Oatmeal primner on Grammar and Spelling

[medhead]

I know there are sometimes complaints about spelling and grammar in posts here. I also see some serial offenders, not least of whom is myself. I recently came across this simple explanation from Oatmeal. It has certainly helped me with than and then, which had me confused for a long time. Still trying to get Affect and Effect right. But I thought I'd post this to help others.

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling - The Oatmeal

There are also a few other guides for grammar to be found here: Comics :: Grammar - The Oatmeal

Hope this helps.

 

[Hvr]

I believe that should be a 'primer' not a 'primner'.

Another one that annoys the heck out of me is discrete and discreet.

Discrete is separate, i.e. my bookings are on discrete tickets so I am not protected if the first flight is late and I miss my second flight.

Discreet is secret, i.e. what happens on weekends away remains our little secret so please be discreet. Of course we would appreciate it if you weren't discreet about the weekend away because we all love to gossip.

I know there are sometimes complaints about spelling and grammar in posts here. I also see some serial offenders, not least of whom is myself. I recently came across this simple explaination (sic) from Oatmeal. It has certainly helped me with than and then, which had me confused for a long time. Still trying to get Affect and Effect right. But I thought I post this to help others. (huh?)

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling - The Oatmeal

There are also a few other guides for grammar to be found here: Comics :: Grammar - The Oatmeal

Hope this helps.

Oh and waiver means:
an intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.

You are not waivered (sic) through somewhere.

 

[samh004]

Read it before, and particularly like "a lot" not "alot" and to go with that, it should also be noted that "alright" is not right, it should be "all right".

 

[Danger]

Some common mistakes covered in the article but unfortunately it doesn't look at the most common on this site.

"Tiger Airways are looking to fly between Avalon and Kalgoorlie" is not correct. Tiger Airways is a singular entity, not a collective. Therefore, it should read "Tiger Airways is looking . . "

Similarly:

Qantas are is looking at refurbishing their economy seats.
Virgin Australia have has new lounges.
American Airlines are is known for older planes.
American airlines are known for older planes (where American airlines is the collective group fo airlines (eg. Jet Blue, Delta, United etc.)).
Air Traffic Control were was wrong.

​

Of course, we all have occasional slip-ups.

 

[russ]

Thank's, it's definately an affective sight weather or not your making alot of erors.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

One of my pet hates is when people say pacifically (sic) which is some kind of hybrid of the words particularly & specifically.

Another term I have heard at more than one airport is a fail to board call when someone will say on the PA ".....your flight is awaiting for an immediate departure" instead of ".....your flight is awaiting immediate departure".

Another phrase "hear hear" (as in hear him, listen to him) often spelled as here here by mistake.

 

[anat0l]

The 'lose' vs. 'loose' one is the most common error I see, and probably the one that ticks me off the most.

Other common errors I notice are:

• desert vs. dessert. You can only eat one of these!
• complimentary vs. complementary, and as a corollary, compliment vs. complement.
• through, thorough and though.

One 'error' that seems to be tolerated most of the time is program vs. programme. Also, one that sometimes does my head in is when you quote acronyms, what's the deal with a/an before it. For example,

If you look over the hill there, you will find a RAAF aircraft that was built in Australia.

This gets tough because some will say RAAF as "arr double-ay eff" (or "arr ay ay eff"), in which case it probably sounds more natural to say "an RAAF aircraft". However, some people may also just say "raff" (i.e. say it as it is spelt), in which case "a RAAF aircraft" is OK. Then others will just say that because the word starts with 'R', the use of a before this is appropriate.

Then there are some that are plainly controversial:

• traveller or traveler?
• judgement or judgment?
• jail or gaol?
• Angus's property or Angus' property? (i.e. "This property belongs to Angus")

 

[anat0l]

Another term I have heard at more than one airport is a fail to board call when someone will say on the PA ".....your flight is awaiting for an immediate departure" instead of ".....your flight is awaiting immediate departure".

I always wondered at this, as the former could make sense if you were personifying "flight". Since "flight" is an abstract noun, in the strictest sense of the word this clause, of course, would more than likely make no sense.

I really just think that they should be honest and announce over the PA that these passengers must proceed directly to the gate, because "...you are delaying the on-time departure of this flight." A threat to off-load the tardy pax unconditionally would also suit nicely.

 

[medhead]

I believe that should be a 'primer' not a 'primner'.

That and the others that you mention are all a case of fat fingers, not to mention constantly forgetting to add contractions.

Oh and waiver means:
an intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.

You are not waivered (sic) through somewhere.

