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There Their They're

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
This is a good topic, one where we can vent our frustrations. Mine is "should of, could of, would of, must of". Nothing demonstrates the failure of modern education to teach basic English grammar more than those examples. They're supposed to be "should have, could have, etc" or the contraction "should've, could've, etc".

<snip>


Concur. Reading "should of", "could of", "would of" is an equivalent to hearing fingernails screeching down the blackboard.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
This is a good topic, one where we can vent our frustrations. Mine is "should of, could of, would of, must of". Nothing demonstrates the failure of modern education to teach basic English grammar more than those examples. They're supposed to be "should have, could have, etc" or the contraction "should've, could've, etc".

stay away from the Tahs thread then
 

Nusadan

Chilla Wilson (44)
grammar-grumble-mugs-set-14140-p[ekm]250x250[ekm].jpg
 

Beer Baron

Phil Hardcastle (33)
Apologies if this one is old, but if I see alternate used in place of alternative one more time in a professional environment - I may be off to the big house. Alternately, I could grow up..... Makes me cringe doing it as a joke.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
Another sad case of the Septification of Aussie English, our American friends use "alternate" where we used to use "alternative". I always thought "alternate" was a verb.
 

suckerforred

Chilla Wilson (44)
As an aside to this thread.... I know that I am one of the worse offenders and happily put up my hand as being a shocking speller, bad at English and worse at proof reading my writing but.... Is it getting to anyone else the number of obvious mistakes (well they have to be obvious for me to spot them), spelling and otherwise, in professionally published material?

The last two books I have read - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee and The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do - have been notable in their lack of what I would consider basic mistakes. The one before that, a book about Kerry Packer ironically, was littered with spelling and grammatical errors.

I know in the current online environment of the rush to be "first" with the news something has to fall by the way side and at time we are only half joking when we blame auto-correct, but do they not proof read manuscripts and articles any more?
 

terry j

Ron Walden (29)
on the assumption that people who read this thread have at least a passing interest in language I offer the following very interesting diversion on our language usage


in keeping with this thread, when you get to the end of the video and grasp how few words (phrases?) we actually use in life, at least get the fucking things right!

I mean after watching this, how bloody hard would it be?
 

terry j

Ron Walden (29)
excellent, we're can I fucking buy a dozen to create an affect that could have made a difference?
 

The Red Baron

Chilla Wilson (44)
"Could care less" vs "couldn't care less".

Discuss.

Well, if you look at both phrases as they are written, then they indicate different states of interest.

"Could care less" - Indicates that you care about the issue/person/whatever a bit and have the capacity to care less about it, i.e. you are almost at your limit, but not quite. You still have some interest in aforementioned issue/person/whatever.

"Couldn't care less" - that's it, you've had enough. You don't care anymore (or never did) and you don't have any interest in the outcome whatsoever.

I'm more interested in what people's thoughts are regarding oxford comma, and whether it should be used.
 
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