View Full Version : Good spelling and grammar
Macca371
03-08-2005, 19:38
I started this thread mainly to ask your opinion and also to open a discussion on the importance of accurate spelling and grammar generally. I'm usually not a person who fusses about detail etc however something that always tends to get me is poor spelling and grammar. This may be ignorant of me but I am always disappointed to find misuse of language and spelling and it often makes me cringe when it's really bad - it's just something I view with quite high importance, does anybody feel the same, or has spelling or grammar accuracy become irrelevant as long as the point is put across clearly?
English is an awkward language when it comes to spelling as it is not very phonetic. Whereas in languages like Italian where every word is spelt exactly as it is pronounced, English has so many words which are only pronouncable because of memory e.g. iron, bomb, listen, awkward, book, you will be able to think of plenty of words like this. It is always saddening to see non native English speakers who have learnt the language to be able to spell better then many native English people who do seem to neglect spelling :( Spelling seems to be an issue that many people forget or abandon, either because of laziness or because they don't class it as important, which is of course understandable. The main mistakes are words with double letters i.e. disappointment and assistant, but the list goes on. Many words which we use even on a daily are often misspelt by us, I saw somebody spell important as 'inportant' today which rather shocked me. Of course there are excuses for spelling difficulties i.e. dyslexia which mean that people are unable to spell correctly.
I also see grammatical errors constantly, the biggest of these is past participles which is a killer in the English language, I'd hazard a guess at saying that they are misused up to 50% of the time when English is spoken. (e.g. I have ate should be I have eaten - I ate an apple is a completely different tense altogether.) - I have wrote = I have written, etc... But still, the point is expressed and that is what matters, some might say. Other common errors include when people use the tense 'If I was rich', which is wrong because people should say 'If I were rich'. May seem quite pedantic here but when you think about it, this means that most people who use this are wrong, because I am constantly hearing 'If I was', which is actually referred to the past tense e.g. If I was being silly just tell me.
In no way am I feeling disrespect for people who trip on the above, after all that is advanced grammar to be correct in (well, in English anyway, it would be quite trivial in other languages). However, does anybody else agree that reading a well written text with spelling and grammatical accuracy is always quite nice and more respectful to our mother tongue? :)
Shouldn't this be in pet moans & hates :D
idi banashapan
03-08-2005, 19:57
Diamond, I totally agree with you!
spoken english is a wonderfull thing different accents an all that
we all live in a small country with so much variety its brill:D
Welsh is easier :shrug:
ok then boyo or is that duck:confused:
Ach! This smacks of work.. :Sprint:
I guess I am one of the people in your crosshairs here.
I am not brilliant at English, i'll freely admit that. I only got a C for English Language and Literature. However, I always try to make my posts as grammatically correct and as coherent as possible. I make a lot of mistakes, which isn't helped by my dyslexia. It isn't a case of just reading it through after you finish typing. I can read my post 10 times over, and each time, my brain will mentally skip over my mistakes. Come back 30 minutes later, and I spot an error, sometimes quite big (this is why so many of my posts have edit timestamps). Sometimes I will just skip a random word, or sometimes substitute dyslexic 'mix-words' like through and thought. I may not get it right all the time, but I do try my best. I am sure this carries through to a lot of other people on here.
At the end of the day, spelling and grammar is largely irrelevent. It is the post meaning which should matter, not if someone says "could of" whereas it should be "could have".
At the end of the day, spelling and grammar is largely irrelevent. It is the post meaning which should matter, not if someone says "could of" whereas it should be "could have".
That's something which REALLY annoys me, along with "should of" and "would of".
Quick confession: in the past I've been known to quietly edit people's posts to correct it when they do the above ;) :angel:
homealone
03-08-2005, 20:15
Welsh is easier :shrug:
Welsh is lovely to listen to, I wouldn't like to try to learn to spell it, though. However, as already said, English is tremendously illogical in the way it is spelt.
I find the spoken word to be the main casualty of poor grammar, even txt spk is, arguably, bad spelling, rather than poor grammar. 'Can you borrow me a pound', being a particular pet hate.
