English (the language)
declan1
Posts: 2,470
Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
Road - Dolan Preffisio
MTB - On-One Inbred
I have no idea what's going on here.
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Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
Joking apart, it does bug me the way the apostrophe is gaining traction as a way of indicating plural. It is always wrong, and it always requires more typing than not putting it in, so it can't even be excused on the grounds of laziness.
I guess the more people see it, the more they will imagine that it's right.
It's the same process, I think, as the way some years ago, people started to believe that "between you and I" was correct (which is isn't), since they had a hazy memory, probably from school, that "It is me" is incorrect (which it is). So instead of using "me" correctly, they started using "I" incorrectly, and now it's very common.
Analogously, they see a word like "difficulty", realise correctly that "difficultys" looks wrong as the plural, fail to realise that "difficulties" is the plural, and so bodge it as "difficulty's". And then the sheep start assuming, unconsciously probably, that because it's all over the place, bikes have two wheel's.
I shall stop here, I'm starting to froth a little.Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
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I think correct grammar is important as meaning depends on it.
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.
"Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"Well, I'm a panda," he says. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."0 -
ChrisAOnABike wrote:
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
And would that be the one where I was taking the proverbial over the use of there, their and they're
"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
I really could do with less people who get het up about english usage. It literally makes my blood boil.0
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Oh, at last. A 'yoof' who is pedantic about the correct use of the glorious English language. The language that conquered the World and is still the foundation of most of the civilised World.0
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arran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
English is my second language and although I think I use there, there is and theirs properly I know I make many other mistakes.
I always see people confusing there's for theirs and your for you're but I don't feel comfortable correcting anybody......
Improving knowledge on anything should always be welcomed.0 -
Have you noticed when you're laid up injured and your boredom threshold has gone through the roof, that there's much more to be pedantic about?GiantMike wrote:Oh, at last. A 'yoof' who is pedantic about the correct use of the glorious English language. The language that conquered the World and is still the foundation of most of the civilised World. Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי0 -
Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
Road - Dolan Preffisio
MTB - On-One Inbred
I have no idea what's going on here.0 -
ChrisAOnABike wrote:...
I guess the more people see it, the more it will become right.
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FTFY0 -
seanoconn wrote:
Pedant. I'm currently trawling through your post history, searching for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It's only a matter of time Declan....declan1 wrote:Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
I think we got the little intellectual seanoconn....declan1 wrote:Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
:shock:"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
Exactly... Language changes over time. Having discussions about grammar and punctuation is rather like trying to preserve the countryside the way it is.
Three dots cover over a multitude of sins!0 -
It would be nice if Americans and English could agree to use the exact same language, eg. color, tire, etc......0
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bernithebiker wrote:It would be nice if Americans and English could agree to use the exact same language, eg. color, tire, etc......
Its the queens english innit, so wat we sayz is right
Feckin ignorant yanks "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
Language does change over time, sure. When it comes up with new words (eg 'internet'), or new uses of old words (eg 'gay'), that's fine, and inevitable as culture changes.Mikey23 wrote:Exactly... Language changes over time. Having discussions about grammar and punctuation is rather like trying to preserve the countryside the way it is.
However, you're missing the point if you think that all discussion of grammar is just pointless pedantry.
If they're, their, and there are all used interchangeably, you are forced to work out the meaning from the context, and whether you notice it or not, this takes longer.
And if the only way you can tell the meaning from the context, it is inevitable that there will be ambiguity.
Changes in language that increase its richness are fine. Changes in language that make it less meaningful, more confusing, more difficult and slower to read, are not fine. Especially if one person is writing something to be read by many others. Writing carelessly and with no regard for making what is written easier for the readers to read is simply bad manners.Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
No.arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
And would that be the one where I was taking the proverbial over the use of there, their and they're
'... to occupy one's time' is correct.Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
ChrisAOnABike wrote:
No.arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
And would that be the one where I was taking the proverbial over the use of there, their and they're
'... to occupy one's time' is correct.
Ah, well there are two then aren't there!"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
I thought "hats off to..." was the conventional way of using that phrase, rather than "hat's off to".arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
No.arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
And would that be the one where I was taking the proverbial over the use of there, their and they're
'... to occupy one's time' is correct.
