Spelling Mistakes...
- Thread starter Euphod
- Start date
Retro00064
New member
"Bad punctuation" likely also includes using an ellipsis to terminate a complete sentence, as a number of forum members around here are guilty of doing. 
To a number of forum members, and even N3V:
for using bad grammer or other such stuff, especially text speak. :wave:
To a number of forum members, and even N3V:
for using bad grammer or other such stuff, especially text speak. :wave:
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Which of the following is correct...
[a] The data is here
The data are here
Those of you who picked take a bow. The word "data" is plural (in this sentence I am referring to the word not to the data so "is" is correct) so has to be used with "are", "have", etc. I always use the analogy of swapping the word "data" with the word "sheep" (also a plural) to see if the sentence still makes sense.
While there is no singular form of the word "sheep" in English, "data" does have a singular form - the little used word "datum".
This lesson was brought to you by many arguments with IT professionals.
Peter Ware
[a] The data is here
The data are here
Those of you who picked take a bow. The word "data" is plural (in this sentence I am referring to the word not to the data so "is" is correct) so has to be used with "are", "have", etc. I always use the analogy of swapping the word "data" with the word "sheep" (also a plural) to see if the sentence still makes sense.
While there is no singular form of the word "sheep" in English, "data" does have a singular form - the little used word "datum".
This lesson was brought to you by many arguments with IT professionals.
Peter Ware
And what's wrong with that... :hehe:
Isn't it absolutely amazing that in the age of personal supercomputers and spellcheckers, (oh kiddie phones, pads, pods and erm macintoshes too), that no one can spell any more?
Obviously it's a matter of pure personal laziness if you > aks < me
Sure a certain percentage of people may have difficulty spelling, but that's always been the case and these folk aren't to be berated by any means.
But I do have just a little trouble with the concept that the whole freakin world can't spell
I think in industries such as web/print/whatever where text is the main method of communication, if you can't spell, it's out the door you go bludger!
Give someone who is serious the job for goodness sake.
*rant over
Obviously it's a matter of pure personal laziness if you > aks < me
Sure a certain percentage of people may have difficulty spelling, but that's always been the case and these folk aren't to be berated by any means.
But I do have just a little trouble with the concept that the whole freakin world can't spell
I think in industries such as web/print/whatever where text is the main method of communication, if you can't spell, it's out the door you go bludger!
Give someone who is serious the job for goodness sake.
*rant over
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amigacooke
Well-known member
Some written english is just shocking and a commercial release as well.
'The Cook of London, whil the Reve spak,
For joye him thoughte, he clawed him on the bak.
Ha! ha! quod he, for Criste passioun,
This miller hadde a sharp conclusioun
Upon his argument of herbergage.'
'The Cook of London, whil the Reve spak,
For joye him thoughte, he clawed him on the bak.
Ha! ha! quod he, for Criste passioun,
This miller hadde a sharp conclusioun
Upon his argument of herbergage.'
amigacooke
Well-known member
This is even worse than my first example.
'Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.'
'Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.'
KonstantinMMRR
Member
I am a high school teacher, and have known for quite a while, that most young people in the United States can't spell, and they can't write any longer. They are rarely required to write in school anymore. There is lot more coloring, and project making, than writing.
I am tired of websites, and even published books containing so many spelling and grammar errors. The quality of products have gone down, because the sellers are trying to sell too fast, without checking their product thoroughly first.
Dean
I am tired of websites, and even published books containing so many spelling and grammar errors. The quality of products have gone down, because the sellers are trying to sell too fast, without checking their product thoroughly first.
Dean
Or with grammar of course:
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showpost.php?p=875894&postcount=1
The Index of Middle English Verse:
http://www.cddc.vt.edu/host/imev/record.php?recID=3322.9
List 45 academically verified versions of the above text (Cook’s Prologue; Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer) each one different !
Does that tell us something?
Yer mate, burrit were set in Scandiavia...
Can they at least stay within the lines?
Only after 2 years of classes.
mezzoprezzo
Content appreciator
masontaylor
Assetz frae Scotland
However, English is a living and plastic language which is constantly changing, and usage sets the rules rather than vice versa. There is a ready analogy with another Latin second declension neuter noun, medium (plural media). The plural form, in its contemporary sense of 'providers of mass communication' is now treated frequently as a collective noun, and common usage wavers between singular and plural agreement for these. It still seems strange to hear 'the media has pursued the story avidly', but it is acceptable and heard even on the BBC.
Similarly data (literally 'those things which have been given') has long been acceptable as a collective noun: for even though the concept is of information which may well be from various sources, there is a strong underlying sense that since such facts are all related to a single specific issue, then they are a single entity quite as much as a cluster of discrete items.
Language within specialised professions and societies often develops in an unconventional direction, but that in itself should not be a cause for criticism. Most users of computers, and not just professionals, would surely say "my data's backed up regularly" rather than "my data are backed up regularly", which, frankly, sounds stilted - and even just plain wrong, however much you may try to justify it by "the rules".
Supposadly that isn't being tought in schools any more (I'm not in elementary school, so I can't say for certian. But in reality there are more exceptions to the rule then there are rule followers. In this casr your correct. Here is an example put into a bit of a comedy form:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLXvXFLKrSw
(Clip is from QI, which is a BBC comedy quiz show that is out there to correct people about the inaccuracies they've been taught in life. Actually that's not entirely true, but good enough for this purpose.)
Which of the following is correct?
[A] The yolk of the egg is white
or
The yolk of the egg are white.
wouldn't it be A? as for B to be correct it would have to be
"The yolks of the egg are white."? I have to admit this is one part of English that I do mess up on a fair bit.
I didn't quote it, but someone was mentioning that it's absurd hat cashiers have to use a register to make out change. But in math most people are either good at Computational math (addition, subtraction, making change, etc) and not good at Conceptual math (Solve for x, etc); and then some are the other way around. Oh and yes there are a few that are good (or bad) in both, it's something that we don't have much control over. Personally I'm horrible with Computational, and to this day can't rattle off my multiplication tables. I've tried all sorts of ways to learn them with no luck. Oh and I work in a job where I have to sell things to people (and use a Register to make change).
peter
Funny eggs in Michigan then. :wave:
narrowgauge
92 year oldTrainz veteran
Ed
The last time I commented on spelling on this forum, I was severely criticised for doing so. I agree with the comments in this thread, the correct use of our English language is badly neglected. I believe that people post here as if they were speaking to others and spelling is not important. From my very senior viewpoint I think they are wrong, they are judged by their mistakes.
How did 'definitely' become 'defiantly'. I think that people tend to write as they were taught to speak and maybe school comes too late for them to change.
Our young people do not read as much as we did, television does not reinforce correct spelling.
Peter
The last time I commented on spelling on this forum, I was severely criticised for doing so. I agree with the comments in this thread, the correct use of our English language is badly neglected. I believe that people post here as if they were speaking to others and spelling is not important. From my very senior viewpoint I think they are wrong, they are judged by their mistakes.
How did 'definitely' become 'defiantly'. I think that people tend to write as they were taught to speak and maybe school comes too late for them to change.
Our young people do not read as much as we did, television does not reinforce correct spelling.
Peter