Clothes are 'loose' and people 'lose' it when they're cross......simple...or not???

[PutThatInYourPipeandSmokeIt]

I see 'loose' used instead of 'lose' - it's a different word!!!!

Yes, and 'lay' is a transitive verb while 'lie' is intransitive. And 'disinterested' does not mean the same as 'uninterested'. 'Discreet' means exercising discretion, while 'discrete' means separate or distinct. Etcetera.

But we're fighting a lost cause; the barbarians are at the gates.

OK, I also find this irritating but tbh, don't think it's fair to bring it up. Spelling just doesn't come naturally to everyone and Mumsnet is a forum open to everyone, no-one ever said you had to be a Mensa member to join!

ooh why does disinterested not mean the same as uninterested?

That is very true but I for one would love to improve my grammar and spelling and I'm always grateful when people point things out to me. Once we leave school there is no-one to tell us otherwise. Surely there's an exception for every day words rather than the flash Harry literary ones??

If you have dyslexia, normal common words can cause confusion. Ds2 is dyslexic and can spell perfectly when asked orally but gets completely confused in written tests.

I'm a bit of a pedant when it comes to spelling & punctuation (which means I'm bound to make a mistake writing this!) but have become aware of just how many people are dyslexic, including some fantastically clever colleagues, so loathe to pick people up on mistakes TBH. Also, many people weren't taught English well in school. Most of what I know about our grammar was learnt (learned?!) from studying foreign languages.

I hate spelling and grammatical mistakes especially because I think it's not very hard to get right but I've come to realise it's not everyone's forte.

Good point but there are probably lots of non-dyslexic spellers who just don't know the difference. 'Bad' spelling / wrong use of words is not limited to people with dyslexia and this thread is certainly not aimed at people with genuine hurdles....perhaps I should have made that clear.

frogs....please answer my question and dont be disuninterested!!!!!

ah! that's because there is no such word as 'disinterested'...

I agree with you PTIMPASI, it drives me nuts too. Incorrect use of apostrophes is my biggest niggle. My point is that you just don't know whether you're educating someone who genuinely doesn't know, or offending someone who has a problem. Totally, totally agree with you, just don't know what the answer is.

disinterested means impartial, not having a (vested) interest in. Uninterested means not finding something interesting.

How many times did you read your responses to make sure you had not made a mistake??

Disinterested is definitely a word. It means having no personal involvement/nothing to gain. Uninterested means the obvious.

OMG I bloody HATE apostrophes especially if the word has an 's' at the end

I can't get a grip on commas either

I really wouldn't mind someone pointing it out to me but it would only mean that I would never make the same mistake again if using the very same sentence because I just don't understand the rules of apostrophes and commas.

On the other hand.......

My brother has dyslexia and I would be if anyone picked out his errors as it took my family years to build up his confidence after he struggled throw years of crap schooling and bullying because of dyslexia

There was a whole thread on apostrophes.
My simplistic view is that apostrophes are used to:
show belonging - the girl's shoes (the shoes belonging to the girl; or the girls' shoes - the shoes belonging to the girls)
replace missing letter: cannot = can't; (not cant' as I see very often - apostrophe goes where the letters you've (you have!) taken out go)

Exception is "its" (belonging to it) which doesn't have an apostrophe; it's = "it is"

Does that help or confuse further?

I'm finding that I'm increasingly typing the wrong version of their/there/they're for example, even though I know the rules perfectly well. I keep forgetting to use question marks as well. Old age, or too much Mumsnetting?

I've been too scared to comment unti this thread. It's largely a reflection on low standards and low expectations from school IMO over the last 20 odd years.

Thanks, that really does help

Is there a need for them in plurals?

I must try and locate that thread also.

I wonder if there's (

Or simply being a bold brat in school and not paying attention as was the case with me LongD

Loose = not tight
Lose = can't find

Sorry, starting to sound like a boring old fart. But then I am old, am boring, and do fart a lot...

lol me too but ssshhhh

Thank you for helping

Ab, Lilo - we all have our failings. I can do grammar but heck, maybe it goes with farting a great deal. And I'm sure that being a goody two shoes in school means I missed out on a lot of bike shed chat.

love the name, dead mother!

Thanks. V pleased to have access to internet or would have to resort to wand memory storage devices to still be heard at all!