Eats, Shoots & Leaves

[Taz]

Broadening the discussion to something wider than punctuation (which is the subject of the excellent book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"), I thought I would start a very pedantic thread on correct grammar and punctuation to enable the correct use of the English language

So, for starters:

Lose - as in when you lose a game
Loose - the opposite of tight

Their - as in belongs to
There - as in over there

Your - as in "I will smash your face in"
You're - as in "You're kidding aren't you?"

It's - as in "It's raining again'
Its - as in "My dog can lick its tail"

More please...

[EvilMunky]

Broadening the discussion to something wider than punctuation (which is the subject of the excellent book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"), I thought I would start a very pedantic thread on correct grammar and punctuation to enable the correct use of the English language

I'm no scholar but shouldn't there be a full stop there somewhere?

[Kezzer]

They're - "they're over there"

[Mutley]

This really depends on how you defined "correct English". Each generation makes subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle alterations to language structure which then becomes the norm.

Compare modern English with the language of Shakespearen England. They would not recognise our mode of speech. Their English was correct at the time, however.

I think it is in the nature of the English language, and its strength, that it can change so much. Many other languages are far too rigid to take this type of change, and while it means that those languages remain pure, it also means they cannot adapt, and are potentially doomed as a result.

Discuss.

[0iD]

Live - as in to live
Live - as in to play live etc.

[EvilMunky]

I Also feel that we the injection of net / txt speak into our language, things like punctuation, correct spelling and grammar are of slightly less importance now.

There is certainly, I feel, a time and a place for doing things correct and a time and place for not worrying about it. For example, on forums, I really don't care about my spelling, grammar etc it means nothing. However, on a job application or professional document, these details are of the utmost importance.

I work in an IT envionment and send many many emails each day. Some of them are to colleagues, to them I don't worry. My messages to the client however, are always professional, spelling and grammar checked etc etc.

[Taz]

Mutley, I disagree mate. I think the English language is being dumbed down out of sheer laziness! (Just my opinion so don't beat me up about it!).

I think it's beautiful to read great prose in which an entire journey unfolds in your mind through the vivid and imaginative use of words. This is why we need pictures and video to augment text in order to create the same journey in your mind.

I am all for Shakesperean English! The quality of mercy is not strained... 'innit?

[Mutley]

Brake - To stop something working.
Brake - To slow down
Break - To have a rest

[Mutley]

Mutley, I disagree mate. I think the English language is being dumbed down out of sheer laziness! (Just my opinion so don't beat me up about it!).

I think it's beautiful to read great prose in which an entire journey unfolds in your mind through the vivid and imaginative use of words. This is why we need pictures and video to augment text in order to create the same journey in your mind.

I am all for Shakesperean English! The quality of mercy is not strained... 'innit?

Aha, but there is my point! You are quoting Shakespeare using modern English. Elizabethan English was quite different. Spelling was not considered to be of great importance, it was often a phonetic exersise for example.

I agree that there is a lot of laziness in the use of English. I would argue however, that it is the langauge's inherent flexibility that it can be used in a lazy fashion. Perhaps this will be its downfall, contrary to my earlier argument, and more rigid languages will survive. Then again, how many people speak fluent Latin?

[Mutley]

Bole - base of a tree
Bowl - Something you put soup in.

Rubbish - disgarded items to be thrown away
Rubbish - my skills in BF2

[Taz]

Hornet's nest - what I may have started!

[Workaholic]

Quoted from:
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/d.../d0082839.html

Stationary is used for a person or thing that is not moving: The train was stationary in the station.
Stationery is writing materials, as supplied by a stationer: There was plenty of paper in the office stationery store. (Stationers are so called as at one time they had a regular stall, so were stationary, unlike other tradesmen, who travelled with their goods.) To remember how to spell these words, think of e for 'letter' (stationery) and a for 'car' (stationary).

[Taz]

Hole - as in a "I have just dug a hole"
Whole - as in "He's got the whole world in his hand"

[Mutley]

lol

[schmunk]

Brake - To stop something working.
Brake - To slow down
Break - To have a rest

Ahem:

Break - To stop something working.

[Grey M@a]

Ahem:

Break - To stop something working.

At least I wasn't the only one to notice this.