can some one explain to me

DavidF

DavidF

Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
3,296
Reaction score
1
Location
Shropshire
the (current) fashion for writing there "is" for plural items?

eg there is six xyzs

there is lots of these...




we all do it in speech, an easy slip to make but in writing???

Some even go to the extent of putting an opostrophe in....

eg there's six xyzs
 
Hmm, yes, there are plenty of errors to be found right here on this forum. Now I'm not perfect and I'm not claiming to be but there was a posting today by a certain DavidF using one of my pet hates 'your' instead of 'you're'. AND while I'm on, the other vey frequently used (not by David!) is 'Bran New' and 'Warrantee' (no names).

I also hate the current trend to inflect at the end of every sentence.... as if you are never going to finish...and trying to ensure the person you are talking to is keeping up... you know what I mean? (oh, there's another)

AND I really hate the current trend for eating with a fork (only). We are not Americans!!!! whan I see my daughters' friends come here for dinner and they can hardly feed themselves because no one has taught them how to hold a knife and fork, let alone use them!

There is also a nationwide problem (even amongst newsreaders, journalists and others who should have a better command of grammar) to say 'myself' when they should make the distinction of 'me' or 'I' depending on the context. 'Myself' has become the default for those who can't decide!

Anything I've forgotten? now for a spell check....
 
"CD's" is not incorrect. Since 'CD' is an abbreviation rather than an acronym the apostrophe makes it clear that the 'D' and the 's' are from the same word. Otherwise people would be saying, "How many Sea Dee Ess do you have?"

Paul
 
Soloist said:
I also hate the current trend to inflect at the end of every sentence.... as if you are never going to finish...and trying to ensure the person you are talking to is keeping up... you know what I mean? (oh, there's another)
Click to expand...

penance said:
I also hate that. Is it not a sign of poor education in grammar?
Click to expand...

I love my ellipses... :(
 
Paul Ranson said:
"CD's" is not incorrect. Since 'CD' is an abbreviation rather than an acronym the apostrophe makes it clear that the 'D' and the 's' are from the same word. Otherwise people would be saying, "How many Sea Dee Ess do you have?"

Paul
Click to expand...

Hmm, an acronym is an abbreviation. The capitalisation in CDs makes it clear that the s signifies the plural rather than a third word in the acronym. CD's is the possessive form, such as the CD's case. Unless you're American of course.
 
"Now I'm not perfect and I'm not claiming to be but there was a posting today by a certain DavidF using one of my pet hates 'your' instead of 'you're'"


Right, taken on board!!

Its something I would try not to do, just the same as using the right "there"/"their".

I think an occassional typo like that is a little different, though.


Also I do get the feeling on Television etc that things are done deliberately wrong to be fashionable or a gimmick (or may be they just don't know? ...or don't care?), when these are professional communicators who should be getting it right!


I did over hear on the local radio station at work the DJ saying "theres lots of them" .

It shouldn't happen.






Paul Ranson said:
"CD's" is not incorrect. Since 'CD' is an abbreviation rather than an acronym the apostrophe makes it clear that the 'D' and the 's' are from the same word. Otherwise people would be saying, "How many Sea Dee Ess do you have?"

Paul
Click to expand...


I was under the impression that an apostrophe either implies possession


eg Paul's CDs


or that a letter has been ommitted?


eg you're


abbreviation for "you are".
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I also hate the current trend to inflect at the end of every sentence.... as if you are never going to finish...and trying to ensure the person you are talking to is keeping up... you know what I mean? (oh, there's another)


The use of commas to make a pause?

Yes I hold my hands up to that one.

Whoops!


:o

:)
 
DavidF said:
the (current) fashion for writing there "is" for plural items?
Click to expand...



Act*mil TV ad : An essential part of your natural defences are the good bacteria in your gut"

An essential part" being singular, "are" should be is .


sea wot u meen dayvid . .-. .-. --- .-.
 
