Brake vs break (and other laughable misuses of words)

[allanoue]

How I spell

[LittleRedNinjette]

[ally99]

Loose -adjective: not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached.

Lose - verb: to misplace something

[alex.s]

Lucy - Woman who's got lots'o 'splainin' to do!

[NevadaWolf]

Behind the times, but just saw this comic and thought of this thread.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

[ally99]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

Behind the times, but just saw this comic and thought of this thread.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

I like it!

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by ally99

I like it!

I do too and would like to apologize for the trail of dead dolphins

[tfkrocks]

Not spelling but I felt it was worthy of this thread. I hate when people mix up the meaning of the greater than and less than signs.

[LittleRedNinjette]

I can see that being confusing...

[ally99]

Not really. Hold up your left hand and your index finger and thumb. See how it makes a capital L? Rotate your hand about 45 degrees, and you have a "L"ess than sign. THat's how I teach my kids the difference....and of course, there's the alligator open-mouth trick.

[tfkrocks]

I'm gonna guess that people assume that the arrow shape points to the better/larger thing or something like that. I don't bother asking if it's not important lol.

I just got really confused as to what people actually meant in a discussion between the 4 major japanese bike manufacturers and had to give up reading lol. Of course that also happens everywhere all the time.

[antiant]

Originally Posted by ally99

Not really. Hold up your left hand and your index finger and thumb. See how it makes a capital L? Rotate your hand about 45 degrees, and you have a "L"ess than sign. THat's how I teach my kids the difference....and of course, there's the alligator open-mouth trick.

That's how I was taught, it's a nice method.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Originally Posted by ally99

Not really. Hold up your left hand and your index finger and thumb. See how it makes a capital L? Rotate your hand about 45 degrees, and you have a "L"ess than sign. THat's how I teach my kids the difference....and of course, there's the alligator open-mouth trick.

I ment for the person reading.

My teachers use the mouth trick in school. "the mouth always wants to eat the greater item"

[subxero]

Over the years I have been able to break a lot of these bad misspelling habits... except for one. I still have no concept of using "too" vs "to"

It is something I would like to remedy by the end of this year.

[Brother Michigan]

How about bias/biased? I see way too many people using the noun when they should be using the adjective.

[cadd]

Admittedly, English isn't the easiest language to master. Think about this. We drive in a Parkway and park in a driveway? Try explaining that to someone learning English.

[NevadaWolf]

Ah, found the video.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Originally Posted by cadd

Admittedly, English isn't the easiest language to master. Think about this. We drive in a Parkway and park in a driveway? Try explaining that to someone learning English.

A package sent by car is a Shipment while a package sent by ship is Cargo.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by subxero

Over the years I have been able to break a lot of these bad misspelling habits... except for one. I still have no concept of using "too" vs "to"

It is something I would like to remedy by the end of this year.

too - This word has "two" uses . It can mean "also" and it can be used to mean "excessively" or "very". If you remember those two exceptions, to and too are easy because any other use of the word would use "to"....except the number of course.

Too - Also and excessively.
I want to go TOO!
I ate TOO much sugar!

To - Used with verbs to indicate actions such as:
I am going to run. I need to go to the store.

Also used as a preposition to indicate position.
I rode to the store.

[snot]

Originally Posted by TnNinjaGirl

sale/sell <--- wtf people?

And sail.

I also can't stand: two, to, too; When, win; tow, toe; dam, damn; regardless, irregardless; seem, seam; and I hate text short hand in emails.
at all the there, their, they're and they've.

[subxero]

Originally Posted by ally99

too - This word has "two" uses . It can mean "also" and it can be used to mean "excessively" or "very". If you remember those two exceptions, to and too are easy because any other use of the word would use "to"....except the number of course.

Too - Also and excessively.
I want to go TOO!
I ate TOO much sugar!

To - Used with verbs to indicate actions such as:
I am going to run. I need to go to the store.

Also used as a preposition to indicate position.
I rode to the store.

Yay for teachers!

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

A package sent by car is a Shipment while a package sent by ship is Cargo.

-ment is a suffix representing the product or result of an action or the state or condition caused by an action.

examples;

battlements
supplements
cement... embankments
shipment... the shipment is the product/result of an action (shipping)

[alex.s]

... government!

the result of the process of governing others.

[snot]

No one said sammiches vs sandwiches...
Witch and which

[verboten1]

Woman - Singular
Women - Plural


They are not the same

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Alex

moot point / mute point

(the latter being a point made by one who can't speak...)

moo point... it's a cows opinion ... it just doesn't matter


of course my son (when he was 9) asks me how to use double contractions... I'm like what are you talking about...

he says, if you contract "you are not"... would that be you'ren't or "you will not" would that be you'lln't

I said, I don't think so son

Link to original page on YouTube.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

moo point... it's a cows opinion ... it just doesn't matter


of course my son (when he was 9) asks me how to use double contractions... I'm like what are you talking about...

he says, if you contract "you are not"... would that be you'ren't or "you will not" would that be you'lln't

I said, I don't think so son

awwwww..... how cute. He is learning to speak hillbilly.

