If I were to play on a very old and simple pun (which many of you know very well I am not above doing.) I’d say, “I know all about Grammar. She’s my mother’s mother.”
While flipping through my well worn copy of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide” on Grammar and Style recently (yes, though my grammar might not show it, I actually do occasionally check how things are supposed to be done.) and I noticed a couple of things.
The first is that it’s possible to review the rules of grammar simply by reading the “call out” boxes that provide cautionary points. These are, in my opinion, rather cleverly titled, “Danger, Will Robinson”. (For the $64, what was the name of the robot who said those words? Hint- it’s from the TV show “lost In Space”. The boxes present the things many of us do that go against the rules of grammar and style.
The book also has several other types call out boxes. These include – “You could look it up.” (which provides a definition of the particular term), “Take my word for it.” (which provides fun facts) and “Quoth the maven.” (which provides hints and tips.)
I find these boxes extremely helpful, especially when I’m moving very quickly and don’t have time to really dig into the information.
I bring attention to these boxes for two reasons. The first is to point out their value when you need a quick reference for grammar. Two, to highlight how such graphic devices can help improve the ease of evaluation of your proposal and help get you the precious extra points.
And yes, I know there are, no doubt, a great many violations of the rules of grammar within this entry. But I’m OK with that because it’s a blog entry, not a proposal. I’m smart enough to have someone who knows and loves the rules of grammar edit my proposals.