Calling all grammarians! Thursday, March 4, is your day to shine.
In honor of Grammar Day, we'd like you to submit your original grammar-related limerick to soundoff@ragan.com by Thursday at noon CST.
Anything grammar-related is fair game; no obscenities, please. (For grammar-related content, we’re including syntax, word usage, punctuation and anything else that applies to the rules of writing.)
The winning limerick—and selected honorable mentions—will run Friday on Ragan.com. The winner will also receive a Grammar Girl book of his or her choice, courtesy of Macmillan Publishing.
Good luck.
Article comments:
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 9:21:33 AM by Corrie
It's as clear as the sound of a klaxon: Apostrophes get too much action It possesses? It's its! Yet it gives people fits That it only is used in contraction.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 10:27:43 AM by Nicole
When does one use may or use might? How will I know which one is right? A heartfelt decision One is for permission Wrong use could cause sparks to ignite!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 11:05:55 AM by joan
limerick link still does not work.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 11:14:15 AM by Rob Nikolewski
Grammar! Your rules send me reelin' and rollin'. Should I use comma, a dash or a semicolon? I'm making mistakes, They're so easy to make That I'm giving it all up to go bowling.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 12:12:42 PM by Lynne
I hate the idea of a contest— competing to see “Who’s the best?” at rhyming and pausing, commas and clause-ing it’s, quite simply, grammatical nonsense!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 12:13:58 PM by Lynne
Hey, what happened to my semi-colon after "clause-ing"?
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 12:17:42 PM by Lynne
I hate the idea of a contest— competing to see “Who’s the best?” at rhyming and pausing, commas and clause-ing it’s, quite simply, grammatical nonsense!
There, that's better! :>)
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 12:19:08 PM by Lynne
Nope, gone again. Web edit quirks, I guess. it's just not punctuation-friendlly.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 12:32:44 PM by Carla
The bane of my job is pleonasms. As an editor, extra words give me spasms. I slash superfluous “that”s. And trim verbiage fats. In this case, strength in numbers is pure phantasm.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 1:00:06 PM by Lisa Gillette-Martin
The email link works now I submitted mine. Good luck, all!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 1:06:33 PM by Lisa Gillette-Martin
Oops, looks like long dashes are another type of punctuation disliked by this client. Ironic, no?
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 1:08:21 PM by Robn Kittrell
Commas, semicolons, periods, sound like fun. It gives me fever, so I'll go in the sun. Clause-ing and pausing all day at the beach. Preparing my case for the next meet.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 1:35:34 PM by Doug Hughes
There once was a teacher of grammar Who's now spending life in the slammer. When students would err, She'd shriek and she'd swear, And drive home her point with a hammer.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 2:43:42 PM by Maggie Robertson-Linsky
My waitress I will not accuse, Of intentional English abuse, But it makes my heart sink, When she brings me a drink, And beaming, says, “Hi! How are YOUS?”
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 2:51:48 PM by mvg
A great crowd renders grammar impure, Saying “less” when they really mean “fewer.” “Less” for unknown amount, While it’s “fewer” you can count, Or our language goes straight down the sewer.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 3:42:10 PM by Jody Donohue
I ain't got no use for grammar I've searched the world under for a cure. I use "was" when I should use "were" It creates a liberal stir But the cows on my Crawford, Tx ranch don't care.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 4:12:04 PM by Pontific8r
Their once were an lady form Niger She simile like writing a Tiger She want four a ride Butt the tiger it lye’d Know simile it’s face is a Tiger
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 5:09:16 PM by Stan Carey
A venerable usage authority Preserved rules as his top priority. When challenged on ten facts Of uncertain syntax, He said: "But I'm in the *correct* minority."
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 5:46:12 PM by donmorberg
Young Hannibal, growing up in a shanty, Showed no interest in people al dente But he was set off by his momma When she left out the comma In the sentence: “Let’s go eat, Auntie”
Thursday, March 04, 2010 7:02:55 AM by Pat Zietlow Miller
We all enjoy working with "Ted." But his messages fill us with dread. Unedited memos cause massive problem-os. No one ever knows what he said.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 7:26:44 AM by Mali
My aunt has a strangest caprice And should work in The Grammar Police: For missing a comma She can put you in coma And will never leave you in peace!
Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:14:42 AM by Hech
There was a cute young girlie from Kansas Who was so much awkward with tenses. Once she said "I am gone After party at dawn." What a funny young girlie from Kansas!
Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:31:44 AM by Andy Hollandbeck
Deep in the editor's tomb The adventurer treks through the gloom. Then the mummy of yore Who he's been searching for Rises up and declares, "You mean 'whom'."
Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:58:49 AM by Jennifer Algoe Keaton
There once was an apostrophe. That didn’t know where it should be. In most plural words, it doesn’t belong. Even good writers are getting it wrong. Just adding an “s” often agrees.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 9:51:16 AM by LauraBird
A strong little word known as Frown Leads a grammar support group in town “I no longer feel shame Drawn to action and name, And am proud to be both verb and noun.”
Thursday, March 04, 2010 9:53:09 AM by Max Atkinson
When nouns become verbs and verbs become nouns It must surely derive from American clowns. Just one of the pranks From our cousins the Yanks That transforms British smiles into frowns.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:02:32 AM by Amanda
Our doom is foreshadowed by textspeak ‘LOL’ makes prim writers cry ‘eek!’ With each ‘CU L8R’ Another word hater Ensures the future of grammar remains bleak.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:24:44 AM by Dina
It causes me no small dismay when I hear "lie" instead of "lay": "I'm going to lay down" makes me think you're a clown who can expel soft feathers today.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:38:52 AM by Big A
There once was a pause known as comma who got overused with much drama. It wandered, it spliced, which wasn’t quite nice, and slaughtered our language with trauma.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:52:10 AM by mvg
With texting, tweeting and friending The rules of our grammar are bending. As correct usage drowns In this verbing of nouns, Lo! Civilization is ending.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:53:18 AM by Don
Some folks wink when they “Gs” in speeches, Soundin’ homey and cute while they preaches. Bad grammar aboundin’ It ain’t so astoundin’ Fox News hires them for ta teach us.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:56:15 AM by Don
should be " Gs in speeches" this page "s" a lot of things raandomly, too!
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:57:19 AM by Don
why won't the word "D r o p" print on this page???
Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:23:59 AM by John Fisher
True, you may know how to type But it doesn’t mean you can write Some things I read Cause my eyes to bleed And bad grammar gives me bad dreams at night
Thursday, March 04, 2010 12:46:58 PM by Joy Cocchiara
The way we talk is not the same And all because of “just a game” Who Dat! is the interjection From the city of black and gold complexion As strange as it is bound to seem The Super Bowl is not a dream Good grammar will go straight to hell When under New Orleans’ magic spell So in tribute to Good Grammar Day WHO DAT! is all we have to say.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 1:20:55 PM by jwarner
On the rules of the words I’m no Solon, From my friends I require a poll on, What the proper point be, And the proper degree, Anal-retentive? Hyphen or colon?
Thursday, March 04, 2010 1:45:00 PM by Lisa J
Da winner, for my nickel
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 5:46:12 PM by donmorberg
Young Hannibal, growing up in a shanty, Showed no interest in people al dente But he was set off by his momma When she left out the comma In the sentence: “Let’s go eat, Auntie”
Thursday, March 04, 2010 2:06:29 PM by Joy Cocchiara
In limerick form:
The city is having a blast Saints, Super Bowl champions at last Who Dat! interjection A mighty connection With grammar a thing of the past
Thursday, March 04, 2010 2:34:23 PM by Maggie
Please tell us where to find the winning limerick. Thank you.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 3:59:56 PM by Ragan's Editorial Staff
Maggie, the winning limerick will be posted Friday, March 5 on Ragan.com. Stay tuned.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 4:48:28 PM by Jo Lightfoot
Loved that memos / problem-os combination!
Car trouble kept me away from home & submitting my entry. Congrats and kudos to all who did.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 5:50:57 PM by Gordon
I love to verb nouns and wreck syntax, an speling I atack wit an ax, cuz for years, day and night, I worked to make everything right, But now that's over, so I relax.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 7:12:53 PM by Jo Lightfoot
Yay, Gordon! We missed the deadline? So?
There might come a time when I were. This sounds almost wrong I concur. But in grammar school subjunctive rules rule I’d be smart if I “were” to defer.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 7:20:11 PM by Jo Lightfoot
Yup. This site eats punctuation.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 7:46:18 PM by Joe
With a comma I was walking along When the comma sang a short song People use us too much Or not enough We are too often placed quite wrong
Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:08:24 PM by Mary Fuller
I vote for Gordon this day He's really the guy that can play French dies on the vine Of words so sublime But English adds new words every day!
Understanding comes not from correctness It comes from new connectedness The future's before us Not part of past forests Grammarians! Relax into NOW's Blessedness!
Friday, March 05, 2010 10:09:58 AM by Chris
It’s amazing just how long it took Maybe I should have just read a book But questioning my grammar Hit like a hammer And is something up with which I will not put!
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