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Pedants' corner

His instead of he's...

28 replies

TheAverageJoanne · 10/03/2024 01:30

What??? How does this make sense?

"I asked Simon if his coming to the party but his not because his mum wants his car and his not able to get the bus."

Like been instead of being, and would of/should of etc, is this an example of people who only read when looking at social media and don't really read anything "correct" so they don't see words spelled and grammar used properly?

It's almost phonetic spelling depending on accents

OP posts:
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WearyAuldWumman · 10/03/2024 01:34

What's the source of this?

I've returned to supply teaching after a 5 year break and I'm seeing an increase in spelling errors. Colleagues tell me that it's because pupils missed so many lessons during lockdown.

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Hermittrismegistus · 10/03/2024 01:39

There is a MN troll that uses 'His' instead of 'he's'.

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WearyAuldWumman · 10/03/2024 01:43

Hermittrismegistus · 10/03/2024 01:39

There is a MN troll that uses 'His' instead of 'he's'.

Ah. I've not stumbled across this person.

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marshmallowfinder · 10/03/2024 03:31

It's an abomination, as far as I'm concerned. Many people don't give a shit and have no intention of trying to improve, so sadly, the English language is being ruined.

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MiltonNorthern · 10/03/2024 03:41

Lots of people use he's when they mean his too. It's a lack of education I guess but it's really difficult to understand why people don't see the basic wrongness about typing he's when they mean his.

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TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:04

One I see quite a bit on here is, I seen instead of I saw. 'I seen that the other day.' No you didn't seen it, you saw it.

Also, I were instead of I was. 'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

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alexdgr8 · 10/03/2024 05:12

that's just how some people speak, so it's how they write.

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HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 05:12

TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:04

One I see quite a bit on here is, I seen instead of I saw. 'I seen that the other day.' No you didn't seen it, you saw it.

Also, I were instead of I was. 'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

Edited

'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! OMG!

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TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:48

HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 05:12

'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! OMG!

You'll get people coming onto this thread, not realising the topic it has been posted under, saying that it's perfectly acceptable to talk like that because of regional dialect. It might be used in certain parts of the country but it still doesn't make it correct.

I was shot down on here for saying that 'needs gone,' isn't correct as it's used in Scotland. It might be but it's not correct English.

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TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:50

HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 05:12

'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! OMG!

Another one that is along the same lines as 'I were,' is 'We was.'

'We was going to go to the shops but decided against it.'

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Michellebops · 10/03/2024 05:57

The one that really really and I mean really grates on me is when I is replaced with A

Eg a was wondering if a could go too

This is people I went to school with (I'm mid 40s) so not younger people

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Londonnight · 10/03/2024 06:04

Has anyone noticed how our is now often being pronounced as are? I hear it many times now on TV and radio.

Been instead of being, seen instead of saw and done instead of did all drive me mad!

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seven201 · 10/03/2024 06:16

My dh says his instead of he's and was instead of were. In his case it's a lack of education and how some of his friends and family spoke. I go through phases of it really bothering me and snapping at him "it's HIS!" then feeling guilty because it's not his fault that's how he was brought up. I struggle with language and grammar myself.

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HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 07:31

I am learning another European language and it is really making me think about grammar. It always makes me think of 'Life of Brian'.

"Conjugate the verb to go..."

This, and another thread about the jargon used in the corporate world, has made me think a good deal about our language and its vocabulary.

In another 100 years, we will probably all be grunting at each other using only a few hundred different words.

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HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 07:50

TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:48

You'll get people coming onto this thread, not realising the topic it has been posted under, saying that it's perfectly acceptable to talk like that because of regional dialect. It might be used in certain parts of the country but it still doesn't make it correct.

I was shot down on here for saying that 'needs gone,' isn't correct as it's used in Scotland. It might be but it's not correct English.

I have witnessed this previously. It is our safe space though, so we just have to educate them, or let them slope off back to the other boards 🤣

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Zyq · 10/03/2024 08:01

The sheer lack of logic bewilders me. They wouldn't write either "shis" or "her" for "she is", so why would they think this is appropriate for "he is"?

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Battenbergsquare · 10/03/2024 08:05

“Please can you advice how we can resolve this?” Gives me the inner rage, especially as it happens around 20 times a day at work!

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Chocochoo · 10/03/2024 08:13

“Been” instead of “being” makes me feel irrationally angry. Do they think “been” is a two syllable word, i.e. when speaking they drop the “g” in “being” so when they write it, they write “been” because they’ve seen it written before/more often? Or, do they not know the word “being” exists at all and are using “been” in its place?

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PermanentIyExhaustedPigeon · 10/03/2024 08:15

Oh one I see quite a bit (not on here, but on FB groups) is "ano" for "I know" 😬

"ano it's terrible isn't it"

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TheAverageJoanne · 10/03/2024 09:01

WearyAuldWumman · 10/03/2024 01:34

What's the source of this?

I've returned to supply teaching after a 5 year break and I'm seeing an increase in spelling errors. Colleagues tell me that it's because pupils missed so many lessons during lockdown.

This was written by an adult. On Mumsnet. I've changed the context to protect the innocent guilty.

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TheAverageJoanne · 10/03/2024 09:06

TheChippendenSpook · 10/03/2024 05:04

One I see quite a bit on here is, I seen instead of I saw. 'I seen that the other day.' No you didn't seen it, you saw it.

Also, I were instead of I was. 'I were walking down the road the other day and...'

Edited

Many people will say that where I come from and in south Yorkshire, "I were only joking" "I were gonna tell you..." sort of thing but yes many write it too. Also, when talking about being voted out of Dancing on Ice; "Amber should of went instead of Eddie."

Correct it and you're told to be kind.

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IncompleteSenten · 10/03/2024 09:09

I think a lot of people don't really read proper books and didn't pay attention in school so type how they talk and don't know the difference. Then of course it's all over social media which they do read and it re-enforces the belief they're spelling it right.

My biggest weakness is punctuation. I type how I talk and put punctuation in where I'd pause or take a breath when talking. I know it's not the proper way to write but it's a habit I struggle to break. Plus, in all honesty, I don't really know how to correctly use punctuation so I just give it my best shot.

Also, I waffle.
🤣

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IncompleteSenten · 10/03/2024 09:11

"Correct it and you're told to be kind"

But it's not your place to correct it unless they have asked to be corrected.

I'm thinking of threads where an OP is upset or angry and some utter wankpuffin comes along and corrects their spag.
They can fuck off with that shit. I'd rather have piss poor spag than no emotional awareness.

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TheAverageJoanne · 10/03/2024 09:43

@IncompleteSenten I know what you mean. It's insensitive I suppose in that context.

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HappiestSleeping · 10/03/2024 10:39

IncompleteSenten · 10/03/2024 09:09

I think a lot of people don't really read proper books and didn't pay attention in school so type how they talk and don't know the difference. Then of course it's all over social media which they do read and it re-enforces the belief they're spelling it right.

My biggest weakness is punctuation. I type how I talk and put punctuation in where I'd pause or take a breath when talking. I know it's not the proper way to write but it's a habit I struggle to break. Plus, in all honesty, I don't really know how to correctly use punctuation so I just give it my best shot.

Also, I waffle.
🤣

I read an excellent article once where a group were split into male and female and asked to punctuate the following sentence:-

"Woman without her man is an animal"

All the women punctuated thus:-
"Woman! Without her, man is an animal."

All the men punctuated this way:-
"Woman without her man, is an animal."

Hilarious.

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