The grammar and spelling thread

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#2795096 14-Oct-2021 12:19

geekIT:

Fred99:

Heh...

Apart from 'Mondy' (Maundy?), I'm wondering what the poster's author intended.

Did he\she mean that teachers should strike? TEACHERS, STRIKE. (! implied)

Or that there's to be a meeting about the intention of teachers to strike? In which case, IMHO, it should read TEACHERS' STRIKE.

Or could it be an indication that teachers (in general) have no intention of promoting them new-fangled possessive apostrophes?

Too vague, must try harder.

But the artwork is pretty, so they earn a 'C'.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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MadEngineer

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#2795418 14-Oct-2021 17:21

Surely a C+ for not using Comic Sans?

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

andrew027

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#2825011 6-Dec-2021 12:58

Although I consider myself a Grammar National Socialist (I guess I'll find out soon enough whether that's within the FUG?) I am a terrible typist, so I'm happy to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to things like missing apostrophes. Of course, adding an apostrophe where it shouldn't be is a whole other matter. I also acknowledge that English is constantly evolving, whether I like it or not. Expecting words and their usage to be fixed as it was at the time I left high school is "a whole nother matter".

I do think that businesses should be held to a higher standard though. I'll be put off a company if their web site is full of spelling and/or grammatical errors. After all, that is one common way to identify phishing email. I also get twitchy when I see things like the sign in Farmers (who used to be the Farmers' Trading Company but dropped the apostrophe along with the last two words from their name) showing where the "Girl's Clothing" is. All those clothes and just one girl.

My two pet hates are:

Should of instead of should have, etc. (already mentioned), and
Confusion between the simple past tense and the past participle, e.g.:
- "They said the bar was closing so I drunk my beer and left", instead of "...I drank my beer...", or
- "John didn't answer so I rung Jane instead*", instead of "...I rang Jane...", etc.

* Of course, in this case I rang Jane as well. I still rang John, even though he didn't answer.

Rikkitic

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#2825028 6-Dec-2021 13:28

andrew027:

My two pet hates are:

Should of instead of should have, etc. (already mentioned), and
Confusion between the simple past tense and the past participle, e.g.:
- "They said the bar was closing so I drunk my beer and left", instead of "...I drank my beer...", or
- "John didn't answer so I rung Jane instead*", instead of "...I rang Jane...", etc.

* Of course, in this case I rang Jane as well. I still rang John, even though he didn't answer.

These are advanced complaints for sophisticated language abusers. I would already be happy if people could just learn the difference between 'there', 'their' and 'they're'.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

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#2825031 6-Dec-2021 13:34

In a world with Covid 19, climate change, housing crisis, nuclear idiots the odd spelling or grammar mistakes is nothing.

networkn

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#2825035 6-Dec-2021 13:37

MikeB4: In a world with Covid 19, climate change, housing crisis, nuclear idiots the odd spelling or grammar mistakes is nothing.

Well, if these are the only topics we can discuss because they meet a threshold designated as serious enough, we may as well close the forums altogether.

MikeB4

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#2825037 6-Dec-2021 13:42

networkn:
MikeB4: In a world with Covid 19, climate change, housing crisis, nuclear idiots the odd spelling or grammar mistakes is nothing.

Well, if these are the only topics we can discuss because they meet a threshold designated as serious enough, we may as well close the forums altogether.

How in the name of aunt Mary's daisies did you get that from my post?

eracode

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#2825085 6-Dec-2021 14:53

andrew027:

Of course, adding an apostrophe where it shouldn't be is a whole other matter.

I’m just waiting for a thread on NZ music wherein someone says “I really like Fly My Pritty’s“.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

FineWine

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#2825103 6-Dec-2021 15:36

Rikkitic:

These are advanced complaints for sophisticated language abusers. I would already be happy if people could just learn the difference between 'there', 'their' and 'they're'.

Another one is; is your instead of you're. Anyway I blame spell checkers for a lot these errors in grammar. Even the big publishing houses do not edit check these days, they rely on the writer's family and friends.

EDITED: thanks to RunningMan #2825151

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

chevrolux

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#2825112 6-Dec-2021 15:50

One that's got me lately is the use of 'amount' as opposed to 'number'.

Like, 'the amount of people out on the weekend was great'. No!! You can't have an 'amount of people', but you can have a 'number of people'.

RunningMan

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#2825151 6-Dec-2021 17:45

FineWine:

[snip] they rely on the writers family and friends.

Even better with a comma or an apostrophe.

they rely on the writers, family and friends.

they rely on the writer's family and friends.

andrew027

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#2825285 6-Dec-2021 20:50

RunningMan:

FineWine:

[snip] they rely on the writers family and friends.

Even better with a comma or an apostrophe.

they rely on the writers, family and friends.

they rely on the writer's family and friends.

That reminds me of this classic...

RunningMan

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#2825298 6-Dec-2021 21:20

The dog looks happy, obviously doesn't know what's coming!

eracode

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#2825487 7-Dec-2021 07:49

chevrolux:

One that's got me lately is the use of 'amount' as opposed to 'number'.

Like, 'the amount of people out on the weekend was great'. No!! You can't have an 'amount of people', but you can have a 'number of people'.

Right! I have wondered whether I’m the only one who gets jarred by this.

Another one is the incorrect (IMO) use of the word ‘either’, as in “There are policemen at either end of the bridge” - when the person clearly means “at each end”. ‘Either’ means one thing or another, not one thing and another.

Also, the use of ‘floor’ as in “The halfback is injured and is down on the floor”. Playing field grass is ‘the ground' - a floor is inside a building. This may be a cultural thing because it seems most common in the UK.

Pedantic, I know.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

geekIT

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#2825490 7-Dec-2021 08:00

RunningMan:The dog looks happy, obviously doesn't know what's coming!

Rachael's just fed him.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

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