What Are GrammatiCats?

What are GrammatiCats?

You know, sites like LOLcats and I Can Has Cheezburger are hilarious.

But let's be honest: do you really want your cat to grow up with these sites as their literary models?  Can we afford to have a nation of cats who are ignorant of the mechanics of proper English?

Of course not.  Every responsible cat owner cares about his or her pet's grasp of language.  The problem is that we ourselves aren't always sure how to explain the difference between 'who' and 'whom', or when to use 'that' instead of 'which'.  We usually operate on what "sounds right" - and that's no way to open your cat's mind to the true beauty of the English language.

Enter the GrammatiCats.  These helpful feline friends are here to present common grammar issues and their correct resolutions in a familiar format that you and your pet can enjoy together.   Read, learn, and share with your friends!

What's the deal with the pinkie ratings?

Rightly or wrongly, drinking tea with the little finger extended has become a synonym for grace and etiquette.  Each GrammatiCat lesson is rated accordingly.






1:  Mastery of this concept is essential for anything more formal than a YouTube comment.





2:  Mastery of this concept is widely expected.  You may be smugly corrected by random Internetizens if you mess this up - especially if you're arguing with them.





3:  This concept is essential for any formal occasion: if what you're writing is designed to get you hired, admitted, paid, laid, or published, make sure you have this correct.





4:  Apart from English majors and other literary pros, relatively few people know about this concept.





5:  Only the most bitter of arch-grammarian crows will even notice, much less care, whether you get this right.

Do you take suggestions for post topics?

Absolutely!  Please feel free to leave a comment or send it in by email.  Be sure to include your favorite URL (blog, Twitter, etc.) if you'd like me to link to you!

Can my cat participate?

Absolutely!  If your cat would like to join the ranks of featured GrammatiCats, please e-mail tex at thetexfiles.com with your photos.  Just make sure that:

--each photo is at least 100k (the bigger, the better!)
--you include your cat's name, your name or screen-name, and a link to your blog or website (optional but encouraged!)

Please note: by sending me your photos, you're granting me the unconditional right to edit them, and to use the edited version(s) (with proper attribution, but no compensation) for this site and any derivative works, including but not limited to printed material and online distribution. Sending your photos doesn't guarantee that they will be used here.  You retain all rights to the original photos.