/runs spell check ;)
Welsh is easier :shrug:
As you mention Welsh, if one thinks about English and how over the centuries it has developed and has adopted vocabulary including words from: Latin, Greek, French, Norse, German, American English, Chinese, Hindi etc it's rather fascinating that despite the proximty of Welsh, Scots Gaelic and of course Irish that for some reason no words appear to have been borrowed and absorbed into English - now there's something to think about! if there are remind me.
Welsh is easier to learn than English. There are no silent letters and no confusingly similar words which sound different, such as trough/through etc.
Macca371
03-08-2005, 20:18
I guess I am one of the people in your crosshairs here.
I am not brilliant at English, i'll freely admit that. I only got a C for English Language and Literature. However, I always try to make my posts as grammatically correct and as coherent as possible. I make a lot of mistakes, which isn't helped by my dyslexia. It isn't a case of just reading it through after you finish typing. I can read my post 10 times over, and each time, my brain will mentally skip over my mistakes. Come back 30 minutes later, and I spot an error, sometimes quite big (this is why so many of my posts have edit timestamps). Sometimes I will just skip a random word, or sometimes substitute dyslexic 'mix-words' like through and thought. I may not get it right all the time, but I do try my best. I am sure this carries through to a lot of other people on here.
You are making an effort which is always worth kudos, and I swear I would never have said you were dyslexic, I have never noticed mistakes in your posts before.
"could of" whereas it should be "could have".
Ach, got to mention that one.
I hate double negatives
e.g ive not done nothing :mad:
Macca371
03-08-2005, 20:21
'I've not done nothing, me'
:mad:
There are a few classic 'Wenglishisms" which amuse/annoy me, such as "Who's jacket is that coat" and "She was bad in bed under the doctor" etc
fireman328
03-08-2005, 20:33
As you mention Welsh, if one thinks about English and how over the centuries it has developed and has adopted vocabulary including words from: Latin, Greek, French, Norse, German, American English, Chinese, Hindi etc it's rather fascinating that despite the proximty of Welsh, Scots Gaelic and of course Irish that for some reason no words appear to have been borrowed and absorbed into English - now there's something to think about! if there are remind me.
I don't often go to Wales but the last time I was there I followed a vehicle with the perfect phonetic translation as to its use..... "AMBEWLANS"
You are making an effort which is always worth kudos, and I swear I would never have said you were dyslexic, I have never noticed mistakes in your posts before.
Thanx for that. I just spotted one myself, despite reading my post 3 times over :( Walk away, come back, and it hits you like a brick. I will leave it in there for prosperity, but instead of:
At the end of the day, spelling and grammar is largely irrelevent.
It should be, of course:
At the end of the day, spelling and grammar are largely irrelevent.
D'oh!! :doh:
That's Ambiwlance actually ;)
fireman328
03-08-2005, 20:36
That's Ambiwlance actually ;)
It was a rough road
makikomi
03-08-2005, 22:05
At the end of the day, spelling and grammar is largely irrelevent. It is the post meaning which should matter, not if someone says "could of" whereas it should be "could have".
I would disagree - spelling and grammar are vital parts of the English language.
It is understandable if someone with dyslexia or a learning disability cannot spell too well. There is a genuine reason for it then.
However, it seems that many times, errors of grammar, spelling and punctuation are sheer laziness. If I am not sure of how to spell a word, I'll look it up in a dictionary, or use a thesaurus.
To use the example you gave, if someone really looks at the sentence "He could of caught that bus", it really doesn't make sense. "He could HAVE..." does make sense. If we can't be bothered to learn our own language properly, why should anyone else?
There will be some who say it is down to a decline in educational standards. Maybe that is the case, but teachers who mark pupil's work should draw the kids' attention to their mistakes and ensure that they are corrected.
Some will also say that "language must evolve and change with the times." I have no problem with that, but there are still basic rules that must be followed. What tends to evolve is the way that words are used. "What a sad man" has at least a couple of meanings nowadays. Grammar and punctuation serve to clarify the meaning of the words and are like the skeleton of the language, and the words are flesh that are added to that basic structure.
if wee awl rote like how we wants ta or how tha wurds sownd and payed no atenshun two baysick rools the meening off wot weer saying becums lost inn a smokscren off konfewshun as wee spend lotts of tyme trying too deesyfa wot tha wurdz ar sapozed too bee.
