English Language

[gl556tr]

The standards of both general English literacy and English grammar are often poor, at times atrocious.

[Mamyalynne]

Thank you for rephrasing my words NJ - not sure it was wholly necessary.

I make mistakes all the time which is why I don't often correct anyone else unless it affects the context of their answer.

[Togo]

You on the "piste" as well then Arks? (^_*) What a day.... plumbing nightmare( bathroom pipe not me) and had to give ah a BA. Haha.

[New Judge]

"Thank you for rephrasing my words NJ - not sure it was wholly necessary."

I disagree, Mamy. I believe it was necessary as too much is attributed to "language evolution".

I don't correct people on here. We all type quickly and it usually isn't necessary. The sort of thing to which my flippant description is more applicable is where people prepare documents or notices when they clearly have plenty of time to check their work. But still you see absolute howlers of mistakes. When mentioned one is usually told "It doesn't really matter. It's all part of our evolving language".

An example I stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago was to be found in a renowned seat of learning. I was in a shop in a well known UK University. There was a laminated notice explained that a discount previously allowed on newspapers and magazines was no longer available. At the bottom was "We except newspaper vouchers". I pointed out to the shop-wallah that this either incorrect or at best ambiguous. Did it mean they "accept" newspaper vouchers or did it mean that newspaper vouchers were an exception to the new rule explained above? I didn't know but apparently I was the first person to point out this confusion. None of the bright young things who filed through that shop daily had noticed it (and it had been there for about three months). This was nothing to do with the evolution of language. It was simply sloppy preparation and insufficient checks.

[maggiebee]

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabridge uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

[goodgoalie]

The caption on that Manuel YouTube clip should be 'practises' not 'practices'. Ha!

[Arksided]

I was in a shop in a well known UK University.

Not all of us that use the Queens own tongue are so privileged to be there in the first place and most don't look down on fellow human beings with disdain or arrogance, just because we can use the English language correctly and also use our common tongue doesn't make us savages y'know.

[Mamyalynne]

Then you should have had the good grace to write your own reply rather than dissecting mine.

It is my view that we have a wonderfully vibrant language, I don't mean by that misspelt official notices and foul mouthed rants - simply variety.

[Arksided]

Love that Maggie, I have read that before. :-)

[Togo]

Dyslexia rules . K.O.

[naomi24]

I don’t mind errors at all – communication is the important thing - but I do take exception when people whose English leaves much to be desired censure others. Mikey, at 09:01, take note.

[Togo]

I don't mind being dyslexic, every car I have ever owned had a personalised number plate.

[Khandro]

Grammar is a scientific method of trying to understand language. Language first, grammar second.

[-Talbot-]

naomi24
I don’t mind errors at all – communication is the important thing


Yes its important, naomi. ;0)
I say to myself if your not sure then us 'you are' not sure.

[naomi24]

Talbot, are you sure? ;o)

[Jackdaw33]

I can cope with badly spoken English. What I cannot cope with is badly written English, especially in public notices.

[Khandro]

^^ Yes, up with that you should not put.

[New Judge]

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabridge uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae."

Quite so. I have a lot a carp at the bottom of my lake. They are similar to the nonsense that formed the results of the Cambridge University's research.

"It is my view that we have a wonderfully vibrant language,..."

Yes we do, Mamy. I'm not disputing that at all. Where I take issue is when mistakes and errors remain uncorrected when it matters (not when it does not) and they are attributed to an "evolving language". The original question was about English literacy and grammar. Many mistakes are simply down to either lack of proper education or sloppiness. Telling the miscreants that it doesn't matter because it is all part of our evolving language does them (or the people they are trying to communicate with) no favours at all.

[Jackdaw33]

What I find disturbing about NJ's post @ 22.42 is not so much that a mistake was made but that nobody noticed or corrected it.

[Mamyalynne]

Alternatively maybe we noticed it but felt pointing it out was too much trouble.

There's too much waffle already.

[New Judge]

"What I find disturbing about NJ's post @ 22.42 is not so much that a mistake was made but that nobody noticed or corrected it."

It's still extant now, jackdaw, getting on for three weeks after I pointed it out. It's clearly far too much trouble to correct it and as it seems virtually nobody read the notice at all I wonder why it was put up in the first place.