWR-L lately?
See http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ and check it out.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.