[RANT]Is grammar something that only happens to other people?[/RANT]

Alun

Waltons wrote:

I never thought there was anything wrong with saying amount of people! Hmmmm, I shall retain this information for use at a later date. Cheers Alun.

It all has to do with whether the noun in question is 'countable' or 'uncountable'. If you can count what the noun refers to, use 'number of', if not, use 'amount of'. Alternatively, if you can put 'a' (or 'some' if it's plural) in front of the noun in question and it makes sense, it's countable, otherwise not. 'A person' is OK, 'a sand' isn't, therefore 'number of people' and 'amount of sand'.

As a follow-up to this you also say 'fewer people' and not 'less people'. 'Less' is used for uncountable nouns and 'fewer' is used for countable nouns. 'More ' is used in both cases, just to make it more complicated!

The Sweeper

Ah Flukey - Eats, Shoots and Leaves...

That was on our compulsory reading list for a while in the office. People reacted to the content differently. One of the best editors in the office decided it was patronising and poorly written. Then again, he was the sort of guy who'd take offence at you correcting him on any level. Other people thought it was great.

When I started this thread, I was focussing on how I hate text speak and incorrect word usage. I wasn't even thinking about this to the depth that this thread has gone - determiners, conjunctions, prepositions, correct use of commas with adjectives, superlative adjectives (mostest, anyone?)...

What it boils down to is how there is no 'tone' in text. Syntax and grammar can influence how you take information on board.

If I were to write:

"To be honest I feel that, if you can't write a decent sentence in the language you've been learning since birth, you're not very bright."

You might think I was an ordinary, (if not very pleasant), reasonably educated individual.

If I were to write:

"Well, to be frank, I firmly believe that lack of grammatical acuity is indicative of lack of education and evidence of a low intelligence quota."

You might think I was a stuck-up supercilious bitch.

And if I were to write:

"wots rong wit u, if u cnt writ a desent sntens who crs, its meaning dats imprtnt, nt spllng"

You might assume I was twelve, possibly dyslexic, probably just dim, destined to fail my school exams and likely to be scanning your groceries in Tesco in four years time.

Blub2k4

Damn young un's *waves Zimmer frame*

cajun_tiger

Alun wrote:

So please explain why I, and countless others should have to expend all this effort merely because the original poster can't be arsed to do it properly in the first place?

Well, I'd like to be able to understand it. If I can't it annoys me and lazy people go through my head. So, mistakes I can tolerate, laziness I can't.
I don't think I need to explain anyone should because that's not what I meant (I thought what I was saying was clear enough).

Sleepy

Spelling mistakes I can forgive. Grammar mistakes I can forgive. A complete disregard for either, I cannot.

Text speak is just downright annoying and, quite honestly, has led me to ignore a number of users.

'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' isn't bad but I'd prefer to see "The Elements of Style" by J. B. Strunk made a compulsory part of Leaving Certificate English.

The_Conductor

Sleepy wrote:

Spelling mistakes I can forgive. Grammar mistakes I can forgive. A complete disregard for either, I cannot.

Best comment of the thread so far.
However annoying some people are with their poor spelling and grammar, a far worse insult to our senses is the onslaught of laziness and don't give a damn attitudes that pervades some postings.

Pity nothing will ever come of it- I can't see there being a solution that is satisfactory to anyone of us.

S.

Alun

cajun_tiger wrote:

I don't think I need to explain anyone should because that's not what I meant.

A perfect example ...

Anyway, what I was complaining about wasn't the effort required to write a clear and error-free post, but the extra, unnecessary effort required by someone reading a post riddled with syntax, grammar and spelling errors.

In short, if the original poster can't be bothered to take care over what he writes, why should I be bothered to expend all that extra effort to read it?

impr0v

cajun_tiger

cajun_tiger wrote:

Well, I'd like to be able to understand it. If I can't it annoys me and lazy people go through my head. So, mistakes I can tolerate, laziness I can't.
I don't think I need to explain anyone should because that's not what I meant (I thought what I was saying was clear enough).

sorry was doing work when I posted that and did not check it before posting it....
ok if I can get this right, Mistakes happen but laziness is a choice.
if someone can't be bothered to go and find a spelling and stick in (sorry can't spell) I can't handle that. but if someone put's in two f's instead of one, well that I can understand it's a typo. I hate text message writing, people even say "oh I hate txt writing"
look at what you just wrote! txt is short hand for text!

simu

impr0v wrote:

That's a funny picture but the Nazis would have considered English an inferior language due to all the non-Germanic elements it has absorbed and so, they wouldn't have thought it worthwhile making an effort to correct people's mistakes when writing English. Then again, they might have found it amusing to be better than English speakers at writing English...

...this thread is certainly bringing out the more anal side of boards users, myself included.

WhiteWashMan

get some spelling skillz!

Sarky

What Sleepy said.

I have a habit of checking everything I post. If I see a spelling or grammer mistake, I'll edit it out. That doesn't mean I have a perfect grasp of the English language (Because lord knows I most certainly don't), I just like to make sure that what I wrote was understandable. I very much appreciate it when others do the same.

"Txt spk" deserves to die in a blizzard of teeth and blood and screams. It's laziness and disregard for communication of the highest sort. I will make the effort to try and decipher it when I see it, but I will take it less seriously than a well-written message that I can read without effort.

Right, time to stop before a) I make any more errors that will be picked up on, and b) before I really get into the swing and let the full unbridled hatred of it all flow through me.

The_Conductor

Maybe I'm on a crusade or something- I've just about had it with trying to decipher what people are trying to say. I know my grammar is far from perfect, but I do attempt to formulate sentences in a little more than a haphazzard manner, I correct my spellings where they are obviously incorrect, and I do not use txt-speech which thankfully appears to be dying down here. With do still have a small contingent with their H8x0r speech too- thanks guys- if I ever need to speak in binary I'll give you a call.

Its not imposing an alien set of values on people, requesting they observe basic language rules. If people did not claim to have fluent English- perhaps I'd be slightly more tolerant- but most people here are Irish, with better spoken English than anyone else on the planet (allegedly), so there is no excuse, apart from laziness that is.

Its a pity the Rep system is gone- there is no good way of registering your dissatisfaction with a user's language skills anymore. :mad:

Lump

Isn't "sonofabitch" Hyphenated?


John

D!ve^Bomb!

you're all morons

Lump

Mr. Moron to you thanks.


John

StupidLikeAFox

Text speak and 1337 speak are really anoying, but i can live with them. What bugs me is the next poster draggin it off topic, then the OP defending themselves then a few others joining in to chastise/defend the OP, and then the whole point of the thread is lost

sceptre

Minesajackdaniels wrote:

Okay, pedantic moment:

It really, really wrecks my head when I’m reading boards.ie and I come across some of the atrocious grammar, spelling and syntax that some boardsters use when they post.

Isn't there a split infinitive in your thread title?:p

Not that I care really, I've never been a fan of the made-up-by-Fowler-or-whoever rule that says they're bad.