"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! - Page 211 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

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"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode!

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Page 211 of 247

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11 111 161 191 201 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 221 231

Last

08-31-2014 , 09:44 AM

#5251

Didace

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 20,451

Then who is Double and why does he need an advocate?

Quote

09-02-2014 , 03:52 PM

#5252

abnormal

banned

Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 909

I hate it when people who should know better misuse "the exception proves the rule":
http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...stupid/379488/

Quote

09-02-2014 , 08:28 PM

#5253

Bank

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,578

lol at never saying ess-ess-dee for SSD

Quote

09-02-2014 , 09:11 PM

#5254

Brocktoon

Unreada Bill

Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 8,674

Quote:

Originally Posted by abnormal

I hate it when people who should know better misuse "the exception proves the rule":
http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...stupid/379488/

Fine, I guess I'll be the one. Why is the use of "the exception that proves the rule" wrong in that article.

Quote

09-03-2014 , 12:48 AM

#5255

abnormal

banned

Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 909

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brocktoon

Fine, I guess I'll be the one. Why is the use of "the exception that proves the rule" wrong in that article.

The beheading of two journalists has little to do with the "rule" (not a rule, more like an assumption) that: Most terrorist groups want reporters to carry their message to the world. Indeed, the beheadings carry the message that the terrorists are ruthless; no doubt it is a message the terrorists want to convey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excepti...roves_the_rule

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09-04-2014 , 12:13 PM

#5256

abnormal

banned

Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 909

I guess Yoda is writing billboard copy now.

Quote

09-04-2014 , 12:27 PM

#5257

Bremen

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 15,799

Does it count when incorrect usage is intentional?

Quote

09-06-2014 , 11:47 PM

#5258

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 75,380

A University of Oklahoma banner add during the football game...

Quote

09-06-2014 , 11:52 PM

#5259

ncboiler

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 15,600

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

A University of Oklahoma banner add during the football game...

lol. Awesome

Quote

09-07-2014 , 01:17 PM

#5260

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

A University of Oklahoma banner add during the football game...

Ah, Oklahoma education!
"Oklahoma high school teacher shows up for first day of work drunk, without pants"

Quote

09-07-2014 , 01:28 PM

#5261

Nash_equilibria

veteran

Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,663

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

banner add

Ad or advertisement, not add.

Quote

09-07-2014 , 03:15 PM

#5262

Dominic

Tripod

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 75,380

lol....oops

Quote

09-09-2014 , 01:14 PM

#5263

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewOldGuy

I agree that in certain contexts "he" can be used in a gender-neutral sense, but not in the context which began this discussion, in my opinion. I believe it has come to be considered overly formal as well, and style guides starting discouraging this use many years ago. And of course you have to deal with the political-correctness police when you dare to use a masculine pronoun where sex is unknown.

There's always the Spivak pronouns too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spivak_pronoun

To return to this perennial topic: Today's NY Times has a column up about their style manual (and its violation by its journalists). It includes this:

Quote:

The company didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by flunking them.

From the stylebook:

anybody, anyone, everybody, everyone, no one, someone. Each of these pronouns is singular and requires he or she (never they) on further reference: Has anybody lost his ticket? To avoid assuming maleness or femaleness in a general reference, rephrase: Has everyone bought a ticket? Often a plural construction will serve: Have people all bought tickets? As a last resort, the awkward his or her is tolerable; a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent is not.

Quote

09-09-2014 , 01:15 PM

#5264

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

The whole piece is interesting to grammar nits!

http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.c...t-region&_r=1&

Quote

09-09-2014 , 03:00 PM

#5265

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussellinToronto

To return to this perennial topic: Today's NY Times has a column up about their style manual (and its violation by its journalists). It includes this:

The reason their own journalists don't follow it is because the rest of the world is comfortable with the singular "they" and it's less awkward than the alternatives. The politically correct convolutions that NYT recommends are particularly bad. I'd go with the Chicago and AP style guides.

Quote

09-09-2014 , 03:23 PM

#5266

Bank

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,578

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPowers

that gif is hysterical

Is the guy someone famous?

It's a jpg.

Quote

09-11-2014 , 05:31 AM

#5267

STinLA

old hand

Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,882

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussellinToronto

The whole piece is interesting to grammar nits!

http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.c...t-region&_r=1&

The lesson in the first example was overshadowed by the implication that several dead people were trying to one-up each other.

Quote

09-16-2014 , 06:57 PM

#5268

Bank

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,578

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...postcount=9814

emojis*

Quote

09-16-2014 , 09:00 PM

#5269

royalblue

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 20,855

The most tilting grammar fail is not realising that the words "bias" and "dominate" are not adjectives. Runs rampant in sports discussions

Quote

09-16-2014 , 09:19 PM

#5270

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by royalblue

The most tilting grammar fail is not realising that the words "bias" and "dominate" are not adjectives. Runs rampant in sports discussions

Can you give an example? Since "biased" and "dominant" are adjectives, are you saying people just use the wrong form? If so, that's common with many words.

Quote

09-16-2014 , 10:12 PM

#5271

royalblue

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Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 20,855

Stuff like "I know I'm bias but..." and "he's a dominate player". That really rustles my jimmies because sometimes it seems like the share of people that do that is approaching 50%. I will say that wrong use of dominate feels worse to me. I just don't see how someone could think saying "he was dominate" could be anything but wrong. With there/their/they're, at least it sounds alike.

Quote

09-16-2014 , 11:20 PM

#5272

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by royalblue

"he's a dominate player".

I've never heard this said in my life. Dominant or dominating or dominated, but never as in your example. Is it possible you are actually hearing the first one but with a lazy or almost-silent "n" before the "t"? The key would be whether the "a" is long.

So you are hearing it with a long "a"? 50% of the time?

Last edited by NewOldGuy; 09-16-2014 at 11:27 PM.

Quote

09-17-2014 , 12:31 AM

#5273

royalblue

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 20,855

I'm reffering to written text, I dont live in an english speaking country.

I've read it most on a place called hfboards.com which is the hockey equivalent of 2p2, but it's not limited to there

Quote

09-17-2014 , 08:35 AM

#5274

NewOldGuy

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by royalblue

I'm reffering to written text, I dont live in an english speaking country.

I've read it most on a place called hfboards.com which is the hockey equivalent of 2p2, but it's not limited to there

I see. So you are just talking about misspelling a word, by people who don't have English as their first language. OK.

When you talked about people "saying" it in discussions, and referred to how it "sounded", that gave a wrong impression.