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This thread is for tropers who have trouble with English and would like some help with the crazy grammar of this crazy language.

Write down what you wish to edit on the wiki. If you have been suspended from editing, another troper might be kind enough to edit for you after your suggestions have been corrected.

The thread is for help and feedback on your own suggested edits.

If you want help correcting other people's edits (e.g., if you find a page which seems to have grammar problems but want a second opinion, or you don't feel able to fix it by yourself) then that's off-topic here, but we have a separate Grammar Police cleanup thread that can provide assistance.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 16th 2023 at 5:37:57 PM

MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
#10101: Feb 27th 2021 at 4:34:40 PM

  • Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: While a talk with Caesar will show he's put a lot of thought into the creation of his Legion and how it is the best suited for a post-apocalyptic wasteland, if Arcade is your companion, he rightfully points out that Caesar has merely twisted the facts to fit his perception of the world that it is preordained destiny [NO COMMA] via recurring history that he cross his Rubicon (Hoover Dam) and claim his Rome (New Vegas). Sure enough, if the player angers him by defying his requests, [COMMA] the erudite Caesar vanishes and the temperamental barbarian Edward Swallow reveals himself.

Avenger09 Since: May, 2014
#10102: Feb 27th 2021 at 5:43:00 PM

Thank you.

Fallout: New Vegas

  • Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: While a talk with Caesar will show he's put a lot of thought into the creation of his Legion and how it is the best suited for a post-apocalyptic wasteland, if Arcade is your companion, he rightfully points out that Caesar has merely twisted the facts to fit his perception of the world that it is preordained destiny via recurring history that he cross his Rubicon (Hoover Dam) and claim his Rome (New Vegas). Sure enough, if the player angers him by defying his requests, the erudite Caesar vanishes and the temperamental barbarian Edward Swallow reveals himself.

Edited by Avenger09 on Feb 27th 2021 at 1:43:10 PM

MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
Melinda Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: Puppy love
#10104: Feb 27th 2021 at 8:40:50 PM

@ Secret Santa (2007)

  • Formerly Fat: In the second book, Be Mine, Natalie was a bullied fat girl until she stopped eating most high carb foods, exercised more, and had a growth spurt.
@ Abominable
  • Flush the Evidence: CJ smokes a joint in the bathroom and flushes it down the toilet when Karen knocks on the door.
  • Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Amanda is kind, mature, and wears a purple beanie hat when she first arrives at the cabin.
@ Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash Elaborating on two ZCE examples. @ Prom Night III: The Last Kiss
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Sarah's popularity and Alex's relative unpopularity make some fans wish more of the story had been from Sarah's point-of-view and that her victory over Mary-Lou had stuck.
@ The Snowball Express
  • "Eureka!" Moment: John gets his idea about turning the mountain into a ski resort when Wally talks about riding all over it in his snowmobile.
  • Hidden Agenda Villain: Ridgeway isn't too villainous, but it's clear from his first scene that he has some secret reason for wanting to buy the hotel. The final scene reveals that he's after logging rights.
  • Hidden Depths: Shifty banker Martin Ridgeway is a champion snowmobile racer.
@ The Absent-Minded Professor @ Serial Mom
  • He's Just Hiding: Juror #8 could have only been unconscious after being hit twice with a telephone receiver.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: Matthew Lillard plays a horror-obsessed video store clerk two years before bullying such a character in Scream.
  • The Woobie:
    • Poor Dottie is tortured with obscene phone calls (even after changing her number twice) and is framed for breaking a mutual friend's prized possession just because she unknowingly took a parking spot Beverly wanted.
    • Eugene is a decent Family Man who has to deal with his wife murdering many of their acquaintances and the knowledge that she'll either go free when she's guilty or be sentenced to death.
@ The Love Bug
  • Grandma Steinmetz's new boyfriend Judson uses a fire hose to drive off several bulldozer drivers.
  • The heroes impersonate Hawk's voice and send his demolition expert to demolish Hawk's mansion.
@ Spanner in the Works
  • In the Christopher Anvil short story "The Trojan Hostage," a regrettably off-screen terrorist plot hits a snag when it turns out that two targeted security firm employees are dating special forces soldiers stationed right next door. 
    Ginette: [[I]]t was like a nature vacation where you go to shoot the tame rock hen for dinner, and waiting there is a giant constrictor.
@ Power Rangers Mystic Force @ The People Under the Stairs
  • Fool yells, "Your mama sleeps with cats," to lure Prince away from Luther. Later he touches an electrified doorknob so the current will go through his body and zap Prince.
  • Roach hits Daddy with a slingshot and then tricks Prince into falling through a trapped door.
  • Roach scares the People Under the Stairs away from Fool by lifting up Luther's corpse and making moaning sounds.
  • Alice grab Daddy's gun and jerks it into the air when he shoots at Fool.
  • While hiding in a space above the oven, Alice grabs a shoe she'd dropped less than three feet from Mommy's head without being detected.
  • The People Under the Stairs shine flashlights in Daddy's face to keep him from shooting Fool. Then they pretend to hold Fool still for him to shoot, only to yank Fool down, so instead, Daddy shoots out the lock holding them prisoner.
  • Alice drops onto Mommy from the ceiling and slams her head against the ground.
  • The People Under the Stars burst through the stairs (and then the walls and the cabinets) to save Alice and attack Mommy.
@ Final Destination 4

