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I'm not an English major either but you and I are in agreement on this.
I see this at work too. People who have college degrees who make statements like "already have a digital camera". it's sad.
what did they learn in college? the language? which language?
who knows?
typo's are one thing. this counterfeit communication perpatrated by today's media, "gansta rap" or whatever has got to go. there has to be one place left in the world where the language matters.
Amen to your frustration.
I see this at work too. People who have college degrees who make statements like "already have a digital camera". it's sad.
what did they learn in college? the language? which language?
who knows?
typo's are one thing. this counterfeit communication perpatrated by today's media, "gansta rap" or whatever has got to go. there has to be one place left in the world where the language matters.
Amen to your frustration.
D
dale
Guest
I'm just reporting what i see and hear on TV and the net.
U
Ulysses
Guest
John -
A few hundred years ago in England, there were probably fewer rules to go on when it came to grammar. Examining some of the literature of the period reveals a lot of variation between different locales and stations in life.
I'm surprised that you aren't even more bothered by the mistakes in spelling, which tend to be far more glaring from post to post (surprisingly, in this entire thread as well) than any problems with verb tenses where even the "rules" allow for more leniency.
A few hundred years ago in England, there were probably fewer rules to go on when it came to grammar. Examining some of the literature of the period reveals a lot of variation between different locales and stations in life.
I'm surprised that you aren't even more bothered by the mistakes in spelling, which tend to be far more glaring from post to post (surprisingly, in this entire thread as well) than any problems with verb tenses where even the "rules" allow for more leniency.
I will take your work for it, however when you have to cite sports
announcers as an authority on language usage you are on shaky ground.
D
Don Lashier
Guest
Don't take offense Phil. This thread is just a nice relief from the "blues". Basically I like the plural usage (as you may have noted from my posts). I've always hated the inconsistencies of the English language rules and admired the much higher level of consistency in purer languages such as the romance languages.
But I'd like to hear (from you or someone else) if the plural usage is typical in England, or British heritage countries, like someone else suggested.
Keep up the good work
Don
But I'd like to hear (from you or someone else) if the plural usage is typical in England, or British heritage countries, like someone else suggested.
Keep up the good work
Don
D
Don Lashier
Guest
Wot! I'm a purfect speler, bot sumtims my brane dosn't cumonicate wit my figers veri wel.
Don
A
Amy
Guest
Oh God!
I love you guys more than my husband!
I love you Phil, giving us a place to go wild other than our interest of digital photogragphy.
Hey, pardon me if I made grammatical mistakes!!!!!!
Amy
I love you guys more than my husband!
I love you Phil, giving us a place to go wild other than our interest of digital photogragphy.
Hey, pardon me if I made grammatical mistakes!!!!!!
Amy
But I'd like to hear (from you or someone else) if the plural usage is
typical in England, or British heritage countries, like someone else
suggested.
Keep up the good work
Don
Robert11970
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If the forums program had the capabilities of a word processor, many of the errors would cease to apperar. However, those capabilities are not available to forum users. I'm certain word processing capabilities could be incorporated into the forum pages. The result would be extended screen loading times. Most individuals seeking to discuss issues that forums provide would quickly go elsewhere if loading times increased.
Publishing firms have editing departments whose task is to catch gramatical inacuracies and mispelling. Is that how you spell gramatical? I will not get my hard copy dictionary. I believe the phonetic version is sufficient to convey my point. Professional organizations need to edit their published work. If they do not, business will suffer.
The English language is complicated. This language is spoken in every country of the world. Many countries consider "English" as their native language. Many of the countries that consider this language as their native tongue speak a form of "English" very different from formal United Kindom English. English is spoken in different colloquial forms throughout the world. I for example, am a descendent of Canadians of the Manitoba Province. While growing up I learned to greet others by saying "Yeah". I never felt comfortable with the proper and more universeally acceptable word "hello". I learned after many years, the reason behind my unorthodox greeting. I came to learn, that the workers from who I am descended worked on the docks at the Great Lakes Canals. Screaming the word "Yeah" carried further then "hello". As time went by, the word "Yeah" became the standard form of greeting for Canadians living in the Red River Valley area of Manitoba. Many times, I need to explain my greeting to people who find it offensive. It's part of my heritage. It is not formal English. I will, use the word hello (with some discomfort) in situations that demand formal English.
In addition, many of the words contained in the English language have their origins in the French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew etc., etc. languages. Proper sentence structure also has been modified from the rules taught to those who have studied formal English.
Entire communities within the San Francisco Bay Area where I reside, have modified versions of the English language. I would almost certainly need a translator if I traveled into East Oakland. My form of English is, for the majority of East Oakland residents, unacceptable. It would mark me as an outsider. I would be viewed with suspicion!
The preceeding paragraphs contain errors. Spelling, sentence structure, punctuation errors are present in those paragraphs. The situation does not call for formal spelling and sentence structure. It is a forum.
Publishing firms have editing departments whose task is to catch gramatical inacuracies and mispelling. Is that how you spell gramatical? I will not get my hard copy dictionary. I believe the phonetic version is sufficient to convey my point. Professional organizations need to edit their published work. If they do not, business will suffer.
