Grammar Thread

[n0Mad]

Honestly, if the grammar in the title of the thread is awful, I usually won't even bother to read it, and if I do, I won't comment, just out of annoyance and protest. A few grammar and spelling errors can be overlooked in the body of the post, but for pete's sake at least make an effort to make the title readable.

Another one of my pet peeves is if I can't tell what the topic is going to be about from reading the title, I won't read it. And example would be:

Title - "Do people"

Subtitle - "have ..."

Have what? What is this topic about? I'm not going to waste my time trying to find out. Skip to the next.

[Rev.Reverence]

Another one of my pet peeves is if I can't tell what the topic is going to be about from reading the title, I won't read it. And example would be:

Title - "Do people"

Subtitle - "have ..."

Have what? What is this topic about? I'm not going to waste my time trying to find out. Skip to the next.

...I did that kinda', once...but it was a Leno quote..."have you seen this? heard about this here?"

Yeah...my pet peve is the kiddz now-a-days...they use the "anti-grammar"...even ignoring all the "counter-culture-conventions"...like Topi-speak:

E knew these aren't thee easyness, tho E L-ov-E THEE SPEAK, as IT reflects L-if-E.

[pomba gira]

.

Yeah...my pet peve is the kiddz now-a-days...they use the "anti-grammar"...even ignoring all the "counter-culture-conventions"...like Topi-speak:

E knew these aren't thee easyness, tho E L-ov-E THEE SPEAK, as IT reflects L-if-E.

Gawd, TOPY... haven't thought of that in years... Kali 108 in da haauugghh!

seriously tho... language is an interest of mine and I am fascinated by the way new technologies have sped up the evolution of English. We tend to forget that language is a dynamic, ever-changing thing... what was "correct" grammar even 100 years ago often is not in the present day.

But you should STILL know how to follow accepted conventions of writing.

And yes I loves me my ellipses! They reflect the way my thoughts move from one to the next so dammit I will keep on using 'em!

[hunhee]

*hides from this thread*

[jynxxxedangel]

Please, PLEASE, lay off the "text shorthand"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I see "u" used in place of "you," or "wat" rather than "what" one more time this week, I'm going to come unglued.

Is it really that difficult to spell out a fucking word?!

[Rev.Reverence]

Gawd, TOPY... haven't thought of that in years... Kali 108 in da haauugghh!

seriously tho... language is an interest of mine and I am fascinated by the way new technologies have sped up the evolution of English. We tend to forget that language is a dynamic, ever-changing thing... what was "correct" grammar even 100 years ago often is not in the present day.

But you should STILL know how to follow accepted conventions of writing.

And yes I loves me my ellipses! They reflect the way my thoughts move from one to the next so dammit I will keep on using 'em!

Ah..the Wisdom of non-Absolute thought!

[StormKnight (1)]

The only way I will use shorthanded spelling is when I am taking notes from myself on paper. Everything else gets full spelling or acronyms with its meaning earlier in a text or thread.

Example: I want to take a few notes from Illuminati University's Department of Dirty Tricks (DDT.)

OR

There are times where I wish I had a Master's Revenge from the Illuminati University's College of Obscure and Unhealthy Professions, or COUP, to execute a proper vengeance.

*starts to hear patriotic martial music in the background*

Edited April 10, 2009 by StormKnight

[pomba gira]

Another unfortunately ubiquitous one that annoys me: "May I help who's next?" Grrr....

[TygerLili]

Another unfortunately ubiquitous one that annoys me: "May I help who's next?" Grrr....

I'm probably guilty of that. I've noticed that my grammar tends to go out the window when I am at work. I'll slip into saying "Can I help you?" and "I'm good" and many other phrases that I would never use in written language or when speaking properly.

It's easy to do when the people around you don't know any better, and when quick service seems to be the most important thing to most people.

[prick]

Sometimes it is just good fun to use improper grammer. I love saying funner instead of more fun.

[Der Nister]

Yeah...my pet peve is the kiddz now-a-days...they use the "anti-grammar"...even ignoring all the "counter-culture-conventions"...like Topi-speak:

E knew these aren't thee easyness, tho E L-ov-E THEE SPEAK, as IT reflects L-if-E.

What is even worse (imo) is when people (or children) just use the first letter of each word in their response (my daughter does it all the time) and it drives me crazy.

Idk and things that are similar to that.................just grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[TygerLili]

Also, the Oxford comma... Either way is correct, but I love me some Oxford comma, and I hate when people don't use it. Even though it's perfectly accurate and fine not to. That silly book "Eats, shoots and leaves" bothered me because while she correctly argued that it should be "Eats shoots and leaves", and in its incorrect form meant that the panda would eat something, shoot something, and then leave, in my mind, that would be written as "eats, shoots, and leaves", so the original title is wrong for either case in my mind. I have no idea why I love the Oxford comma so much, but I do. I call him Oxey for short and we have brunch every Sunday morning. (Okay, maybe not....)

See I was always taught in grade achool and middle that it was incorrect to use that last comma, and honestly, I haven't had a proper grammar lesson since 8th grade. I've had a random teacher here or there make a comment about the use of semi-colons, or some such concept, but never really as a lesson. I had never even heard the term 'Oxford comma' and didn't realize that it was acceptable, so when it is used it always looks wrong to me. I guess you learn something new everyday.

Most of the grammar rules I have picked up from high school and beyond are from reading often, or quick comments from a teacher or other random person about proper grammar.

Another one that bothers me is when people put "anyways" at the end of a sentence instead of "anyway." I see and hear that so often I have to remind myself not to do it.

*edited because I found a grammar error *

Edited April 18, 2009 by TygerLili

[TheOsakaKoneko]

What is even worse (imo) is when people (or children) just use the first letter of each word in their response (my daughter does it all the time) and it drives me crazy.

