Pointless English Spellings
Nov 5th 2003, 8:31 pm
#31
Guest
Posts: n/a
[QUOTE]Originally posted by DianeOZ
You will probably not be surprised to hear this but these days examination bodies (and Scotland is all I can speak for) allow you "to do it like this". or "to do it like this." or "to do it like this!" or "to do it like this"!.
That is in word processing and administration examinations.
In an English examination you can write 'Posh and Becks' and they will say he/she really meant "to do it like this" and they will give you an extra mark for creativity (and the Turner Art Prize as well).
You'll detect a hint of cynicism about English examinations but it is fact about typing/word processing rules (either style is acceptable). You can also put 1, 2 or 3 spaces after a full stop if you wish - as long as you do it consistently. I was brought up on 2 so use this (don't go counting the spaces after my full stops please!).
TennisOz
Originally posted by Nara
One of my pet hates is the old 'apostophe s'....
people with thing's
the dogs got it's bone
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That really gets me too Nara but the thing is I CAN"T REMEMBER THE RULES!!!! I used to be good at English but I've totally forgotten the 's thing, can you give me a wee lesson, also when using inverted commas do you include the ? or ! before or after the ".
Thank you
A grateful pupil!!!
One of my pet hates is the old 'apostophe s'....
people with thing's
the dogs got it's bone
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That really gets me too Nara but the thing is I CAN"T REMEMBER THE RULES!!!! I used to be good at English but I've totally forgotten the 's thing, can you give me a wee lesson, also when using inverted commas do you include the ? or ! before or after the ".
Thank you
A grateful pupil!!!
That is in word processing and administration examinations. In an English examination you can write 'Posh and Becks' and they will say he/she really meant "to do it like this" and they will give you an extra mark for creativity (and the Turner Art Prize as well).
You'll detect a hint of cynicism about English examinations but it is fact about typing/word processing rules (either style is acceptable). You can also put 1, 2 or 3 spaces after a full stop if you wish - as long as you do it consistently. I was brought up on 2 so use this (don't go counting the spaces after my full stops please!).
TennisOz
Nov 5th 2003, 9:33 pm
#32
Rocket Scientist
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Dreamland AKA Brisbane which is a different country to the UK
Posts: 6,911
Originally posted by RichS
I did Latin at school too - Ecce Romani was the series of books involved, and what a bore it was, but bizarrely useful in later life in normally irrelevant scenarios such as this.
I did Latin at school too - Ecce Romani was the series of books involved, and what a bore it was, but bizarrely useful in later life in normally irrelevant scenarios such as this.
Then we have the "fewer/lesser" arguments & the "something can't be quite unique" discussions ...... & that's when I know that I have married a grammar pedant & I know where he gets it from LOL.
Nov 6th 2003, 12:56 am
#33
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Coogee, Sydney
Posts: 1,017
My personal favourite/hate is stationary and stationery - I always get it wrong - although someone recently told me you would not buy paper from a stationars - so my years of torment are now over.
Nobody has yet mentioned the famous Star Trek grammatical error in "To boldly Go......." Something to do with split infinitives which took me years to work out.
Glad to see that I am not the only person with a 2000 odd page Oxford English Dictionary to hand !
I find myself now thoroughly discombobulated (my word of the week and a sure fire hit at dinner parties )
Nobody has yet mentioned the famous Star Trek grammatical error in "To boldly Go......." Something to do with split infinitives which took me years to work out.
Glad to see that I am not the only person with a 2000 odd page Oxford English Dictionary to hand !
I find myself now thoroughly discombobulated (my word of the week and a sure fire hit at dinner parties
)
Nov 6th 2003, 2:29 am
#34
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast Queensland
Posts: 242
Re: Pointless English Spellings
Originally posted by tennisoz
Bear in mind that someone called me a grammar snob on this forum because I corrected some spelling mistakes but this is a common one. Just as an aside there is a Google game where you try to get the most hits on an incorrectly spelled word. For example buisness throws up 150,000 results! Emmigration throws up 39,700 and so on.
Who can get the highest number of Google hits with a mispelled words? One of my pupils turned up over 3 million with Britny or something like that which is perhaps a reflection on modern society and the internet.
But getting back to your question, unfortunately you will find they use the same language as the first language in Australia so in that sense you will have to worry about spelling.
Should be an interesting thread
TennisOz
And I haven't got time to proooooof read this so plese don't bother pointing out any mistooks anyone.
Bear in mind that someone called me a grammar snob on this forum because I corrected some spelling mistakes
but this is a common one. Just as an aside there is a Google game where you try to get the most hits on an incorrectly spelled word. For example buisness throws up 150,000 results! Emmigration throws up 39,700 and so on. Who can get the highest number of Google hits with a mispelled words? One of my pupils turned up over 3 million with Britny or something like that which is perhaps a reflection on modern society and the internet.
But getting back to your question, unfortunately you will find they use the same language as the first language in Australia so in that sense you will have to worry about spelling.
Should be an interesting thread
TennisOz
And I haven't got time to proooooof read this so plese don't bother pointing out any mistooks anyone.
The reason for getting so many hits off of mis-spelled searches on the internet is because the clever people who build the web pages and register them with the search engines include a few badly spelled versions of the main topic of the page, to see the invisible search words on the top of the main page, <view> <source> on the Internet explorer menu, just close the window when you have finished looking to get back to where you started. This is done to ensure that fat fingered people still get what they are looking for!