The English language is complicated. This language is spoken in every country of the world. Many countries consider "English" as their native language. Many of the countries that consider this language as their native tongue speak a form of "English" very different from formal United Kindom English. English is spoken in different colloquial forms throughout the world. I for example, am a descendent of Canadians of the Manitoba Province. While growing up I learned to greet others by saying "Yeah". I never felt comfortable with the proper and more universeally acceptable word "hello". I learned after many years, the reason behind my unorthodox greeting. I came to learn, that the workers from who I am descended worked on the docks at the Great Lakes Canals. Screaming the word "Yeah" carried further then "hello". As time went by, the word "Yeah" became the standard form of greeting for Canadians living in the Red River Valley area of Manitoba. Many times, I need to explain my greeting to people who find it offensive. It's part of my heritage. It is not formal English. I will, use the word hello (with some discomfort) in situations that demand formal English.
In addition, many of the words contained in the English language have their origins in the French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew etc., etc. languages. Proper sentence structure also has been modified from the rules taught to those who have studied formal English.
Entire communities within the San Francisco Bay Area where I reside, have modified versions of the English language. I would almost certainly need a translator if I traveled into East Oakland. My form of English is, for the majority of East Oakland residents, unacceptable. It would mark me as an outsider. I would be viewed with suspicion!
The preceeding paragraphs contain errors. Spelling, sentence structure, punctuation errors are present in those paragraphs. The situation does not call for formal spelling and sentence structure. It is a forum.
J
John Burns
Guest
All very interesting but what does it have to do with mixing up singular and plural? I doubt proper usage would increase loading time. I don't want to get into a long debate on this. Phonetic spelling does get the point across, improper grammar often does not. It has nothing to do with the capabilities of the word processor but with the capability of the writer.
John
John
J
John Burns
Guest
J
John Burns
Guest
I've been thinking about this since I read it yesterday. I don't think it is typical in England. Remember Winston Churchill's quote, "If the British Empire should last for a thousand years, let them say this IS its finest hour". Not ..let them say this ARE its finest hour.
John
John
But I'd like to hear (from you or someone else) if the plural usage is
typical in England, or British heritage countries, like someone else
suggested.
Keep up the good work
Don
J
John Burns
Guest
I already have. But you don't.
John
John
But I'd like to hear (from you or someone else) if the plural usage is
typical in England, or British heritage countries, like someone else
suggested.
Keep up the good work
Don
J
John Burns
Guest
I would say I am not as bothered by spelling because I am a terrible speller. More then that though most mispellings are still readable phonetically. The meaning of the sentance is not affected.
John
More then that though most mispellings are still readable phonetically. The meaning of the sentance is not affected.John
A few hundred years ago in England, there were probably fewer rules to go
on when it came to grammar. Examining some of the literature of the
period reveals a lot of variation between different locales and stations
in life.
I'm surprised that you aren't even more bothered by the mistakes in
spelling, which tend to be far more glaring from post to post
(surprisingly, in this entire thread as well) than any problems with verb
tenses where even the "rules" allow for more leniency.
I will take your work for it, however when you have to cite sports
announcers as an authority on language usage you are on shaky ground.
J
John Burns
Guest
D
Don Lashier
Guest
From http://www.eeicom.com/eye/family.html
Are your family well?
When was the last time you heard anybody other than the English use the latter construction? (The English, of course, believe every noun from government to Rolls-Royce takes a plural verb.)
So Phil's usage is perfectly fine according to the King's English, and we can excuse his occasional lapses to the singular due to the corrupting influence of associating with Americans and their degenerate grammar forms
"Usage in the broad sense is always the determinant of correctness" - Dwight Bolinger, Usage and Acceptability in Language
Don
Are your family well?
When was the last time you heard anybody other than the English use the latter construction? (The English, of course, believe every noun from government to Rolls-Royce takes a plural verb.)
So Phil's usage is perfectly fine according to the King's English, and we can excuse his occasional lapses to the singular due to the corrupting influence of associating with Americans and their degenerate grammar forms
"Usage in the broad sense is always the determinant of correctness" - Dwight Bolinger, Usage and Acceptability in Language
Don
P
Phil Askey
Guest
It is, and I am... Often we'd say "Microsoft have produced a new version of their browser" in normal conversation, on written page etc...
For anyone who'd like to compare my use of english to that of other english people I'd refer you to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
A -much- better publication than c-n-n.
P
Phil Askey
Guest
Erm, and when have I ever said "this are" ?I've been thinking about this since I read it yesterday. I don't think
it is typical in England. Remember Winston Churchill's quote, "If the
British Empire should last for a thousand years, let them say this IS its
finest hour". Not ..let them say this ARE its finest hour.
Duh.
"The British have a better way of saying it"
U
Ulysses
Guest
God greef, gies!! Cant' we just muve allong? =)
M
misha
Guest
John,We is not trashing you Phil. I has given that up.
John
Your laboring this point is getting a bit obnoxious - it's OK to note your disagreement with the observed tendency, but you don't have to point a finger at specific persons, complaining that the person who has brought you this website cannot write correct English.
And by the way, the correct spellings are "grammar", not "grammer", and "visible", not "visable" (from your previous posts)
Michael
(not a native English speaker)
D
Don Lashier
Guest
Totally bogus example because the noun in the phrase is "this" (referring to "hour") and not "British Empire".I've been thinking about this since I read it yesterday. I don't think
it is typical in England. Remember Winston Churchill's quote, "If the
British Empire should last for a thousand years, let them say this IS its
finest hour". Not ..let them say this ARE its finest hour.
Don
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