2015/04/19 11:02:33
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
Otherwise, I'm in no position to criticise, even though we, my better half and I, sure are grammar nazis when it comes to people who use language professionally. You can hear professional journalists/reporters misuse and mutilate language in a way that would have gotten one fired 30 years ago. 
2015/04/19 12:33:40
SteveStrummerUK
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
Otherwise, I'm in no position to criticise, even though we, my better half and I, sure are grammar nazis when it comes to people who use language professionally. You can hear professional journalists/reporters misuse and mutilate language in a way that would have gotten one fired 30 years ago. 




Kalle, I have to say your English is always excellent. If you didn't have 'Finland' set as your location, I doubt that anyone here would assume that it wasn't your first language.
 
I may not always succeed, but I try to speak and write reasonably good English. My old English Language teacher at school always stressed upon us that if you expected someone to read anything you'd written, it was simply good manners to take care with correct grammar and spelling.
 
 
sharke
I sometimes feel like the only person who distinguishes it's from its. Also putting apostrophes after an 's' to show plural possession as in "My parents' house," and to indicate the possessive of a name which ends in 's' as in "James' guitar."

I'm shocked at how many people are substituting "of" for "have" these days, e.g. "I shouldn't of done that."

 
I hear and see this quite a lot, and it makes me wonder just how lazy some folk are.
 
It doesn't even make sense, so it's almost as if a whole swathe of people have misheard others correctly using "would have" (or more likely "would've") and haven't the intelligence to realise what's really being said.
 
I'd love to ask them something along the lines of... "Of you ever studied English? Of you never owned a dictionary? Of you any feckin' idea how feckin' annoyed you of made me?"
 
 
2015/04/19 12:41:51
jamesg1213
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
 




 
I've seen that too, by the same person who says 'set' instead of 'sit', which I find very strange, but could be a regional thing.
2015/04/19 12:45:00
SteveStrummerUK
jamesg1213
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
 




 
I've seen that too, by the same person who says 'set' instead of 'sit', which I find very strange, but could be a regional thing.




Could this the same person who might 'loose' his car keys?
2015/04/19 12:52:18
jamesg1213
SteveStrummerUK
jamesg1213
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
 




 
I've seen that too, by the same person who says 'set' instead of 'sit', which I find very strange, but could be a regional thing.




Could this the same person who might 'loose' his car keys?




I think so...then says 'Waa laaa' when he finds them.
2015/04/19 12:52:39
SteveStrummerUK
jamesg1213
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
 




 
I've seen that too, by the same person who says 'set' instead of 'sit', which I find very strange, but could be a regional thing.




I don't buy that. Regardless of how someone pronounces a word, you should at least know how the 'real' word is spelt.
 
Otherwise, how do these people use the word they are substituting for others? If you use 'then' instead of 'than', what do you say when you want to use 'then' correctly? 'Set' and 'sit' is probably a better example. What theory did they think they were studying when they first encountered Venn diagrams
2015/04/19 12:56:17
SteveStrummerUK
jamesg1213
SteveStrummerUK
jamesg1213
Kalle Rantaaho
As a non-native english speaker the one thing that amazed me when I started participating this forum (it's the only english language forum I participate) was how common it is to use "then" instead of "than" (a bigger mistake then saying ...). 
 




 
I've seen that too, by the same person who says 'set' instead of 'sit', which I find very strange, but could be a regional thing.




Could this the same person who might 'loose' his car keys?




I think so...then says 'Waa laaa' when he finds them.




That's him!
 
And that's also reminded me of a particularly annoying American pronunciation.
 
Dill, parsley, sage and rosemary are herbs (HHHHHHerbs), not feckin' 'Urbs'
 
 
 
 
 
2015/04/19 13:06:54
jbow
35 years ago our next door neighbor would ask us things like "Have y'all et?" or "We done et". Then they had a second daughter, the guy (Keith) was wanting a son and named the baby girl... Keitha. Yep.
 
I'm always afraid I'm going to get "I" and "me" mixed up. I always try to remove the other word to see if it still works, like if I'm saying "you and me" or "you and I". I'm sure I get it wrong sometime.
Lay down or lie down is confusing to me too.
Where I grew up we didn't start the car we cranked it up. I'm pretty sure that is a holdover from the Model "T". BTW, we had a Model "T" when I was 16, it was a BLAST to drive. The "spark" and "gas" was on the steering column where a gearshift and blinker is now. It had a magneto that would light your arse UP and the crank could hurt you if it backfired when "Cranking it up". It used more water than gas...but as usual, I digress.
 
Language is changing, it always does or we would still be saying thee and thou or worse. Have you ever tried to read a book from the 1500s that has not been re-written into modern English? It can be hard. I have a book by Walter Marshall. I have it in the original olde English and a re-write. I can hardly read the original, it's the same with the works of John Owen. What was once correct is now obsolete. Like it or not, "ain't" is now a word as is "y'all". Maybe not everywhere but if you can write it, read it, and understand it... it is a word.
"Text language" is changing our written language and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
 
However, we CAN be curmudgeons about it! 
 
Su****ious greaser (LOL, I have been wondering if the software would edit s p i c and allow greaser).. Now I know.
2015/04/19 21:26:00
craigb
As long as we're at it, I've been hearing a lot of people, many who should know better, using "good" instead of "well."
 
He's plays very good.  He did that pretty good.
 
When I subtly tease them by saying "He did it pretty well too!" they don't even get it...
 
Unfortunately, all of those movies like Mad Max that show the world degenerating seem to be more accurate than we would like!  Proper communication and, really, respect for others are becoming things of the past...
2015/04/21 07:54:17
SteveStrummerUK
 
 
Anyone who uses "definately" instead of "definitely" should be taken out and shot in front of their family.
 
     ~ Jeremy Clarkhole, 2015
© 2026 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account