ASF spelling and grammar lessons

[Timmy]

I make sure all my posts are rigorously smell checked before posting.

 

[Trembling Hand]

Use something like the Google tool bar. it has a button that you hit and it will check the spelling of any words in a form. Pretty simple.

 

[Timmy]

Have a look at this picture (below) ... does this help?

 

[cutz]

What is the easiest way to have your ASF posts auto spell-checked?

I tend to use safari for pc as a web browser, has this built in checker thingy.

Doesn't help me with my grammar thou.

 

[Mr J]

Use something like the Google tool bar. it has a button that you hit and it will check the spelling of any words in a form. Pretty simple.

I don't like toolbars (waste of space). Does it support English, or just American?

 

[Trembling Hand]

I don't like toolbars (waste of space). Does it support English, or just American?

You need a bigger screen then,

 

[nunthewiser]

Uh? when one is in the reply box there is a spell checker douvalaki on the top right hand side already .

 

[Mr J]

My screen is 1920x1080. I just don't like clutter.

I guess you answered my question on the language - if there's only one 'English' then it's American.

 

[Trembling Hand]

My screen is 1920x1080. I just don't like clutter.

I guess you answered my question on the language - if there's only one 'English' then it's American.

Nah its mixed I think. For example it will accept things like specialised as correct but also specialized as well.

 

[awg]

Have a look at this picture (below) ... does this help?

thanks for the reply, but at the risk of exposing my klutz, how is the spell check facility applied under yr example?

Use something like the Google tool bar. it has a button that you hit and it will check the spelling of any words in a form. Pretty simple.

Thx TH, I have yahoo toolbar atm, no spellcheck, might change

Had a boss once, spelling and computers were not his strong point.
He used to email us his missives without spellcheck, the poverty of his spelling was the cause of much mirth.

 

[wayneL]

Time to bump this thread before I go and have a pedant attack in some of the other threads.

Where did this using "then" rather than "than" come from. e.g. I like this better then that.

I also see "would of", "could of" etc instead of the correct "would have" or "would've" a lot more these days. What's going on there?


Then of course there is always our old favourites...

your & you're

their, there & they're etc etc

...making their regular appearances.

We all goof up from time to time and I'm far from perfect in this regard myself, but sometimes spelling, grammar and punctuation are so poor that it's very hardy to read fluidly.

If you have something to say, surely it's worth a bit of effort to make yourself understood?

 

[Whiskers]

Time to bump this thread before I go and have a pedant attack in some of the other threads.

Where did this using "then" rather than "than" come from. e.g. I like this better then that.

I also see "would of", "could of" etc instead of the correct "would have" or "would've" a lot more these days. What's going on there?


Then of course there is always our old favourites...

your & you're

their, there & they're etc etc

...making their regular appearances.

We all goof up from time to time and I'm far from perfect in this regard myself, but sometimes spelling, grammar and punctuation are so poor that it's very hardy to read fluidly.

If you have something to say, surely it's worth a bit of effort to make yourself understood?

I agree, although my énglish isn't perfect either, but some people really make a hash of their written communication by not even using the basic full stop at the end of a sentence and start the next with a capital letter. Then, it's all often strung together without paragraphs and becomes a nightmare trying to accurately decipher what is meant as opposed to what áppears'to be written.

Then when some intertwine text language with normal english...

It's bad enough on a forum, but on sites like ebay where it forms part of the sale contract it really makes it hard.

 

[explod]

Grammer has always followed the speach of the common people.

"R u rite m8" is the future.

 

[wayneL]

Grammar has always followed the speech of the common people.

"R u rite m8" is the future.

Just touched up your post a bit there Plod.

 

[Julia]

Time to bump this thread before I go and have a pedant attack in some of the other threads.

Where did this using "then" rather than "than" come from. e.g. I like this better then that.

I also see "would of", "could of" etc instead of the correct "would have" or "would've" a lot more these days. What's going on there?


Then of course there is always our old favourites...

your & you're

their, there & they're etc etc

...making their regular appearances.

We all goof up from time to time and I'm far from perfect in this regard myself, but sometimes spelling, grammar and punctuation are so poor that it's very hardy to read fluidly.

If you have something to say, surely it's worth a bit of effort to make yourself understood?

Couldn't agree more, Wayne.
'could of' instead of 'could have' especially drives me nuts, and it's unbelievably common.

