In article , Brian
--- writes

I must really agree with you~~ we seem to have had a similar
background with English.
It's the misuse of less and fewer that I notice most.

I get irritated by 'hotter temperatures' and 'cheaper prices'.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 22:59:59 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


The correct use of apostrophes hasn't changed, there are just more
people abusing them.

Who has read Eats, shoots and leaves? (to bring in a gardening link!)
Quite entertaining for those of us fussy about such things.
While we are on the topic of grammar, I would ask if anyone is as
infuriated as I am by the number of people who say "somethinK" and
"anythinK".
Anyone know why?
Also the frequency of "I'm SAT" for "sitting" and I'm STOOD" for
"standing". Many radio and TV reporters are guilty here.
Is it just language eveolving or is it because they don't teach
grammar any more?

Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 22:59:59 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:



Is it just language eveolving or is it because they don't teach
grammar any more?

Pam in Bristol

There is little question that language is still evolving....I wonder what
Sheakspeare would thing of todays English....I really wonder what authority
has the absolute right to state what is proper and what is not....is the
spelling of color incorrect.....perhaps spelling is a different subject from
grammar but never-the-less an indicator of change...for better or
worse.....H

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:
"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 22:59:59 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

Is it just language eveolving or is it because they don't teach
grammar any more?

There is little question that language is still evolving....I wonder what
Sheakspeare would thing of todays English....I really wonder what authority
has the absolute right to state what is proper and what is not....is the
spelling of color incorrect.....perhaps spelling is a different
subject from
grammar but never-the-less an indicator of change...for better or
worse.....H

What's correct in one area of the country can be looked at as verging on
the illiterate in another.

"I'm staying while 5 o'clock." would puzzle many. ("I'm staying until 5
o'clock.")Using 'us' instead of 'we' and 'I' instead of 'me' is correct
for some local dialects, notably parts of the West Country, and 'That I
be.' is common over a lot of the country.

Spelling has been standardised (to some extent) and 'color' is wrong in
UK English. the past participle of the verb 'to sneak' is variously
'sneaked' and 'snuck' in the UK, but more often the former.

I gather that it is the other way round across the pond.

Then you have car parts - the hood in the UK is that bit of folding
cloth and steel which covers the accommodation during inclement weather,
and a trunk is either an elephant's nasal appendage or a big box for
transporting clothes.

Faucets and taps, automobile and car, railroad and railway, and while
you wouldn't get a raised eyebrow in the UK if you said you saw someone
with a fag between his lips...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

" eveolving " or is it because they don't teach
grammar any more?

Pam in Bristol

ore spelin

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

"Squirrels's nuts" for "the nuts of the squirrels" is also correct,
though not so often used;

Really? I'd like to verify that. Can you give me your source for that?

If I could unforget - probably Miss Burbridge, around 1955.

Hmm, I'm not sure she was correct. I don't think you'll find it in any
book on English usage.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 Pam Moore wrote:

The correct use of apostrophes hasn't changed, there are just more
people abusing them.

Who has read Eats, shoots and leaves? (to bring in a gardening link!)

I was just about to mention that book!

Quite entertaining for those of us fussy about such things.
While we are on the topic of grammar, I would ask if anyone is as
infuriated as I am by the number of people who say "somethinK" and
"anythinK".

My pet hate is the incorrect use of "you and I". The rule is that if, in
a sentence, "me" would be correct, then it should be "you and me". In
other words, if it is the object in a sentence or after a preposition.

But people are completely confused by it simply because sentence
construction is no longer taught in schools, not even in the remaining
grammar schools. I can afford to criticise as I was a teacher in a
grammar school for most of my career.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

"I'm staying while 5 o'clock." would puzzle many. ("I'm staying until 5
o'clock.")
. . . and caused serious injuries to the poor soul at the railway
crossing who obeyed the sign WAIT WHILE (until) SIGNALS ARE FLASHING

"Dah" wrote in message
...

"I'm staying while 5 o'clock." would puzzle many. ("I'm staying until 5
o'clock.")
. . . and caused serious injuries to the poor soul at the railway
crossing who obeyed the sign WAIT WHILE (until) SIGNALS ARE FLASHING


????????????????????????????

Pardon?

Please explain

Mike Crowe F.E.P.

No they weren't, Jaqueoff.

All my teachers had parents that were married.


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "cineman" contains these words:
"Kay" wrote in message
...

Interesting how the use of the apostrophe seems to be completely
reversing in this age - once it was used for possessives but not
plurals, now it appears to be the other way around.

Pardon?
When I as at school, on our chalk boards we were taught to use those
squiggly little things (thing's) to show plural plural's ?? and in such
case's cases ?? as isnt or isn't, or where I come from aint.
From this yo no are dow now worarm torkin abaht.

You had illiterate teachers?

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

That's you alright, Jaqueoff.

You're the left nut of a squirrel!!!


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "BAC" contains these words:

Whilst at school, we were taught that it was incorrect to put an 's'
after
the 'possessive' apostrophe in the case of plural words ending in 's'.
Hence
we would put, for example, the squirrels' nuts (meaning the nuts put out
for
the squirrels); not the squirrels's nuts; certainly not the squirrel's
nuts,
which latter would mean we were asserting the squirrel (singular) was
nuts.
As an expert in these matters, can you please advise whether that usage
is
still regarded as correct?

As a onetime teacher I'll stick my neck out:

"Squirrel's nuts" is perfectly correct for "the nuts of the squirrel";
"Squirrels' nuts" for "the nuts of the squirrels" is perfectly correct;
"Squirrels's nuts" for "the nuts of the squirrels" is also correct,
though not so often used;

"The squirrel's were on the lawn" is wrong, and always has been, even in
the time when an apostrophe was used to adorn the plural of bananas,
avocados, amd many other (usually foreign) words ending in a vowel.

HTH

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaqueoff left his English grammar references on Fantasy Island!!!!


"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

"Squirrels's nuts" for "the nuts of the squirrels" is also correct,
though not so often used;

Really? I'd like to verify that. Can you give me your source for that?

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond contains these
words:


I find all abuse of English quite amusing, [and thank whoever for
spell-check] as there seems to be no way to alter, once an adult. We
seem
to learn by example, from peers and parents, rather than education.

Janet

(snip)

to those that would quibble about
an ' or a " here and there I would say......read the above.....H


I trust they will notice the above was written by Brian, not by me, and
I did not sign Brian's post with my name. Please edit your quotes with
more care, Harold.

Janet

You sure are obsessed with playing with your nuts, Jaqueoff, you squirrel
bait!!!


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message 1129561140.eecddb593ab15e2568d51622d28817a6@teran ews
from "Tim C." contains these words:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 14:56:14 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

"The squirrel's were on the lawn" is wrong, and always has been,

Except as in:
Where are the nuts?
The squirrel's are on the lawn.

Nut-picking, I see...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Have you been too busy spanking the squirrel's nuts?


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond contains these
words:


I find all abuse of English quite amusing, [and thank whoever
for
spell-check] as there seems to be no way to alter, once an adult. We
seem
to learn by example, from peers and parents, rather than education.

Janet

(snip)

to those that would quibble about
an ' or a " here and there I would say......read the above.....H


I trust they will notice the above was written by Brian, not by me, and
I did not sign Brian's post with my name. Please edit your quotes with
more care, Harold.

Janet