Advice requested...
I'm running into a tiny problem with a fic that I'm writing. There is a phrase that I want to use that isn't grammatically correct. At least, not in the particular way I want to use it. At best, it's considered casual usage and, at worst, it's just plain wrong.
The phrase is "sort of." I've tried using "rather" and "somewhat," but in this particular instance they just won't have the same impact as "sort of" and it's the perfect phrase for the mood I'm trying to convey. However, it's still not correct.
Do you sometimes just toss the grammatical rules right out the window in exchange for nuance of phrasing? I've certainly done it before, but this time, I think I'm concerned that the reader won't pick up the subtlety and that I might be better served by using "somewhat."
Have you ever run into a similar quandary? If so, what did you do?
The phrase is "sort of." I've tried using "rather" and "somewhat," but in this particular instance they just won't have the same impact as "sort of" and it's the perfect phrase for the mood I'm trying to convey. However, it's still not correct.
Do you sometimes just toss the grammatical rules right out the window in exchange for nuance of phrasing? I've certainly done it before, but this time, I think I'm concerned that the reader won't pick up the subtlety and that I might be better served by using "somewhat."
Have you ever run into a similar quandary? If so, what did you do?