Some Questions

[eriko]

Well I got some questions:

1. What is it called when you copy someone's poem unconciously or conciously? Is the style copied or the content?

2. If I am writing a short story and I have to shift from some time period to another, like, something happended today and then I have to write what happened few days later, how am I to connect the two things?

3. Another one, when I write some story I use correct grammar. But when it comes to speaking or writing something in a hurry (which is not a story) I always mess up. For example:
Yesterday, I said this to my mother :I don't like people like that. When I should have said: I don't like people like him.

Well I know maybe this is because English is not my mother tongue. Suggestions for improvement are very welcome.

[Andy]

Well I got some questions:

1. What is it called when you copy someone's poem unconciously or conciously? Is the style copied or the content?

2. If I am writing a short story and I have to shift from some time period to another, like, something happended today and then I have to write what happened few days later, how am I to connect the two things?

3. Another one, when I write some story I use correct grammar. But when it comes to speaking or writing something in a hurry (which is not a story) I always mess up. For example:
Yesterday, I said this to my mother :I don't like people like that. When I should have said: I don't like people like him.

Well I know maybe this is because English is not my mother tongue. Suggestions for improvement are very welcome.
1. If you copy a poem consciously and intend to pass it off as your own work, it's plagiarism. Unconsciously...it really depends on how similar they are. If it's not very similar, then it's just an influence. If they're very similar, then it could be plagiarism. Both style and content might be affected; it really depends.

2. You can do this two ways.

One: you can decide to change your point of view only when a new chapter starts. You can then write a character name or time period under the chapter's name so the reader knows when it's happening. For example:

Chapter 1: Name of Chapter
Tuesday

Chapter 2: Name of Chapter
Thursday
Two: Simply skip a line or use a "* * *" to show that there's a change in time or location. Then give some detail or name so the reader knows what the change is. For example:

This is happening on Tuesday. Mary is bored, and Mary falls asleep. The sun sets. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

***


On Thursday, Matt wakes up, and he's ready to do things. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

3. Don't worry too much about it. We don't have time to proofread real life, but maybe just make a mental note to say it correctly next time. Or repeat the correct way a few times to yourself so you remember it better.

[Shaun]

Well I got some questions:

1. What is it called when you copy someone's poem unconciously or conciously? Is the style copied or the content?

2. If I am writing a short story and I have to shift from some time period to another, like, something happended today and then I have to write what happened few days later, how am I to connect the two things?

3. Another one, when I write some story I use correct grammar. But when it comes to speaking or writing something in a hurry (which is not a story) I always mess up. For example:
Yesterday, I said this to my mother :I don't like people like that. When I should have said: I don't like people like him.

Well I know maybe this is because English is not my mother tongue. Suggestions for improvement are very welcome.

1. It's still plagiarism whether you do it intentionally or not, but you are not as likely to get in trouble for it if you're not conscious of it. You shouldn't worry about it. Just write. If you accidentally plagiarize and don't realize it until someone points it out, then just be glad that great minds think alike.

2. You can do what Andy said or you can relay the information in the text. A few days is not that much time. So say you had indicated it was Monday in one chapter and wanted a chapter later that was days later, so you could just have it indicated in that chapter that it's Wednesday or something. It depends what you're doing specifically.

3. The only way to improve your use of a language is to practice. Talk and talk and talk and talk. Talk to other people, talk to people here on YWO, elsewhere, etc. You have to use it to get a better grip on it.