grammar
OK, in response to a thread in Future Hardware...
I do not know any "rules" but I am certain that you would NEVER say "Apple HAVE to..." or "Apple ARE." If you just think about it, it is really not hard. It is ONE company, singular. Just say Apple had three people:
You would say, inreferring to the group by their names instead of the company: "Steve J, Steve W and Jonathan I ARE employees of Apple Computer." But you would say "Jonathan I IS an employee..."
same for the company.
"Apple IS a computer manufacturer."
"Hewlet Packard IS " " " ."
Apple and HP ARE computer comapnies.
"Apple and HP HAVE to build computers."
etc...
Another one I see made ALL over the internet:
"I would rather shoot myself THEN use a computer running Windows," as opposed to "I would rather shoot myself THAN use a computer running Windows."
I think people thend to pronounce "THAN" as "THEN" and hence comfuse the two. This error runs ramanpt, as does the possesive example. I am an avid DVDer and often see "Fox ARE a good manufacturer" and Disney ARE a greedy company." or what have you.
Well like I said I do not know any rules, I just know. ANd I always got "A"s in English class.
It does not bother me, but this is just for anyone interested. If you have counter ideas please post, and if you can cite specific "rules" then please let me know.
Thanks!
I do not know any "rules" but I am certain that you would NEVER say "Apple HAVE to..." or "Apple ARE." If you just think about it, it is really not hard. It is ONE company, singular. Just say Apple had three people:
You would say, inreferring to the group by their names instead of the company: "Steve J, Steve W and Jonathan I ARE employees of Apple Computer." But you would say "Jonathan I IS an employee..."
same for the company.
"Apple IS a computer manufacturer."
"Hewlet Packard IS " " " ."
Apple and HP ARE computer comapnies.
"Apple and HP HAVE to build computers."
etc...
Another one I see made ALL over the internet:
"I would rather shoot myself THEN use a computer running Windows," as opposed to "I would rather shoot myself THAN use a computer running Windows."
I think people thend to pronounce "THAN" as "THEN" and hence comfuse the two. This error runs ramanpt, as does the possesive example. I am an avid DVDer and often see "Fox ARE a good manufacturer" and Disney ARE a greedy company." or what have you.
Well like I said I do not know any rules, I just know. ANd I always got "A"s in English class.
It does not bother me, but this is just for anyone interested. If you have counter ideas please post, and if you can cite specific "rules" then please let me know.
Thanks!
Comments
it's Confuse... not comfuse <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Mac Guru
<strong>Well since we're being picky...
it's Confuse... not comfuse <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Mac Guru</strong><hr></blockquote>
There is a difference between misuse of grammar and a simple typo. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
And I am not being picky, I just wanted to chime in, and didn't feel it was worth taking the other thread off onto a tangent.
And, if you're bugged by the then/than misuse, what about your/you're? That's a very common mistake as well.
Or how about its/it's, or the use of an apostrophe for a plural, not a possessive, such as CD's or CD-ROM's?
To many of the young set here, it's an issue of being 'picky' I suppose. In the real world (after you get your edjakashun) such mistakes reveal its quality.
<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Quit giving them a pass to do so.
Yes, typos are one thing. We all make them, especially in hastily typed message board posts and no spell checker.
But stuff like "there" and "their" and "two", "too" and "to"...ugh!
And "supposably".
Not typos, but genuine, God-awful misuse and mangling by people smart enough to own and operate a computer, but who obviously spent English class looking out the window at the parking lot or passing love notes.
I work with someone who's a VERY high-up manager type, with degrees and certificates and blah, blah, blah. And honest to God, I've heard her say things in a way that would do Beavis proud.
irregardless
NO! Stop using that! It's not a legitimate word! My dad is especially bad with using it.
[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: CosmoNut ]</p>
Grammarian usually has little to contribute to a discussion and possesses few effective weapons. To compensate, he will point out minor errors in spelling and grammar. Because of Grammarian's obvious weakness most Warriors ignore him.
<a href="http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame1.html"; target="_blank">http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame1.html</a>;
[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: Sinewave ]</p>
You can tell how someone speaks in person by looking at how they communicate by other media.
Mistyping is fine. Hitting the N-key when you mean to hit the M-key is fine, they're right next to each other. But saying something like "they was" just shows how slow the mental processes must be in the brain telling the fingers to hit those keys.
Some call it nitpicking, I call it not being a moron.
Think about it.
"The Manchester United are winning."
"The Manchester United is winning."
"The Manchested United team is winning."
Which one sounds the best? ... And it doesn't only apply to British teams.
"The San Francisco Giants team is winning."
"The San Francisco Giants is winning."
"The San Francisco Giants are winning."
etc, etc.
It's not so clear cut.
<strong>Sinewave doesn't understand simple subject/verb agreements. A great user of "they was" and "we was" and "your" instead of "you're" and vice versa.
<hr></blockquote></strong> Actually I don't pay attention to such things in internet forums. Where the main objective is getting your point across. Not grading for grammar usage.
[quote]<strong>
You can tell how someone speaks in person by looking at how they communicate by other media.<hr></blockquote></strong>
Not true.
[quote]<strong>
Mistyping is fine. Hitting the N-key when you mean to hit the M-key is fine, they're right next to each other. But saying something like "they was" just shows how slow the mental processes must be in the brain telling the fingers to hit those keys.
