A hodge-podge of languages.

[allana]

While trying to find out if British English puts a full-stop after title abbreviations (Mr, Mrs, Ms and so on), I've discovered that I'm writing in an interesting hodge-podge of languages.

* I always spell-check for British English.
* Yet I always use American dialogue punctuation and follow their quotation mark rules.
* I merrily ignore all the disapproving looks over comma splices, as they're quite standard in British English.
* I also use a nice mixture of verb forms, depending on my mood.

Having realised that, it's tempered with the realisation that language is fluid. Flicking through a Jeffrey Deaver book which happens to be sitting beside me, I note that he uses single quote marks for dialogue (UK), yet punctuates them in the US style. Interesting.

If I do end up going for a proofreading course I shall have a lot of bad habits to break, I think!!

---

In other news--through the awesome power of Rockfic chat, I finished a WIP. It's been hanging around my hard-drive, making mournful faces at me for months. Since the beginning of May, in fact. Now, I have another nine WIPs which I'd quite like to get done, so I'll be dragging anyone I can lay my hands on into chat. Maybe we can recreate the magic!

Comments

[silicondreams.livejournal.com]

I do that too! But for me add also the weird phrasing that comes from sometimes translating from Italian into English (even if not directly, it's more of a "thinking Italian thoughts in English" thing, and YES, it's weird as it sounds)..but hey, I'm justified 'cause I write mostly foreigners and when I write Brits I have a Brit beta..:D

So when are we going to see it? I'll not hide that I've been waiting to see Be Careful posted for AGES...those old snippets were hysterical...:D

Same time and place tonight? I need to get some action between those 2000 words of dialogue...;)

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

So when are we going to see it? I'll not hide that I've been waiting to see Be Careful posted for AGES...those old snippets were hysterical...:D

Sometime later on tonight? Andy's had a run through it and I'm waiting to see what Ev says, too as I'm not quite sold on the ending. But, am I ever?

BTW, I think we're going to the cinema, so I'm not sure what time I'll be in chat :(

[silicondreams.livejournal.com]

Ah well, I have no life, so I'll probably be there when you come back! To see what?

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

"Unleashed" AKA "Danny The Dog", I think. Depends if it's still on. I have no idea what's on... just want to go to the cinema :)