Grammar Discussions

[TheRealTMA]

Panda with a stutter?

Actually, being culturally appropriate, it was a WOMBAT!

 

[JohnM]

Actually, being culturally appropriate, it was a WOMBAT!

It eats roots shoots and leaves.

 

[Beano]

Another peeve is getting the subject-verb agreement wrt plurals. How many times have we seen a construction like "There is two airplanes on the route". "two planes" is more than one so is a plural. the verb must be a plural so should be "are". There are several other examples. Th e media is no exception.

Sometimes in long sentences the author looses track of the subject, singular or plural, and uses the wrong verb construction.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Another peeve is getting the subject-verb agreement wrt plurals. How many times have we seen a construction like "There is two airplanes on the route". "two planes" is more than one so is a plural. the verb must be a plural so should be "are". There are several other examples. Th e media is no exception.

Sometimes in long sentences the author looses track of the subject, singular or plural, and uses the wrong verb construction.

Could also be "The media are reporting on the story.

But that would open the box of worms that contains collective nouns.

 

[Beano]

Could also be "The media are reporting on the story.

But that would open the box of worms that contains collective nouns.

PS "media" is plural, covers newsprint, radio, TV and internet, i.e "many". "Medium" is singular.

 

[NM]

PS "media" is plural, covers newsprint, radio, TV and internet, i.e "many". "Medium" is singular.

And there was me thinking that "Medium" defies the size of a coffee cup... Who'd have thunk

 

[Beano]

And there was me thinking that "Medium" defies the size of a coffee cup... Who'd have thunk

Yup, English as she is spoke!

 

[JessicaTam]

Another peeve is getting the subject-verb agreement wrt plurals. How many times have we seen a construction like "There is two airplanes on the route". "two planes" is more than one so is a plural. the verb must be a plural so should be "are". There are several other examples. Th e media is no exception.

Sometimes in long sentences the author looses track of the subject, singular or plural, and uses the wrong verb construction.

Indeed. Some people shouldn’t be let ‘loose’ on long sentences.

 

[AuSammy]

 

[Beano]

View attachment 457221

I've noticed that my spell checker has started hyphenating words that I wouldn't normal hyphenate. What gives? Is this an Americanism?
PS. No-one's mentioned the Americanisms creeping in, e.g. traveler vs traveller!

 

[AuSammy]

I've noticed that my spell checker has started hyphenating words that I wouldn't normal hyphenate. What gives? Is this an Americanism?
PS. No-one's mentioned the Americanisms creeping in, e.g. traveler vs traveller!

Spell checkers on mobiles with essentially US programmers overriding English spelling

 

[Beano]

Spell checkers on mobiles with essentially US programmers overriding English spelling

I don't notice it so much as in MSWord.

 

[Beano]

but then I set the defaults to my English and phone keyboard is EN(AU).

 

[AuSammy]

 

[SYD]

View attachment 457620

How could they forget….

51. Terrific - a terrific (severe) storm or something great

 

[Beano]

View attachment 457620

Very good but some alternative definitions are colloquialisms, slang, of informal, e.g. flog in the sense of "sell". "Execute" is another I have to chuckle over. The original meaning in relation to its use "to kill" comes from "to execute a sentence of death" which is the "carrying out a task" sense. Lawyers still "execute" a will or you can "execute" a document by signing it. And "resign" in the sense of signing again should be "re-sign", one example of where I agree with hyphenation.

Some are examples of turning a noun made into a verb called "verbalisation" or verb made into a noun called "nominalisation". Sometimes making very clumsy words although "screen" is not one of those. "a screen" vs "to screen".

I don't understand the reference to "help". "I can't help it" doesn't make "help" mean "prevent" because if you substitute "help" for "prevent" it says the exact opposite.

Isn't the internet, or AI wonderful! Perhaps we should embrace neologisms!

 

[Viridis]

PS. No-one's mentioned the Americanisms creeping in, e.g. traveler vs traveller!

I’ve always found that frustrating - been happening for a long time. More so here than many other places I think

One that winds me up - aeroplane is the correct spelling of airplane ….

Programme not program (I know I’m in the minority - especially in Australia - but what can I say? I’m an old cought). My kids just roll their eyes

It’s maths not math

One of the problems is to get software to comply with one’s wishes. Modifying the settings in, for example, Word to check spelling against a UK or Australian dictionary of English is labyrinthine series of button pushing. Many people, if not most, would be dissuaded.

And don’t get me started on pronunciation

 

[DejaBrew]

And don’t get me started on pronunciation