Edited by Melinda on Feb 28th 2021 at 6:03:51 AM

Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10105: Feb 28th 2021 at 4:15:47 AM

For my TLP proposal:

Proposed trope title: Not-So-Flawless Character Entry

Laconic:
A character fails to perform a perfect or epic character entry initially, but they may still manage to perform well anyway.

Desciption:
A (new) character dives into the scene! Wait, did he just fall down in a second after that? Thank goodness he's O.K., and he still manages to save the day.

This is a trope about how when someone is introduced/appears, there's always something that ruins the "perfect" character introduction. Basically, Establishing Character Moment meets Finagle's Law.

This is not uncommonly to be Played for Laughs. A person who does this may be a Joke Character, a Fighting Clown, a Plucky Comic Relief, a Dojikko, or The Ditz. It can be used for non-comedic purposes, but it's rare.

Compare Dynamic Entry, when the character entry is established as sudden, fast and unexpected. A Sub-Trope of Establishing Character Moment and Big Damn Heroes.

Note that this trope doesn't have to occur in the initial introduction of a certain character. If the character has already been introduced in a normal way, this can be pulled in their Big Damn Heroes moment.

Edited by Minorica on Mar 1st 2021 at 1:47:25 AM

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
Arivne Since: Jan, 2001
#10106: Feb 28th 2021 at 5:11:59 AM

[up][up] @Melinda

Sarah's popularity and Alex's relative unpopularity make some fans...

Grandma Steinmetz's new boyfriend Judson uses a fire hose to drive off several wreckers.

^ What is a "wrecker"?

...two targeted security firm employees are dating Special Forces soldiers...

Nick's adoptive sister, who he moved to town to live with...

^ Did Nick move to town to live with his sister, or did he move her to town to live with him? The sentence could be interpreted either way. To make it clear which you meant:

1st meaning: "Nick's adoptive sister. He moved to town to live with her, but she never..."

2nd meaning: "Nick's adoptive sister. He moved her to town to live with him, but she never..."

Roach shoots Daddy with a slingshot...

^ "hit...with a slingshot" means physically hitting with the slingshot itself.

Alice grabs Daddy's gun and jerks it into the air when he shoots at Fool.

...only to yank Fool down, so instead <- no comma Daddy shoots out the lock...

Edited by Arivne on Feb 28th 2021 at 5:12:47 AM

Arivne Since: Jan, 2001
#10107: Feb 28th 2021 at 5:20:14 AM

[up][up] @Minorica

A character fails to perform a perfect or epic character entry initially, but they may still manage to perform well anyway.

Wait, did he just fall down in a second after that? Thank goodness he's O.K., and he still manages to save the day.

This is a trope about how when someone is introduced/appears, there's always something that ruins the "perfect" character introduction. Basically, Establishing Character Moment meets Finagle's Law.

This is not uncommonly to be Played for Laughs.

Note that this trope doesn't have to occur in the initial introduction of a certain character. If the character has already been introduced in a normal way, this can be pulled in their Big Damn Heroes moment.