Many of the current and recent teachers weren't themselves taught grammar and spelling, so it's not surprising they're turning out similarly woeful kids.

Grammer has always followed the speach of the common people.

"R u rite m8" is the future.

Isn't there some sort of spellcheck feature you can use which automatically highlights incorrect spelling?

It's 'grammar', explod, not 'grammer'. And 'speech', not 'speach'.

And no, grammar has not always 'followed the speech of the common people'.
Where did you get that idea? Correct grammar is the same now as it was generations ago.

I have the impression that fewer people read much good literature these days so, instead of absorbing well written English, their input is more from text messages etc. Such a shame.

 

[Miner]

My
I have observed the errors in English start right at the school.
Most of our children go to public school where 20% of classes are taken by relief teachers (no offence) but they serve more as child carers than having any set goal to teach while coming for one day.

Specialist language teachers in the School are often missing. One teacher teaches English will teach Mathematics next year Look at the half wages paid young children in the super markets, fast food shop . They even can not multiply 2x2 . All like robots. But some one need to study well to design more advanced robots.
Now most of the business are either delivered by non English countries like China or India and business are gained by them too. So again English in neglected to be a subject of essence.

English unfortunately in an English speaking country is often neglected. Please cross your heart and tell me how many kids now a days study Shakespeare or Dickens. Forget them how many heard of them in school.

With X Generation (again it is for the time line and no offence to any age) heavily relying on computer, video games, there is no incentive to learn English. Every thing Mr Bill Gates and his mates are taking care off. But who are the mates behind Microsoft packages - believe me most of the guys behind computer software and hardware design, do not speak English. 40% of the Microsoft personnel are Indians and hardware are made in China, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia - no one needs to learn good English for their trades.

How many secretaries now a days use Oxford English dictionary ?

Current novels, newspaper stories are now a days mostly written in poor English. One does not need to be a Dickens/

People get away with excuses by having poor Grammar in the name of typo.
IMO it is a disease embracing most of us.

We particularly in Australia have embraced a culture in the name of multi culturism and hence Plain English culture in government.

I think there is nothing called Plain English, Australian English, US English, UK English - it should be as governed by Oxford Dictionary (or Queen's English). End of the Story and no short cut.

BTW English is not my first langauge. However I am passionate to read, write and speak good English as I do like it for my first language.

 

[explod]

Just touched up your post a bit there Plod.

Thanks Champ, we have to set a good example.

And of course "ignorance is no excuse"

 

[Julia]

BTW English is not my first langauge. However I am passionate to read, write and speak good English as I do like it for my first language.

Miner, with English as your second language, you set a terrific example.

Apart from some differences in syntax, you frequently write way better English than many who claim it as their first language.

And your willingness to absorb e.g. Dickens, is something many Australians could emulate.

 

[bellenuit]

Time to bump this thread before I go and have a pedant attack in some of the other threads.

Where did this using "then" rather than "than" come from. e.g. I like this better then that.

I also see "would of", "could of" etc instead of the correct "would have" or "would've" a lot more these days. What's going on there?

Although lack of rigour in English teaching is obviously a cause of some of the problems, I think the advent of the internet is the main culprit. Prior to the internet, most written English available for general consumption was subject to some professional editing prior to being produced. I would suspect that greater than 90% of written text that a typical person would have read would be contained in newspapers, books and magazines, all written by professionals and subject to editing. So even though a person might have thought "would of" to be correct as it sounds like that when spoken, they would not find that in print and would soon realise the correct way to write it once they come across it in print.

The internet, however, has expanded enormously the sources of written text and much of it is produced by people lacking good English skills who tend to write based on how it sounds when spoken or often as it appears to sound when spoken. For many the internet is their main source of written communication and errors in writing can reinforce similar misunderstandings that the reader may have.

One of my favourites was a contributor to a US Stock message board who in several posts wrote "for all intensive purposes" instead of "for all intents and purposes". I noticed one or two other posters, unaware the expression was incorrect, use it themselves in posts they subsequently made.

 

[moXJO]

I'm lucky if I write a paragraph a week. My grip has fused to hold a drill after years of construction activity, so any handwritting above signing my name starts to hurt (maybe I can shove a pen in the end of the drill patent pending). So personally, I don't get much practice. I think it's a skill that is taken for granted, and is also more likely to suffer due to job type.