Having said all that, there are still a surprising amount of badly spelled pages on the web.
Phil.
ps bond money away!!!
Nov 6th 2003, 2:34 am
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast Queensland
Posts: 242
Here is an example of the above search stuff-thingy:
"META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="worldofbritney,britney spears video,britney spears pictures,britney spears, britney pepsi video, download britney mpeg, britney asf, britney media, britney multimedia, britney videos, britney mp3, download music, dance videos, MTV, britney spears videos, britney spears dancers, Britney, Spears Britany, Brittany Spears, Britany Spears fan club, fan club, Briteny, official".
Phil.
"META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="worldofbritney,britney spears video,britney spears pictures,britney spears, britney pepsi video, download britney mpeg, britney asf, britney media, britney multimedia, britney videos, britney mp3, download music, dance videos, MTV, britney spears videos, britney spears dancers, Britney, Spears Britany, Brittany Spears, Britany Spears fan club, fan club, Briteny, official".
Phil.
Nov 6th 2003, 3:59 am
#36
Nutty Nurse
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Warwickshire originally, now in NT, Australia
Posts: 139
Can someone tell me how to use colons and semi colons appropriately?
Thanks :-)
Thanks :-)
Nov 6th 2003, 4:35 am
#37
Gone Senile Member
Joined: Sep 2001
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,014
Originally posted by RichS
I did Latin at school too - Ecce Romani was the series of books involved, and what a bore it was, but bizarrely useful in later life in normally irrelevant scenarios such as this.
My pet hate is losing, or to be more specific people who always write loosing. It just irks me.
I did Latin at school too - Ecce Romani was the series of books involved, and what a bore it was, but bizarrely useful in later life in normally irrelevant scenarios such as this.
My pet hate is losing, or to be more specific people who always write loosing. It just irks me.
I did three years of Latin to get out of two years domestic science....!!
I am mildly dyslexic, but learnt to type and now spell correctly more often than not because of learning where the keys are on a typewriter and the positioning of letters and words rather than understanding spelling. I was a typesetter for over five years including typesetting journals for the OUP - Oxford University Press! There are wonderful people called proof readers who check documents, a dimishing trade I fear. A true vocation for the pedantic?
I admit my spelling and grammar leave a lot to be desired but I am also in the boat that despises the lack of interest in correct spelling. I used to have something to aspire to by beating my problem .... but now I can just spel it out in txt and b
???Cheers
PS when it comes to maths never mind percentages and fractions! The lack of understanding of the uses of pythagoras' theorem in todays young leaves me baffled?
Nov 6th 2003, 6:26 am
#38
Guest
Posts: n/a
All I can say is "Super cala frajerlistick expi ali dotious "
(and I don't even know if I spelled that correctly)
Earlswood
(and I don't even know if I spelled that correctly)
Earlswood
Nov 6th 2003, 7:07 am
#39
Guest
Posts: n/a
Comma: you can usually add one, but then take one away.
There was an article in the Times last week that showed how the absence or presence of a comma can completely change the context and meaning of a sentence. Graham Greene's will was changed by himself at the last moment - he changed a comma - which meant that lawyers have been arguing the toss over its meaning ever since.
(note no ' in its)
Badge
There was an article in the Times last week that showed how the absence or presence of a comma can completely change the context and meaning of a sentence. Graham Greene's will was changed by himself at the last moment - he changed a comma - which meant that lawyers have been arguing the toss over its meaning ever since.
(note no ' in its)
Badge
Nov 6th 2003, 8:57 pm
#40
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by badgersmount
Comma: you can usually add one, but then take one away.
There was an article in the Times last week that showed how the absence or presence of a comma can completely change the context and meaning of a sentence. Graham Greene's will was changed by himself at the last moment - he changed a comma - which meant that lawyers have been arguing the toss over its meaning ever since.
(note no ' in its)
Badge
Comma: you can usually add one, but then take one away.
There was an article in the Times last week that showed how the absence or presence of a comma can completely change the context and meaning of a sentence. Graham Greene's will was changed by himself at the last moment - he changed a comma - which meant that lawyers have been arguing the toss over its meaning ever since.
(note no ' in its)
Badge
).TennisOz
Nov 6th 2003, 8:59 pm
#41
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by tennisoz
Unless it is short for it is eg It's Friday as opposed to eg The dog ate its food. I'm not sure but that is what I seem to remember from school all those years ago (Australian school so probably crappy).
TennisOz
Unless it is short for it is eg It's Friday as opposed to eg The dog ate its food. I'm not sure but that is what I seem to remember from school all those years ago (Australian school so probably crappy
).TennisOz
TennisOz
Nov 6th 2003, 9:05 pm
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Nappyland
Posts: 2,886
Originally posted by tennisoz
Unless it is short for it is eg It's Friday as opposed to eg The dog ate its food. I'm not sure but that is what I seem to remember from school all those years ago (Australian school so probably crappy).
TennisOz
Unless it is short for it is eg It's Friday as opposed to eg The dog ate its food. I'm not sure but that is what I seem to remember from school all those years ago (Australian school so probably crappy
).TennisOz
Nov 7th 2003, 2:06 am
#43
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Gold Coast- the best place in the world
Posts: 3,196
I dont no wot all the fuss iz abot on ere, u all spel perfick to me!!