Edited by Arivne on Feb 28th 2021 at 5:23:53 AM

jOSEFdelaville Since: Dec, 2018
#10108: Feb 28th 2021 at 5:25:03 AM

Grow

  • Fantastic Fruits and Vegetables: Grow Cannon has a spot where firing on it with the cannon makes a giant berry grow. If the berry grows during daytime, it will be pink and have no effect when eaten. But if the berry grows during nighttime, it will be purple and the creature that eat it will turn into a dragon.

Knuckleheads - Trivia

  • Out of Order: The translated episodes were not released in the same order as the original French dub.

Gaston Lagaffe

  • Product Placement: During the comics runtime, there was two series of strips serving as advertisements.
    • In the early comics, there was a series of strips where an orange juice brand called "Piedboeuf" became Gaston and Fantasio's trademark favorite drink to exagerated levels. Fantasio could even convince the notoriously lazy Gaston to work just by promising him a single glass of ornage juice.
    • The latter comics had a series of strips advertising the "Bidule" batteries. It was represented as a running gag where Gaston would put said batteries in various eletronics, only for things to go horribly right because the batteries makes electronics too powerful. A notable examples include a strip where Jeanne uses a flashlight on the beach at night, only to be confused by a lighthouse by an angry sailor. These strips always end with Gaston saying "This is Bidule's fault. They make batteries too powerful".

Madness Combat - Character (AAHW units)

  • Blind Obedience: DISSENTER implies that they obey orders without thinking twice no matter how dumb the order sounds. While this make them devoted soldiers, it can be a problem when a hacker sends them fake orders on their communication devices. They won't even question an order telling them to shoot a rocket near their own teammates.

CD-i Legend of Zelda - Character (Wand of Gamelon merchant)

  • No Name Given: Unlike Morshu, who is his Faces of Evil counterpart, he's not given any name.

Melinda Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: Puppy love
#10109: Feb 28th 2021 at 5:47:55 AM

Thanks Arivne. By wreckers I meant construction workers wrecking a house, and I changed that to bulldozer drivers for clarity. Well, overall it could have been better, but I feel like none of my mistakes were major ones, and it was still fewer goofs than I would have had in 700 words two months, or even one month ago.

Edited by Melinda on Feb 28th 2021 at 6:19:04 AM

Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10110: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:10:05 AM

Thanks, Arivne.

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10111: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:16:28 AM

For Demons in General from Characters.MGCM:

  • Walking Techbane: According to Seira's Leucosia dress story, Nymphs have a strange invisible field effect that nullifies electronic waves, especially internet connections.

Edited by Minorica on Feb 28th 2021 at 11:39:16 PM

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
#10112: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:20:04 AM

Minorica: That one's fine the way it is.

Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10113: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:27:45 AM

Thanks, Michael Katsuro.

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10114: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:31:04 AM

Wait, Nymphs are plural, so it has to be "have".

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
#10115: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:37:04 AM

Agh! You're right! Embarrassing that I didn't spot that one.

Minorica Rhythm Heroine from Earth Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Rhythm Heroine
#10116: Feb 28th 2021 at 8:38:49 AM

It's O.K. smile I can fix it by myself.

Edited by Minorica on Feb 28th 2021 at 11:39:07 PM

"No matter how bad the heroes can get or how bad the situation is, we're sure we can overcome it and get our happy endings..."
Maronmario Since: Nov, 2016
#10117: Feb 28th 2021 at 10:08:55 AM

Ok, I was redirected here because my writing skills aren’t all that great and gave me a suspension. So I’m here to help improve my writing skills.

Dragalia Lost

  • Though Power Creep was not kind to them, Gala Reborn Poseidon, Zephyr, and Jeanne D’Arc return stronger and better then ever. Boasting an impressive 50-70% Strength buff to their respective elements, but the second ability is where things get interesting. Every time the adventurer they’re equipped to has their dragongauge increased by 10%, be it through passive abilities like Audric’s or skills, they gain a 25-30% damage modifier towards the element they have an advantage towards and towards any elementless. With calculations having their ‘strength’ buff coming out as approximately 104% at MUB, the highest Strength buff on a Dragon in the entire game. As an added bonus the buff lasts for a massive 45 seconds, more then enough time to keep it up for the entire fight. Their Dragonforms are also incredibly strong, and their skills that can be used a second time so long as you’re locked onto an enemy.

Is there anything that’s could be improved with this?

