• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Spelling and grammar

Do you know the difference between:

  • it's and its

    Votes: 12 100.0%
  • your and you're

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • there, their and they're

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • to, too and two

    Votes: 12 100.0%
  • accept and except

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • advice and advise

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • effect and affect

    Votes: 12 100.0%
  • stationery and stationary

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • conscious and conscience

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • lose and loose

    Votes: 11 91.7%

  • Total voters
    12

MoodyBlues

Compassion is cool!
In the 30+ years I've been online, there's been a steady, noticeable decline in proper spelling and grammar. For example, the continually misused it's instead of its, sometimes even being written as its' (which isn't an actual word).

So what about you? Do you know how to correctly use the words in the poll?

I could've made the poll much longer, but thought I'd stop!

Feel free to comment, adding other confused/misused/misspelled (like alot, noone, etc.) words you've noticed.

NOTE: Votes are not public.
 
Could OF, dude!

No but seriously, that one's still my pet hate. (It doesn't even stand up logically)

The to/too/two one I've been seeing a lot lately so that's creeping up my charts.
 
Could OF, dude!

No but seriously, that one's still my pet hate. (It doesn't even stand up logically)
I figured out years ago why the whole "could/would/should of" thing happens: it's because people HEAR it and it sounds like of, i.e., should've. Then, not realizing it's a contraction of "should have," they spell it of. My only confusion about it is where were they those days in 2nd(?) grade when contractions were taught?
The to/too/two one I've been seeing a lot lately so that's creeping up my charts.
Yes, I see that allot lately, to. :D
 
I know how to use all the words on your poll. I pride myself on having a good standard of written English, but the thing is, I was never formally taught grammar at school. Well, nothing like what I see going on at schools these days. I probably learned more about grammar in my German lessons. But one thing I did a lot of when younger, was to read books. I think that, more than anything has improved my writing. I always encourage my daughters to read, and fortunately they do.
 
In the 30+ years I've been online, there's been a steady, noticeable decline in proper spelling and grammar. For example, the continually misused it's instead of its, sometimes even being written as its' (which isn't an actual word).

So what about you? Do you know how to correctly use the words in the poll?

I could've made the poll much longer, but thought I'd stop!

Feel free to comment, adding other confused/misused/misspelled (like alot, noone, etc.) words you've noticed.

NOTE: Votes are not public.
Sadly, These new kids are not educated or they are just lazy. I hate all this slang they use/
 
I know how to use all the words on your poll. I pride myself on having a good standard of written English, but the thing is, I was never formally taught grammar at school. Well, nothing like what I see going on at schools these days. I probably learned more about grammar in my German lessons. But one thing I did a lot of when younger, was to read books. I think that, more than anything has improved my writing. I always encourage my daughters to read, and fortunately they do.
I was a voracious reader as a child, too; bringing home a stack of books from the library and diving in was one of my favorite pastimes. Like you, I passed my love of reading down to my daughter, and now her children are voracious readers, too. Books--not e-readers!

But I have to credit the excellent education I got, starting with elementary school, that emphasized things like root words. Because I learned that finite is the root word of definite, you'll never see me misspelling the latter definately. :)
 
I think spell checkers have made this generation lazy, and text speech has a lot to answer for (gr8). What a spell checker can't do, is tell you how to construct a coherent sentence.
 
What pets my peeve are (usually) millenials who use internet shorthand in professional documents.

"Gr8" is NOT a word!!!!
My cousin, who's on staff at UCLA, has been looking for a REALISTIC, qualified candidate to fill a position--and she's been looking for 6+ months! She tells me, "You just wouldn't BELIEVE the resumes I read! They can't spell, they can't put together a basic sentence, they use text-speak...it's just unbelievable!" (And, yes, they're primarily millennials.)
 
My cousin, who's on staff at UCLA, has been looking for a REALISTIC, qualified candidate to fill a position--and she's been looking for 6+ months! She tells me, "You just wouldn't BELIEVE the resumes I read! They can't spell, they can't put together a basic sentence, they use text-speak...it's just unbelievable!" (And, yes, they're primarily millennials.)

Don't get me started on resumes :) I lost count of the number of those I put straight in the trash without reading past the first paragraph.
 
I read a million books when I was younger, was in this "Read it" button achivement award, each stream of books I read,got a pizza party from the old pizzarea is not a Kinko's a few blocks of where I occupy my side occupation is at. Last time was down there was a few years ago, but we have a few pizza joints down here :) My biggest pet peeve is grammar, and puncuations, espically "Voice celeberities" thinking they can get away, without using puncuation.

Even had a small dispute with someone on discord.
 
I love a metaphor, especially a bad metaphor. So now that you know that, I'm going to try one to see how it goes, and see if it collapses.

Grammar is a lot like clothes.

The grammar, syntax and vocabulary that i use depends a lot on the situation i'm in.

There are times when i have worn the full tuxedo, black tie etc. admittedly not often.

At work, most of the time i will wear a shirt and tie, but not a full suit.

Today I'm at home, and am slumming it in jeans and a t-shirt. The next level down would be sweat pants or PJs.
Under no circumstances would I ever wear sweatpants at work.

I use the same approach to words. I could use very formal and precise language all day... (Tuxedo)

Most of the time at work, I will try and keep things professional and avoid slang, check punctuation, not use any of my written linguistic ticks.

But Internet/forums/twitter and stuff... is jeans and t-shirt mode. I'll deliberately mess things around for fun y'all.. cos when things are gonna be quick and chatty, then .... you know.. it sorta works better?

Even then though.. there are things that I won't use.. because I'm not a sweatpants kinda guy... i u c wot i mean.
 
I love a metaphor, especially a bad metaphor. So now that you know that, I'm going to try one to see how it goes, and see if it collapses.

Grammar is a lot like clothes.

The grammar, syntax and vocabulary that i use depends a lot on the situation i'm in.

There are times when i have worn the full tuxedo, black tie etc. admittedly not often.

At work, most of the time i will wear a shirt and tie, but not a full suit.

Today I'm at home, and am slumming it in jeans and a t-shirt. The next level down would be sweat pants or PJs.
Under no circumstances would I ever wear sweatpants at work.

I use the same approach to words. I could use very formal and precise language all day... (Tuxedo)

Most of the time at work, I will try and keep things professional and avoid slang, check punctuation, not use any of my written linguistic ticks.

But Internet/forums/twitter and stuff... is jeans and t-shirt mode. I'll deliberately mess things around for fun y'all.. cos when things are gonna be quick and chatty, then .... you know.. it sorta works better?

Even then though.. there are things that I won't use.. because I'm not a sweatpants kinda guy... i u c wot i mean.

I won't ask about your work from home attire

wfh.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom