tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post5422795565909844311..comments2024-03-27T05:18:53.795-07:00Comments on The Weaver of Grass: Should we try to keep up the standards?The Weaver of Grasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-31069502125433145112012-02-19T07:57:48.083-08:002012-02-19T07:57:48.083-08:00I know, I am now in a wrong place with all kind of...I know, I am now in a wrong place with all kind of mistakes of your fine language.<br />But I read all those comments. Of course I did not have any clue what is your problem with apostrophes. I thought I can use it always when something is somebody`s and so on :)<br />It must be horrible to read comments like mine but I tell you about my school.<br />When I was ten, I had to start to learn Swedish because it is the second official language of our country. When I was thirteen others started to learn English others German.<br />I started to study German.<br />As fifteen years old I got English and Latin. This language program was obligatory to every pupils for a matriculation examination about at the age eighteen. After that I started to study Biology and Geography ( Geology Chemistry . . ) in the University and I got English Swedish and German books to read for examination. And I did not learn really to speak any of these languages even we lived 11 months in Scotland in the small village called Kinmuck. <br />Now I wish you a good beginning week! <br /><br />Indefinite articles or definite ones ?? Difficult among other things :)<br /><br />19 February 2012 07:01LeenaHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06231696461049034790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-77819588204468912162012-02-19T07:01:58.810-08:002012-02-19T07:01:58.810-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.LeenaHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06231696461049034790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-27600036883744319032012-02-19T06:38:24.987-08:002012-02-19T06:38:24.987-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Golden Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04590087189810939432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-65939839755006503122012-02-19T06:24:00.450-08:002012-02-19T06:24:00.450-08:00I am so glad that I did have excellent grammar les...I am so glad that I did have excellent grammar lessons in my long ago childhood. I'm also still grateful to have studied Latin for four years.<br /><br />In my current career, I encounter communications from professionals who might not have had such classes. These folks are several decades younger than I am. There may, or may not, be a connection.Franceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08352407314710067616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-42694896642276707672012-02-19T05:04:38.088-08:002012-02-19T05:04:38.088-08:00Punctuation is just a tool for getting the thing s...Punctuation is just a tool for getting the thing said. So, for me misplaced apostrophes (or commas etc.) irritate hugely if they obscure meaning or confuse. If meaning is clear then I try to let it go. <br /><br />Our language is alive and, thus, it changes constantly, Mostly, I can live with that.Erylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06008344023000459577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-36197765001779422862012-02-19T04:48:12.520-08:002012-02-19T04:48:12.520-08:00or spell THEM....or spell THEM....Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03964291132366262298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-45156633458895172122012-02-19T04:47:17.848-08:002012-02-19T04:47:17.848-08:00What about the quick lines at the supermarket
&quo...What about the quick lines at the supermarket<br />"Five items or Less" ?........... poor 'fewer' has been lost in the shuffle.(Not to mention SELDOM)<br />Did you read the lovely little book "Eats shoots and Leaves"? Such a fun read for dreary pedants like us who cringe at misplaced everything.<br />It's a total lost cause, Pat.<br />I'm off to the dog run to relax!<br />Hope you have a good Sunday lunch!<br /><br />ps: such horrid, difficult word verifications on everyone's blogs these days. Can't read thm without great difficulty.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03964291132366262298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-48291427643644180632012-02-18T20:25:49.492-08:002012-02-18T20:25:49.492-08:00I don't know what second hand children are. Ar...I don't know what second hand children are. Are they handed down or are they talking about their children's second hand? Well...I'm just being silly. My pet peeve is that children are not being taught cursive writing. My 14 year old grandchild said they are allowed to complete compositions in "text talk".<br />Yikes!rkbsnanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03823260788452105326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-3786541419352007212012-02-18T16:33:37.630-08:002012-02-18T16:33:37.630-08:00Greengrocer's apostophies's's's...Greengrocer's apostophies's's's's's' <br /><br />Actually Weaver, I am not going to comment again on your blog, if you require us to type in TWO word verifications. Sorry.Tom Stephensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05979590950587415840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-74265826396167715572012-02-18T14:02:41.630-08:002012-02-18T14:02:41.630-08:00Without the correct grammar our language loses mea...Without the correct grammar our language loses meaning. Just because it is sometimes difficult ( read you have to stop and think )is no reason to abandon teaching it.<br />Cheers<br />PS. New word verification makes commenting very time consuming and difficultHelsiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04801049953035653441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-13876986890304888312012-02-18T13:37:43.206-08:002012-02-18T13:37:43.206-08:00I love (the correct use of) the apostrophe. Let...I love (the correct use of) the apostrophe. Let's fight for it. Even at this eleventh hour, it's not too late!<br /><br />Second hand children? Good God, first hand ones (and that's ones not one's or even ones') are enough for me.The Solitary Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284354541952038339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-14931370682400052412012-02-18T13:09:32.990-08:002012-02-18T13:09:32.990-08:00Don't start me on apostrophes! We've actua...Don't start me on apostrophes! We've actually had the discussion today while we were driving to Scarborough. (I needed to see the sea) <br /><br />It was all to do with what people call the shop 'Boyes'. If a word ends in 's' do you add the second 's'? Is it Boyes' or Boyes's? <br /><br />(We have such riveting discussions.....)MorningAJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04719744167307369768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-38486366809286359222012-02-18T12:54:42.707-08:002012-02-18T12:54:42.707-08:00I'm with you on the apostrophes.
However, I t...I'm with you on the apostrophes.<br /><br />However, I think the adoption of "they" in some circumstances instead of he or she might be a good thing, particularly in situations where the alternative would be to write "he or she". I think "they" is on the rise specifically for this reason - people wanting to write in a way which is not gender specific.Dominic Rivronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618013365521035400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-72812490604114183762012-02-18T12:47:09.036-08:002012-02-18T12:47:09.036-08:00I didn't know that you used to teach English i...I didn't know that you used to teach English in a Comprehensive School :)<br />I totally agree about incorrectly placed apostrophes being a major source of irritation, though I can far more readily accept it from a diddy year three who has been 'taught' about apostrophes in Infant school but not quite 'got it', than I can from a trader's sign written, presumably, by an adult.Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13357761230206692089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-5651426737592501352012-02-18T10:45:39.506-08:002012-02-18T10:45:39.506-08:00I'm with you, Pat! Long gone are the days of ...I'm with you, Pat! Long gone are the days of parsing sentences. It's really too bad. I cringe whenever I recall a large billboard sign 'Gerard Bank - For Everything You Need a Band For'.<br />Like fingernails on a chalkboard!Pondsidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407539138546412482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-5036443837024282862012-02-18T10:14:20.567-08:002012-02-18T10:14:20.567-08:00We often have signs for 'Baby Sales' in ou...We often have signs for 'Baby Sales' in our town. Poor babies.<br />I think it is dreadful that English grammar is no longer taught in many of our schools. No wonder that so many children grow up not being able to speak or use their own language correctly. There are often grammatical errors in newspaper reports and it appears that no-one on the staff knows enough to correct them. I sometimes have to chuckle at the spelling on hand written signs in greengrocers' shops, but I suppose it is more important that the produce is fresh.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06826501916623305535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-71179421777010075192012-02-18T09:47:16.401-08:002012-02-18T09:47:16.401-08:00Snap over the apostrophe hang-ups. Makes me grind...Snap over the apostrophe hang-ups. Makes me grind my teeth! Even more than that is seeing an apostrophe put where it doesn't belong AT ALL - like the road I grew up in. Butts Road was that - NOT Butt's Road!!! it was named after the Rifle Butts in the valley next to it.Bovey Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13117332471600275100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-71167609209648898912012-02-18T09:30:17.637-08:002012-02-18T09:30:17.637-08:00I feel that the problem is that the teachers don&#...I feel that the problem is that the teachers don't know where to put them any more. I worked with a young person several years ago who told me that her teacher advised her that it didn't matter and, that it was acceptable to use an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence. I was stunned as you might imagine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-68125115399981287682012-02-18T09:25:32.236-08:002012-02-18T09:25:32.236-08:00Yes, I totally agree! Apostrophes in the wrong pl...Yes, I totally agree! Apostrophes in the wrong place can ruin ones day... :o)Cynthia Monicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11584501913145975628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-70351756428703762242012-02-18T09:11:23.316-08:002012-02-18T09:11:23.316-08:00Isn't it called the market trader's apostr...Isn't it called the market trader's apostrophe from their tendency to insert one at every possible opportunity? Local authorities, on the other hand seem to have done away with them altogether as in St Johns Close, Millers Drive etc. <br />I suppose I work with second-hand children. They're great!John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"https://www.blogger.com/profile/00832873074550725579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-91140441139360711962012-02-18T08:49:53.810-08:002012-02-18T08:49:53.810-08:00I have the same hang ups about apostrophies and I ...I have the same hang ups about apostrophies and I do try to get it right. Interestingly, my bible on words, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, usage and style: The Sunday Times 'Wordpower Guide' says that if you own a name as a company name for example, then they are entitled to do with apostrophies what they wish - good or bad grammar. Personally, I don't like to see bad apostrophy use because it detracts from what the message is. <br />XXRarelesserspottedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865928245970626612noreply@blogger.com