House elves and Slytherins
A quick lesson on house elves, and a prevalent problem in HP fic:
House elves certainly have a different way of talking, don't they? However, they don't just use any random smattering of words that you feel like stringing together.
First of all, they don't say "I". They speak in the third person.
Bad: "I bringing you biscuit, sir."
Good: "Tilly has brought the biscuits, master."
Second, they can actually conjugate verbs correctly.
Bad: "I's dusted the dining room."
Good: "Dobby has dusted the dining room."
Bad: "You am feeling all right?"
Good: "Is Harry Potter not feeling well?"
ETA: Some do say "I". And "I is" as well. However, I would like to note that "I is" does not get contracted to "I's", and "I bringing" or "I is brought" don't work either.
And another thing. Slytherins are not the epitome of evil, but they are also not all persecuted woobies. I'd really like to see a fic that centered on Slytherin without making a big deal out of the way the Slytherin students know all of these high society, sneaky things, or generalizing about the way the whole common room is being so clever, snarky, &c. I'm sick of it.
ETAT: OH GOD I can't spell the word "common".
House elves certainly have a different way of talking, don't they? However, they don't just use any random smattering of words that you feel like stringing together.
First of all, they don't say "I". They speak in the third person.
Bad: "I bringing you biscuit, sir."
Good: "Tilly has brought the biscuits, master."
Second, they can actually conjugate verbs correctly.
Bad: "I's dusted the dining room."
Good: "Dobby has dusted the dining room."
Bad: "You am feeling all right?"
Good: "Is Harry Potter not feeling well?"
ETA: Some do say "I". And "I is" as well. However, I would like to note that "I is" does not get contracted to "I's", and "I bringing" or "I is brought" don't work either.
And another thing. Slytherins are not the epitome of evil, but they are also not all persecuted woobies. I'd really like to see a fic that centered on Slytherin without making a big deal out of the way the Slytherin students know all of these high society, sneaky things, or generalizing about the way the whole common room is being so clever, snarky, &c. I'm sick of it.
ETAT: OH GOD I can't spell the word "common".