Grammar Gripe

[Bath Blade]

"Can I get a...." instead of "Please can/may I have..."

Spot on, that's also very high up on my list of irritations (although so are most of the other points raised on this thread). It just sounds rude to me.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I think over the years that very definite distinction between spoken and written English has blurred. Those that know me would recognise a Sheffield accent, complete with local colloquial usage including 'while' for 'until' (which confuses the hell out of my cockney wife ). However, I was always taught that the written language had to be grammatically accurate and correct in spelling, avoiding the laziness and dialect usage that the spoken language can have. Sadly this insistence for a commonality and uniformity of the written language seems to have vanished, with not only regional differences but also generational differences now seen.

I blame Thatcher!

 

[Selly]

Couple that annoy me:

"So I was going to the...." - Theres no need for the So

"Pre-order" - absolute nonsense. You either order it or you don't.

 

[judge]

Couple that annoy me:

"So I was going to the...." - Theres no need for the So

"Pre-order" - absolute nonsense. You either order it or you don't.

if youre a stand up comedian changing subject then there is ,if you order something before you order it then its not nonsense

 

[super_pig]

i cant stand the overuse of like.. i'm like really like fed up with it .. like

oh and that sooo.. thing they all do..
sooo.. i'm sooo like really fed up with it .. like

 

[Selly]

if youre a stand up comedian changing subject then there is

The So thing is particuarly preveants at the start of the conversation, I absolutely agree if you are half way through a conversation.

if you order something before you order it then its not nonsense

I always order stuff before I order it. Otherwise I don`t need to order it. How would I go about ordering something after i have ordered it ? And isn`t it still an order? Whats actually different in the process?

 

[judge]

The So thing is particuarly preveants at the start of the conversation, I absolutely agree if you are half way through a conversation.



I always order stuff before I order it. Otherwise I don`t need to order it. How would I go about ordering something after i have ordered it ? And isn`t it still an order? Whats actually different in the process?

you order it and then a week later you order it again ,so that way when it comes a week early its a nice surprise

 

[BusheyBlade]

I always order stuff before I order it. Otherwise I don`t need to order it. How would I go about ordering something after i have ordered it ? And isn`t it still an order? Whats actually different in the process?

Totally agree. Even if you are ordering something ahead of its release date, it is still an order. Pre-order implies needing to do something else in order to get it.

Another one is the over use of "you know" in interviews. It's not just footballers who do it, politicians have started doing it too. No, I don't know. If you think I know, why are you telling me?

 

[Kendal]

Ending statements with a tailing off 'so...' is irritating. As is turning No into a two syllable word. It makes one sound like one of the porcine lot.

We're a grumpy lot!

 

[Wapping Blade]

There was a student interviewed on RS the other morning who is on some "reality" show about some Yanks trying to create a sorority over here and she was the worst I've ever heard for "like" and "you know" - several times every frickin' sentence.

 

[Crouchy]

Oh, and there's always the incorrect use of "while" to replace "until" which really confused me when I first started spending time in Sheffield.

Just remembered how much I also dislike the use of the word "gotten". This word makes no sense, "got" is already past tense, so why turn it into "gotten"?

"Gotten" is very old English which fell into disuse here after America was colonised, but remained in use over there. Deffo not an Americanism.

The distinction between "got" and "gotten" is the same as the distinction between "forgot" and "forgotten". English people don't seem to have any trouble with those two

 

[DuncDisorderly]

I am remarkably tolerant of many of these errors, however, I did turn off the radio immediately when I recently heard a young female reporter start her insightful comments with 'Well, its like, you know...'.

There is one phrase that has seemingly entered our language which makes me want to punch whoever says it, then set them on fire, then piss on them to put it out, then punch them and set them on fire again. It is, when admitting an error, to say "My bad". Don't ever, ever say this in my hearing. You have been warned...

 

[Kendal]

There is one phrase that has seemingly entered our language which makes me want to punch whoever says it, then set them on fire, then piss on them to put it out, then punch them and set them on fire again. It is, when admitting an error, to say "My bad". Don't ever, ever say this in my hearing. You have been warned...

I'm with you on that one. 110%

 

[grafikhaus]

'So, I was soo, like, y'know and, yeah? it was sooo, OMG! Yeah? It was like...Yeah? So, step up to the mark. Yeah? At the end of the day. Yeah?'

