Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe  (Read 834806 times)

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5025 on: 26 August, 2018, 06:54:37 pm »
Well, such an abomination would never pass my lips, nor I doubt would Her Maj approve.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5026 on: 26 August, 2018, 07:25:07 pm »
'which are, I would hope...

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5027 on: 27 August, 2018, 02:56:43 am »
"
Quote
I have bullhorns on my fixie, which's brake levers are on the tops, reachable in most positions.
"


Several things here:

Are the bullhorns a handlebar, or are they handlebars?  (Or are they devices for voice amplification)?

Do the brake levers pertain to the fixie [bicycle], or to the bullhorn/s?

and, why not just say "I have bullhorn handlebars on my fixie bicycle.  The brake levers are mounted on the tops of the handlebars and are reachable in most positions." ?  No rule against using more than one sentence, is there?

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5028 on: 27 August, 2018, 07:58:21 am »
Well, such an abomination would never pass my lips, nor I doubt would Her Maj approve.

You'd hope not, but she was home-schooled, wasn't she?
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5029 on: 27 August, 2018, 09:13:24 am »
My secondary school was rubbish at teaching grammar. I don't recall a lesson outling the subject.
I still don't know when to use a semi colon. I'm confused by the term adverb. I've yet to understand
what a preposition is. However, my grasp of the English language is good enough to have obtained
a post in the organisation I work for; and I can write a decent letter of compaint.


(Please feel free to correct my post for mistakes). ;)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5030 on: 27 August, 2018, 09:55:15 am »
I still don't know when to use a semi colon.

The simple answer is never.

There are very few instances of semicolon use where a full stop or comma wouldn’t work just as well.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5031 on: 27 August, 2018, 09:58:20 am »
"I have bullhorns on my fixie, whose brake levers... "
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5032 on: 27 August, 2018, 10:06:31 am »
I still don't know when to use a semi colon.

The simple answer is never.

There are very few instances of semicolon use where a full stop or comma wouldn’t work just as well.
It's like spellin, innit? If you can't confidently spell a word (or you're unsure of its meaning), it's generally better to use a different word.

[I'm pretty sure I could have used a "semi" in there, but chose to play safe! ]
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5033 on: 27 August, 2018, 10:35:42 am »
I still don't know when to use a semi colon.

The simple answer is never.

There are very few instances of semicolon use where a full stop or comma wouldn’t work just as well.

Lies! I will fully admit to being perhaps a little over-fond of the semi-colon, but stylistically it's a useful mid-point between the comma and the full stop.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5034 on: 27 August, 2018, 12:22:05 pm »
Powertools are useful too, if you know how to use them, but dangerous if you don't...

So be careful with that semicolon or you'll have someone's eye out.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5035 on: 27 August, 2018, 12:29:41 pm »
I seem to recall M$ Word doesn't like semi-colons one little bit; that's American software for you.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5036 on: 29 August, 2018, 01:18:25 pm »
 
Quote
@Jacob_Rees_Mogg

Trust in politics will evaporate if Brexit were not delivered.

Limiting your answer to the grammatical rather than political, this is bad isn't it? Is he aiming at the subjunctive, and missing?

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5037 on: 29 August, 2018, 01:25:46 pm »
Quote
@Jacob_Rees_Mogg

Trust in politics will evaporate if Brexit were not delivered.

Limiting your answer to the grammatical rather than political, this is bad isn't it? Is he aiming at the subjunctive, and missing?

I'd guess it should have been "Trust in politics would evaporate if Brexit were not delivered".   Nonsense however you look at it.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5038 on: 29 August, 2018, 01:35:13 pm »
Limiting your answer to the grammatical rather than political, this is bad isn't it? Is he aiming at the subjunctive, and missing?

I don't think in this case you can separate the political and the grammatical aspects of the statement. I believe it to be deliberate.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5039 on: 29 August, 2018, 01:41:39 pm »
Swapping OUT

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5040 on: 29 August, 2018, 02:14:17 pm »
Swapping OUT

Yeah, hangover from ITspeak. From cabinet POV Boris was swapped for Hunt so Boris was swapped out while Hunt got swapped in. In IT, however, the expectation is that what went out will come in again with the same status...
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5041 on: 30 August, 2018, 04:13:03 pm »
That feckin' Thatcher's Cider advert has me on the verge of throwing things at the telly every time it comes on.

"You wouldn't want a hot air balloon that could almost fly, would you? So why would you want a cider that's almost perfect? Thankfully, Thatcher's make sure theirs is."

Makes sure theirs is what - "almost perfect"? But you just said I wouldn't want that. Or maybe that's an absolute "is", to express the idea that Thatcher's make sure their cider exists. Cidero ergo sum, or something.

And besides, the "almost able to fly" and "almost perfect" comparison is a category error. It really doesn't work as a metaphor.

I almost wish I were a Thatcher's Cider drinker so I could boycott it in protest.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5042 on: 02 September, 2018, 12:51:48 pm »
From this, http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Child-shot-in-the-head-state-police-investigating-492184471.html, mentioned on the Stupid Deaths thread.

Quote
Kentucky State Police confirmed to WYMT the child has died from their injuries.

:facepalm:

Yes, yes, PC & all that, damn its festering eyes.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5043 on: 02 September, 2018, 01:09:43 pm »
To be fair, in the news report that sentence was followed by
Quote
We still do not know the gender of the victim.
Which makes that a bit less cringey, though the ambiguity is still there. I guess they thought 'the child has died from its injuries' was too impersonal.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5044 on: 02 September, 2018, 01:48:48 pm »
It isn't necessarily a neuter pronoun. It provides for cases in which gender is indeterminate.

But never mind: arguing grammar against Transpondian ignorance is kicking against the pricks.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5045 on: 02 September, 2018, 03:13:38 pm »
Seen in the comments on a friend's facebook post:


I don't know where to start... I'm itching to tell MB how wrong he is but I don't know him and I'm not a dick.

'Grammar enthusiasts' indeed.

I blame Lynne Truss.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5046 on: 02 September, 2018, 03:33:43 pm »
World of difference between "I might as well shoot the vicar" and "I may have well shot the vicar" or rather "I may well have shot the vicar", especially from the vicar's POV.

Lynne Truss* sounds like part of a roof, or maybe something for a hernia.

* Pandas & all that, right?
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5047 on: 02 September, 2018, 03:48:33 pm »
* Pandas & all that, right?

That's the one - the woman who normalised being an arse about misplaced apostrophes.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5048 on: 02 September, 2018, 04:13:55 pm »
Funny things, apostrophes.  I have a 17th-century book in which his is used instead, e.g. drawings are labelled King George hif Baftion etc.  I've head that that arose from a mifunderftanding of apoftrophes.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5049 on: 02 September, 2018, 06:40:34 pm »
* Pandas & all that, right?

That's the one - the woman who normalised being an arse about misplaced apostrophes.
This probably isn't the best place to be defending misplaced apostrophes. Good luck though  :thumbsup:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles