Punctuation!

[random]

Originally Posted by Moli

I had it drummed into me as a child, always speak properly, always use good grammer, and puncuation was another one....My mother was a stickler for all these things...
But on here, its different, cannot see the need to be perfect....I see Catsey as fun, and puncuation does not matter so much....If I was writing a letter then yes, but on here not so important...

Agree here Moli, i'm actually really good at English, flew through it all throughout my education right up to uni with no problems at all but here is a different matter. I like my posts to make sense and be legible obviously but I do LOL a lot and use other abbreviations, TBH, JMO, HTH e.t.c, sometimes I use my regional accent, especially in the more 'chatty' and informal sections and I have a liking for to be continued dots.......online too. Oh and square brackets, I like those.

[random]

Originally Posted by angieh

I love all your replies - shows a width and depth of appreciation of language and an understanding of the needs of those with special needs - thanks for that babycakes.

I am very conscious of my over use of the exclamation mark, but as MrsH says, it shows that whatever has been said should not be taken too seriously, especially when body language cannot be taken into account. I could be frowning, grinning, laughing and you would not know!!!!!!!

I do text but I can't use predictive text as I don't know how - but think where English MAY be in 20 or so years time when some of those things are accepted into everyday speak. That is, after all, how language develops. It would be bad for it to stagnate.

My worst bugbear is the incorrect use of the apostrophe (as per Eats Shoots and Leaves). I have been tempted to go out at night to a sign that is on the road side not far from me that says "LOG'S FOR SALE". I keep having to tell myself that far worse things happen than someone puts in an apostrophe where it's not needed!) (that's a too)

lol! (There I go again!) There is a fruit and veg shop that makes various signs to put outside the shop and every time there is an 's' at the end of the word it had and apostrophe before it. Now i'm usually one to let this sort of thing pass me by but please bear in mind I have always been good in English, always my top subject and this shop had been there since I was a wee girl, with the same owners, signs and mistake!

So one time about 2 years ago I scribbled out the offending punctuation (as a laugh with one of my pals) and they have actually never put one in since!

Earlier this year I was with the same pal and we were laughing at a handwritten sign in another shop selling 'mounting bikes' (mountain bikes!)

[angieh]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

I'm definitely a purist when it comes to formal English, but not so much on here, as it's fun/informal. And I shall probably continue to overuse !!! and ....

But pretty please do not split infinitives: as a former English major that sets my teeth on edge (joke, you can't read my expression)

Great thread, Angie!!

OK now I have to admit something that I am really embarrassed about. I have no idea what a split infinitive is. Can you explain please dandysmom? I should add that I did English Language to "O" level only.

I've been studying Italian today and may have realised what a split infinitive is - is it that oft quoted Star Trek "To boldly go"?

[MrsH]

Seen today at Basingstoke General Hospital........

"Please do not leave trolley;s in this area"

No, I haven't mis-typed it, I promise you that's exactly as it was displayed. It was a proper notice too, not a hand-written quick scribble. It's certainly a punctuation example I've never seen before!

[yola]

Originally Posted by MrsH

Seen today at Basingstoke General Hospital........

"Please do not leave trolley;s in this area"

No, I haven't mis-typed it, I promise you that's exactly as it was displayed. It was a proper notice too, not a hand-written quick scribble. It's certainly a punctuation example I've never seen before!

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by angieh

OK now I have to admit something that I am really embarrassed about. I have no idea what a split infinitive is. Can you explain please dandysmom? I should add that I did English Language to "O" level only.

I've been studying Italian today and may have realised what a split infinitive is - is it that oft quoted Star Trek "To boldly go"?

Bravo, Angie (or should it be Brava since you're female?), got it in one! Interposing a word, commonly an adverb, between "to" and the verb. Actually it's pretty much disregarded these days; I was schooled by nuns and tend to be a bit picky about grammar...! I may disregard the rules but they made sure I knew 'em!

[angieh]

Thanks dandysmom - si, brava!

One thing that amazes me is how much one learns about one's own language by learning (or trying to learn) someone else's!

[dandysmom]

That's true! Latin was a great help; I often can figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word that way. I like languages: had 2 years of Latin, 3 of Spanish, and just for fun took a year of Greek and a year of German, because I knew they'd be an "easy A".

[yola]

Eileen, how would Greek be an 'easy A'? It's a totally different alphabet

My Dad taught me Russian (he learnt it when inprisoned during WWII), when spoken it's similar to Polish, but I actually taught myself to write/type it. That was 17 years ago, still don't know how I managed it

[random]

Originally Posted by yola

Eileen, how would Greek be an 'easy A'? It's a totally different alphabet

My Dad taught me Russian (he learnt it when inprisoned during WWII), when spoken it's similar to Polish, but I actually taught myself to write/type it. That was 17 years ago, still don't know how I managed it

I'd love to learn Russian Yola, it's on my to-do list!