Why do people enjoy picking others up on their spelling or grammar

[TakeMeDrunkImHome]

i have noticed this a LOT here, and i am fairly new. Is there some kind of badge that is awarded if you spell every word correctly and use every term in the correct way. Some people seem to respond to a particular thread just to correct the OP with their spelling or punctuation or grammar. WHY? Not everyone has a masters in english. Not everyone is awesome with spelling or grammar. Is it some way of making yourself look better than the next person?

[nijinsky]

Yes, the difficulty with "you" and "yous" is that "you" is now doing what "thou" and "thee" used to do, as well as being the plural. So in losing thou, thee, thy, etc English actually lost a lot as you have one word doing 4 jobs previously done by 4 different words!

I don't think English has an official enshrined version in law, unlike Norwegian or Dutch for example. Therefore you can make a case for saying that some dialects are more correct by retaining certain grammatical conventions!

I guess for a long time there have been attempts to impose firstly "southern English" and then R.P. as the correct version of English.

LOL at TrillionAstra quite a good idea for some situations!

[FellatioNelson]

An ipad is way beyond my meagre capabilities. I'm still on Key Stage One of texting.

[RustyBear]

Fellatio - if you are paranoid about getting it's/its wrong, don't get an iPad. It insists on putting the apostrophe in at all times. But then a autocorrect function that can turn 'get home' into 'gerbils' is probably capable of anything.

[verlainechasedrimbauds]

This little rant (if you can get past the advertisement at the beginning) seems appropriate for the thread. I can't do press-ups either...

[WhatsWrongWithYou]

Yes, 'you' is a plural, I was just responding to your question re the plural of it.
Not saying it's correct, but when addressing one person, one might say 'where are you going?' whereas if addressing a group, 'where are youse going?' would be used.

It distinguishes between the two, but tbh I always think it makes people sound thick .

[TrillianAstra]

I think a really useful addition to the language would be a separation of inclusive vs exclusive "we".

"We (I and some other people) are going to the park" Byeeeee
"We (I and you and optionally some other people) are going to the park" So get your coat and come on

[nijinsky]

Technically, "you" is the plural, as English dropped the actual plural for this word ("je" possibly?) a few hundred years ago hence it struggles to replace the emphasis of changing from the singular to the plural.

All this grammatical information is not my own, but has come from two German friends who are linguists!

[WhatsWrongWithYou]

In Liverpool, where I'm from, the plural of 'you' is 'youse.' Came in quite handy but I don't think I ever used it once I realised it wasn't used in written English. < pedant >

[handsomeharry]

Couldn't agree with you more!

[beesimo]

HH

Teachers should not say arse they should say bottom I am shocked and appalled the riff raff they allow on MN.



My DDs are home safe so I shall now go to me bedxx

[handsomeharry]

Sorry beesimo - the dialect doesn't do anything for me. I am a mardy bugger though!

[nijinsky]

And a perfect display of all the grammatical conventions that English has now lost, but which make it much more meaningful in just a few words. This is why English struggles to replace the words it has lost - how do you say the plural of "you"?

[beesimo]

One of our yard dogs is called Harry he's hes a mardy bugger too!

[handsomeharry]

Does anyone else get goosebumps reading Beesimo's posts?

No, not really. I do get a pain in my arse though - does that count?

[WhatsWrongWithYou]

Does anyone else get goosebumps reading Beesimo's posts?
Extraordinary and compelling.

[beesimo]

Nijinsky

You are very quick witted to work me poem out so well.


I love THEE means I love YOU

I am THINE means I am YOURS as in my HEART is yours

THOU must not means YOU must not


On the night we first 'spoke' DH said to me

'Aa's thine, thees mine, thass it' or in English 'I'm yours, your mine, that's it'

When a proper Yorkshire lad says 'thass it' at the end of a sentence it means more than any signed and witnessed contract ever could, it means end of discussion my word is my bond and that is my final word on the subject.

[nijinsky]

Or even from incorrect spelling! (with no "and")

[usualsuspect]

I speak with a local accent ,some people think that is wrong though

[nijinsky]

Re writing in dialect - if no-one does it, we will lose it. Obviously its good to have the ability to change for formal settings, but I distinguish it from incorrect and spelling.

For what is the English we speak? Merely one of the dialects that was chosen to be "proper English". Wasn't it the dialect of Wessex? But if you speak other Germanic languages, of which English is one, English is strangely irregular and unstructured. The grammar represented by the dialects is often much more advanced. e.g. the retention of the second person singular thee, thine and thou. Its much more in keeping with all the other Germanic languages. Likewise the prefixing of verbs to make the past tense. English has dropped it mostly, but retains it in some cases (e.g. alike, afraid, beholden). If you are used to this more logical form of grammar, it is easier to learn other languages (and understand different dialects that use it).

I'm also not entirely sure of the status of some no longer commonly used grammatical conventions in English? (e.g. those above). Are they correct English or not? If they are not in common usage, does that make them wrong? Or are they still correct English usage, albeit archaic, because most people do understand the meaning of thee, thine and thou, etc.? Does anyone know what the "official version" of all this is?

[nijinsky]

Well, bearing in mind its a poem, I think I got most of it at first reading:

In all your doings in the world
Do right with all your might
Wrong never can
be right, you know
And as through life you go
Keep straight

From early youth, to hoary age
You should make your delight
To do your best for each other
And kindly help a fallen brother
To keep straight

Should money tempt you to do wrong
Just give this thought some weight
Shall I be happier with this money
I doubt you know it, just let it pass
Keep straight

Deal honestly with everyone
Then you'll feel happy quite
Don't dirty your mouth with any lie
Whatever the consequence may be
Keep straight

Half the misery there is in the world
We soon would put to flight
God sent us lots of happiness
But Man's devious ways often make it less
Keep straight

(No connections to Yorkshire or Northumberland whatsoever)

[usualsuspect]

Even I can't understand that Bee

[FellatioNelson]

haven't got a clue, sorry.

[FellatioNelson]

Well that's all very well Beesimo, but the whole point of clear, correct, unambiguous standard English is that we can all understand it. Not just people who live in our immediate vicinity. Your Yorkshire poem may be very entertaining but I have got a fecking clue what any of it means and neither has 99.9% of the rest of the UK population.

[senua]

I'm with CJCregg. If someone's post is too difficult to read then I gloss over it. MNing is entirely voluntary, there is no compulsion to read or comment on every posting, so if it involves too much 'translation' then I ignore it.
I am not the only one: maypole1 posted quite a bit yesterday and, as the day wore on, fewer and fewer people addressed her posts. It looks like they couldn't be bothered to spend the time deciphering. Her loss.

Just as there is no MN law saying that people should use good SPag, there is also no MN law that says that I have to read everything.

[beesimo]

nijinsky

Thaa gets it!

Iv all ye deeins i' this world,
Deea reet wi' all yer might;
Wrang nivver can
be reet, yeh knaw,
An seea as through life yeh goa
Keep Stright

Frae heearly youth, to hoary age,
You shud mackt your delight
To do your best for yan anudder,
And kahndly help a fallin' brudder
To Keep Stright

Shud money tempt yea to deea wrang
Just give this thowt somm weight
Sall Ah be happier wi' this brass?
Ah doubt ya weeant; seea lei it pass
Keep Stright

Deal honestly wiv ivvery yan.
Then you'll feel happy quite
Don't muck yer mouth wi' onny lie,
Whativver t consequence may be.
Keep Stright


Hawf t' misery there is in't world
We seean wud put te flight.
God sent us lots o' happiness
But Mans creeeakt ways oft make it less.
Keep Stright



Lass 2 typing as Mam to slow