Idk and things that are similar to that.................just grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Yes but....isn't 'imo' just as guilty? Were you being ironic?

[Der Nister]

Yes but....isn't 'imo' just as guilty? Were you being ironic?

*lol* <------- (there it is again, eh?)

Let me clear up what I was trying to say in my original post.

What I meant was when people abbreviate every word and consider it a complete answer, response ect. ect.

In other words.............example..........idk - wdua? - ym - ty - ylgo - .............that get's really annoying.

To abbreviate once in a while or for simple things such as *lol* *lmao* or such - to me, is not annoying. But for someone to give me an nswer that goes like the example I listed - it's crazy I tell you.

[n0Mad]

45 n47z33i5h 45 3y3 c4n 637 w!7h 6r4mm3r, 3y3 57i11 3nj0y 1337

I canz also haz lolcat n tinks is cute, kthnxbai

[Rev.Reverence]

45 n47z33i5h 45 3y3 c4n 637 w!7h 6r4mm3r, 3y3 57i11 3nj0y 1337

I canz also haz lolcat n tinks is cute, kthnxbai

..makes me feel "ye olde tyme"...

[bean]

It drives me nuts when people don't use punctuation at all.

It drives my just as crazy when people do not use spaces after punctuation.

I drives me up a fucking wall when people type like they are texting (for example, using "u r" instead of "you are" or "gr8" instead of "great"). Type out a complete word please!

[Rayne]

I drives me up a fucking wall when people type like they are texting (for example, using "u r" instead of "you are" or "gr8" instead of "great"). Type out a complete word please!

I text CONSTANTLY (seriously, you don't want to see my phone bill) and I STILL can not come to grips with the "texting slang" ... I still spell everything out.

As for grammar ... I type as I speak. I pause a lot in my speech (hence the ...) and I tend to do it in posts, e-mails and IM's too.

[bean]

I text CONSTANTLY (seriously, you don't want to see my phone bill) and I STILL can not come to grips with the "texting slang" ... I still spell everything out.

As for grammar ... I type as I speak. I pause a lot in my speech (hence the ...) and I tend to do it in posts, e-mails and IM's too.

I text all the time too and am still able to spell words out when I type

I do the ... when I type too, because I also tend to pause a lot when I talk.

[Scales]

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[TheOsakaKoneko]

Here I am, admitting I don't know something and asking for advice! XD

I have a question about using parentheses and possessive together in a sentence. In the sentence, for example, "We are waiting for the supplier's (ABC's) analysis," where does the possessive go? Like I have it here, on both? Or, "We are waiting for the supplier's (ABC) analysis"? Or "We are waiting for the supplier (ABC's) analysis"?

I have never known what to do in this case!

I usually use the first, but it just seems weird...

Please don't say "reword the sentence" because while this is the obvious solution, and what I generally do, there MUST be an accepted real answer, which is what I am curious about! Anyone know?

[hunhee]

Here I am, admitting I don't know something and asking for advice! XD

I have a question about using parentheses and possessive together in a sentence. In the sentence, for example, "We are waiting for the supplier's (ABC's) analysis," where does the possessive go? Like I have it here, on both? Or, "We are waiting for the supplier's (ABC) analysis"? Or "We are waiting for the supplier (ABC's) analysis"?

I have never known what to do in this case!

I usually use the first, but it just seems weird...

Please don't say "reword the sentence" because while this is the obvious solution, and what I generally do, there MUST be an accepted real answer, which is what I am curious about! Anyone know?

I'd go with the supplier's (ABC) analysis.

The sentence has to make sense without the parentheses. like "We are waiting for the supplier's analysis" (makes sense correct?)

Then the stuff in the parentheses is just there to make things more clear. Like the specific supplier's name is ABC or the specific analysis. Make sense?

EDIT TO SAY: At least that's my understanding of it. Remember engrish is my second ranguage.

Edited June 10, 2009 by hunhee

[TheOsakaKoneko]

I'd go with the supplier's (ABC) analysis.

The sentence has to make sense without the parentheses. like "We are waiting for the supplier's analysis" (makes sense correct?)

Then the stuff in the parentheses is just there to make things more clear. Like the specific supplier's name is ABC or the specific analysis. Make sense?

EDIT TO SAY: At least that's my understanding of it. Remember engrish is my second ranguage.

Yeah, I'm often tempted by that usage, but if you say it out loud, it sounds weird. Like "ABC" is the type of analysis, not the name of the company.

Sirry foleignaa tlying to speak ouwaa ranguage.

(That took WAY too much effort!)

[hunhee]

Yeah, I'm often tempted by that usage, but if you say it out loud, it sounds weird. Like "ABC" is the type of analysis, not the name of the company.

Sirry foleignaa tlying to speak ouwaa ranguage.

(That took WAY too much effort!)

Can you take out the parentheses all together and just say that you're waiting for your supplier, ABC's analysis?

[TheOsakaKoneko]

Can you take out the parentheses all together and just say that you're waiting for your supplier, ABC's analysis?

Yes. Or rather, it would be "We are waiting for the supplier, ABC's, analysis" ... which leads to the same question. If you use a comma there, though, you need 2 of them. Better would be "We are waiting for the supplier ABC's analysis," but this still seems strange. Much the same as in the sentence "I went with Jane, my half-brother's cousin, to the movies." You can't say "I went with Jane, my half-brother's cousin to the movies." You have to have 2 or 0 commas in this kind of case.

But changing it from parentheses to commas is just rewording the sentence. There are a million ways to reword the sentence to eliminate the need for the possessive (such as "We are waiting for the analysis from our supplier, ABC.") but I'm looking for what the right way to do it would be in the case where the sentence is not reworded.