[alex.s]

y'al're.

[Ninjinsky]

"None of our troops are missing." is incorrect

It should be "None of our troops is missing."

"None" being a contraction of "not one" which despite "feeling" plural is a singular.

[snot]

In my class we are assigned to post on black board about different things. The teacher had to tell the students to use proper English. I read some of the post and they were really bad. Most of them where using texting style with run on sentences.

When I learned to talk I called my brother milmil...he was 4, I thought he was a mail man (like my dad, yes I am the mail man's daughter).

[snot]

WHIO in Dayton uses local students to edit. They are terrible at the job. A guy in Piqua hit a concrete wall while jet skiing, they said he stuck the wall not struck. They do it a lot it's really funny sometimes.

[Ninjinsky]

Here is Emily Brewster, a grammarian (who I find strangely attractive and apparently I am not alone, something about the authority in that clear diction )

Link to original page on YouTube.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

"None of our troops are missing." is incorrect

It should be "None of our troops is missing."

"None" being a contraction of "not one" which despite "feeling" plural is a singular.

It's both as far as I am aware.

From http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/sin...e-vs-none-was/

Rule: The word none is versatile. It has a plural sense (“not any”) as well as a singular sense (“not a single one”). When none is followed by of, look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition). If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, there is more leeway. Most of the time, but not always, you will want to use a plural verb.

Examples:
None of the pie was eaten.
None of the children were hungry. BUT None (as in, “not a single one”) of the children was hungry is not incorrect.

In a sentence like “None were missing,” there is an implicit noun that answers the question, “None of what?” If that noun is singular, none takes a singular verb. If that noun is plural, it is up to the writer and the sense of the sentence to determine whether none takes a singular or a plural verb.

Examples:
None was missing. (None of the pie was missing.)
None were missing. (None of the cookies were missing. But there may be times when a writer prefers was, as in Not a single one of the cookies was missing.)

Note: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, “Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism” (p. 664)

[alex.s]

it's important to remember that language is a tool for communication. correct parsing is the only requirement for it to be effective.

the difference between two understandable sentences in which one has incorrect syntax is meaningless because the goal of communication of an idea has taken place correctly in both cases. it is when these errors produce differences in the communication of the idea that they become meaningful and important.

but damn is it annoying when people spell **** wrong.

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

It's both as far as I am aware.

From http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/sin...e-vs-none-was/

Rule: The word none is versatile. It has a plural sense (“not any”) as well as a singular sense (“not a single one”). When none is followed by of, look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition). If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, there is more leeway. Most of the time, but not always, you will want to use a plural verb.

Examples:
None of the pie was eaten.
None of the children were hungry. BUT None (as in, “not a single one”) of the children was hungry is not incorrect.

In a sentence like “None were missing,” there is an implicit noun that answers the question, “None of what?” If that noun is singular, none takes a singular verb. If that noun is plural, it is up to the writer and the sense of the sentence to determine whether none takes a singular or a plural verb.

Examples:
None was missing. (None of the pie was missing.)
None were missing. (None of the cookies were missing. But there may be times when a writer prefers was, as in Not a single one of the cookies was missing.)

Note: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, “Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism” (p. 664)

But that is an American blog source and I am British
The notion that it is singular is certainly not a "myth" it is the reality of the term it is contracted from.
This is the book I sourced the info from.
"Writing for Broadcast Journalists"
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=u...ing%22&f=false

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

But that is an American blog source and I am British

Well, you Brits just need to learn how to speak proper English.


:runs very very VERY far away:

[Ninjinsky]

LoL I just think it's great that I can come to a biker forum and have an argument about the fine points of grammar

(Also delighted to, belatedly, find the "favorite books" thread)

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by alex.s

but damn is it annoying when people spell **** wrong.

How does one spell **** wrong? Incorrect number of *'s? Or by using the wrong symbol, such as ^^^^?

I have had way too many cookies today.

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

LoL I just think it's great that I can come to a biker forum and have an argument about the fine points of grammar

(Also delighted to, belatedly, find the "favorite books" thread)

Who's arguing? No arguments here! I know my grammer isn't the best and I tend to write what sounds right verses what may actually be right. That of course leaves me to laugh at myself and others on common texting mistakes, especially with the interference of autocorrect.

I suppose I should contribute to the thread instead of derailing it, so going on pronounciations.

One that got on my nerves was cache ("cash") / cachet ("ca-shay") while I was geocaching.


Oh! I found a fun site: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

Oh! I found a fun site: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

Yep that's a good sight
Only last week I had a heated discussion over the fact that the hole you connect to on a guitar amp was a jack socket not a "jack plug"

[choneofakind]

There is no such thing as too much sugar. I refuse to accept this absurdity!

[snot]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

Yep that's a good sight
Only last week I had a heated discussion over the fact that the hole you connect to on a guitar amp was a jack socket not a "jack plug"

That had to be funny. Do you play?