Easy Grammar Fix

[Snag Breac]

I've just updated the OP, but after several tries, I couldn't get it in the same format. Does anyone know the easiest way of updating?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Nice work.

For some reason BF posters cannot tell the difference between singular and plural when it comes to those footballers who play in the ruck. I'm not kididng, people use ruckman and ruckmen interchangably and it's bizarre to see.

But Fraser is a wondeful ruckmen?

Mine would have to be regardless and irregardless. Is irregardless even a word?

 

[Snag Breac]

But Fraser is a wondeful ruckmen?

Mine would have to be regardless and irregardless. Is irregardless even a word?

No, not a proper word, Tarks. The word is "regardless". The opposite of certain words may be expressed using the prefix "ir" as in "irresponsible", or by using the suffix "less" as in "thankless". To use both prefix and suffix is creating a double negative.

Sorry I haven't been working on grammar thread. My computer won't let me access BF properly at the moment. Am doing this from a real library.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Yeah, I thought so.

People using irregardless shits me up the wall.

 

[Snag Breac]

Easy Grammar Fix is experiencing technical difficulties - with her new anti-virus - and is having trouble viewing threads and posting.

Normal service will hopefully be resumed asap.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

It's a very subjective practice, grammar.

Some of it is hard and fast, while other aspects are really more just a stylistic norm, which doesn't necessarily violate the way that the language is supposed to be used, but rather just differs from the standard that has been set out in general practice.

An interesting one is the near universal misuse of the word "none" - Few people, if any, understand that it is a contraction of the words "not one", and hence should precede the term "is" rather than "are".

e.g. NOT: "None of the players are fit enough to run out a full game"
INSTEAD: "None of the players is fit enough to run out a full game."

However, even in my mind, knowing that the second way is the correct usage, it still doesn't sound right to me, and generally, if I'm not thinking about it, I'll still use it the first way.

In my mind, the ones that should really be focused on, and considered "rules" of grammar are the ones that actually change the meanings of sentences like "there/their/they're".

 

[Snag Breac]

It's a very subjective practice, grammar.

Some of it is hard and fast, while other aspects are really more just a stylistic norm, which doesn't necessarily violate the way that the language is supposed to be used, but rather just differs from the standard that has been set out in general practice.

An interesting one is the near universal misuse of the word "none" - Few people, if any, understand that it is a contraction of the words "not one", and hence should precede the term "is" rather than "are".

e.g. NOT: "None of the players are fit enough to run out a full game"
INSTEAD: "None of the players is fit enough to run out a full game."

However, even in my mind, knowing that the second way is the correct usage, it still doesn't sound right to me, and generally, if I'm not thinking about it, I'll still use it the first way.

In my mind, the ones that should really be focused on, and considered "rules" of grammar are the ones that actually change the meanings of sentences like "there/their/they're".

Can it be? I'm actually logged on in the privacy of my own home. Must work quickly, lest my anti-virus realises I'm misbehaving and decides to cut me off mid-post.

Yes VV, know exactly what you mean about "none", or even "everyone", and historically usage rules. So I think you're right, and will try to focus on matters affecting meaning. Otherwise there's too much to cover.

And maybe spelling. I'm sick looking at the spelling "definately". It's definitely posters. I might add a commonly misspelt word list to the OP.

 

[sirlothie]

But Fraser is a wondeful ruckmen?

Mine would have to be regardless and irregardless. Is irregardless even a word?

The opposite of doing something regardless would be to do it with regard.

I think the word people are clutching for with 'irregardless' is 'irrespective'.

 

[Snag Breac]

The opposite of doing something regardless would be to do it with regard.

I think the word people are clutching for with 'irregardless' is 'irrespective'.

Yes, but I think people are often drawn to the initial "ir" when they want to express the negative of a word, because it's used so often.

I've just updated the OP to include 30 commonly misspelt words. Please write them all out ten times each.

 

[thatday]

I have a question, it has probably already been answered in this thread but i don't really wanna look for it.....Yes i'm lazy, is however one word or two?

 

[Snag Breac]

I have a question, it has probably already been answered in this thread but i don't really wanna look for it.....Yes i'm lazy, is however one word or two?

"However" is always one word.

"A lot" is 2 words. I keep seeing "alot" on this forum.

 

[thatday]

"However" is always one word.

"A lot" is 2 words. I keep seeing "alot" on this forum.

I always struggle with "however" and i also do say alot, i will stop that now though, thank you.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

But Fraser is a wondeful ruckmen?

Nope, wrong, Fraser is one ruckman, singular.

Also, "wonderful" has an "r" in it, but I'm guessing that was a typo.

Snag, can you please explain when one should use "that" and when one should use "which"? I've never fully understood the difference.

 

[Snag Breac]

Nope, wrong, Fraser is one ruckman, singular.

Also, "wonderful" has an "r" in it, but I'm guessing that was a typo.

Snag, can you please explain when one should use "that" and when one should use "which"? I've never fully understood the difference.

I'll write that one up when I've got more time, because I want to include it in the OP. Have an emergency in progress.....

 

[sirlothie]

Nope, wrong, Fraser is one ruckman, singular.