Totally agree Diamond :tu:
My English is terrible (especially the spelling--I try to hide this with a spell checker) because English isn't my first language.
The English language is magnificent...........the millennia of assimilation of other European languages into English has resulted in a rich, fascinating and expressive language. There is, to my knowledge (and I have learnt five other languages) no other that compares.
It's brilliant! :)
cookie_365
03-08-2005, 22:14
Everyone makes mistakes in their English, even Cookie. ;)
I'll give people who are dyslexic or non-native speakers leeway. After all, my written Urdu/Italian/Punjabi/Portugese/anything else isn't much to shout about! :)
However, poor written English in someone British-born with no learning disability tells me that they have poor attention to detail, don't take pride in what they do, don't take the time to find out what's right and what's not, don't take notice of the guidance that's offered to them, and don't pay attention to the way others work.
And I don't give jobs to people like that.
Oh, and off topic: according to the tooltip that pops up when you hover over my rep score, I have much to be proud of. If anyone from CF could let my mum know what that might be, I'd be very grateful indeed! ;)
if wee awl rote like how we wants ta or how tha wurds sownd and payed no atenshun two baysick rools the meening off wot weer saying becums lost inn a smokscren off konfewshun as wee spend lotts of tyme trying too deesyfa wot tha wurdz ar sapozed too bee.
Not every one has access to a thesaurus or dictionary, sometime the thought can scare them into not using one, to be corrected by a machine is rather condesending.
Everyone makes mistakes in their English, even Cookie. ;)
I'll give people who are dyslexic or non-native speakers leeway. After all, my written Urdu/Italian/Punjabi/Portugese/anything else isn't much to shout about! :)
However, poor written English in someone British-born with no learning disability tells me that they have poor attention to detail, don't take pride in what they do, don't take the time to find out what's right and what's not, don't take notice of the guidance that's offered to them, and don't pay attention to the way others work.
And I don't give jobs to people like that.
next time you want you car fixing get the mechanic to do a spelling and grammer test,
some people are just plain better at some things and not others :disturbd:
Good thread... and one of my pet hates that hasn't been mentioned
- people who get "your" and "you're" mixed up (as well as could of/could have)
- people who don't use adverbs correctly (or in other words, people who don't use adverbs correct [sic]) - happens a lot round here :( :grr:
Good thread... and one of my pet hates that hasn't been mentioned
- people who get "your" and "you're" mixed up (as well as could of/could have)
- people who don't use adverbs correctly (or in other words, people who don't use adverbs correct [sic]) - happens a lot round here :( :grr:
It all so pedantic to me, if you get the gist of the post what is the point of pulling them on spelling or grammer?. this board is here to help people with NTL or PC problems, nothing to state you must speak in grammaticly correct English to recieve a responce.
Good thread... and one of my pet hates that hasn't been mentioned
- people who get "your" and "you're" mixed up (as well as could of/could have)
- people who don't use adverbs correctly (or in other words, people who don't use adverbs correct [sic]) - happens a lot round here :( :grr:
It all so pedantic to me, if you get the gist of the post what is the point of pulling them on spelling or grammer?. this board is here to help people with NTL or PC problems, nothing to state you must speak in grammaticly correct English to recieve a responce.Yes but I don't mean on here, or even any forum, I mean in general it pees me off.
Yes but I don't mean on here, or even any forum, I mean in general it pees me off.
But you dont get commas and punctuation in general speak, it is only percieved. :D
Yes but I don't mean on here, or even any forum, I mean in general it pees me off.
But you dont get commas and punctuation in general speak, it is only percieved. :D
I didn't say general speak did I, but then, some grammatical errors show up in speech too, like misuse of adverbs and also poor sentence structures...
idi banashapan
03-08-2005, 23:50
As mentioned in this thread, English is not the most user-friendly of languages. For example, the word 'Ghoti' is pronounced (phonetically) 'Fish'.
"But how?" I hear you cry! Well...
The 'Gh' is taken from the word 'Enough', where the 'gh', makes a 'Ff' sound.
The 'o' is taken from the word 'women' where the 'o' is pronounced as an 'i' (generally, and incorrectly)
Finally, the 'ti' is taken from the word 'station' where the 'ti' is pronounced as a 'sh' sound.
