Do grammatical errors bother you?

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If the title of the book had happened to be "About Down Under" then you could have said:

"Dad, why did you bring that book that I didn't want to be read to from about Down Under, 'About Down Under', up for?"

Repeats are definitely cheating.

[GraceKrispy]

I just read this somewhere and thought it very fitting in this thread:

The Importance of Capitalizing letters appropriately. I cannot stress enough that grammar is important: Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I just read this somewhere and thought it very fitting in this thread:

The Importance of Capitalizing letters appropriately. I cannot stress enough that grammar is important: Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

Why can't you capitalise? We do!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I just read this somewhere and thought it very fitting in this thread:

The Importance of Capitalizing letters appropriately. I cannot stress enough that grammar is important: Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

It seems to me you are capitalizing on capitalization.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

Note that ends in a preposition, and is 'technically' incorrect, but I don't really care.

No, it's *not* technically incorrect. (Although an ugly sentence.) It is *perfectly* acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition. All Germanic languages have this; it's part of the grammar. In fact, I would argue that certain kinds of preposition fronting is ungrammatical, and if not that, often forced and pretentious.

Take a look at these common and perfectly correct English sentences:

1. Customer service is always difficult to deal with.
2. Where does bacon come from?
3. Her father had a similar problem that he simply lived with.

These are perfectly acceptable English sentences, and although they could be re-written to capture the stranded preposition, the rewritten sentences would not be an improvement. Even if I find the sentence "Whence comes bacon?" somewhat appealing.

But no modern grammar or usage guide, even the strictest, will state that preposition stranding is wrong, or that sentences like "What are you talking about?" or "Who are you looking at?" or "Put that back where you got it from" are anything but normal and correct English.

Of course, there are plenty of examples where stranding a preposition is not the most felicitous way to write a sentence - but the problem there is the specific construction, not the general rule.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

No, it's *not* technically incorrect. (Although an ugly sentence.) It is *perfectly* acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition. All Germanic languages have this; it's part of the grammar. In fact, I would argue that certain kinds of preposition fronting is ungrammatical, and if not that, often forced and pretentious.

Take a look at these common and perfectly correct English sentences:

1. Customer service is always difficult to deal with.
2. Where does bacon come from?
3. Her father had a similar problem that he simply lived with.

These are perfectly acceptable English sentences, and although they could be re-written to capture the stranded preposition, the rewritten sentences would not be an improvement. Even if I find the sentence "Whence comes bacon?" somewhat appealing.

But no modern grammar or usage guide, even the strictest, will state that preposition stranding is wrong, or that sentences like "What are you talking about?" or "Who are you looking at?" or "Put that back where you got it from" are anything but normal and correct English.

Of course, there are plenty of examples where stranding a preposition is not the most felicitous way to write a sentence - but the problem there is the specific construction, not the general rule.

While I do not disagree with you, I wish my English teachers were still alive. I would love to see the battle between you and them.

[Just4kix]

I also wondered what was wrong with 'hone in on'.
I've noticed that Americans say 'bring' where Brits would say 'take'.

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by Just4kix

I also wondered what was wrong with 'hone in on'.
I've noticed that Americans say 'bring' where Brits would say 'take'.

To hone is to sharpen. For example 'hone' your skills.

I think the correct term is 'home in on'. Like a homing pidgeon.

Americans seem to say take where Ozzies would say have. Like have a bath. Take a bath sounds American to us.
I think Italians would say do a bath, although my Italian translation is not very good.

It is the bought and brought that really gets up my nose.

I know people that would say "I brought this hat at KMart" or "I bought those children". "Where did you buy those children" I say, only to have blank looks directed at me.

[GraceKrispy]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

I know people that would say "I brought this hat at KMart" or "I bought those children". "Where did you buy those children" I say, only to have blank looks directed at me.

I have never heard that before! I can't stand "I seen this..." My husband says that.

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I have never heard that before! I can't stand "I seen this..." My husband says that.

A woman that works for the same business as me quite often tells me "I done that". I think she also uses "I seen ....."

Unfortunately it makes me think less of people when they speak like that!

I don' wanna be a snob!

[GraceKrispy]

ha, I told him he sounds uneducated at one point early on. but honestly, he is sort of uneducated, for the most part. And his mother speaks like that as well.

[Under the Covers]

I ran into a high school English teacher who used "has/had went" and other such constructions. Eeeek!!!

[LtDARKPhoeniX]

I don't mind grammatical and spelling errors as long as what is being read makes sense in the end not even leet speak bothers me when used sparingly the odd omg,fyi,imo etc. i don't mind but in books it annoys me to death

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Under the Covers

I ran into a high school English teacher who used "has/had went" and other such constructions. Eeeek!!!

I am known to exclaim (to myself): "Had I but known!"

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

It is the bought and brought that really gets up my nose.

I know people that would say "I brought this hat at KMart" or "I bought those children". "Where did you buy those children" I say, only to have blank looks directed at me.

I could see "I brought this hat to K-Mart", although that really begs for a further explanation as to why.

As for "I bought (sic) those children" ... are you saying they were obtained from some sort of black-market adoption scheme???

Even, "I brought those children" (used correctly) sounds horribly cold. Presumably, they are not the speaker's kids, but I can't see an inquiry resulting in that exact response, without something more, along the lines of, "I bought (sic) those children with me, because their mum had been rushed to hospital, and I had an appointment I couldn't miss."

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I am known to exclaim (to myself): "Had I but known!"

But not, I hope, "Had I but went!"