Lesson Nine: Grammar & Tense
At this point, you usually lose a lot of people. Grammar and tense can actually mean the difference between your role-play being perfectly understandable, or, it reading as if a five year old wrote it. (Though in some cases, I think some five year olds could write better, but that's neither here nor there.)
Tense
Past: She had walked from the room just a moment before, headed for the kitchen.
Present: She turned, walking from the room towards the kitchen.
As you can see when you read the two, past tense is used to denote actions that have happened. A good number of books are written in this tense, making them pleasing upon the eyes, and easy to follow. You understand it as having happened before, but is currently past.
Now, with present tense, you'll find this to be one of the more popular role-playing styles. Present tense is used in a great number of role-plays all across most role-play sites, indicating that something is happening at that very moment. This is actually preferred for most role-plays, depending on how literate someone does, or doesn't want their role-play to be. Past, nor present tense, neither one are bad. The problem comes when people mix tenses. This can make a sentence appear broken, and more difficult to read.
Mixed Tense: She turns off the television, before she left the room.
Now, as you can tell, this is a pretty basic example, and reading it too many times can cause one's head to hurt (it gave me a headache just trying to write it). Its generally better to pick one tense, and teach yourself to write in that tense first. Then, if you want to, attempt to learn to use the other tense. But be careful not to mix the two when writing.
Grammar
Grammar is the second most griped over thing in all of role-play history. So and so spelled this wrong, you used too many commas, that's supposed to be capitalized. This is one of the fastest thread-killing subjects to ever come up in discussion. Grammar is something that should be looked at seriously, but at the same time, not obsessed over. Typos, misuse of commas, and sentences that are too long can be avoided fairly easily. When you write a post, stop, re-read it, make sure you've spell checked it, then submit your post. Trust me, your fellow role-players will thank you.
Words & Definitions
The following subsection is going to cover nothing but words, and their various uses, and misuses. Even some seasoned role-players are guilty of these mix-ups, so don't automatically call someone a n00b for using them improperly. I'm even guilty of misuse, though usually only when sleep deprived.
Please note that some of the following definitions were taken from www.m-w.com, as well as www.thefreedictionary.com (all with slight editing), and the some of the examples of use were written by me. With luck, reading the following will help give you some idea of how these words should be properly used.
Their/They're/There
Main Entry: their
Function: adjective
of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action
<their furniture> <their verses> <their being seen>
Main Entry: they're
Function: contraction of they are
<they're going to be gone a while> <they're almost finished with construction> <they're going to be late>
Main Entry: there
Function: adverb
1 : in or at that place <stand over there> -- often used interjectionally
2 : to or into that place : <went there after church>
3 : at that point or stage <stop right there before you say something you'll regret>
4 : in that matter, respect, or relation <there is where I disagree with you>
5 -- used interjectionally to express satisfaction, approval, encouragement or sympathy, or defiance <there, it's finished>
Your/You're
Main Entry: your
Function: adjective - The possessive form of you.
1. Used as a modifier before a noun: <your boots> <your accomplishments.>
2. A person's; one's: <The light switch is on your right.>
3. Informal Used with little or no sense of possession to indicate a type familiar to the listener: <your basic three-story frame house.>
Main Entry: you're
Function: contraction of you are
<you're missing a button> <you're late again> <you're a really good person>
Then/Than
Main Entry: then
Function: adverb
1. At that time: <I was still in school then.> <Come at noon; I'll be ready then.>
2. Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward: <watched the late movie and then went to bed.>
3. In addition; moreover; besides: <It costs $20, and then there's the sales tax to pay.>
4. Used after but to qualify or balance a preceding statement: <The star was nervous, but then who isn't on the first night of a new play.>
5. In that case; accordingly: <If traffic is heavy, then allow extra time.>
6. As a consequence; therefore: <The case, then, is closed.>
Main Entry: than (n, n)
Function: conjunction
1. Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison: <She is a better athlete than I.>
2. Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: <He draws quite differently than she does.>
3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: <I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.>
To/Too
Main Entry: to (for the rest of this entry, follow this link if you'd like.)
Function: preposition
1.
a. In a direction toward so as to reach: <went to the city.>
b. Towards: <turned to me.>
2.
a. Reaching as far as: <The ocean water was clear all the way to the bottom.>
b. To the extent or degree of: <loved him to distraction.>
c. With the resultant condition of: <nursed her back to health.>
Main Entry: too
Function: adverb
1. In addition; also: <He's coming along too.>
2. More than enough; excessively: <She worries too much.>
3. To a regrettable degree: <My error was all too apparent.>
4. Very; extremely; immensely: <He's only too willing to be of service.>
5. Informal Indeed; so: <You will too do it!>
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