Of course, you might get a waiver of the entry requirements and hence get waivered through.... :?:

 

[medhead]

Some common mistakes covered in the article but unfortunately it doesn't look at the most common on this site.

"Tiger Airways are looking to fly between Avalon and Kalgoorlie" is not correct. Tiger Airways is a singular entity, not a collective. Therefore, it should read "Tiger Airways is looking . . "

I'm getting constantly annoyed with Office trying to tell me that staff is singular, and what me to write staffs.

One of my pet hates is when people say pacifically (sic) which is some kind of hybrid of the words particularly & specifically.

That's just plan mispronuniciation.

T
Then there are some that are plainly controversial:

• traveller or traveler?
• judgement or judgment?
• jail or gaol?
• Angus's property or Angus' property? (i.e. "This property belongs to Angus")

Travel - I have no idea. Same with judging something. But definitely gaol and Angus'. In fact those first three are english vs US spelling aren't they?

 

[pshepvic]

One of my pet hates is when people say pacifically (sic) which is some kind of hybrid of the words particularly & specifically.

It's a little bit "Kath & Kim"....

 

[oz_mark]

• traveller or traveler?
• judgement or judgment?
• jail or gaol?
• Angus's property or Angus' property? (i.e. "This property belongs to Angus")

Traveller = British spelling, Traveler=US spelling
Judgement=British, judgment=US (although they are used interchangably)
jail and gaol are interchangable.
If Angus is a person, then I would say Angus's. Angus' would suggest that it is the property of multple people called Angu! (This is gets very tricky expecially when you get into the differences between written and spoken English. And you use something like Moses as the name!)

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's a little bit "Kath & Kim"....

Noiyce Shep.

I worked with someone once who used to refer to an airline called "Aerolingus" which I think meant Aerolineas Argentineas as opposed to Aer Lingus.

Another word she didn't quite get was "mammiogram" instead of mammogram.

 

[tuapekastar]

Wel I dun reel good in skool and downt kneed to patis, err, partici, err, take partt in thiss diskussion.

 

[medhead]

Traveller = British spelling, Traveler=US spellingJudgement=British, judgment=US (although they are used interchangably)jail and gaol are interchangable.If Angus is a person, then I would say Angus's. Angus' would suggest that it is the property of multple people called Angu! (This is gets very tricky expecially when you get into the differences between written and spoken English. And you use something like Moses as the name!)

The general rule of thumb that I use is that if the word ends in s then ' only, not 's. i.e. Angus' However it seems that it is a bit more complex, and both are acceptable for a name that is singular like Angus.

How To Use An Apostrophe - The Oatmeal

 

[Vinny]

This week everyone in my building received a printed letter from a twerp whinging about another twerp in the building ahead of the AGM. The printed letter obviously went through a word program of some sort which would have raised the alarm bells every time each word ending in an 's' was preceded by an apostrophe.

However those little squiggly lines went ignored by the author who printed the rubbish and posted it in our mail boxes. Some examples used were know's, who'se, do's, want's, resident's, complaint's, meeting's, say's, clean's, fee's, record's, sit's, it's instead of its, with its instead of it's and so on. Even the victim's name which ends in an 's' was awarded an apostrophe every time.

No idea of plurals, third person present verb conjugations or possessive pronouns were evident. Also there were lots of uses of alot.

The writer's love of random capital letters was also enthusiastic.

These basic elements of writing and grammar begin in year 1 and continue through high school.

There's little point in blaming modern education when this specimen went through the education system in the home of the English language.

It's increasingly common to see signs in businesses with no distinction between its or it's which is annoying. The sad thing is that even management either doesn't read signs in their shops or bother to correct them when needed.

This is indeed the end of civilisation as we know it.

P.S. The AFF site spell checker only picked up one of the above errors. A free drink to the first person to identify it next time you visit the QP.

 

[TonyHancock]

Most people make grammatical or spelling mistakes at some time. My pet peeve is when posters pick up on grammar and spelling rather than address the post content. If I can understand the poster's point then I'm happy, and in reality that is all that matters on most sites. (Understanding the poster's point that is.........not my happiness...although I do think that is quite important! )

With the advent of SMS the English language will evolve further away from the grammar we, of a certain generation, were taught. It's just evolution. :-|

 

[oz_mark]

My pet peeve is when posters pick up on grammar and spelling rather than address the post content.

The web unites the nitpickers of the world

 

[simongr]

@TonyHancock You generally shouldn't use a comma before and.

 

[TonyHancock]

@TonyHancock You generally shouldn't use a comma before and.

Wots a comma?