Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3

AIBU?

to want to start a grammar thread with the sole intention of pointing out 'CHILDREN WHO'

56 replies

HedTwigg · 11/07/2007 22:12

not 'children that'

arrrgghhhh

(might not even be right but its bugging me)

OP posts:

Report

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 11/07/2007 22:12

Report

HedTwigg · 11/07/2007 22:16

LGJ ... gawd love you .. you can always be trusted

OP posts:

Report

HonoriaGlossop · 11/07/2007 22:25

Well can I tag onto this that on the home page of mumsnet, yes MUMSNET there is a 'hot topic thread' with the title "Libraries - do you make the most of your one?"

WTF?

Come on MN!

Report

MadEyemarthamooDy · 11/07/2007 22:26

It wasn't me was it?

Nah, I know it wasn't really - I know it should be "children what are going to school need to know how to get there shoes on the write feet."

Report

peanutbear · 11/07/2007 22:27

ahh that could so easily have been my post.
32 and I still havn't got the grammer

Report

Elasticwoman · 11/07/2007 22:27

HedTwigg - "children that" is not an ungrammatical construction. "Its" however, in your OP should be "it's" because it's short for "it is". That is a matter of punctuation, not grammar.

Pedantic, moi??

Report

HedTwigg · 11/07/2007 22:29

'children that hate dogs/cows' is right?

it doesn't sound right, it sounds like it should be 'children who hate dogs/cows'

I often drop the apostrophe in it's because I'm rather lazy .. but I know it should be there

OP posts:

Report

Judy1234 · 11/07/2007 22:32

I would never say children that hate dogs and no one educated does in the UK whether it's grammatically correct or not so that's reason enough to avoid it as it immediately marks you out as "one of them....." who don't speak proper etc

Report

Elasticwoman · 11/07/2007 22:33

The fact that you would never say it, Xenia, is absolutely irrelevant to this argument.

Report

HedTwigg · 11/07/2007 22:35

i don't think 'children that' is correct in this instance ach-oo-ally

and I agree with Xenia

OP posts:

Report

Elasticwoman · 12/07/2007 10:07

From the Bible, as used in Handel's Messiah:

"All they that see him, laugh him to scorn;"

and Shakespeare, one of Lady MacBeth's speeches:

"I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:"

Both instances use "that" when referring to a person or people. Doesn't mean that "who" isn't also correct though.

Report

jura · 12/07/2007 10:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HedTwigg · 12/07/2007 10:14

you can't use Shakespeare as proof that anything is grammatically correct .. he was a poet and storymaker not a scholar .. he lived in a time when English was far more fluid

as for Handel's Messiah .. same comment stands

OP posts:

Report

Elasticwoman · 12/07/2007 10:14

jura - lol at "children like what" !

Report

Pamina · 12/07/2007 10:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MadEyemarthamooDy · 12/07/2007 10:17

Blimey, that's depressing Pamina

Report

Elasticwoman · 12/07/2007 10:18

HedTwigg - English is still fluid. And Shakespeare was a writer whose work has stood the test of time. If it's good enough for Bill the Bard, it's good enough for me.

BTW Shakespeare goes into tavern and orders a drink. Innkeeper: Sorry, can't serve you, you're Bard.

Report

HedTwigg · 12/07/2007 10:19

.. that's appalling

as opposed to apaling/apauling [snurk] .. another word that drives me barking mad on here

OP posts:

Report

Pamina · 12/07/2007 10:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MadEyemarthamooDy · 12/07/2007 10:21

OMG Have you emailed them, Pamina? ORT are teaching my child to read!

Report

HedTwigg · 12/07/2007 10:21

runner's up

OP posts:

Report

MadEyemarthamooDy · 12/07/2007 10:25

I've mentioned this before too but, what the hell, I'll wheel it out again.

We had a letter from school, signed by the teacher who is the Literacy Co-ordinator, telling us all about the fabulous Art's Week, which was coming up soon, and how they needed lots of help and input to raise money for Art's Week and what a wonderful experience Art's Week would be for all the children.

I wish I had sent a note back in saying "All very commendable - but, please, who is Art and why are we raising money for him?"

Report

HedTwigg · 12/07/2007 10:28

[email protected]

that's the Oxford University Press email contac

OP posts:

Report

HedTwigg · 12/07/2007 10:30

have complained

disgusted of Tunbridge Wells

OP posts:

Report

tiktok · 12/07/2007 10:37

HedTwigg - as you suspect, you are wrong, sorry! 'That' and 'who' as relative pronouns referring to a person are interchangeable - see this page - though style and habit favour 'who'.

Talk

AIBU?

to want to start a grammar thread with the sole intention of pointing out 'CHILDREN WHO'

Sign up to continue reading

Mumsnet's better when you're logged in. You can customise your experience and access way more features like messaging, watch and hide threads, voting and much more.

Talk

AIBU?

to want to start a grammar thread with the sole intention of pointing out 'CHILDREN WHO'

Sign up to continue reading

Mumsnet's better when you're logged in. You can customise your experience and access way more features like messaging, watch and hide threads, voting and much more.

Sign up now to cast your AIBU vote

You'll get fewer ads, be able to hide, watch and save threads for later, and access loads more customisable features

Sign up now to cast your AIBU vote

You'll get fewer ads, be able to hide, watch and save threads for later, and access loads more customisable features