And there you have it. English is officially flawed in its fundamental make-up!
Lesson over!
ian@huth
03-08-2005, 23:50
I have probably made many perceived spelling mistakes in my posts but are they really spelling mistakes. Most are input mistakes where a wrong key has been pressed, a key press hasn't registered, a double key press is input or a key press has caught two keys. Parkinson's Disease makes this kind of error fairly common and I should really use a spell checker to avoid them.
With most web sites being of American origin it is easy to adopt the American way of spelling rather than the British way. I think a lot of people who were not so good at English at school and never read much fall into this trap.
What we have to remember though is that we only use writing to communicate. Proper spelling and grammar may make that communication easier to understand but as long as what is intended to be communicated is understood by the person reading it the objective is realised. Outside of school we are not being marked on our spelling and grammar so what the hell does it matter if there is the odd spelling or grammatical mistake.
As mentioned in this thread, English is not the most user-friendly of languages. For example, the word 'Ghoti' is pronounced (phonetically) 'Fish'.
"But how?" I hear you cry! Well...
The 'Gh' is taken from the word 'Enough', where the 'gh', makes a 'Ff' sound.
The 'o' is taken from the word 'women' where the 'o' is pronounced as an 'i' (generally, and incorrectly)
Finally, the 'ti' is taken from the word 'station' where the 'ti' is pronounced as a 'sh' sound.
And there you have it. English is officially flawed in its fundamental make-up!
Lesson over!
erm my mind turned off hours ago lol
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:05
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Interestingly, those that have endeavoured to defend a lack of grammatical or spelling aptitude in the thread so far, would seem to have perpetrated the incidences thereof.
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:08
Just In Case:
According to research at Cambridge University, it doesn't matter an what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter be in the right place. The rest can be a total mess and you can still read it without problem. This is because the human mind does not read every letter by itself, but the word as a whole.
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
It is a well established fact that it takes people a little longer to read such mangled prose though.
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:09
It is a well established fact that it takes people a little longer to read such mangled prose though.
Agreed. If they are reading it more slowly, are they paying closer attention to it though?
carlingman
04-08-2005, 00:09
Ok then think I may have asked this before but, would anyone like to explain why they pronounce Dalziel as DL.
Is it just a northern thing.
:D
I would say that my spelling & grammar is pretty good and any mistakes that are made are normally down to my typing and not reading what I have typed. I don't have a problem with spelling and as other's have said before, if I can't spell a word then I'll look it up. Grammar on the other hand is completely different to spelling and as mentioned by others, alot of people's grammar needs help. The main problem areas are the differences between "your" & "you're" also "there" & "their" and when to use "are" or "is". What I also find alot is the misuse of the apostrophe or lack of apostrophe for example "its the boys toys" should read "it's the boy's toys" but these annoyances only show up in the written word because if you say the word "there" no-one can tell if you meant "there" or "their" :). With regard to spoken English what I find annoying is people's understanding of "done" & "did". For example, "I done that yesterday" :mad: , don't you mean "you did that yesterday" :) That would be my pet peave.
However, back to the written word. Although the following looks to be impossible to read, you can read it surprisingly quickly:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer
in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, olny taht the frist and lsat ltteres
are at the rghit pcleas. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed
it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by ilstef,
but the wrod as a wlohe.
Please note: Any mistakes found in the above post are there purely to test the reader :D
Damn that Pesky Raistlin :D I need to type quicker :D
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:15
:rolleyes: *Ahem* ^^ :D
:rolleyes: *Ahem* ^^ :D
Im not even quick enuff too get in my edit withut peopel noticing. :p:
Just realised another peave, the use of "too" and "to". For example, "to much typing is needed" :td: "too much typing is needed" :tu:
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:18
Please forgive, I can't resist this :p:
<Snip> and as other's have said before <Snip>
<Snip> What I also find alot is the misuse of the apostrophe <Snip>
Damn that Pesky Raistlin :D I need to type quicker :D
Yes, you do :D
Agreed. If they are reading it more slowly, are they paying closer attention to it though?
