Hello, fellow foreigners!
I thought I would write a little guide that might be of assistance if English is not your first language. I have been living in Canada for ten years, but I still struggle with quite a few things when I am writing. I thought I would share some simple tips that have helped me.
First of all, if you are in the same position as I am, I would suggest you find a friend to always proofread your work before submitting a story. It is sometimes hard to catch certain errors you make on your own. If you are serious about posting stories, then find someone you trust and feel comfortable with. Have them read though your work and point out potential errors. Finally, reading your story out loud yourself will also help you "hear" issues that you might miss while just reading silently. Our brains read what we know it should be, not always what it is. This works for native English speakers, too.
Here are some common errors that we foreigners make:
Effect or affect
Effect – The result of something.
Example: The Viagra he took had an effect on his ability to have an erection.
Affect – Create a change in something.
Example: He was kissing her neck, and it was affecting her ability to concentrate.
Then or than
Then - Then is used to indicate time and a sequence of events.
Example: I was going to undress for him, and then bring out my toys.
Than – Than is used to indicating comparison.
Example: I was hornier than an eighteen year old boy.
Two, too or to
Two – Only used to describe the number 2.
Example: She had two lovely cookies.
Too – Too means "as well" or "also". It is used to explain something that is more than it should be.
Example: She was too tired to go out dancing.
To – To is used to express things.
Example: To fuck / to fight / to suck.
Accept or except
Accept – To hold something as true and to receive something willingly.
Example: I accept your invitation to partake in a threesome.
Except – Means apart from, excluding or not including.
Example: I would go with you, except I don’t trust you.
Lay or lie
Please see the link for DanielleX forum thread, where she explains it perfectly.
http://www.lushstories.com/forum/yaf_postsm1336495_Lie-versus-Lay--which-is-which.aspx#1336495
There, their or they’re
There – There is the opposite of "here". It means "in that place", not here.
Example: There is a sex shop downtown.
Their – Shows possession and ownership.
Example: Their dungeon is amazing.
They’re – Contraction of "they are".
Example: They’re horny = they are horny.
Whose or who’s
Whose – Whose means "belonging to whom?”
Example: Whose stripper was more expensive?
Who’s – Who’s is a contraction of either ‘who is’ or ‘who has’.
Example: Who’s going to go skinny dipping with me?
Your or you’re
Your – A possessive adjective. It specifies that something belongs to you.
Example: Your vibrator, your girlfriend, your ball-gag.
You’re – You’re a contraction of "you are".
Example: You’re an asshat = You are an asshat.
Lose or loose
Lose – Lose means that you have lost something, failed to keep or misplaced.
Example: If I lose this bet, I have to kiss my best friend's husband.
Loose – Loose means that something is not right or dense, free from constraint.
Example: She was now loose from her restraints.
Access or excess
Access – The right to enter or to gain entry somewhere.
Example: You need a passkey to get into the VIP section of the strip club.
Excess – Describes a quantity much larger than is needed.
Example: I am trying to lose excess weight.
Its or it’s
This one can be a bit tricky, but let me see if I can break this down a bit.
Its – "Its" is like "his" or "her". It does not have an apostrophe.
Example: "His" is used for a masculine possessor – "These are his cock rings".
"Her" is used for feminine possessor – "These are her nipple clamps".
"Its" is used for neutral possessor. "These are its batteries”.
It’s – "It’s" is short for "it is" or "it has". This is a set rule and cannot be used for anything else.
Example: It’s exciting when he calls me his good girl.
Passed or Past
Passed
The word passed is the past tense or the verb “to pass”. I pass (present tense), I passed and I have passed (both past tense) and I will pass (future tense).
Example: She passed the audition with distinction.
To pass often means to move past, and this is where confusion can arise. Of note, to pass can also mean to sail past, to fly past, to run past… etc. The method of moving is actually irrelevant. This is worth keeping in mind, because if you have to use a verb indicating motion already, then it will be partnered with past and passed. Remember, passed is the past tense of the verb to pass. This is a 100% rule. Clear as mud?
Past
The word past has several meanings (usually related to time before the present or to indicate movement from one side of a reference point to the other side.)
Some examples:
This past year was difficult in their relationship.
Don’t go past her hard limits.
A little hot tip:
Try substituting with went past. To test whether passed is correct, substitute it with “went past”. If your sentence still makes sense, then passed is the correct version.
Example:
He passed the sex shop or He went past the sex shop. See, that works.
He skipped passed the sex shop or He skipped went passed the shop. See, that does not work, so it should not be passed, but past.
I am sure there are a lot of other similar things that get mixed up. Please feel free to post any others that come to mind. I do hope this might assist a little. I tried to keep it as simple and to the point as possible.
Thanks.
Saga
Sergeant Turnip
0 likes
Thank you for the resource. Very simple, helpful, direct and easy to understand.
