Capitalisation, spelling and grammar

[Joe Blow]

This is just a general reminder to all ASF members about the presentation of posts. I am constantly receiving feedback about the poor quality of spelling, grammar and punctuation in some of the posts here at ASF. Many of these posts are considered almost unreadable and are a constant source of frustration to those attempting to make sense of them.

• Ensure the first letter of each sentence is capitalised. Names, places and the word "I" should always be capitalised as well.
• Please take care with your spelling and grammar. It improves the readability of your posts.
• Proofread your posts before submitting them. This way, any errors can usually be easily spotted and corrected beforehand.
• Please be careful when cutting and pasting text into posts as it is very easy for the formatting to get messed up. Please consider putting quoted material within quote tags for increased readability.
• If your post contains more than one point or idea please use separate paragraphs for each one.

Form is almost as important as content. A useful post can be rendered far less useful through inattention to capitalisation, spelling and grammar, so please consider putting some effort into making your posts more readable for others.

Perfection is not expected, just a reasonable effort to make things easier for those reading your posts.

Thank you for your co-operation.

 

[Timmy]

Peak hour at ASF, time to BUMP this thread.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Yes, this is a good policy. I am sick of seeing text speak on the forums. Let's preserve good English.

 

[Timmy]

Yes, this is a good policy. I am sick of seeing text speak on the forums. Let's preserve good English.

Thanks for the support Snake.

This is the most important part of what Joe is asking for; I don't think it is unreasonable or difficult:

Perfection is not expected, just a reasonable effort to make things easier for those reading your posts.

 

[wayneL]

Just drove past a sign:

"Tent four sale".

And of course I always see the ever-popular grocer's apostrophe:

eg Apple's $x per kilo

 

[wayneL]

... and I am pleading, once again, for people to stop using "of" in place of "have" or "-'ve".

Please! For the love of Mary mother of God!

 

[againsthegrain]

... and I am pleading, once again, for people to stop using "of" in place of "have" or "-'ve".

Please! For the love of Mary mother of God!

brought instead of bought

 

[wayneL]

brought instead of bought

His instead of he's.

Meltdown territory for me:

They/them as a singular (etc) instead of he/him or she/her.

 

[Ferret]

They/them as a singular (etc) instead of he/him or she/her.

Watch you don't offend the LGBTQI+ community!

 

[wayneL]

Watch you don't offend the LGBTQI+ community!

I really hope they live their best life.

But they/ them is plural and I will never refer to any single person as such. Nor any made up personal pronouns.

Nup, that is just not English.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

While I agree with all the foregoing posters re form in English, we must remember that written is different from spoken.

Further my beloved English language constantly changes so pedants such as us will always be overcome by peasants such as them.

I must also record for ASF pedants a new letter appearing over the last five years.

It probably originated in pamphlets by some Countrywomen's Association in constipated countries such as the USA where nobody ever seems to sh*t or pi** but lead a life sanitary full of advertisements for products which will only lead to doom such as toilet paper and deodorants.

I refer of course to the * .

Thus it is now becoming accepted to say words such as fu*k in print with approbation.

I remain yours, etc.

gg

 

[Craton]

Watch you don't offend the LGBTQI+ community!

I really hope they live their best life.

But they/ them is plural and I will never refer to any single person as such. Nor any made up personal pronouns.

Nup, that is just not English.

At the risk of being flamed to high heaven (or low hell), my

Ha! Too bad if "they/them" offends us eh?

Oh hang on, maybe the plural refers to the enties in their minds or the fact "they/them" are hermaphrodites?

In all seriousness, who comes up with these naming conventions?
If "they/them" don't want to be referred to as he or she, perhaps the appropriate gender neutral descriptor should be, one.

 

[Dona Ferentes]

Loose not lose.

 

[SirRumpole]

So are things like OMG, IMO, ROFL, LMAO, FFIW, IIRC considered bad form here ?

 

[StockyGuy]

Sometimes being picky with this stuff is standing in the way of linguistic evolution. How long till "irony" is officially a respectable synonym for a remarkable coincidence?

 

[Dona Ferentes]

Sometimes being picky with this stuff is standing in the way of linguistic evolution.

Terrific.

 

[wayneL]

So are things like OMG, IMO, ROFL, LMAO, FFIW, IIRC considered bad form here ?

They're just initialisms, so okay IMNTBCHM.

Maybe a touch lazy, but certainly not laying waste to our language.

 

[StockyGuy]

Lol while we're at it. It now seems even pretty formal prose chucks in commas just where the writer thinks it's time for someone reading it out loud to take a breath. Almost as though simply employing commas itself, whether appropriate at the location or not, is the goal.

 

[wayneL]

Sometimes being picky with this stuff is standing in the way of linguistic evolution. How long till "irony" is officially a respectable synonym for a remarkable coincidence?

Yeah, there is no reason that "of" should not be interchangeable with "have". "The United States have America" seems completely reasonable.

BTW, my pronouns are shidanguapiferdoger/ tongertashpiticklebop.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

A quick one for the new Aussies on ASF!

Over there, right there. (Place).
Their possesions. Their hopes and dreams. (Possesion).
They're happy because they're traders. (Apostrophe takes the place of 'a', as in they[a]re happy because they[a]re traders).

Lose money. ('Lose' is a verb).
Loose belt. ('Loose' is an adjective).

The cat's whiskers. (Cat has an apostrophe because it posseses the whiskers. 'Whiskers' has none because the 's' denotes plural).
Jim's cat. (Jim owns/posseses the cat).
Chris' cat. (Apostrophe comes after the 's' when the singular form, ie. "Chris", end with an 's').
The Joneses are coming to town. (Plural - several of them!).
The Joneses' cat is coming too.

Two = 2.
Too = also
to.... any other instance.