Plural Words

[imajrk]

This is not meant as a criticism to anyone on this site. Please know that before I start!! Please, please Threetowners don't let us lose our command of the written word regarding plurals. Everywhere I look here in Canada: cafe signs, stores, adverts in papers - apostrophes are appearing where there should be none. Examples we were taught at school: one cat/two cats one dog /two dogs the dog's bone now that is where the apostrophe is correct, meaning the bone belonging to the dog. How do these things start? It is more difficult to include an apostrophe than not. I work for a school board and I see this in memos and letters going out to the public. How are the kids expected to learn if those at the top don't know? Sorry, but grammar is one of my pet peeves and much as I still have a broad Ayrshire accent and not polite-spoken, I hate to see these grammatical errors taking over. OR, is this how language changes? Most of the people I come in contact with use "I seen" rather th "I saw"; "I did" has now become "I done". I could go on and on but I won't. Please pardon any errors I have made in my tirade. As I said, I do not mean any offence to anyone. Thanks for letting me vent.

[morag]

It is not just misplaced punctuation. I cringe at several terms such as 'That was so fun!' or 'that was funner' to name but two, unfortunately, they have a way of creeping into general use.
There are some rather funny books out about just these sort of things.


http://www.lynnetruss.com/index.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Meg]

You have no idea how much I have wanted to say what you've just said, but felt I would have got shot down in flames, so together with Morag, let me applaud your stand. I have seen so many plurals (including at the home page of our website - not the forum but the entry web page where we have expat's and photo's) where an apostrophe is added for absolutely no reason - best one was lorry's turning - the plural of lorry is lorries - SIMPLES!

Apostrophes can also be used to replace missing letters - you've - the apostrophe is replacing ha in you have, wasn't replacing the o in was not. It is so simple, but apostrophe-itis seems to have struck all over the world.

As for grammar correction, I remember Mrs Bush embarrasing someone in my class (and not me for a change) when asked where his homework was, he said he done it - and she said "oh you done done you?"

We still teach grammar at school - so don't know where this has come from, but it brings out the red pen in me.

Rant not over, nor will it ever be whilst our poor apostrophe is being abused.

Meg

[David Young]

Other uses of the english language which infuriate me is when some one get knocked over and the falls on the floor when they mean the ground. A floor is usualy inside with a roof somewhere above it.
Also when saying 'it's up to you 'refers to something you might do in the future and when saying 'it's down to you' means something that you did in the past.
What ever is happening to the english language
David Young.

[georgersweir]

Being a mild mannered and gentle soul ( ), there are only a few aspects of language use that annoy me (in addition to those already listed). Since it would take too long (or too many posts) to cover them all, let me add a couple that occur often.

1. Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of other words, e.g., NATO. To qualify as an acronym, rather than simply an abbreviation, the initial letters must produce a word that can be spoken (as a word) in its own right. People often talk about 'three letter acronyms' or 'TLAs'. In fact, there are few three letter acronyms but many three letter abbreviations. In particular, TLA is an abbreviation and is not a three letter acronym. Similarly, BBC is an abbreviation (or an 'initialism') but definitely not an acronym.

(If you are still reading...)

2. Refute
There is a common error in confusing the word 'refute' with the word 'rebut'. Politicians are often heard on TV saying that they refute some accusation against them. In fact, without providing any conclusive argument against the accusation, they offer no refutation, at best, they offer only a rebuttal. To rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong.

That's my tuppence-worth for now...

[Wildfowler Lounge]

but it brings out the red pen in me.

If you do it during class time you'll probably be disciplined as the husband of a friend was down in England. Apparently red ink has negative psychological consequences for deveoping children.

A few years ago a pupil from the senior end of the school presented me with an essay that resembled an A4 text message.

We should start an 'Apostrophe Watch' group and denounce offenders on the net.

[imajrk]

I am so relieved nobody took offence, and happy that some of you agreed with me and took the time to reply. On the subject of being embarrassed about poor grammar, I once asked my English teacher (Mr. Hinshelwood) if I could borrow a book and when asked why, I answered "I went and forgot mine". To which he replied "and where did you go, Jean?!!

[John Donnelly]

Hooray and halleluya. I've been wanting to say all these things ever since I joined the forum.

Miss Kelly at St. John's always used to respond to poor grammar by saying, 'good grammar teached here, gooder up the stairs.' (Her classrom was on the first floor). She would have had kittens if she had to read what is written and passes for English today.

A happier JD.

[Meg]

and where did you go, Jean?!!

Well Jean, it looks like you went and did something a lot of others agree with!

(like JD, a happier) Meg

[Penny Tray]

Hold on a minute though, before you all go patting yourselves on the back. Or is it backs? Certainly not back's, I'm sure about this (or should it be 'that'). I'm certainly more certain about this than I am about there not being an apostrophe in photo's to indicate the missing letters 'graph' in the same way as the apostrophe in I've indicates the missing letters 'ha'. And why should it not be expat's with the apostrophe indicating the missing letters 'riate'? Is there a rule which limits the number of letters an apostrophe can represent? And wait a minute too, there I've done it again - begun a sentence with a conjunction. How naughty.

Now, let me be serious. Let's not get hung up on this. As a relative newcomer to THREETOWNERS (I only joined on the 8th of January this year), I nearly turned away because when feeling my way with early posts people would say - THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE. So what? There are always different ways of saying the same thing and different angles from which to approach a subject. New members can't be expected to trawl all previous submissions before contributing themselves. The next thing that annoyed me was being told I WAS SHOUTING when I used block capitals. I have typing qualifications from the Royal Society of Art but apparently website rules supersede typing etiquette? Aye right! And now my grammer is going to come under scrutiny too. Next we'll be telt no' tae use slang. It's THREETOWNERS for goodness sake, not Balliol College, Oxford.

Not everyone has had the privilige of an Ardrossan Academy, St. Michael's or University education but let's not become aloof and inhibit anyone from posting on this site. We need to encourage 'lurkers' to come online not place obstacles in their way.

That's my moan. I REST MY C'SE.

[georgersweir]

... but let's not become aloof and inhibit anyone from posting on this site...

Yes, that's precisely why this 'discussion' is taking place in a specific topic and why any post that has any conceivably dubious grammer or spelling is still, for that, perfectly acceptable and desirable as a contribution. And, of course, let's not obstruct anyone with an opinion from expressing it - even if its an opinion about the proper use of grammar/spelling/demerara sugar, brillo pads, or whatever

[Meg]

And wait a minute too, there I've done it again - begun a sentence with a conjunction. How naughty.

Actually PT - it is not naughty to begin a sentence with a conjunction - in fact it is perfectly acceptable.

I nearly turned away because when feeling my way with early posts people would say - THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE.

If I remember correctly it was me (as gently as I could) told you a subject had been discussed before - because after posting you came back very quickly urging people to respond - I told you we had already spent some time on this subject and maybe you should have a trawl through to see what we had discussed. Sorry if it almost put you off.

The next thing that annoyed me was being told I WAS SHOUTING when I used block capitals. I have typing qualifications from the Royal Society of Art but apparently website rules supersede typing etiquette?

I, too, have RSA shorthand/typing, but I also had to learn Netiquette - and the nuances of non verbal communication. Its called keeping up with the times

Not everyone has had the privilige of an Ardrossan Academy, St. Michael's or University education but let's not become aloof and inhibit anyone from posting on this site. We need to encourage 'lurkers' to come online not place obstacles in their way. That's my moan. I REST MY C'SE.

... and I hope everyone will be allowed to have their say - this wasn't directed at anyone in particular and it wasn't proposed that this should apply to any future posts on the forum.

Meg