Grammar

[AlanHo]

Do you have any pet grammar hates that usually get past a spell checker - mine include.....

"Should of" instead of "should have"

"We was" rather than "we were"

"We where walking home" (were)

"were has he gone" (where)

"I went their" (there)

"I enjoy there company" (their)

"Your never happy" (you're or you are)

"Its obvious" (It's or it is)

"Gotten"

"I gave him some advise" (advice)

"Will you please advice me" (advise)

"Her shoe's are red" (shoes)

[Watchful]

I hate all the above errors but they seldom get past me

[Irene]

I don't think they have the same training these days as we did in the 40's, 50's & 60's.

Punctuation alone, let alone the spelling, can change the whole meaning of a sentence.

[Watchful]

I don't think they have the same training these days as we did in the 40's, 50's & 60's.

Punctuation alone, let alone the spelling, can change the whole meaning of a sentence.

That's true Irene. We had a very strict teacher in the early sixties when I did Shorthand, Typing and English.

Woe betide anyone who put a punctuation mark in the wrong place or even glanced at the typewriter keys :0

[AlanHo]

My grate aren't and uncle where good at grammar there knowledge of English set the standard's in our family! its a well known fact at our local school because they went their i sometimes think i should of paid more attention when i was at school and i would of if the teacher hadnt spent most of his time in the bicycle shed's with miss smiths sisters' daughter giving her advise we was very poor in those days because my old dad hadnt gotten himself much of a job.

[Watchful]

Do you want that proofing Alan? :D

[AlanHo]

Do you want that proofing Alan? :D

Your just trying to proof that youre better education mean's its easy four you. I should of known you would reply. Im a succour for punishment - so their.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

There is an excellent book that addresses part of these problems: Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I very much enjoyed reading that (it's funny).

[AlanHo]

There is an excellent book that addresses part of these problems: Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I very much enjoyed reading that (it's funny).

I have a copy to which I refer from time to time. It is a fine example of how to make what some would consider to be a tedious subject, fascinating.

[Watchful]

There is an excellent book that addresses part of these problems: Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I very much enjoyed reading that (it's funny).

I also have the book and it does make fascinating reading.

[Watchful]

Do you want that proofing Alan? :D

Your just trying to proof that youre better education mean's its easy four you. I should of known you would reply. Im a succour for punishment - so their.

Not at all Alan; it demonstrates a love of English, not necessarily a better education. ;)

[Irene]

IMO one of the major problems of bad practice has arrived with text messaging.

It's 'English' gone mad!! :lol:

[Dencandy]

Don't forget some people are dyslexic and can't spell or make sense of grammar, through no fault of their own. Even some professional authors are spelling-blind. I know one who's written over 20 books but can't spell for toffees (or is it "four tofeees"?). Automatic spellcheckers can't cope with his spelling and everything he writes has to be checked by someone else. But his books sell because he's got a vivid imagination.

[AlanHo]

Don't forget some people are dyslexic and can't spell or make sense of grammar, through no fault of their own. Even some professional authors are spelling-blind. I know one who's written over 20 books but can't spell for toffees (or is it "four tofeees"?). Automatic spellcheckers can't cope with his spelling and everything he writes has to be checked by someone else. But his books sell because he's got a vivid imagination.

I think we all recognise that some people with spelling and grammar difficulties have good reasons.

What is unfortunate that our current education system is rather lacking in insisting on good English skills, hence general standards are being diluted. You can excuse people with genuine problems - but I do not count idleness as a valid excuse.

One of life's real pleasures is the sense of achievement you get when you do something properly - be it art, cooking, dancing, football or whatever takes your fancy. Good communications are important and proper English skills are a vital component - which when mastered - provide you with an excellent platform upon which to build your career, hobbies or relationships.

[Dencandy]

Also, "gotten" isn't wrong, it's American English, correct in the USA and Canada.

[Watchful]

Don't forget some people are dyslexic and can't spell or make sense of grammar, through no fault of their own. Even some professional authors are spelling-blind. I know one who's written over 20 books but can't spell for toffees (or is it "four tofeees"?). Automatic spellcheckers can't cope with his spelling and everything he writes has to be checked by someone else. But his books sell because he's got a vivid imagination.

I think we all recognise that some people with spelling and grammar difficulties have good reasons.

What is unfortunate that our current education system is rather lacking in insisting on good English skills, hence general standards are being diluted. You can excuse people with genuine problems - but I do not count idleness as a valid excuse.

