English Grammar

[bruce89]

By request of http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=3410327&postcount=114

Grammar standards these days are very bad. This forum is one place for it.

Discuss.

[LookTJ]

Who cares about grammar on the internet(unless it's an important email)?

edit: you should know this isn't an american-only forum, plus people make mistakes(even on purpose). We're only human. Many people didn't learn english as their first language.

[bruce89]

Evidentally I do

Dear bruce89,

You have received an infraction at Ubuntu Forums.

Reason: Insulted Other Member(s)
-------
Both commas and ellipses are allowed here. The choice is up to the poster.
-------

This infraction is worth 1 point(s) and may result in restricted access until it expires. Serious infractions will never expire.

Original Post:
3409877


Opera 9.22...is Simply awesome...anybody else using Opera 9.22 in Linux?

<censor>

All the best,
Ubuntu Forums

[Lord Illidan]

I find bad grammar all over these forums, and typos. It hurts my eyes. But I usually don't go all pedantic over these issues.

[Lord Illidan]

Open a thread in the resolution centre. Personally, I think it is a trivial issue, both parties over-reacted.

[LookTJ]

The internet is all about choice imo

[bruce89]

Open a thread in the resolution centre. Personally, I think it is a trivial issue, both parties over-reacted.

Indeed, there is one, but I can't see it because I'm naughty.

Anyway, I just can't take people's advice seriously if it's all "..." and "it's" and no capital letters.

[LookTJ]

I find bad grammar all over these forums, and typos. It hurts my eyes. But I usually don't go all pedantic over these issues.I see them everywhere on the internet; sites, aim, everywhere. It doesn't really bother me because a lot of people don't put effort into grammar checking.

[Omnios]

What about technical grammar as a lot of people who use proper English grammar can not seem to read it :lolflag:

Then there is Rocker Grammar, WTF you say?
TGIF = thank god friday
:guitar:

And my nieces young generation grammar as follows.

Phone conversation.

My niece says
Uncle Tommy I have to go to the atm
Myself
K I will talk to you later.
My niece
No I meant I was going to ask my mom for $20

I think the most important thing is that you are understood by your target audience.

[bapoumba]

I'm not always using English grammar properly. Spell check helps a lot, but not with grammar. Please remember that, many of us do not make mistake on purpose or because we do not care.
I do care, I do read my posts over. As already said, not everyone here is a native English speaker.

That said, i have very little patience with sms or lol type of writings when done on purpose. Not only they won't come up in a search (we're help forums, after all), but they are quite difficult to read. Thanks urbandictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/)!

[bruce89]

I'm not always using English grammar properly. Spell check helps a lot, but not with grammar. Please remember that, many of us do not make mistake on purpose or because we do not care.
I do care, I do read my posts over. As already said, not everyone here is a native English speaker.

That's why I check where somebody is from before pouncing.

[Sef]

Very few native speakers of any language speak "correctly". A living language is always changing. Then you get the usage argument: descriptive versus prescriptive language. Descriptive = how people actually speak/write. Prescriptive = how the language is supposed to be spoken/written.

[bruce89]

A living language is always changing.

I don't see how misusing apostophes is a good thing, it's supposed to show when things are owned by other things, if we used them for plurals, it would confuse the issue. We may as well have none.

[ComplexNumber]

it's usually the native speakers who employ the worst grammer of all. for example, it's much more common for a native brit to employ (slovenly and lazy) leet speak than it is for a non-native english speaker.

i always try to use correct grammer, except where i don't tend to use captitals at the start of sentences. that's my typical downfall. i do when writing with a pen, though, just not when i'm typing informally. formally(eg covering letter for job interview, etc), i always use capitals and correct grammer.
i do sometimes make typos, though.

[conehead77]

i think the internet uses a language distribution based on the english kernel...

[coggins]

IMHO the grammar and spelling on the Ubuntu forums is pretty good. I get upset at silly mistakes too, but I'm more concerned when it happens IRL. Especially in a place of business, where someone got paid to make a glaring error.

Back to the matter at hand. Pedantry inspires pedantry.

The OP in the other thread could have used a full stop (period) or a semi-colon, but I can't see how they could have used a comma. In any case, if ellipses are good enough for Tom Wolfe, they're good enough for me.

Punctuation is about expression, and the Ubuntu forum is the last place we should be restricting that.

Funnily enough, there was actually a better example of incorrect punctuation in the old thread after you started this one.


Edit I see you made a thread awesome!

Let's all agree to make threads awesome from now on.

Oh, and you misspelled infringement...

[bruce89]

The OP in the other thread could have used a full stop (period) or a semi-colon, but I can't see how they could have used a comma.

I don't get semicolons; my sentences are a bit loose with the commas I agree.


Oh, and you misspelled infringement...

Nah, I misspelt it.

[RAV TUX]

bruce89 I have put in a request to the mods to change the Opera thread title to remove the ellipses.

You make a good point and the over use of ellipses is a bad habit of mine.

Thanks for pointing it out.

[bruce89]

bruce89 I have put in a request to the mods to change the Opera thread title to remove the ellipses.

You make a good point and the over use of ellipses is a bad habit of mine.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Didn't see that coming, that's a bit mad. Better not start again.

[GavinZac]

Indeed, there is one, but I can't see it because I'm naughty.

Anyway, I just can't take people's advice seriously if it's all "..." and "it's" and no capital letters.

Being Scottish I highly doubt you learned of the ellipse in school, or were too busy blathering on about fenian blood to take any notice. :p

[HotShotDJ]

What makes me absolutely crazy is the use of the plural verb form for collective nouns (sometimes, it is actually correct to do so, but usually it is not).

Example: SCO is suing IBM. (correct) SCO are suing IBM. (wrong)

[bruce89]

Being Scottish I highly doubt you learned of the ellipse in school, or were too busy blathering on about fenian blood to take any notice. :p

I got a 3 in Standard Grade by the way. That's my highest English qualification.

They don't teach grammar these days, shame.


What makes me absolutely crazy is the use of the plural verb form for collective nouns (sometimes, it is actually correct to do so, but usually it is not).

Example: SCO is suing IBM. (correct) SCO are suing IBM. (wrong)

Yikes, better be careful then.

[GavinZac]

I got a 3 in Standard Grade by the way. That's my highest English qualification.

They don't teach grammar these days, shame.

we get plenty of grammar over here. that, combined with a poor uptake of reading at an early age ensures kids these days have all the varied vocabulary of an ALICE bot.

[Kingsley]

Put your proficiency in grammar to good use by helping folks at www.englishforums.com/. Complaining about crappy grammar on a primarily computer geek forum doesn't really help anybody. hav a nise day@

[bruce89]

Put your proficiency in grammar to good use by helping folks at www.englishforums.com/. Complaining about crappy grammar on a primarily computer geek forum doesn't really help anybody. hav a nise day@

I suppose not, mind you I wouldn't say I am an expert with my 3 and my 18 years experience.