So....shall we ban it?

[Mike Fishcake]

They're spelled completely differently, you could only mistake the two if you didn't know the difference and anyone with even a basic education should know the difference. So anyone who knows the difference and abuses them is still just being lazy.

If the English language had consistent rules that made sense, I'd be tempted to agree with you. But it doesn't. So I don't. And in my book, pedantry is infinitely more annoying than a simple grammatical mistake.

[Stewart]

Gotta agree with the Fishcake here.

I'm on about moobs posting nonsense. 'u r teh sux LOL!11!!' That sort of thing.

I'm not supporting any sort of petty moaning about someone who said 'there' when they should have said 'their'.

[Salazaar]

If the English language had consistent rules that made sense, I'd be tempted to agree with you. But it doesn't. So I don't. And in my book, pedantry is infinitely more annoying than a simple grammatical mistake.

If it were an inconsistent or complex rule I'd agree with you, but it isn't. It's a set of words with different meanings which are spelled differently, the only similarity is that they sound alike. No excuses.

That said, I'm not remotely serious about banning anyone for it, it just pissed me off something chronic.

[kalniel]

If it were an inconsistent or complex rule I'd agree with you, but it isn't. It's a set of words with different meanings which are spelled differently, the only similarity is that they sound alike. No excuses.

Plenty of excuses - dyslexics often can't even see the difference between words that sound the same.

[Saracen]

The only words you shouldn't have at the beginning of sentences are 'because', 'but' or 'and'. Anything else is perfectly cromulent.

But there are often reasons for using doing exactly that. And actually, the oft-misquoted "rule", which actually isn't a rule at all but a tradition, and one long-ignored at that, is that you don't start a sentence with a conjunction. And, of course, there's a LOT more conjunctions than those three words.

Because it isn't clear whether you don't understand the situation, or do but are taking the pee, I'll explain.


<okay, I'll drop starting every sentence with one of those three>

It's not a rule. It's a guide. And it's probably a good guide, especially for kids, and for novices, and for those that use it (or abuse it) in the wrong place or way. But it's perfectly valid English. And what's more, if you go back over the Great Masters, you'll find virtually every one uses it when appropriate, from the Venerable Bede (in Latin) forwards.

Where it might not be appropriate is in highly formal documents. Then, I grant you, it's perhaps poor style, though not grammatically illegal. But a forum post is far from highly formal. The primary objective, certainly when I post, is simply to make a point. Sometime a complex point, and sometimes () quite a long point, but a point.

And often (sorry, couldn't resist), an easy way of doing it is to write in a conversational style. If you do that, text will sound either like is talking to you, or perhaps even like it's a chain of thought. The point .... does the way it's phrased make sense? Does it communicate?

If it does, then fine. Personally, I don't really care whether things said on here follow the rules of grammar, let alone archaic (and unjustified) traditions. I care whether the message gets over.

Sometimes, using a word like "and" or "but" merely serves to emphasise that what you're reading is a process, a stream. Putting the whole lot in one very big, long single paragraph makes it hard to read. Splitting it up a bit just makes it easier on the eye.

But, by using this type of style, it signals mentally that the point is carrying on and, mentally, there's a conjunction between the thought process, the point being made, as with this para. So, far from using conjunctions being bad, it's a stylistic way of making the thought process coherent, even if you are being a bit grammatically naughty, perhaps by putting in a paragraph break to make things easier on the eye where, really, the content suggests there shouldn't be one.

if anything, therefore, my grammatical naughtiness is to use para's where I shouldn't, and mentally masking it with sentences starting with conjunctions. Some people may not like that style, which is their right, but there's nothing inherently grammatically incorrect about starting sentences with conjunctions. That doesn't mean it always make sense, or is always good style, or necessarily makes things more readable. The key is to do it when it's appropriate and not when it isn't. But that's content-dependent and a style issue, not a grammatical one.


So there.

[Stewart]

if anything, therefore, my grammatical naughtiness is to use para's where I shouldn't, and mentally masking it with sentences starting with conjunctions. Some people may not like that style, which is their right, but there's nothing inherently grammatically incorrect about starting sentences with conjunctions. That doesn't mean it always make sense, or is always good style, or necessarily makes things more readable. The key is to do it when it's appropriate and not when it isn't. But that's content-dependent and a style issue, not a grammatical one.

Paul the haughty banana is disappointed this paragraph starts with a lower case i.

[Lee H]

I reckon you all need some valium, some herbal tea or whatever you guys have to make yourself a little relaxed.

It's just words at the end of a day on a informal forum and as such some people are going to spell things incorrectly, it's all part of life as everyone has different levels of intellect and grammar abilities (Today I'm wearing my +3 spelling socks! )

There are more things in the world to complain about which are worse than a few misspelt words.

Go on... deep breath folks and relax

[Stewart]

Oooooh... listen to Mr 30 year old. All groweded up now he's not a youngster.

[Million]

Only if your Mom is morbidly obese.

Now now, leave the mothers out of this

[Salazaar]

Plenty of excuses - dyslexics often can't even see the difference between words that sound the same.

That is a good excuse actually but it doesn't explain the frequency at which it happens, unless the rate of dyslexia among the denzines of the interwebs is significantly higher than the rest of the world.

Go on... deep breath folks and relax

Can't...

[schmunk]

denzines

Denizens, Mr Salazaar, denizens...

[Salazaar]

Denizens, Mr Salazaar, denizens...

See, that's a spelling mistake. The right word spelled wrongly, notice how I didn't substitute for a similar sounding but completely different word

[Zak33]

But there are often reasons for using doing exactly that. And actually, the oft-misquoted "rule", which actually isn't a rule at all but a tradition, and one long-ignored at that, is that you don't start a sentence with a conjunction. And, of course, there's a LOT more conjunctions than those three words.

Because it isn't clear whether you don't understand the situation, or do but are taking the pee, I'll explain.


<okay, I'll drop starting every sentence with one of those three>

for the absolute WIN

[Perfectionist]

4 pages of arguing about grammar. Only on the internet.

[kalniel]

That is a good excuse actually but it doesn't explain the frequency at which it happens, unless the rate of dyslexia among the denzines of the interwebs is significantly higher than the rest of the world.

Depends on the forum, but in sciences/maths/IT then yes, I think the dyslexic rate is higher than norm.

A good way to spot it is whether the rest of the post is otherwise correct and not using txt speak or whatever.

[Salazaar]

Depends on the forum, but in sciences/maths/IT then yes, I think the dyslexic rate is higher than norm.

A good way to spot it is whether the rest of the post is otherwise correct and not using txt speak or whatever.

Right, doctor's certificates please...