Grammar that makes you cringe

[TimO]

The plural of roof is what?
... I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. ...

The online OED (I have access through work) says:

"noun (pl. roofs) ... 

... origin Old English hrōf, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse hróf '‘ boat shed’ ', Dutch roef '‘ deckhouse’ '. English alone has the general sense ‘‘ covering of a house’ ’; other Germanic languages use forms related to thatch."

So roof would make more sense, given the Dutch similar usage of roef.

I've never seen rooves.  Comparison with other similar words in English is a bit pointless, because exceptions probably outweigh other usages.  English is a horribly inconsistent language.  New words sometimes get shoe horned into older syntactical mechanisms, but they're just as likely to come in via another language, that does it completely differently.

[Auntie Helen]

I remember reading that the plurals are optional for roof/roofs/rooves and wharf/wharves/wharfs etc.

[citoyen]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/

[FatBloke]

The plural of roof is what?

At school I was taught the pural of roof is rooves (as well as hooves, calves, shelves, etc.) but reading the Bible, where I don't expect to find grammatical errors, I read Luke 12:3 (TNIV): What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

It seems odd that the Bible includes a grammatical error so I checked in my computer's dictionary: roofs. I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. I searched YACF: 30 roofs and 3 rooves. If the internet is to be believed it appears that rooves is old fashioned and not used anymore apart from in New Zealand English. Really?

What do you say and write: roofs or rooves?

The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'! I don't know what school you went to but it wasn't a grammar school!!   

[Wowbagger]

The plural of roof is what?

At school I was taught the pural of roof is rooves (as well as hooves, calves, shelves, etc.) but reading the Bible, where I don't expect to find grammatical errors, I read Luke 12:3 (TNIV): What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

It seems odd that the Bible includes a grammatical error so I checked in my computer's dictionary: roofs. I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. I searched YACF: 30 roofs and 3 rooves. If the internet is to be believed it appears that rooves is old fashioned and not used anymore apart from in New Zealand English. Really?

What do you say and write: roofs or rooves?

The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'! I don't know what school you went to but it wasn't a grammar school!!   

FattersbethinkingthatSouthendHighissomethingtoboastabout.

[fred the great]

Perhaps he's right

[hellymedic]

Tweet from ONS today-

<<Blaenau Gwent had the least amount of residents declaring 'no skills in Welsh' >>

AAARRRGGGHHH!
Seems their English is not too hot...

[Efrogwr]

The plural of roof is what?

At school I was taught the pural of roof is rooves (as well as hooves, calves, shelves, etc.) but reading the Bible, where I don't expect to find grammatical errors, I read Luke 12:3 (TNIV): What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

It seems odd that the Bible includes a grammatical error so I checked in my computer's dictionary: roofs. I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. I searched YACF: 30 roofs and 3 rooves. If the internet is to be believed it appears that rooves is old fashioned and not used anymore apart from in New Zealand English. Really?

What do you say and write: roofs or rooves?

The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'! I don't know what school you went to but it wasn't a grammar school!!   

"Rooves" are conical copper rivets that are clenched over the nails (also copper) that are traditionally used to fasten the planks together in a clinker-built boat.

[Arch]

The plural of roof is what?

At school I was taught the pural of roof is rooves (as well as hooves, calves, shelves, etc.) but reading the Bible, where I don't expect to find grammatical errors, I read Luke 12:3 (TNIV): What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

It seems odd that the Bible includes a grammatical error so I checked in my computer's dictionary: roofs. I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. I searched YACF: 30 roofs and 3 rooves. If the internet is to be believed it appears that rooves is old fashioned and not used anymore apart from in New Zealand English. Really?

What do you say and write: roofs or rooves?

The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'! I don't know what school you went to but it wasn't a grammar school!!   

"Rooves" are conical copper rivets that are clenched over the nails (also copper) that are traditionally used to fasten the planks together in a clinker-built boat.

I thought that was 'roves'...

[Efrogwr]

The plural of roof is what?

At school I was taught the pural of roof is rooves (as well as hooves, calves, shelves, etc.) but reading the Bible, where I don't expect to find grammatical errors, I read Luke 12:3 (TNIV): What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

It seems odd that the Bible includes a grammatical error so I checked in my computer's dictionary: roofs. I checked my Oxford English Dictionary; it doesn't mention the plural. I searched YACF: 30 roofs and 3 rooves. If the internet is to be believed it appears that rooves is old fashioned and not used anymore apart from in New Zealand English. Really?

What do you say and write: roofs or rooves?

The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'! I don't know what school you went to but it wasn't a grammar school!!   

"Rooves" are conical copper rivets that are clenched over the nails (also copper) that are traditionally used to fasten the planks together in a clinker-built boat.

I thought that was 'roves'...

Bugger!!!!!

You're right .

[Efrogwr]

Because I'm a sad old bastard, I've just Googled "boat nails rooves" and seen that it's not a rare error*. However, according to The Chambers Dictionary, Arch is correct.


* I can't remember where I heard/read it.

 

[Wowbagger]

Perhaps he's right

He's not.

[hubner]

I don't think I've ever seen "rooves" before. This is the first time I've seen it and it certainly doesn't look correct to my eyes.

[citoyen]

You lot are amateurs...

The Self-Appointed Grammar Police Casebook

[L CC]

You lot are amateurs...

The Self-Appointed Grammar Police Casebook

*like*

[Arch]

Bugger!!!!!

You're right .

I only know because when I was at Uni, my assessed seminar was on the subject of Viking shipping, so I read a lot about wooden boat construction.  I also lodged myself in the assessors minds by converting the potential maximum payloads of the various types of ship into the weights of double decker buses.

[hellymedic]

Hoax nurse body arrives in India...

[Peter]

Yes, Helly.

I get infuriated by that kind of language-mangling from teletext news, yahoo pages and other information services.  It's not as if there isn't space to write "nurse's".

Further, what on earth has this to do with the general public, anyway?

[Ham]

[Biff]

You lot are amateurs...

The Self-Appointed Grammar Police Casebook

yebbut I'm an official. I have the badge

[mattc]

Yes, Helly.

I get infuriated by that kind of language-mangling from teletext news, yahoo pages and other information services.  It's not as if there isn't space to write "nurse's".

But " Hoax nurse's body " would still be ambiguous. It's the brevity that's the problem, not the grammar or lack of apostrophe.

[Auntie Helen]

Seen on today's ride in Elmstead Market

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's Sundays evening (6pm) and your due to start work on Monday morning. You're not feeling very well but you know that it will be hard to find cover at this short notice. Tick which actions you would take

You're on the way to your lesson and your car break's down. What do you do?

This is from an application form for teaching jobs. Teaching English amongst other things.

[jane]

You lot are amateurs...

The Self-Appointed Grammar Police Casebook

You're all lightweights.  My colleagues and I spent a whole staff meeting discussing how we should teach comma use this week.  We still haven't made a decision about the Oxford comma.  (Roll on retirement).

[anotherdeadhero]

We still haven't made a decision about the Oxford comma.  (Roll on retirement).

Easy: use it or don't. Consistent usage is the primary consideration.