Also, "wonderful" has an "r" in it, but I'm guessing that was a typo.

Snag, can you please explain when one should use "that" and when one should use "which"? I've never fully understood the difference.

Pardon me for butting into something I wasn't asked about but I always understood it that there isn't any hard and fast rule for the use of 'that' and 'which' in a sentence. A bit depends on personal taste and style but using either normally doesn't result in one being technically wrong.

However as far as rules can be made in that instance, 'that' is to be used in situations where you are making a more direct pointing at an object, place or thing in particular, eg. 'I have a car that is green', and 'which' is more properly used in more ambiguous and broader contexts, eg. 'She had an idea which she was unsure about'.

My personal usage I try to use 'that' when I am being definite, when I am stating something, and I use 'which' predominantly when my tone is more of a question or pondering rather than a statement.

'I have a car that is green', and 'I have a car which is green', I prefer 'that' because a clear statement like that deserves the added authority that/which 'that' provides over 'which'. For the sake of clarity and understanding for the reader mainly.

However neither is incorrect so either can be used but most rely on gut feeling or what comes naturally in determining which one fits best and ordinarily that is what works best.

 

[Snag Breac]

Pardon me for butting into something I wasn't asked about but I always understood it that there isn't any hard and fast rule for the use of 'that' and 'which' in a sentence. A bit depends on personal taste and style but using either normally doesn't result in one being technically wrong.

However as far as rules can be made in that instance, 'that' is to be used in situations where you are making a more direct pointing at an object, place or thing in particular, eg. 'I have a car that is green', and 'which' is more properly used in more ambiguous and broader contexts, eg. 'She had an idea which she was unsure about'.

My personal usage I try to use 'that' when I am being definite, when I am stating something, and I use 'which' predominantly when my tone is more of a question or pondering rather than a statement.

'I have a car that is green', and 'I have a car which is green', I prefer 'that' because a clear statement like that deserves the added authority that/which 'that' provides over 'which'. For the sake of clarity and understanding for the reader mainly.

However neither is incorrect so either can be used but most rely on gut feeling or what comes naturally in determining which one fits best and ordinarily that is what works best.

What about the snake, but? And I have that answer on the dangling but to post as well......so little time......

 

[sirlothie]

What about the snake, but? And I have that answer on the dangling but to post as well......so little time......

No sentence should ever end in 'but'.

That's like saying I went to the shop and.

Obviously you already know that so I'm afraid the first sentence of this post has flown straight over my head...

If you can't help yourself ending sentences with 'but', a handy out is to use 'though'. You can get away with that as long as your next sentence relates to the same topic, usually ending a sentence in 'though' exposes that you are comparing two different things, so you can't keep the reader in doubt to what your trying to say, must reach some kind of catharsis on the matter or you are still dangling in 'half-sentence' land.

Which means if I was your teacher and you compared two things without coming to a conclusion I would put a big red line through your whole paragraph and tell you to start again because your going nowhere.

 

[Snag Breac]

No sentence should ever end in 'but'.

That's like saying I went to the shop and.

Obviously you already know that so I'm afraid the first sentence of this post has flown straight over my head...

If you can't help yourself ending sentences with 'but', a handy out is to use 'though'. You can get away with that as long as your next sentence relates to the same topic, usually ending a sentence in 'though' exposes that you are comparing two different things, so you can't keep the reader in doubt to what your trying to say, must reach some kind of catharsis on the matter or you are still dangling in 'half-sentence' land.

Which means if I was your teacher and you compared two things without coming to a conclusion I would put a big red line through your whole paragraph and tell you to start again because your going nowhere.

That's you're going nowhere. But it's a real snake, not a grammatical one. See my snake thread in the Nest.

 

[sirlothie]

That's you're going nowhere. But it's a real snake, not a grammatical one. See my snake thread in the Nest.

True, true, I get lazy double checking my posts sometimes.

Where is Steve Irwin when you need him?

 

[ClarkeM]

"However" is always one word.

"A lot" is 2 words. I keep seeing "alot" on this forum.

I see alot of that to....*wink.

 

[Snag Breac]

By special request of The Royal Sampler, I've updated the OP on the knotty issue of the use of that/which.

But now the OP is getting really messy. Perhaps because I'm copying the text from a Word document, I can't seem to get my dot points thing working properly when I edit. And it was all so neat at the outset....

 

[Shellz]

Maybe copy and past the whole OP into word, fix it up and then repaste the whole thing into the OP. So it's one format.

 

[Snag Breac]

Maybe copy and past the whole OP into word, fix it up and then repaste the whole thing into the OP. So it's one format.

Thanks for that Shellz - so simple, but I didn't think of it. It's looking better now. I still can't get the numbers to tranfer, but I can live without them.

 

[bzparkes]

You know, paying attention in class at school makes all the difference too


However I'm sure the majority of BF posters don't really have the mentality

 

[Snag Breac]

You know, paying attention in class at school makes all the difference too


However I'm sure the majority of BF posters don't really have the mentality

Generally I find BF posters to be an articulate and opinionated lot. They create their BF persona out of language, so they need to be able to use language effectively. Good grammar tends to be an optional extra. Sadly, that's not the case when it comes to exams and assignments; hence this thread.