<hr></blockquote></strong>
[quote]<strong>
Some call it nitpicking, I call it not being a moron.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I call it being a grammar nazi. Esp when being used as a personal attack during a long debate when your losing
Or when they say they are ambivalent because they don't care, it bugs me. Ambivalence means you have strong feelings towards both sides. Being ambivalent does not mean you don't care!
ambi - both
valent - strong
rediculous.
My favorite Beatles songs are Love Me Do, She Loves You, Hey Jude, Yesterday and Smoke On The Water. Now we will meet The Beatles individualy one by one.Â*
Ringo Starr is the drummer and most drummers of coarse are either dead or only have one foot but Ringo is not dead and has both feet becauze I have seen them both. He does not sing much in The Beatles becauze he sings like my Uncle Lenny wich is not good. Trust me becauze I would lie to you.
George Harison plays the guitar and he sings some good songs like When My Guitar Gently Wepts and Something and Here Comes My Son and he also sings the yeah yeah yeah part in She Loves You wich is cool.Â*
Paul MCcartney plays the base thing and he wroted awesume songs like Elenor Rugby, Yesterday, Hey Jude and one other one where he screems good. He is really really cute but that is gay to say becauze it is gay to say that so I will not say that. He is even better looking than my girlfrend Trish and she is a eye sore!
Last but not last is the one and only John Lennon who played guitar and he sung the best in my humble opium and his songs were unforgetable and the best ones were Come Together and lots more but I forget the names of them right now.Â*
I almost forgot the history of The Beatles and so I will tell you in digested form becauze I am running out of words.
The Beatles formed and got together in 1957 give or take a yeer or two. There originel drummer was Pete Best but he was kicked out becauze his drumming sucked big time and Ringo was the Best not Pete. That was a word on plays ha ha!
The Beatles broke up in 1969 when they were singing the song Helter Skelter and they were playing it to fast and Ringo got mad and yelled I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS becauze he was drumming to hard and fast and he quitted the group and then they broke up becauze The Beatles without drums sucked big time.
I just heard the group The Monkeys on the radio and I remembered that they are my favorite group not The Beatles so forget what I said about The Beatles up there.Â*
The Monkeys are awesume. Mickey Doolenz is the drummer and he sings Last Train To Something and Peter Tork plays the base thing and he does not sing much thank God and Mike Nezmith is the guitar player and he sings lots of country songs but they do not make me throw up wich is good and Davy Jones is multitalented on the tamborine thing. Oh yeah and he is very very cute.
Here is a short history of The Monkeys. They were just a tv show way back in 1965 wich was called the roaring thirtys I think. They did not play the music on there records but later on they did and then they broke up around 1970. Maybe that was to short but Baywatch is on tv now so good bye.
Â*
Your frend,
Gus Shultz <hr></blockquote>
From <a href="http://gusshultz.0me.com/gusbeatles.htm"; target="_blank">http://gusshultz.0me.com/gusbeatles.htm</a>;
When speaking to people...
What is the deal with people who put "R"s in words that don't have "R"s in them?
You know, people who say "Warsh" instead of "Wash". Or "Dater" instead of "Data".
Why the hell do people do that?
I dated a girl once who said warsh. I gave her a hard time about it. Then I met her family and they all said warsh too. Hell, they almost had me saying it after a while.
I broke up with her. Took it as a sign of things to come. Guess you could say I warshed my hands of her. *bleh*
<strong>Oh yeah. Almost forget.
When speaking to people...
What is the deal with people who put "R"s in words that don't have "R"s in them?
You know, people who say "Warsh" instead of "Wash". Or "Dater" instead of "Data".
Why the hell do people do that?
I dated a girl once who said warsh. I gave her a hard time about it. Then I met her family and they all said warsh too. Hell, they almost had me saying it after a while.
I broke up with her. Took it as a sign of things to come. Guess you could say I warshed my hands of her. *bleh*</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's called a accent
Sorta like the soprano wannabes here in NYC who say tree instead of three.
<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
<strong>hmm... maybe.
Sorta like the soprano wannabes here in NYC who say tree instead of three.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You mean Brooklyners, er, Brooklynites, screw it, people who live in Brooklyn?
<strong>Poor grammar - just like substituting u, r, or 2 in place of the proper word - is just plain lazy. I simply don't understand why people think the rules of written language don't apply to a medium which is fundamentally based on the written language.
That's what I absolutely hate! It all started with those signs people make..."Wood 4 Sale!" and stuff. Damn annoying.
I do it before I smoke you, while I'm smoking you and after I'm done smoking you. It drives me absolutely insane.
Here is the problem:
When you're (<-- look, "you & are" combined properly!) involved in a debate with someone and you say things like "they was" it is almost impossible to take anything you say seriously.
It throws my concentration off and it makes me wonder if I am debating with a middle school student or someone who is older and just not able to use semi-proper English.
It's almost disrespectful to those you're speaking to, it's like showing up at a job interview in houseshoes and a ratty bathrobe.
("What does it matter? I'm here ain't I? Your just stoopid!")
My father's dog can get his point across, sinewave, and I'm sure he has a greater mastery of Doggiespeak than you do of our fair language.