To point out that the word is 'being' not 'been'

[Thisvehicleisreversing]

I've read a number of posts over the last few days where a poster has used 'been' when they've meant 'being'

It's annoying. So there.

Yes Usual, that's been covered previously. But in other contexts it contributes to those who don't have good English skills continuing to make genuine mistakes. As people have said, it's pretty obvious when people actually don't know they're wrong.

It's happening increasingly on the BBC, on news programmes, in newspapers etc. Not just on chat forums.

And exactly what Cardibach said!

lala, I assume with your standard of English you're being sarcastic?

Otherwise, your students must be quite angry at your hypocritical attitude.

having - if you haven't slipped up, care to explain how punctuation is your friend? Or should we only judge US English on a UK forum?

See, one could be pedantic for days. It's silly. It make people feel shit. We're not here to write grammatical treatises, so why not be a bit kinder to people?

I don't care if I get it wrong on here.

It doesn't matter.

It's a bit of chit chat,nothing more.

I don't care if I get it wrong on here.

I care that some people are happy to judge when I know there will be people who do care and feel awful.

Yes,iswym,LRD.

Not nice to think people would be put off posting if their spelling doesn't come up to stratch.

Or scratch

Yeah, or would post thinking it was ok and then would read this and feel a bit crap. Especially since the OP is about posters, it does feel a bit pointed.

See, I didn't even misread that - I just read it as 'scratch'. Does that say my spelling is shit or my clairvoyance is impressive? Who knows.

Loosing instead of losing

Sorry LRD, I don't follow? My attitude is that I want to teach people good language skills.

People don't use MN to be taught good lanquage skills.

This op was about posters on MN, not your students.

The OP is talking about posters, ie., people chatting on here.

Your post is riddled with basic errors.

You claim you want to teach people good language skills.

Now, I want to do that too (believe it or not). But I don't start out by assuming I can tell who's being 'lazy' in their errors and who isn't. If I did, I'd surely conclude your errors must be the 'lazy' variety since you claim to be qualified to correct the mistakes made by other people. Yet, if your errors result from laziness, how is it not hypocritical to agree with the OP, who is judging posters on this forum?

Cross post.

What usual said was true too, and probably more to the point.

God knows I try to teach my students good English, but I don't start out by assuming I can call them 'lazy' and get a good result.

you are been unreasonable

You said it so much better than me,LRD.

I missed the rule stating threads must never expand organically or mention anything other than what the OP said...

LRD referred to my students Usual, I was answering that. I never called my students lazy, I thought I'd made that clear. I never called anyone lazy actually. Feel free to point out my basic errors - I'm not too proud to learn . I never claimed to be an English teacher, but yes I'd like to aid foreign and SEN students in their understanding of English as much as I can. There is a difference between correcting words that are wrong and the real nitty gritty stuff I imagine you're about to point out to me. I only went to a state school after all .

I also did make a big point about use in the context of forums. I'm a little bemused as to why you're sticking it to me so emphatically when many others have been openly critical of language used in chat.

That'll learn ya.

Language changes over time; spelling, meaning, all of it really.

Many of the words and idioms that we use today meant something very different when they were first defined. People have used them 'incorrectly' for so many years that their new usage has become standard.

Whilst it is tempting to think that the evolution of language stopped abruptly when you as an individual ceased formal education, it has continued to evolve, and the English language looks very different now than it did 20 years ago. In fact, I think it quite arrogant to assume that the language that you were taught is the be all and end all.

Whether this is a good or bad thing is another question altogether, but for all the meanings that have been lost, we have also gained many other words that I believe are more relevant to the culture of today.

I have no issue with threads expanding organically.

What I do have an issue with is your basic errors. You must know them if you teach literacy. they are simple.

Many posters on this thread made equally basic errors.

I'm bemused as to why you seem to mind 'sticking it to you' when you claimed people who make genuine errors don't mind rude corrections?

Maybe now you see why, huh?

'I'm terribly mathematical challenged'

'Language is no different to appearance as a signifier of intent'

Your punctuation has too many errors to quote.

I'm picking holes because I think it's incredibly rude to set yourself up as an authority - especially when you admit you penalized students without authorization, just because you felt like it - when you are making basic errors yourself.

I'm not entirely clear why you think 'laziness is an appropriate assumption' is different from calling someone 'lazy', btw. Of course, the former phrase is shit English, but I doubt that was your point.

You did admit you assumed some people were lazy, you know you did.

Nothing is as annoying as "would of, should of, could of" WHY people do that? Does it not occur to them it makes no sense? Take out the would from "I would of gone to the shop", you are left with "I of gone to the shop"... What would the negative be, I ofn't? It truly drives me barmy. It is HAVE people. HAVE.

I feel like writing 'could of'all over MN.
There's more moaning about it than posters actually writing it.

Hellymelly, a lot of the language that you use every day makes no sense to someone a generation older than you. They find your 'incorrect' use of words irritating. I expect it drives them barmy too.

A little insight wouldn't go amiss here, people...