Ah, well there are two then aren't there! But that's the only other arguably correct apostrophe that I can see in the bit I quoted Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
Punctuation is probably far more important than correct spelling and it can really alter context. When I was in school we went to a day of a murder trial as part of our history course. I think we were expecting exciting, heated arguments like we had seen on TV so were quite disappointed that the first half an hour was a debate between the prosecution and defence over the position of a comma in the previous days notes. However, it could have potentially given a completely different meaning to a sentence.0
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ChrisAOnABike wrote:
I thought "hats off to..." was the conventional way of using that phrase, rather than "hat's off to".arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
No.arran77 wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:
FAIL: there is one correct use of the apostrophe in the abovearran77 wrote:Their their old chap, dont worry about it, they're are more important things to occupy one's time, hat's off to you though for trying to educate us ignoramus's as to grammatically incorrect sentence's :P
And would that be the one where I was taking the proverbial over the use of there, their and they're
'... to occupy one's time' is correct.
Ah, well there are two then aren't there! But that's the only other arguably correct apostrophe that I can see in the bit I quoted
I don't know about hats or hat's but there are two aren't there as highlighted?
I know that they're is the wrong spelling of the word, it should be 'there', but the apostrophe is placed correctly "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
arran77 wrote:seanoconn wrote:
Pedant. I'm currently trawling through your post history, searching for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It's only a matter of time Declan....declan1 wrote:Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
I think we got the little intellectual seanoconn....declan1 wrote:Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
:shock:
I see you didn't understand the deliberate mistake
Road - Dolan Preffisio
MTB - On-One Inbred
I have no idea what's going on here.0 -
declan1 wrote:arran77 wrote:seanoconn wrote:
Pedant. I'm currently trawling through your post history, searching for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It's only a matter of time Declan....declan1 wrote:Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
I think we got the little intellectual seanoconn....declan1 wrote:Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
:shock:
I see you didn't understand the deliberate mistake
You can't wriggle out of it now, you fecked up :P"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
arran77 wrote:declan1 wrote:arran77 wrote:seanoconn wrote:
Pedant. I'm currently trawling through your post history, searching for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It's only a matter of time Declan....declan1 wrote:Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
I think we got the little intellectual seanoconn....declan1 wrote:Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
:shock:
I see you didn't understand the deliberate mistake
You can't wriggle out of it now, you fecked up :P
Ah, so now your picking fault in my English skillz? :P
Road - Dolan Preffisio
MTB - On-One Inbred
I have no idea what's going on here.0 -
declan1 wrote:arran77 wrote:declan1 wrote:arran77 wrote:seanoconn wrote:
Pedant. I'm currently trawling through your post history, searching for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It's only a matter of time Declan....declan1 wrote:Here are a few things a lot of people should read:
I think we got the little intellectual seanoconn....declan1 wrote:Good luck Sean - I'm sure you'll find something with which to shoot me down! :P
I agree with you're post Chris!
People who speak English as their first language are, more often than not, worse than people who speak it as a second language!
:shock:
I see you didn't understand the deliberate mistake
You can't wriggle out of it now, you fecked up :P
Ah, so now your picking fault in my English skillz? :P
Now that's more what I expect from a 'yoof' "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
ChrisAOnABike wrote:I thought "hats off to..." was the conventional way of using that phrase, rather than "hat's off to". But that's the only other arguably correct apostrophe that I can see in the bit I quoted
I think it depends on of what 'hats off to...' is a contraction. If 'Take your hats off to...' it's a plural and doesn't take an apostrophe. If 'My hat is off to...' then it's replacing a letter and does!
You need to be more explict: I'm really struggling to understand the precise meaning of your sentence given all the ambiguity you've introduced with your woeful grasp of punctuation. Are you exorting us all to remove our hats or is it just you?0 -
rhext wrote:ChrisAOnABike wrote:I thought "hats off to..." was the conventional way of using that phrase, rather than "hat's off to". But that's the only other arguably correct apostrophe that I can see in the bit I quoted
I think it depends on of what 'hats off to...' is a contraction. If 'Take your hats off to...' it's a plural and doesn't take an apostrophe. If 'My hat is off to...' then it's replacing a letter and does!
You need to be more explict: I'm really struggling to understand the precise meaning of your sentence given all the ambiguity you've introduced with your woeful grasp of punctuation. Are you exorting us all to remove our hats or is it just you?
My 'woeful grasp of punctuation' was entirely deliberate (just like yours declan1 ).
:roll:"Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0
