Modern languages in decline
#76
Re: Modern languages in decline
The possessive of names ending in S should not have another S at all, but it has become more common. Personally I would not use James's
#77
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,368
Re: Modern languages in decline
I live near a large secondary modern in UK, and I frequently comment to my wife of the number of kids walking the streets at all hours of the school day. Certainly where we are I agree with DD, they seem to be able to wander out the nearest shop for their coke (in a can!), sweets, junk food etc at will. We were never allowed out, except in exceptional cases, we were bussed in and that's where we stayed until going home time.
#78
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Modern languages in decline
but then many of our teachers were ex wartime forces - the senior maths teacher took great delight in wearing his demob suit one day a week.
#79
Re: Modern languages in decline
I live near a large secondary modern in UK, and I frequently comment to my wife of the number of kids walking the streets at all hours of the school day. Certainly where we are I agree with DD, they seem to be able to wander out the nearest shop for their coke (in a can!), sweets, junk food etc at will. We were never allowed out, except in exceptional cases, we were bussed in and that's where we stayed until going home time.
#80
Re: Modern languages in decline
OK Dick, I will be the sucker in this and ask........
who gave the kids free reign ??
was it the parents ? who arent there
little green men visiting for the day ?
or was it the teachers ?? who when I was a lad, had us restricted to our own desk (although at secondary we had lockers and moved to different classrooms creating huge whirlpools of pupils rather than the teachers breezing in)
who gave the kids free reign ??
was it the parents ? who arent there
little green men visiting for the day ?
or was it the teachers ?? who when I was a lad, had us restricted to our own desk (although at secondary we had lockers and moved to different classrooms creating huge whirlpools of pupils rather than the teachers breezing in)
Was it the area education authorities who insisted on the removal of individual desks to allow total chaos to reign supreme or was it govt policy as a whole ?
I'm sure neither individual parents nor teachers would be allowed to make such decisions on there own.
#82
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Modern languages in decline
In plurals, tomatoe's is wrong but hippo's is correct (even if it should be hippopotami).
#83
Re: Modern languages in decline
More info here http://www.dailywritingtips.com/init...-and-acronyms/
Note the last paragraph.
#84
Re: Modern languages in decline
[QUOTE=Fred James;10232631]
I don't suppose they would, really.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
#85
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Modern languages in decline
Technically it is an Initialism which do not contain full stops.
More info here http://www.dailywritingtips.com/init...-and-acronyms/
Note the last paragraph.
More info here http://www.dailywritingtips.com/init...-and-acronyms/
Note the last paragraph.
#86
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Modern languages in decline
[QUOTE=Lion in Winter;10232643]
I don't suppose they would, really.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
perhaps in Elizabethan times people had better things to do, or just couldn't give a toss. Look at original documents, it was a totally different mind set to that of today..
However, they are responsible for some of the changes that came about leading to today's useage
things started to change drastically in the early 80's with the fax explosion (initiated by a long running Royal Mail strike) where all of a sudden people started to use more abbreviations. As technology advanced and texting then email became more prevelent then so did changes in language, grammar, abbreviations, spelling that previously too a couple of centuries to come about.
and when texting, emailing, foruming etc I will not use apostrophes and other formal thingys unless I feel like it. That also goes for using TLAs wherever and whenever.
I don't suppose they would, really.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
However, they are responsible for some of the changes that came about leading to today's useage
things started to change drastically in the early 80's with the fax explosion (initiated by a long running Royal Mail strike) where all of a sudden people started to use more abbreviations. As technology advanced and texting then email became more prevelent then so did changes in language, grammar, abbreviations, spelling that previously too a couple of centuries to come about.
and when texting, emailing, foruming etc I will not use apostrophes and other formal thingys unless I feel like it. That also goes for using TLAs wherever and whenever.
#87
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Catalonia, Spain
Posts: 530
Re: Modern languages in decline
#88
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Catalonia, Spain
Posts: 530
Re: Modern languages in decline
[QUOTE=Lion in Winter;10232643]
I don't suppose they would, really.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
That's certainly true - look at Shakespeare. He didn't even spell his name the same way all the time.
However, (which I'm told is a word that should never be used to start a sentence) surely the most important point is to be understood. It's all too easy to be ambiguous when you don't use correct punctuation.
There was a very funny book on the subject a few years ago called "Eats shoots and leaves." This can either mean a gunman or a panda depending on whether you use a comma or not.
I don't suppose they would, really.
But there is a Ph.D. school of thought, as well as a PhD school of thought. Same wtih BA or B.A.
I think it's actually a fairly recent phenomenon that people cared this much about standardized grammar at all, and certainly about spelling. In Elizabethan times, for example, I think people cared little. Languages change a lot via usage.
However, (which I'm told is a word that should never be used to start a sentence) surely the most important point is to be understood. It's all too easy to be ambiguous when you don't use correct punctuation.
There was a very funny book on the subject a few years ago called "Eats shoots and leaves." This can either mean a gunman or a panda depending on whether you use a comma or not.
#89
Re: Modern languages in decline
[QUOTE=Rambling Rose;10233531]
That's certainly true - look at Shakespeare. He didn't even spell his name the same way all the time.
However, (which I'm told is a word that should never be used to start a sentence) surely the most important point is to be understood. It's all too easy to be ambiguous when you don't use correct punctuation.
There was a very funny book on the subject a few years ago called "Eats shoots and leaves." This can either mean a gunman or a panda depending on whether you use a comma or not.
However you look at it, starting a sentence with 'however' is fine. However, the meaning changes if you use a comma.
That's certainly true - look at Shakespeare. He didn't even spell his name the same way all the time.
However, (which I'm told is a word that should never be used to start a sentence) surely the most important point is to be understood. It's all too easy to be ambiguous when you don't use correct punctuation.
There was a very funny book on the subject a few years ago called "Eats shoots and leaves." This can either mean a gunman or a panda depending on whether you use a comma or not.