Hmm, but maybe not where the plural of bacteria is bacteria, unless you are talking about several different species of bacteria where you would say bacterias. One bactria is a singlar organism but you certainly have several million in your body (and of several species). Therefore, the plural of bacteria should be bacterias in this advert, at which point we could forgive them the 'are'.

Remember, this is aimed at the people who are taken in by squirting bleach up into possibly the cleanest part of the toilet = where the water comes from when you flush! The dirtiest part is the top face of the rim of the bowl. How mnany people are infected by 'germs' that somehow bridge the gap between the toilet and thier body? do we not wash? the animated 'germs' are a figment of the advertiser's imagination!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bacterium/bacteria. I think Actimel have it right. Grammatically at least.

The plural of 'Compact Disc' is 'Compact Discs'. Which would also abbreviate to CD. To use an apostrophe in the abbreviation is therefore not an error, merely a matter of style.

Something that bugs me a little is 'heared' for 'heard', or, seen earlier on this forum, 'costed' for 'cost'. When children learn to speak they start off by getting these right, then they learn the rules and get them wrong, then they learn the exceptions to the rules and start getting them right. Or not.

Paul
 
spica said:
Act*mil TV ad : An essential part of your natural defences are the good bacteria in your gut"

An essential part" being singular, "are" should be is .


sea wot u meen dayvid . .-. .-. --- .-.
Click to expand...



Yes I know there can be grey areas.

Many are not though.



edit, **** taking apart.
 
DavidF said:
"Now I'm not perfect and I'm not claiming to be but there was a posting today by a certain DavidF using one of my pet hates 'your' instead of 'you're'"


Right, taken on board!!

Its something I would try not to do, just the same as using the right "there"/"their".

I think an occassional typo like that is a little different, though.


Also I do get the feeling on Television etc that things are done deliberately wrong to be fashionable or a gimmick (or may be they just don't know? ...or don't care?), when these are professional communicators who should be getting it right!


I did over hear on the local radio station at work the DJ saying "theres lots of them" .

It shouldn't happen.









I was under the impression that an apostrophe either implies possession


eg Paul's CDs


or that a letter has been ommitted?


eg you're


abbreviation for "you are".
Click to expand...


Sorry about this but
Its something I would try not to do
should be It's, occassional should be occasional and "done deliberately wrong" should be wrongly.
 
Paul Ranson said:
Bacterium/bacteria. I think Actimel have it right. Grammatically at least.
Paul
Click to expand...

Yes, the 'bacteria' in the gut being Single celled... i believe, therefore they were correct not to use 'bacterium' which are unicellular.

i'd agree with soloist as to them missing the 's'... Bacterias.

Mrs. Puggy Wuggy has a square cut punt.
Not a punt cut square,
Just a square cut punt.
It's round in the stern and blunt in the front.
Mrs. Puggy Wuggy has a square cut punt :D
 
This's the bestest fred ever. :D

I did over hear on the local radio station at work the DJ saying "theres lots of them" .

In what way did you over hear, David?
 
Graffoeman said:
This's the bestest fred ever. :D

I did over hear on the local radio station at work the DJ saying "theres lots of them" .

In what way did you over hear, David?
Click to expand...


Perhaps he word over was unnecessary.

I apologise if the sentence was unclear.



Bob McC said:
Sorry about this but
Its something I would try not to do
should be It's, occassional should be occasional and "done deliberately wrong" should be wrongly.
Click to expand...


All good points, thankyou.


:)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
DavidF said:
the (current) fashion for writing there "is" for plural items?

eg there is six xyzs

there is lots of these...




we all do it in speech, an easy slip to make but in writing???

Some even go to the extent of putting an opostrophe in....

eg there's six xyzs
Click to expand...

Actually, I am not a follower of fashion, so excuse me for missing this one, but for plural, I still use are - in both spoken and written communication.

I can understand the abreviated version though.... I could say "There's 6 of them" but could not say "There is 6" - oooh, that latter just sounds so wrong. But the former actually doesn't.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top