No, they're thinking 'if this idiot can't be bothered to write properly, he can't have anything meaningful to say'
On a serious note: If a post is riddled with spelling errors/poor grammar, I have difficulty taking the poster seriously. But then again I'm a linguistic fascist. :)
Please forgive, I can't resist this :p:
[size=2]
Yes, you do :D
Please note: Any mistakes found in the above post are there purely to test the reader
Well done, your the first to spot the delibirate mistake's :p:
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But then again I'm a linguistic fascist. :)
Hopefully I'm the first to mention being a cunning linguist :D
I am always disappointed to find misuse of language and spelling and it often makes me cringe when it's really bad - it's just something I view with quite high importance, does anybody feel the same, or has spelling or grammar accuracy become irrelevant as long as the point is put across clearly?
Oops I can feel a rant coming on here...! :mad:
Whilst I know that the English language is not as "pure" as many would like and I know that it changes and develops over time, the fact is that a lot of people have *no* idea how to use it properly make the most horrible clanging errors without even realising it :grind:
I'm not talking about simply typos or spelling mistakes, hell, I make those as do many people, I'm talking about basic fundamental concepts. I won't start listing them here, but I heartily recommend people reading "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss for example.
English is an awkward language when it comes to spelling as it is not very phonetic. [...] Spelling seems to be an issue that many people forget or abandon, either because of laziness or because they don't class it as important, which is of course understandable.
I think it's something that is simply not given enough coverage in schools today, indeed when I hear tales of teachers being told that they *should not* correct pupils' spelling mistakes I start to despair!
However, does anybody else agree that reading a well written text with spelling and grammatical accuracy is always quite nice and more respectful to our mother tongue? :)
I don't particularly care about "nice" or "more respectful", but when I have to try to figure out what the hell someone actually *means* because what they've written is barely comprehensible, it is certainly very frustrating!
PS I know some people on here have problems with spelling for various reasons, but, look the word is grammAR, not grammER!!! :grind:
I would say that my spelling & grammar is pretty good and any mistakes that are made are normally down to my typing and not reading what I have typed. I don't have a problem with spelling and as other's have said before, if I can't spell a word then I'll look it up. Grammar on the other hand is completely different to spelling and as mentioned by others, alot of people's grammar needs help. The main problem areas are the differences between "your" & "you're" also "there" & "their" and when to use "are" or "is". What I also find alot is the misuse of the apostrophe or lack of apostrophe for example "its the boys toys" should read "it's the boy's toys" but these annoyances only show up in the written word because if you say the word "there" no-one can tell if you meant "there" or "their" :). With regard to spoken English what I find annoying is people's understanding of "done" & "did". For example, "I done that yesterday" :mad: , don't you mean "you did that yesterday" :) That would be my pet peave.
A couple of errors highlighted for you then since you asked ;) As "the boy's toys" are plural. it would be "They're" not "its" in either form. Same if it was the boys' toys.
I don't particularly care about "nice" or "more respectful", but when I have to try to figure out what the hell someone actually *means* because what they've written is barely comprehensible, it is certainly very frustrating!
It doesn't happen often but I think Graham makes perfect sense there :tu:
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:26
I won't start listing them here, but I heartily recommend people reading "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss for example.
I'll second that.
"Between You and I" by James Cochrane is another good read :tu:
Ok then think I may have asked this before but, would anyone like to explain why they pronounce Dalziel as DL.
Is it just a northern thing. :D
Actually, yes, but not quite for the reason you think.
How does Dalziel become Diyel? Somewhere it has lost an l, a z and a vowel. It all revolves around a curious little letter †˜yogh.âà ¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€Š¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ This looked a little like a fancy z with a tale and has been replaced in the Middle Ages by y and gh. So we have a misreading of yogh. This also gives a clue to the pronunciation of Menzies as Minges.
http://www.writersservices.com/mag/04/wf_june04.htm
PS It's ironic that the writerr of that has made a mistake and substituted "tale" for "tail"!!
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:30
PS It's ironic that the writerr of that has made a mistake and substituted "tale" for "tail"!!
I think that if we get any more irony on this thread it will explode :D
It doesn't happen often but I think Graham makes perfect sense there :tu:
Is that a rather roundabout way* of saying you agree?
* Now there's a good example of British culture, but that's not for this thread :angel: :)
A couple of errors highlighted for you then since you asked ;) As "the boy's toys" are plural. it would be "They're" not "its" in either form. Same if it was the boys' toys.
