The vs. They
-
Actually, I've been watching the level of literacy drop like a stone here, and everywhere else, for about ten years. They're not typos - even native English speakers no longer have the basic skills that used to be required to pass the 6th grade. It's not a lack of intelligence at work - these people are brilliant by any standard. They simply don't know how to communicate in their own language, and I lay that problem at the feet of the US educational system. The new priority is to ensure that the little darlings pass multiple choice, standardized tests, rather than genuinely learning difficult skills, all the while avoiding hurting their delicate little psyches. We're doomed... :sigh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Roger Wright wrote:
I've been watching the level of literacy drop like a stone here, and everywhere else, for about ten years.
People have been saying the same thing every every day for hundreds of years. Languages change. You can't stop it, so don't let it get you down.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
-
The error I notice more than any other is the use of "loose" where "lose" is clearly what is intended. Cheers, Drew.
She was gorgeous, she was charming
Yeah, she was perfect in every way
Except she was always using the word "infer"
When she obviously meant "imply"
And I know some guys would put up with that kind of thing
But frankly, I can't imagine whyWeird Al, "Close But No Cigar"
-
The ones I notice all the time is "their" and "they're", "your" and "you're", and "to" and "too".
You may be right I may be crazy -- Billy Joel -- Within you lies the power for good - Use it!
-
Actually, I've been watching the level of literacy drop like a stone here, and everywhere else, for about ten years. They're not typos - even native English speakers no longer have the basic skills that used to be required to pass the 6th grade. It's not a lack of intelligence at work - these people are brilliant by any standard. They simply don't know how to communicate in their own language, and I lay that problem at the feet of the US educational system. The new priority is to ensure that the little darlings pass multiple choice, standardized tests, rather than genuinely learning difficult skills, all the while avoiding hurting their delicate little psyches. We're doomed... :sigh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Roger Wright wrote:
I lay that problem at the feet of the US educational system. The new priority is to ensure that the little darlings pass multiple choice, standardized tests, rather than genuinely learning difficult skills, all the while avoiding hurting their delicate little psyches. We're doomed...
Replace US with UK and I'd also agree. :(
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
-
The ones I notice all the time is "their" and "they're", "your" and "you're", and "to" and "too".
You may be right I may be crazy -- Billy Joel -- Within you lies the power for good - Use it!
Your right their, there always getting too wrong to.
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
-
Roger Wright wrote:
We're doomed...
Maybe they are just spending too much time on their laptops - typing sentences like 'How r u' - no punctuation, no spelling, nothing. If only they would read a good book instead of spending time on the keyboard - things might be different.
Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest.
Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for... -
Abhinav S wrote:
Maybe they are just spending too much time on their laptops - typing sentences like 'How r u' - no punctuation, no spelling, nothing.
No, Roger is right - too many Americans and Brits mix up "you're" and "your" ("Your welcome" in response to "Thank you", or "Check you're DNS settings") on CP and other sites. This cannot be explained by mobile phones or chat, it's simply lack of basic writing skills.
Cheers, Vikram. (Got my troika of CCCs!)
your vs you're is not a problem of writing skill: it's a problem of understanding: "your welcome" is meaningless, as "you're DNS settings". The vs they is just one character more (hence probably a typo). My common mistake is "thay" vs "they", because of my accent ...
2 bugs found. > recompile ... 65534 bugs found. :doh:
-
Roger Wright wrote:
I've been watching the level of literacy drop like a stone here, and everywhere else, for about ten years.
People have been saying the same thing every every day for hundreds of years. Languages change. You can't stop it, so don't let it get you down.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Yes, but ... the and they have completely different meanings. It's not a different way to write something well known. I don't think your opinion (although generally true) can apply, here.
2 bugs found. > recompile ... 65534 bugs found. :doh:
-
Your right their, there always getting too wrong to.
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
And finally, perhaps the most annoying of all, the confusion (or is it considered trendy?) between the words "have" and "of" as in "I could of strung up the illiterate buggers." Ed Reardon for PM I say, that'll sort 'em out! Rich
-
Yes, but ... the and they have completely different meanings. It's not a different way to write something well known. I don't think your opinion (although generally true) can apply, here.
2 bugs found. > recompile ... 65534 bugs found. :doh:
emilio_grv wrote:
Yes, but ... the and they have completely different meanings. It's not a different way to write something well known.I don't think your opinion (although generally true) can apply, here.
"They" has variously been written "thai", "hi", "hie", and a few others (my memory isn't what it... what was I talking about, again?). "The" was originally "þe", and had numerous cases for gender, plurality, accusative, dative, etc. ("case" means different spellings for nouns, pronouns, and selected determiners), and has gone through even more changes than "they". The historical changes in spelling have been every bit as arbitrary and "maleducated" as the one in question (and have all been bemoaned in exactly the same way), so changing the spelling of one of the words one more time is just a drop in the ocean. On the other bug-bear mentioned in the thread: I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if "loose" ended up as a recognised variant spelling of "lose", even though it's only loosers who should be hanged from a nose who use it now.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
-
I have been noticing what appears to be a lot of typographical errors as of late. In many places I have noticed people typing "they" instead of "the", where "the" would seem to be the better choice. Has anyone else been noticing these oddities?
There types of graphicals that annoy Thee, I are, forsooth, become culturbated two. These loosers diddling grammar with pokes in the I's with a sharp stick, should be put out to past you're. beast, Bill
"Many : not conversant with mathematical studies, imagine that because it [the Analytical Engine] is to give results in numerical notation, its processes must consequently be arithmetical, numerical, rather than algebraical and analytical. This is an error. The engine can arrange and combine numerical quantities as if they were letters or any other general symbols; and it fact it might bring out its results in algebraical notation, were provisions made accordingly." Ada, Countess Lovelace, 1844