Edited by Maronmario on Feb 28th 2021 at 11:29:27 AM

MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
#10118: Feb 28th 2021 at 1:11:16 PM

Dragalia Lost

Though Power Creep was not kind to them, Gala Reborn Poseidon, Zephyr, and Jeanne D’Arc return stronger and better then ever. They boast an impressive 50-70% Strength buff to their respective elements, but the second ability is where things get interesting. Every time the dragon gauge of the adventurer they're equipped to is increased by 10%, be it through passive abilities like Audric's or through skills, they gain a 25-30% damage modifier towards the element they have an advantage towards* and towards any elementless. Calculations have their "strength" buff coming out as approximately 104% at MUB, the highest Strength buff on a Dragon in the entire game. As an added bonus, [COMMA] the buff lasts for a massive 45 seconds, more than enough time to keep it up for the entire fight. Their Dragonforms are also incredibly strong, as well as their skills that can be used a second time so long as you're locked onto an enemy.*

Is there anything that could be improved in this text?

You make two ongoing errors.

  • First of all, you keep writing incomplete sentences, like "With calculations having their ‘strength’ buff coming out as approximately 104% at MUB, the highest Strength buff on a Dragon in the entire game."
  • Secondly, you keep giving more details than necessary. This isn't supposed to be a walk-through to the game, it's just a trope description.

Melinda Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: Puppy love
#10119: Feb 28th 2021 at 9:07:49 PM

@ Secret Santa (2007)

  • Hired Help as Family: While not stated in so many words, Mindy Yee and her family's housekeeper Carmela have this dynamic in the third book, Spring Fling. Carmela is usually joking, concerned, or encouraging whenever she's talking to Mindy. She doesn't hesitate to caution her about her bad choice in friends to her face, and Mindy never gets angry or indignant when Carmela talks to her that way.
@ The Troublemaker A new page.

A 1960 science fiction short story by Christopher Anvil, "The Troublemaker'" is part of his Federation of Humanity series. The ship follows a spaceship captain engaging in a Battle of Wits with a troublesome new crewman.

Tropes:

  • The Chains of Commanding: Up To Eleven. The planet of New Cornwall selects its monarch by giving the job to the first person to volunteer after a previous incumbent resigns. Said king has absolute power but (along with his nobles) gets implanted with neurotransmitters that cause severe pain whenever a large number of their subjects are experiencing pain or fear (like after an earthquake) to motivate them into immediately acting on behalf of their people whenever necessary. Any thoughts about removing the neurotransmitters trigger far greater agony. This keeps even the most ambitious and selfish kings from abusing their power or wanting to rule for a prolonged period. The captain is a former King of New Cornwall and tricks trouble-making cargo master Seat into volunteering for the position while visiting the planet.
  • The Millstone: The last seven ships Sneat served on are now the seven lowest rated ships ships in the fleet. At least one of them was once one of the most popular ships in the fleet but had the entire crew go into debt over late deliveries within a couple of months of hiring Sneat as a cargo-master.
  • Smart People Play Chess: Sneat is a cunning manipulator who enjoys chess games.
  • Wham Line: The captain's status as a former king of New Cornwall is revealed when he explains that once Sneat retires "The people will respect him, and whenever he's on the planet he'll have full honors and the courtesy title of 'Your Highness.'" The narrator then recalls how New Cornwall's people had held a big welcoming ceremony for the captain and referred to him as "Your Highness," which everyone has assumed was merely a local custom for greeting ship captains.
  • You Are Fat: Sneat relishes picking on his crewmate Feralli's weight, gets everyone else on the ship doing it, then starts lecturing them over it to make Feralli feel mentally isolated and have him owe Sneat a favor.
@ Perry Mason
  • Those Two Guys: Alexander Glovatski and Myer in "The Case of the Absent Artist" are a pair of eccentric artists who hang around together and provide some exposition and humor.
@ The Snowball Express
  • Underdogs Never Lose: Triple subverted. Despite being a novice snowmobile rider, Johnny enters the snowmobile race, not necessarily expecting to win but hoping he can get one of the top three cash prizes. He ends up taking the lead in the home stretch, passing the local champion, Martin Ridgeway. Then, at the last moment, Johnny loses control, swerves off-course, and doesn't even finish the race.
  • Unsatisfiable Customer: Among the hordes of happy hotel guests, there's a married couple who complain about every little thing.
@ Batman: The Animated Series
  • When Batman first fights the jaguar shaman in "The Worry Men," the shaman scores a minor victory when he hurls a rubber ball which seemingly misses Batman, only to bounce off multiple walls to hit him while he's off-guard. Later, after being freed from his brainwashing at the end of the episode, the shaman mails the Mad Hatter a miniature Batman doll.