To be honest, I was trying to come up with an example without really thinking about it :p: but now that you mention it the grammar is correct if it was a response to the question 'what is making that loud racket', the answer would surely be, "it's the boy's toys" :) you could use boy's if you were referring to someone as 'the boy' but if there were two boys then yes it would be boys' :)
To be honest, I was trying to come up with an example without really thinking about it :p: but now that you mention it the grammar is correct if it was a response to the question 'what is making that loud racket', the answer would surely be, "it's the boy's toys" :) you could use boy's if you were referring to someone as 'the boy' but if there were two boys then yes it would be boys' :)
Then you are referring to the racket in the singular, rather than the toys, plural. Its a racket - They're the toys making it.
homealone
04-08-2005, 00:50
To be honest, I was trying to come up with an example without really thinking about it :p: but now that you mention it the grammar is correct if it was a response to the question 'what is making that loud racket', the answer would surely be, "it's the boy's toys" :) you could use boy's if you were referring to someone as 'the boy' but if there were two boys then yes it would be boys' :)
Then you are referring to the racket in the singular, rather than the toys, plural. Its a racket - They're the toys making it.
if you are not careful, I am going to say shuttlecock, oops, I just did ;)
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 00:51
if you are not careful, I am going to say shuttlecock, oops, I just did ;)
Speaking of which, my dog Minton ate my shuttlecock today.....
Bad Minton!
Speaking of which, my dog Minton ate my shuttlecock today.....
Bad Minton!
They tend to have horse trials there not dog trials
Speaking of which, my dog Minton ate my shuttlecock today.....
Bad Minton!
:redcard:
:D
zoombini
04-08-2005, 08:08
I'm mildly dyslexic, but I do try & write as well as I can, without IESpell (www.iespell.com) more of my posts would have spelling mistakes.
Mostly through typing words back wards and together, especially when I'm trying to type fast.
I got really annoyed a week or so ago when someone on a forum PM'd me to tell me that I had mis-spelt 1 word. it certainly did not call for such an insulting PM.
For the most part, as long as the context is there then if I can understand what someone means then it's OK with me.
Its when txt/l33t talk gets involved that annoys.
I learnt about grandma over 25 years ago, I also learnt trigonometry, algebra, about the toll puddle martyrs & other historical events and I cannot remember all the specifics of them now either, so expecting me to remember when an apostrophe can & cannot be used is asking too much.
Now what was I on about? LOL
Spell checked with IESPELL
For me as long as the contents of a post are understandable there isn't a problem.
I am trying to cure my son of using the word "sawn" when he actually means "seen". Correct spelling has more emphasis in school these days.
As for semi colons I never know where to put them!
However the most frequent error I spot is between of and off, and to and too (the lack of an f particularly annoys me).
If only our letters were as the Greek's which are completely phonetic, they only learn phonetic spelling at school.
As in a former signature, I see my spelling and grammar mistakes often only after the post has been submitted. So I will still edit for those reasons (if I spot the mistake whilst the ability to edit is still there).
If only our letters were as the Greek's which are completely phonetic, they only learn phonetic spelling at school.
Just like Welsh :)
As for semi colons I never know where to put them!
Where the clauses are too long and linked to be comma-separated, but too short to have the necessary structure to stand alone as a sentence. Or in other words, where you're not sure whether to use a comma or a full stop.
{Did I mention your/you're?}
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I think it's something that is simply not given enough coverage in schools today, indeed when I hear tales of teachers being told that they *should not* correct pupils' spelling mistakes I start to despair!
That's what I've heard too although it was never a problem for them to give us a rocket for having crap spelling.
Yoo musst allways yews rite speling and grammer [sic] :D
makikomi
04-08-2005, 18:42
Not every one has access to a thesaurus or dictionary, sometime the thought can scare them into not using one, to be corrected by a machine is rather condesending.
I can understand that Roy, but I'd have thought that a dictionary would be one of the essential things a house should have. They are cheap enough, either from bookstores, pound shops or even charity shops. Failing that, you can easily look words up online at sites like www.dictionary.com (http://www.dictionary.com)
To be quite honest, I have no problems with how I am corrected, be it by a person, book or a computer - I'd prefer my English and my spelling to be correct.