One of life's real pleasures is the sense of achievement you get when you do something properly - be it art, cooking, dancing, football or whatever takes your fancy. Good communications are important and proper English skills are a vital component - which when mastered - provide you with an excellent platform upon which to build your career, hobbies or relationships.

I couldn't agree more B)

[AlanHo]

Also, "gotten" isn't wrong, it's American English, correct in the USA and Canada.

I said "gotten" was a pet hate of mine - not wrong - I realise it is in common usage the other side of the pond. I am of the old school and am unhappy about the way the English language is being infected with Americanisms like omitting the letter "u" from certain words and substituting a "z" for an "s".

Having said that there are some changes that we should perhaps adopt - like trunk and boot on a car instead of bonnet and boot. Like the way multi storey building floors are numbered - 1st, 2nd, 3rd instead of our ground, 1st, 2nd for a 3 storey building.

Some of the differences in language that spring to mind (but I am certainly not advocating we adopt them) are :-

garden = yard

petrol = gas

grilled = broiled

rounders = baseball

football = soccer

chips = french fries

crisps = potato chips

biscuit = cookie or cracker

scone = biscuit

tart = hooker

vest = undershirt

waistcoat = vest

knickers = underpants

lorry = truck

fag = cigarette

beefburger = hamburger

police = cops

criminal = perp

shop = store

post = mail

chemist = drugstore

tap = faucet

autumn = fall

film = movie

lavatory = bathroom

wardrobe = closet

and so on. There must be many more - I will leave it to others to list them.

[andsome]

Don't forget some people are dyslexic and can't spell or make sense of grammar, through no fault of their own. Even some professional authors are spelling-blind. I know one who's written over 20 books but can't spell for toffees (or is it "four tofeees"?). Automatic spellcheckers can't cope with his spelling and everything he writes has to be checked by someone else. But his books sell because he's got a vivid imagination.

I think we all recognise that some people with spelling and grammar difficulties have good reasons.

What is unfortunate that our current education system is rather lacking in insisting on good English skills, hence general standards are being diluted. You can excuse people with genuine problems - but I do not count idleness as a valid excuse.

One of life's real pleasures is the sense of achievement you get when you do something properly - be it art, cooking, dancing, football or whatever takes your fancy. Good communications are important and proper English skills are a vital component - which when mastered - provide you with an excellent platform upon which to build your career, hobbies or relationships.

I couldn't agree more B)

We appear lately to get far too many postings that start off in completely the wrong way. Such as OK, the deal is...... Their is also the unfortunate tendency to include the word like in completely inappropriate places. We can all slip up occasionally despite spell checkers, but on far too frequent an occasion the small i instead of I is used and is particularly bad. This unfortunately will not show up in a spell checker.

In another thread on this forum, the start of a sentence is as follows is it possible to, no capitalisation at the start of the sentence. The next sentence in the same thread starts off ill show what i mean, None of these will show up in a spell checker, but a little more care is needed.

[rong]

Small I does, although the red is very small.

[AlanHo]

We appear lately to get far too many postings that start off in completely the wrong way. Such as OK, the deal is...... Their is also the unfortunate tendency to include the word like in completely inappropriate places. We can all slip up occasionally despite spell checkers, but on far too frequent an occasion the small i instead of I is used and is particularly bad. This unfortunately will not show up in a spell checker.

............................ but a little more care is needed.

Their ---there

One of my pet hates - gotcha.... :lol:

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

"Its obvious" (It's or it is)

I especially hate it the other way around "A mother cat and it's kittens"; I see it every day in this very forum, and I cannot understand how a native English speaker can write such a nonsense. Or do we really have that many dyslexics here...?

[andsome]

I dislike text speak in the forum. Thnx and other such nonsense words. This may be perfectly acceptable when texting from a mobile phone, as such an operation can be very time consuming, but not when using a keyboard. :D

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Young Japanese (especially girls) have developed their own style of text messaging abbreviations. When in a crowded public transport vehicle, they don't want anyone watching from behind understanding their messages. The frightening part is that they now also start speaking that way

[Dencandy]

Consult WordSpy (here) for the meaning of new words. Is there a Japanese version, Pat Willener?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Not on the Internet, to my knowledge. There is a book published annually with new words, but the schoolgirl jargon is kept secret, so that parents and teachers cannot eavesdrop on their conversations.