Get Your Premium Membership

Grammar Police

“So, who appointed you the grammar police?” “No one, that’s who!” may your sarcasm increase, But grammar is important if you seek readership For readers will pass over you if you don’t give a flip. Basic language skills are essential for readable writing Knowing when to use “its” or “it’s” is, frankly, inviting Using “then” instead of “than” is always an off put And with your reader gets you off on the wrong foot “Either requires or,” while “neither requires nor” I assure you prissy-perfect grammar opens the door ‘Tis true every writer makes the occasional mistake But you will get high marks if the high road you take Hone your grammar skills and your poetry will improve, Readers will rejoice, you’ll have found your groove.
written February 2, 2022

Copyright © | Year Posted 2022




Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Date: 2/20/2022 10:12:00 AM
Working on it, Milt. Bill
Login to Reply
Date: 2/12/2022 8:55:00 PM
Oh, Milton I fear I am still finding my groove. Thank goodness for Grammarly and spell check. It is a pet peeve of mine however when even famous people and recently an Olympic reporter say "So fun" or "Funner" or the worst, "Way funner" UGH!! The reporter exclaimed to the world the other day, "Mikala has broughten her A-game today" YIKES!
Login to Reply
Date: 2/3/2022 5:01:00 PM
Scoose me guvvna, is it still okee dokee to do bad gramma for artistic effect, like wot I sometimes does. Being a proppa cockney, it kinda comes nattrel. I do entirely comprehend your well intentioned point though, my good fellow… innit. ;-) Terry
Login to Reply
Flood Avatar
Terry Flood
Date: 2/4/2022 7:14:00 AM
The cash is in the post, Milt. It was used notes you wanted, wasn’t it? ;-)
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/3/2022 5:23:00 PM
Absolutely, Terry, in my humble opinion; although, sometimes intentional gross violations of grammar should be put in quotation marks. I think you're safe whatever you do, Terry, because everyone knows you are a great poet, period! And, I mean that sincerely.
Date: 2/3/2022 11:00:00 AM
Countless secretaries have informed me that I don't know anything about English, but now I know that I don't know anything about spellcheck! Aloha!
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/3/2022 12:23:00 PM
Spellcheck is never a good replacement for knowledge of English grammar because spellcheck can and does frequently get it wrong. Often spellcheck changes what I mean to say, so I have to override it.
Date: 2/3/2022 7:58:00 AM
I am persnickety about its and it's.
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/3/2022 8:55:00 AM
Good. Using them incorrectly drives me up a wall!
Date: 2/3/2022 3:38:00 AM
...and as Sr. Aloyisus said in third grade... you have less milk, you have fewer cookies"..
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/3/2022 8:59:00 AM
Okey-dokey, John. I'm not sure I understand Sr. Aloyisus, but if he says so......
Date: 2/2/2022 7:55:00 PM
What the fuzz?! ~ Toody & Muldoon
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 8:34:00 PM
C'mon, gw. I love prissy-perfect grammar! Good punctuation, too. What's with the ~~~~~~~s? So defund me! Ha!
Date: 2/2/2022 1:59:00 PM
Laughs, perhaps "The Po Po" means nothing to Ya either! I am so grateful there are those of you who care! You and folks like you here are truly the masters! Right On! And all that. I AM here to learn. Thank you
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 2:14:00 PM
Thank you so much, I Am Anaya, for your thoughtful response to my poem. I hope all of us are here to learn from each other because that makes the site so much better.
Date: 2/2/2022 1:14:00 PM
....your wording says 'grammars police'... ...well in oldt'er days outhouses with bugs were common..and many a gramma-arse caught po lice.....to sum it....shit happens .....that's reality.....random : ) stans sand
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 1:25:00 PM
I have no idea what you are saying, sand blown, so I'll leave it at that!
Date: 2/2/2022 1:09:00 PM
Being a grammar teacher, I sure do love this!! I make mistakes . Everyone does, but we can see when someone does not "give a flip" and frankly, it's a real turnoff to me when people who call themselves writers do not really understand grammar.
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 1:23:00 PM
I couldn't agree more, Andrea. When a person sets out to portray him/herself as a poet/writer, he/she needs to learn the tools of the trade. The tricks, too!
Date: 2/2/2022 12:22:00 PM
I agree Milton, yes we all make the odd mistake and that's why 'polishing' your work helps spot those glaring errors. There's enough online tools and on here too to nip those mistakes in the bud before you present your work for the whole world to see. Tom
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 12:27:00 PM
I couldn't agree more, Tom. I have learned so much reading the poetry here on Poetry Soup. And, I must admit, I now pass over many poets because I simply cannot abide their lack of good language skills. Others I have started passing by because I have no idea what they are saying! Big words simply strung out on the page drive me crazy, but apparently that's a "going" thing because I see them winning contests!
Date: 2/2/2022 12:20:00 PM
Ain't that true! Once I couldn't spell poet--Now I are one! Agreed!
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 12:30:00 PM
Ur durn tootin,' friend! I love that quote. A longtime friend who retired from years of teaching criminology often said of graduating from the university with a doctorate in criminology, "One day I didn't know what it was, and the next thing I knew I was one!" So true.
Date: 2/2/2022 11:54:00 AM
as a former english teacher, i am in total agreement, milton!
Login to Reply
Hankins Avatar
L Milton Hankins
Date: 2/2/2022 12:15:00 PM
Thanks, Ilene. As one who has championed good grammar all my life, I appreciate your insightful input. I must confess, I will stop reading an otherwise fine poem when I encounter a glaring grammatical error. Too bad that here on Poetry Soup one must be so careful about correcting glaring mistakes. I welcome correction...anytime!

Book: Shattered Sighs