To offer some grammar tips to anyone who might want them?

[UnaCorda]

I sincerely hope this doesn't come across as either rude or patronising - it genuinely isn't meant to. It's also not intended as a pedants' thread.

I just thought it might be useful to list a few common mistakes, with an explanation, so that anyone who isn't very confident with their written English might be able to correct errors which, for example, could perhaps count against them in a job application or when used in a professional context.

I'll start with three:

1. "Your" shows that what you're referring to (probably a person or object) belongs to whoever "you" is in the sentence; for example, "Your brother showed me your book". If you mean "you are" you need to write "you're".

2. "Non" is not a word on its own - it is negating something, such as in "non-stick" or "non-committal". ("None-stick" would be incorrect, as would "non of them".) "None" means there aren't any. "How many cakes are left?" "Sorry - none." Or, "How many of the children finished the test?" "None of them."

3. "Alot" is not a word and the same goes for "abit", "infront", "incase" and "inbetween". Instead use "a lot", etc., just like "a little".

Hope I haven't made any mistakes myself...

My point, from the very beginning, was that the “seeners and doners” you mentioned most likely knew exactly what was correct otherwise they would not have been at University in the first place.

Unfortunately that wasn't at all clear.
And there are people who might know their vernacular isn't correct but it just doesn't matter to them. If you're computer software, you need accuracy in spelling and punctuation but it has bugger all to do with English grammar.

If you're writing computer software, that was meant to say.

My point, from the very beginning, was that the “seeners and doners” you mentioned most likely knew exactly what was correct otherwise they would not have been at University in the first place.

I agree with errol that wasn't as clear as you imagine (though I acknowledge you had made the distinction between spoken and written speech and before people reiterated that point to you).

But the fact remains that you're wrong. People do get to university despite making grammar errors. I won't pretend to have stats on precise numbers of people admitted who write 'I seen' and 'I done' (for obvious reasons). But I'm absolutely certain your assumption that people who make such errors don't get into university is incorrect.

@Shimy

OP, I got caught in a grammar debate between two family members yesterday. The DH talking about recruitment said,”Google do graduate schemes’, DW corrected him and said, ‘its Google does’. Argument ensues. Who was right? (I thought they both sounded correct but felt ‘do’ wS the right ones as Google is a single entity).

I'm not the OP but this is a nebulous issue in British English. We tend to use both singular and plural forms with collective nouns, whereas American English always uses the singular form. The notable exception common to both is the police, who are always treated as plural ('the police are investigating').

So they were both correct if you are in the UK., but DW is correct in the US.

Can not is usually wrong, cannot is usually correct. Can't is a contraction of cannot, not of can not.
I cannot be clearer than this. I can not only patronise, but be patronised too.

No matter what you meant Cheetas,you were still argumentative and rude.

The SQA requires pupils to now study Scottish Literature (often written in dialect) as part of their English qualifications, and encourages candidates to write creatively in dialect. You would clearly swallow the plums in your mouth to read A grade pupils' scripts written in dialect? Lots of seeners and doners in there.

Check out Anne Donovan's short story Hyroglephics for a lesson on language.

Oh, I love Anne Donovan. My favorite work of hers is Buddha Da.

@Shimy and @Zhampagne I think the debate over singular/plural for an organisation is also a matter of style in the Media. For example the BBC has the Government pegged as singular. Others may do different?
Style guides are fascinating things. The Economist publishes its own and is a handy guide to grammar and usage.

@Puffalicious

No matter what you meant Cheetas,you were still argumentative and rude.

The SQA requires pupils to now study Scottish Literature (often written in dialect) as part of their English qualifications, and encourages candidates to write creatively in dialect. You would clearly swallow the plums in your mouth to read A grade pupils' scripts written in dialect? Lots of seeners and doners in there.

Check out Anne Donovan's short story Hyroglephics for a lesson on language.