Good luck at the interview.

 

[Rustyblade]

Gotten is the American way.

Their, They're and there, lend & borrow mix up's always make me cringe too. It was thumped into us on an almost daily basis at school. These days it seems as though it's not.

I only came out with a CSE 2 in English and yet my spelling isn't that bad at all.

( I have to confess that I do misuse "while" instead of "until")

Get - got - gotten was standard usage at one time in this country.

You do not 'misuse' "while". You are using local dialect.

And apropos of nothing whatsoever in your post..........what's all this constant bollocks I read about 'Americanisms'? Our languages have followed separate evolutionary paths for hundreds of years and yet whenever we talk of their language it's damn near always referenced as some kind of corruption of ours.

Gets my bloody goat, it does.

---------- Post added at 09:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 PM ----------

And while I'm on one, just wtf is so wrong about, "Can I get.......?"

No doubt you're quite dandy with "I got a headache" or "I got a new PC for my birthday". You're NOT arguing about grammar here - to a very large extent grammar, in the way some seem to define it, as a fixed system of rules, just doesn't exist. You're arguing about usage and local conventions. Which is very much pissing into the wind.

 

[shorehamview]

And while I'm on one, just wtf is so wrong about, "Can I get.......?"

Second point first. Some years ago in my career in hospitality a nice Australian lady asked, in a Kylieesque fashion, "Can I get a pint of lager?" My reply of "No love stay there, I'll get it for you, I'm a highly trained professional" sailed completely over her head.

And first point second. Wtf? Learn to swear properly, like an Englishman, rather than an American girl. It's "what the fuck", not "wtf".

More text speak nonsense.

 

[William Large]

My wife's grammar is terrible. She was apparently well educated, however when referring to items which she has damaged in the house says 'I've broke it' or 'it's broke'. Perhaps I sound like a mardy twat but it really makes my blood boil. When I correct her she looks at me like i'm the fucking stupid, retarded, **** with shit between my ears. This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Should I let it go for the sake of marital harmony ?

 

[shorehamview]

Should I let it go for the sake of marital harmony ?

No. It starts with grammar, next thing you know it's Anne Summers parties. You'll be kicked out of the house so a load of cackling women can faff around with twat-rattlers. Apparently......

 

[DuncDisorderly]

And apropos of nothing whatsoever in your post..........what's all this constant bollocks I read about 'Americanisms'? Our languages have followed separate evolutionary paths for hundreds of years and yet whenever we talk of their language it's damn near always referenced as some kind of corruption of ours.

Try reading Bill Brysons 'Made in America'. He deconstructs 'American' in his typical witty prose...

 

[Eskimo]

Accomodation, stationary (for envelopes and stuff instead of stationery), Brammall Lane, the principle reason (instead of principal)...and so it goes on.

 

[Rustyblade]

Try reading Bill Brysons 'Made in America'. He deconstructs 'American' in his typical witty prose...

I have read it. Generally spot on, but there are errors.

Don't quite see the connection though. Other than his making the same point that it's been their language for some while now.

 

[William Large]

No. It starts with grammar, next thing you know it's Anne Summers parties. You'll be kicked out of the house so a load of cackling women can faff around with twat-rattlers. Apparently......

You make a very good point. Next time she does it i'll have a shit in the middle of the kitchen floor. But then again she would probably just vacuum round it. That's if she can be arsed to vacuum. £200 quid that bloody dyson cost me for her birthday, novelty soon wore off.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

£200 quid that bloody dyson cost me for her birthday, novelty soon wore off.

What a romantic....

 

[William Large]

What a romantic....

I know, I've got my eye on a new iron for her Xmas pressie this year. I'll probably hide it next to the Dyson. She'll never find it then. What can I say, I'm just a giver!
Back to the topic, just heard that turd James shield on radio Sheffield. His grammar is atrocious for a Journalist. Cockney twat!

 

[BringBackDeano]

"Ched is a quality player, he is always a threat, always capable of scoring a goal like that. His goals to games ratio just ratio is top notch, he is
always capable of getting a goal out of nothing as he did today," explained Wilson.

"We were superb defensively today, we didn't look vulnerable at all. Our shape and discipline was very good and we still looked menacing at times, on another day we scored more than one goal with number of chances we created."


absolutely embarrassing.