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pv
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Post Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 22, 2005 08:39
Here's where you can talk about the common spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes that crop up on this site.

(For example, definately for definitely and alot for a lot.)

[Edited on 28/8/2005 by pv]
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 23, 2005 09:23
I constantly spell definitely with an 'a', force of habit :rolleyes: I have a problem with necessary too. I always think it has an 'i' in it for some reason.
pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 23, 2005 01:26
I have a problem with occasionally. Sometimes I put in one "c" instead of two, or I put in an extra "i" after the "a" - "ocaisionally."
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Celedë_Anthaas
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 24, 2005 05:49
I always write definitely as definately:rolleyes: I used to write 'appearently' instead of 'apparently' as well.
I have an excuse, I'm not a native English speaker I have permission to make spelling mistakes *lol*
LinweSingollo
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 24, 2005 05:58
I have the same problem with "occasionally" --- I always have to stop and think whether it's two 'c's or two 's's.
"To the Hobbits. May they outlast the Sarumans and see spring again in the trees." J.R.R. Tolkien
pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 25, 2005 03:21
Speaking of c's and s's, "necessary" is another word that makes me stop and think!
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Alarien
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 27, 2005 08:52
It's actually Cs and Ss, w/o the apostrophes (or however you spell it).
pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 27, 2005 11:27
It's actually Cs and Ss, w/o the apostrophes


That's what I used to think - but in "Eats, Shoots and Leaves," the book on punctuation by Lynne Truss, it says that apostrophes may be used in this way. Of course, you may or may not agree with Lynne Truss!
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pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 27, 2005 11:30
I've decided to broaden our field of discussion, by changing the name of this thread to "Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks."
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9digithobbit
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 28, 2005 02:30
Well, if "spelling" mistakes includes homonym confusion... there are several that can be very... uh... unfortunate in a fic... for instance if I ever again read of someone "pouring over a map" I want there to be some kind of liquid involved, otherwise it should be "poring." Similarly, mixing up vice and vise can be bad, bear and bare, loath and loathe, waste and waist, all of these and many more can result in a horribly hilarious sentence. Also, "hair's breath" is annoying. Hair doesn't breathe. It should be "hair's breadth," as in width.

/rant
pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: August 28, 2005 02:40
This can't exactly be called homonym confusion, but I've seen the spelling "of" used for the word "have."
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HeriTavaril
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 12, 2005 10:03
Hi there.

Remember that UK and US spellings are not always the same. I think the grammatical rules may also be interpreted a little differently. I don't find a few spelling mistakes in an otherwise good fiction objectionable - I am not exactly immune to making them myself! Although I firmly believe that spell checking your work is a good thing and trying to ensure that your story is readable and well presented, if you agonise over every comma you may never write at all. I do wish that they had taught grammar when I was at school - it would be so useful to have that knowledge before attempting to learn another language. I don't consider myself to be a dunce but some of the grammatical bits of elvish language courses are a bit daunting. What do others think?
Lady~Eowyn
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 12, 2005 12:42
HeriTavaril,
They don't teach grammar at my school either - or at least, very little of it. I've never learned what semi-colens are for, nor colens, to be entirely honest. I had to look it up myself and even then, sometimes I'm not ever sure if I'm using them correctly. My school doesn't go very deep into grammar - which is kind of sad, because it's a very useful skill to have. I'm also afraid that my English course (in high school) will never go back into proper grammar, . From here on, it's more or less literary essays, and interpreting stories, etc.
LinweSingollo
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 12, 2005 02:52
I often use U.K. spellings (though I live in the U.S.) just because I prefer how it looks and have read a great deal of English literature, though I'm not always consistent. Many words, I've discovered, have alternate spelllings in my dictionary. For example: dryly and drily; gray and grey. What I use, depends on the flavor the word gives the story.

As for punctuation...it's whatever feels good. Commas baffle me and I sprinkle them wherever I think there's a need for one. Semi-colons and colons are used depending on how much of a pause I want. I don't like to get too uptight about either unless the spellling is completely mangled.
"To the Hobbits. May they outlast the Sarumans and see spring again in the trees." J.R.R. Tolkien
HeriTavaril
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 13, 2005 08:23
Re the use of comas and semi-colons: I read once that if you read the sentence back to yourself and you needed to take a breath you should insert a comma, if you need a deeper breath you should put in a semi-colon. There are lots of books out there besides 'eats shoots and leaves' such as 'Fowler's English Usage' I have a small book on grammar but about half way through I being to lose the plot, (What plot?) It is rather dry.
RainBow
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 13, 2005 10:35
"necessary" is my problem too. and perfect tenses sometimes, because my mothertongue doesn't know them. and sometimes reported speech can make me troubles (but now when i got used to make correct sentences, the sentences in my first language confuse me!!)
BelleBayard
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 16, 2005 02:30
9digit hobbit wrote:

Well, if "spelling" mistakes includes homonym confusion... there are several that can be very... uh... unfortunate in a fic... for instance if I ever again read of someone "pouring over a map" I want there to be some kind of liquid involved, otherwise it should be "poring." Similarly, mixing up vice and vise can be bad, bear and bare, loath and loathe, waste and waist, all of these and many more can result in a horribly hilarious sentence. Also, "hair's breath" is annoying. Hair doesn't breathe. It should be "hair's breadth," as in width.



The latter I can agree with, but not the part about 'poring' vs. 'pouring'. The first I have no idea about because pore is usually used as a noun, not a verb, meaning a tiny opening in skin. A less well known use is indeed to ponder or go over carefully. However, to pour can mean not only to pour a liquid, but according to Webster's College Dictionary, 4th ed. it can also indicate "to increase one's efforts greatly, work very hard, etc." (pg 1127).

I think either can work, depending on a person's preference. The latter Webster's considers slang, however, it's common usage today.

What bothers me probably the most is use of words when a person isn't certain what they mean, but thinks they sound "cool." If a writer's not sure, look it up! I had to look up the 'pore' vs. 'pour' thing to make sure I wasn't making a mistake!
Meltintalle
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 16, 2005 05:52
And then, of course, there's when you the reader see something that's not there, or switch letters around...

examples: I've read elven as eleven and there's another word I can't remember that I misread as mutiny...



Another fairly humurous mistake I ran across once... the author used 'anonymous' for 'ominous'. (Actually, it was 'annonymous' but I've been known to double the 'n' myself on occasion )

edit-- think the mutiny was maturity...maybe I need new glasses!

[Edited on 23/9/2005 by Meltintalle]
pv
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Post RE: Spileng, Grammer and Punctuashen mistaiks
on: September 21, 2005 11:41
Talking of spelling, grammar and punctuation, here's an excerpt from Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim...
"Dear Mr. Johns,"
Dixon wrote, gripping his pencil like a breadknife.
“This is just to let you no that I no what you are up to with yuong Marleen Richards, yuong Marleen is a desent girl and has got no tim for your sort, I no your sort. She is a desent girl and I wo'nt have you filing her head with a lot of art and music, she is to good for that, and, and I am going to mary her which is more than your sort ever do. So just you keep of her, Mr Johns this will be your olny warning. This is just a freindly letter and I am not threatenning you, but you just do as I say else me and some of my palls from the Works will be up your way and we sha'nt be coming along just to say How do you can bet. So just you wach out and lay of yuong Marleen if you no whats good for you. yours fathfully, Joe Higgins.”
He read through it, thinking how admirably consistent were the style and orthography.
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