Its "improve Anders´ english" week!!!
Its time for all you who are anal about grammar, spelling and general accuracy in english to live out your own inner english teacher 
I have noticed that my english has deteriorated over the last couple of years and its about time to do something about it. So for the next week I want you to nick-pick every post I make and show to me (and the world) all the wrongs in them.
So please: If you see a post made by me anywhere in AI please quote it here and write the what I should have written if it should have been 100% correct.
I have noticed that my english has deteriorated over the last couple of years and its about time to do something about it. So for the next week I want you to nick-pick every post I make and show to me (and the world) all the wrongs in them.
So please: If you see a post made by me anywhere in AI please quote it here and write the what I should have written if it should have been 100% correct.
Comments
should be
grammar, spelling, and general accuracy
It has been taught in more recent years that you should use a final comma as in the above example so that every single item is properly separated. The reason here is that the last two items of a list could be mistaken as one. Perhaps an example will explain this premise better.
"Some of his favorite foods are fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza, macaroni and cheese, and potato salad."
In this example, if there was no comma before the last item, it could be read that either "macaroni and cheese and potato salad" is a single dish or that "cheese and potato salad" is a dish.
See?
As I understand it, this method has only been widely taught since the 1980's; thus, many adults use the traditional way. The traditional way may not be wrong, but this way is far easier to read and is becoming more widely used.
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
<strong>Its time for all you who are anal about grammar, spelling and general accuracy in english to live out your own inner english teacher
I have noticed that my english has deteriorated over the last couple of years and its about time to do something about it. So for the next week I want you to nick-pick every post I make and show to me (and the world) all the wrongs in them.
So please: If you see a post made by me anywhere in AI please quote it here and write the what I should have written if it should have been 100% correct.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The same applies to me, but i doubt that many of you will have the courage to quote me all day long
<strong>
I have noticed that my english has deteriorated over the last couple of years and its about time to do something about it. So for the next week I want you to nick-pick every post I make and show to me (and the world) all the wrongs in them.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's "nitpick" and instead of "all the wrongs" it should be "all the errors". I only did this because you asked. I'm no great shakes when it comes to grammar. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
<strong>grammar, spelling and general accuracy
should be
grammar, spelling, and general accuracy</strong><hr></blockquote>Yeah, I always use the last comma. But you still see the last comma dropped in newspapers and magazines, who presumably are up on their grammar. I'm wondering if there's some other exception to that.
<strong>Yeah, I always use the last comma. But you still see the last comma dropped in newspapers and magazines, who presumably are up on their grammar. I'm wondering if there's some other exception to that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
StarfleetX's right on the money w/ his explanation. The dropped last comma syndrome is common in legal writing - its almost a requirement it seems. However, the trend seems to be to separate individual items in a list. I always use commas for every member of a list. However, the judge that I work for does not, nor does our secretary.
Amazing how plastic the rules of our languange seem to be.
Thoth.
PS: If there are grammatical errors in this post, please feel free to ignore them.
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
PPS: By the way, Anders, "english" is more properly spelled "English."
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: Thoth2 ]</p>
In speaking we add the sound /ª z/ to the name, but in writing it is possible to use either 's or just '. The 's form is more common. e.g. Thomas's book, James's shop.
Anders' English
Anders's English
Either way is acceptable, but most grammar books seem to prefer "Anders's"
FYI.
Its time for all you who are anal about grammar, spelling and general accuracy in english to live out your own inner english teacher
"Its" should be "It's". I make this sort of mistake all the time. You need a period after teacher. "all you" could be stated as "all of you" if you are anal.
The "English" part has been taken care of by others.
<strong>I have noticed that my english has deteriorated over the last couple of years and its about time to do something about it. So for the next week I want you to nick-pick every post I make and show to me (and the world) all the wrongs in them.</strong>
"its" should be "it's" again. You need a comma before the "and" in your first sentence, but you're fine with no comma in the second sentence.
<strong>So please: If you see a post made by me anywhere in AI please quote it here and write the what I should have written if it should have been 100% correct.</strong>
You should use a comma instead of a colon. You need a comma after "AI". The "the" in "write the what" is not needed. I do that sometimes to. Lastly, you don't need to write "if it should have been 100% correct" because it is redundant.
[Edit: Corrected some mistakes for myself.
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: THT ]</p>
<strong>You need a comma after "AI".</strong><hr></blockquote>You should have the period inside the quotes.
(If you're in the US, anyway.)
Here's another: When do you use the apostrophe-s to make a word plural? Lots of people use it for acronyms, like "I have two IRA's," but even that's wrong.
So, Anders' is ok b/c Anders's would be hard to pronounce. Of course, that could be in the mouth of the speaker.
Thoth.
You should have the period inside the quotes.
(If you're in the US, anyway.)
Here's another: When do you use the apostrophe-s to make a word plural? Lots of people use it for acronyms, like "I have two IRA's," but even that's wrong.</strong>
I'm pretty sure I'm ok with leaving the period, or other punctuation, outside of one quoted word. If it was a sentence, then I need to.
As for making words and acronyms plural, I'm also pretty sure the answer is that you don't use an apostrophe to make words plural. For words ending with the letter "s", you add "es" unless there is a specific plural form for the word.
[Edit: The faster I write, the more mistakes I make. Sigh.
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: THT ]</p>
To, too, and two.
They're, their, and there.
Of and off.
'Cannot' is one word.
These are just some of my pet-peeves.
You should use a comma instead of a colon. You need a comma after "AI". The "the" in "write the what" is not needed. I do that sometimes to. Lastly, you don't need to write "if it should have been 100% correct" because it is redundant.
[Edit: Corrected some mistakes for myself.
Your use of the word "to" is incorrect. The use is "too" as in also, not "to" as in a place you are going.
Sorry, all this nitpicking in your post really made this error stand out. Go ahead tear apart my post as well. Anyone bold enough to pick apart anyone elses grammar should be willing to submit to the same scrutiny.
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: NoahJ ]</p>
<strong>Yeah, I always use the last comma. But you still see the last comma dropped in newspapers and magazines, who presumably are up on their grammar. I'm wondering if there's some other exception to that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Use of the serial comma is considered a "house style," as in, it depends who you work for. Most book publishers follow The Chicago Manual of Style, which dictates useage of the serial comma; most newspapers and magazines follow the Associated Press Style Guide which does not use the serial comma.
Sorry, all this nitpicking in your post really made this error stand out.</strong>
No problem. Like I said, I do it sometimes two.
<strong>[qb]Originally posted by NoahJ:
Sorry, all this nitpicking in your post really made this error stand out.</strong>
No problem. Like I said, I do it sometimes two.
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
BUT There is less money around today than there was a year ago.
See the difference?
- T.I.
I believe "elses" should be "else's" instead.
<strong>Here's another: When do you use the apostrophe-s to make a word plural? Lots of people use it for acronyms, like "I have two IRA's," but even that's wrong.</strong><hr></blockquote>Ah yes, that's another common question.
You can use apostrophes on numbers and acronyms to make them plural. Many people are confused on this use, but I am quite certain that it is valid in both cases, whether you do or don't use it. When I was in high school, I was on our English academic debate team and we once had a minor argument about the proper uses of apostrophes. This part was integral to the discussion.
"The Power Mac 9600's were sweet towers because they had six PCI slots."
"The IBM's in our lab were underpowered compared to the new iMacs."
Both of these examples are a-okay.
However, note that "iMacs" has no apostrophe.
Never use an apostrophe to make a name like "Mac" plural!!
[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
<strong>
I believe "elses" should be "else's" instead.
- T.I. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />