Language pedants

[tod28]

I would have liked to have heard his comments but even if there's a chance of a repeat, sadly being a deaf old stone, it'd be no use for me.

fausto.

The episode is available on the R2 website but unfortunately no transcript.

[Ash28]

I can cycle 100 miles in a day. I can take a bike apart ,put it back together and maintain it. I have lots of other skills.
Sadly my English is rubbish (grade 3 CSE) and it puts me off posting stuff knowing it will be criticised.

[Oldjohnw]

I can cycle 100 miles in a day. I can take a bike apart ,put it back together and maintain it. I have lots of other skills.
Sadly my English is rubbish (grade 3 CSE) and it puts me off posting stuff knowing it will be criticised.

Post makes perfect sense to me.

[reohn2]

I can cycle 100 miles in a day. I can take a bike apart ,put it back together and maintain it. I have lots of other skills.
Sadly my English is rubbish (grade 3 CSE) and it puts me off posting stuff knowing it will be criticised.

Post makes perfect sense to me.

And me.

Ash28
I have no papers to say I've passed any English language tests,your English won't be criticised by me

[fausto copy]

It's amazing what one can do with the English language.
I passed an English Literature exam without reading one book.
I recounted some of the comments from discussions in the classroom and wrote a load of waffle.

Some may say nothing's changed.

[Bez]

I'm waiting for someone to invent a radio that detects when a song has finished playing and goes straight to another song, cutting out the DJ, the ads and the jingles.

Try Internet radio. Plenty of stations with no DJs, and often minimal ads and jingles.

[Mick F]

I did well at school, five O Levels.
Geography, Maths, Metalwork, Physics, Tech Drawing.
English, I flunked. Really badly.

As an adult, I took it again, and passed easily.

[sjs]

Despite what I said above I don't usually have much of a problem with spelling, correctness of grammar etc - although either can 'trip' me up whilst reading.
The proviso is of course that I can actually understand the meaning behind the words.

I would liken the the quality and precision of written English to the quality and precision of interior decorating. It is very satisfying when you see it done well, without blobs in the paintwork or inaccurate wallpapering, but when all is said and done it is not that important.

Mistakes are inevitable in a medium like a public internet forum, and they rarely prevent my understanding what the writer meant. However, I always think that while I might understand it, there may be others who will not, e.g. people whose first language is not English or who have dyslexia or a similar condition. So I think it is important to try to avoid spelling and punctuation mistakes and to try to say what I mean as clearly and concisely as possible.

I am always impressed by those who post detailed explanations on the Bikes and Bits board of something which is technically complex and difficult to communicate in written words, especially without photographs. Those posters have obviously gone to some trouble to compose their post in order to communicate their meaning as accurately, precisely and concisely as possible. In doing so they show a great deal of consideration, courtesy and respect for their potential readers.

Whilst the Tea Shop is a place for more general discussion and chat, it is still communication using the written word, but some posters have little respect for the reader judging by their posts: this forum is just a virtual megaphone for them and the rest of us are just their audience.

There are two folk on here who off the top of my head often have me scratching my noggin trying to figure out exactly what it is they're talking about, my 'gut feeling' being it's often not what I think.

My impression is that those posters like the sound of their own (written) voice more than actually trying to communicate with the potential readers. I think they confuse their verbose florid posts with literary style, when it's just a pretentious affectation which immediately prompts me to move on to the next post instead. Like careless spelling and grammar, such a posting style just shows a lack of consideration for - or even an indifference to - the reader.

I wouldn't be surprised if your two are not the same as Kwackers'.

[sjs]

Some rules, for instance to avoid split infinitives, were created relatively recently, purely in order to create a class of people who could be wrong

[kwackers]

I wouldn't be surprised if your two are not the same as Kwackers'.

What me, slowster and pwa are one and the same???

It takes too much of my time just writing kwacker's posts without ghost writing other people.

This guy thinks I'm good though:

Kwackers is ace.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I can cycle 100 miles in a day. I can take a bike apart ,put it back together and maintain it. I have lots of other skills.
Sadly my English is rubbish (grade 3 CSE) and it puts me off posting stuff knowing it will be criticised.

Don't!

I can pick through bad grammar and spelling and understand what most posters means, so post away.

P.S. My English is better than yours.........................I had a 2

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I did well at school, five O Levels.
Geography, Maths, Metalwork, Physics, Tech Drawing.
English, I flunked. Really badly.

As an adult, I took it again, and passed easily.

Mine-

Maths 1
Metalwork 1
Physics 1
Tech Drawing 2 I think
English...........2
Gen Science 1

Dropped Chemistry..................meant to be second hardest behind geography?.....Put it this way I was told to not do chemistry

[hodge]

Although I'd admit, a misplaced apostrophe on a garage sign isn't the end of the world and I'm not that bothered overall by folks written language - but if I'm struggling with their viewpoint I do sometimes find my opinion coloured somewhat if their English is poor...

Such is life. Just don't send me your CV without having it proof read first.

A proofreader would place a plural possessive apostrophe after the s, in folks ie - folks' written language - and suggest the closed spelling 'proofread' rather than 'proof read', as the currently accepted norm.

[Bonefishblues]

Although I'd admit, a misplaced apostrophe on a garage sign isn't the end of the world and I'm not that bothered overall by folks written language - but if I'm struggling with their viewpoint I do sometimes find my opinion coloured somewhat if their English is poor...

Such is life. Just don't send me your CV without having it proof read first.

A proofreader would place a plural possessive apostrophe after the s, in folks ie - folks' written language - and suggest the closed spelling 'proofread' rather than 'proof read', as the currently accepted norm.

I'm comfortable with proof read in that context.

[merseymouth]

Hi folk, I left school with swimming certificates and a 100% attendance record, "I Was There"! MM