DiscoverGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.
Why don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.

Why don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.

Update: 2024-10-22
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1024. It often sounds weird if you try to end a sentence with a contraction like "you're" and "I'm." We look at why! Then, get ready for Halloween with the language of fear.

The "contractions" segment is by Β Neal Whitman, an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. You can search for him by name on Facebook, or find him on his blog at literalminded.wordpress.com.

The "language of fear" segment is by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." A version of this story originally appeared on Psychology Today, and you can find her at valeriefridland.com.

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Why don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.

Why don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.

Neal Whitman, Valerie Fridland, Mignon Fogarty