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Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
I tinhk taht's a laod of blolokcs. :D
Actually, I read it just marginally slower than normal script.
Mind you, I can read upside down writing and mirror writing pretty easily too. Upside down mirror writing slows me down a little, but that's easy enough.
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 18:48
I think that part of the reason people will find that they are reading more slowly when they read the jumbled up passage is because they are concious of the fact that something is wrong. Their mind starts to try and fight it and try to re-order things.
I suppose that after a while it would become a lot easier because you would relax and not be concentrating so much on what the words should look like.
Itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s interesting that this has created such a debate. My spelling and grammar are atrocious on here, partly due to my dyslexia also my mind thinking faster than I can type. No one has ever picked me up on it, which I am very shocked at.
On that note, I will stop writing.
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I have just realised why non one picks up my atrocious writing skills... nobody listens/reads what I say!! :D ;)
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 19:16
Itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s interesting that this has created such a debate. My spelling and grammar are atrocious on here, partly due to my dyslexia also my mind thinking faster than I can type. No one has ever picked me up on it, which I am very shocked at.
On that note, I will stop writing.
I see a lot of terrible spelling/grammar here and on other forums, I tend not to pick anybody up on it though - I guess I think that it might be considered a bit rude to do so.
I've been a Member on other forums where people were constantly pulling each other up for spelling etc, in the end it just gets antagonistic and people leave.
The main thing for me when I'm posting (and when I'm reading someone else's post) is that it should be readable and understandable. Sometimes there are posts here that I find it nearly impossible to read, usually because the OP hasn't used any punctuation or they're using "text speak". Even then I will rarely comment, unless I need to get clarification on what the poster actually means.
I suppose posting here is the same as using any other form of communication, if you don't effectively communicate the message that you intended you are not going to get the responses that you hope for.
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I have just realised why non one picks up my atrocious writing skills... nobody listens/reads what I say!! :D ;)
Uh Oh!! We've been busted :p:
makikomi
04-08-2005, 19:22
I have just realised why non one picks up my atrocious writing skills... nobody listens/reads what I say!! :D ;)
Hmmmm? I'm sorry... did you say something?
:disturbd: :disturbd: :disturbd: :disturbd: :disturbd:
Just kidding! ;)
Itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s interesting that this has created such a debate. My spelling and grammar are atrocious on here, partly due to my dyslexia also my mind thinking faster than I can type. No one has ever picked me up on it, which I am very shocked at.
On that note, I will stop writing.
who is this millay :angel:
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I have just realised why non one picks up my atrocious writing skills... nobody listens/reads what I say!! :D ;)
oh right of cousre we do :)
oh right of cousre we do :)
As we are on the subject of spelling and grammar I would like to point out your mistake :D
Well you were taking the pee out of me tehe... ;)
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 21:18
Well you were taking the pee out of me tehe... ;)
*ahem* I think the commonly accepted spelling of that word is "tee-hee" :p:
Edit: And also "te-hee" apparently :)
Cant find it in my dictionary.... not impressed now :D
Originally Posted by MillayWell you were taking the pee out of me [b
tehe[/b]... ;)
You should ensure your quotes are correct too!:erm::D
Raistlin
04-08-2005, 21:32
You should ensure your quotes are correct too!:erm::D
Don't know what you mean :angel:
An Owed to the Spelling Chequer
===============================
I have a spelling chequer
It came with my pea see
It plane lee marques four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it's weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
A chequer is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two read,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule
The chequer pours o'er every word
To check sum spelling rule.
Be fore a veiling chequers
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if were lacks or have a laps,
We wood be maid to wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of non eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud.
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft ware four pea seas.
And why I brake in two averse
By righting want too pleas.
poolking
17-12-2005, 22:34
I used to be brilliant at spelling and grammar, however that is until I discovered the joys of computing and the internet. I can't even write by hand properly anymore, I'd put a doctor to shame with my handwriting.
I used to be brilliant at spelling and grammar, however that is until I discovered the joys of computing and the internet. I can't even write by hand properly anymore, I'd put a doctor to shame with my handwriting.
Spelling is fine... as for handwriting don't even go close.
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