Edited by Melinda on Mar 1st 2021 at 5:12:54 AM

Maronmario Since: Nov, 2016
#10120: Feb 28th 2021 at 11:58:38 PM

I see, and here I was worrying about run-on sentences. Thank you. I also went and tried to cut down the ‘walkthrough’ parts. Is it any better now?

Though Power Creep was not kind to them, Gala Reborn Poseidon, Zephyr, and Jeanne D’Arc return stronger and better than ever. They boast an impressive 50-70% Strength buff to their respective elements, but the second ability is where things get interesting. Every time the dragon gauge of the adventurer they're equipped to is increased by 10%, they gain a 25-30% damage modifier towards the element they have an advantage towards and towards any non-elemental enemies. Calculations have their “strength” buff coming out as approximately 104% at MUB, the highest Strength buff on a Dragon in the entire game. As an added bonus, the buff lasts for a massive 45 seconds, more than enough time to keep it up for the entire fight. Their Dragonforms are also incredibly strong, as well as their skills that can be used a second time so long as you're locked onto an enemy.

Edited by Maronmario on Mar 1st 2021 at 10:36:57 AM

Arivne Since: Jan, 2001
#10121: Mar 1st 2021 at 4:36:15 AM

[up][up] @Melinda

The last seven ships Sneat served on are now the seven lowest rated ships...

Sneat relishes picking on his crewmate Feralli's weight, gets everyone else...

...shaman in "The Worry Men", the shaman...multiple walls to shoot back and...

After being freed from his brainwashing at the end of the episode, the shaman mails the Mad Hatter a miniature Batman doll.

^ As a single example at the 2nd level of indentation, this violates Example Indentation in Trope Lists. It should be merged with the example above it.

Edited by Arivne on Mar 1st 2021 at 4:42:21 AM

Arivne Since: Jan, 2001
#10122: Mar 1st 2021 at 4:47:07 AM

[up][up] @Maronmario

Unless there's a good reason why the characters' names should be in boldface, they shouldn't be. That's why Michael Katsuro removed the boldfacing in his response to you.

Melinda Since: Dec, 2019 Relationship Status: Puppy love
#10123: Mar 1st 2021 at 5:02:49 AM

Thanks Arivne. That's the second time in a few weeks that I've had cremate instead of crewmate. Hopefully I'l remember to double check that especially well in the future. I apologize for the line indentation part. I really should have remembered that, but I was getting tired and several other examples on the page had it like that.

Maronmario Since: Nov, 2016
#10124: Mar 1st 2021 at 9:31:59 AM

[up][up] @Arivne

Sorry, that was for consistency for the page it’s used on in question. I honestly didn’t even think twice about. I’ll just fix that real quick.

Edited by Maronmario on Mar 1st 2021 at 10:36:38 AM

Stardust120 Since: May, 2019
#10125: Mar 1st 2021 at 11:50:00 AM

Tales of Crestoria Characters

  • A-Cup Angst: When Makina refers Misella by "Not-Boingy Lady", she gets very offensive when Makina refers her due to her flat chest. Enraged, Misella doesn't care Makina looks like a child or not, but she is willing to teach her a lesson to properly fear her elders.
  • The Nicknamer: Makina has a habit give nicknames to her enemies either out of affection or insult. Makina refers Kanata, "Kanny-tan", Yuna, "Boingy Lady", Aegis, Snooty Guy (originally called Mister Sir Knight) and Misella, "Not Boingy Lady".

Twisted Wonderland Characters

  • Gotta Catch Them All: In Azul's Birthday personal story, Azul has a habits of collecting coins. He discover his hobby when he was a child and he used to pick up some coins near a sink ship. At first, he thought it was an ordinary coins from the ground until he discovers it was actually a commemorative coins from a kingdom. He mentions the coins are worth about 50000 madol per coin if traded in the market by collectors. After he found out the coins are very rare to find, he decides to collect them. He has a total of 200 coins and he framed some of his favorite coins and decorated them in his room.

Edited by Stardust120 on Mar 1st 2021 at 11:52:51 AM


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