You’re just talking nonsense now @Puffalicious. I can read, write and speak dialect. I also know how to conjugate the verb “to do” in standard English. I’m pretty sure Irvine Welsh does too.

Appreciation of the richness of dialect and understanding a basic rule of standard English grammar are not mutually exclusive.

I still believe you're rude and classist Cheetas. My point is clearly made in the short story to which I referred.

Seneca brilliant novel.

This is a wonderful thread!!

@KingaRoo I think you’ve slightly misread my post based on your first sentence but I do agree the DH’s phrasing could’ve been expressed better overall by saying “Google offer”, I also pointed out the ‘single entity’ aspect as my reasoning.
@Zhampagne & @scentedgeranium very interesting comments. Both of them could actually be considered correct then. I’m inclined to follow the BBC’s lead when it comes to grammar (although it seems even their standards have dropped slightly over the last few yrs) so perhaps in future I’ll stick with Company X ‘Do’, with greater ease.

I can’t make head nor tail of what you are trying to say.

Shouldn’t it be either ‘I can’t make head or tail...’, or ‘I can make neither head nor tail...’?

Personally, I’ve found this this thread interesting, and some posters rude and unpleasant.

If you're a native speaker of English, but at some point learned German, then sentences like these hurt your ears:

"The couple told Phil and I that they ....."

I think it's called hypercorrection? people think they say "me" too often so use "I" too much including when the direct obj is required and not subject.

@ MrsKypp - If you're a native speaker of English, but at some point learned German, then sentences like these hurt your ears:

If you're a native speaker of English and have never learned German but have a good grasp of grammar, sentences like that hurt your ears.

But it is me and Phil or Phil and me?

Phil and me. It’s polite to put the other person first.

I would of

Is v v v annoying.

@KingaRoo - But it is me and Phil or Phil and me?

Both are grammatically correct but Phil and me would be considered more polite.

@OchonAgusOchonO

@ MrsKypp - If you're a native speaker of English, but at some point learned German, then sentences like these hurt your ears:

If you're a native speaker of English and have never learned German but have a good grasp of grammar, sentences like that hurt your ears.

Well yes, you are right actually!

Kirsty Allsop does it, among many others.

I mean, you'd never say "The couple told I that.." so why on earth do people say it when they add in eg Phil or whoever.

The other thing that could confuse, but often happens, is when people mix up homophones like they're / their / there. Your / you're is another one.

Before I learned German at school, I also used to say "could of". Learning grammar in a foreign language helped me see why it should be "could have".

Written language is only really a representation of how we speak though, so I can see why these mistakes are made. It can confuse though, or at least lead to less clarity and show lack of grammatical knowledge.

Before I learned German at school, I also used to say "could of". Learning grammar in a foreign language helped me see why it should be "could have".

I assume you were saying "could've" rather than "could of"? Although they do sound much the same.

I've only every seen "could of" instead of "could've" written here on mn. Maybe it's a british thing?

Your
You're
There
Their
Couldn't
Could not give a tosh really 🤷‍♀️ There's alot more to worry about in this world than worry about grammar 🤪

@OchonAgusOchonO

Before I learned German at school, I also used to say "could of". Learning grammar in a foreign language helped me see why it should be "could have".

I assume you were saying "could've" rather than "could of"? Although they do sound much the same.

I've only every seen "could of" instead of "could've" written here on mn. Maybe it's a british thing?

Yes, they sound exactly the same in my area (London suburb, UK).

Could've / could of

• with unstressed vowel in 'of'

How about where to place commas or how to use a hyphen correctly?

@tinseltitsandlittlegits

Your You're There Their Couldn't Could not give a tosh really 🤷‍♀️ There's alot more to worry about in this world than worry about grammar 🤪

It depends where you're writing though I think. You can't publish an article in a journal mixing homophones, and ideally, it'd be correct in an essay.

It does reveal your level of grammatical knowledge and education.

I don't mean to judge, but I always notice when someone mixes them up. I wouldn't say anything though and am sure I make mistakes too.