Lancia Beta Forum
March 28, 2024, 12:34:55 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: NEC Restoration Show 22nd-24th March 2024
http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5015.msg36852#msg36852
 
   Home   Help Contact Admin Search Calendar Gallery Articles Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Use of English  (Read 1505 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
frankxhv773t
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 170



« on: February 25, 2021, 11:22:45 AM »

What is the etiquette on highlighting incorrect words in posts?

As formal writing declines and English becomes more of a spoken language than a written language I increasingly come across posts on forums (fora?) and in social media that use a word which might sound correct when spoken but is incorrect, or even contradictory, when written. A couple of examples are writing "off course", not going the way it should, when you mean "of course", going exactly the way it should, or writing "except", ruling something out, instead of "accept", ruling something in.

I know the intended meaning is usually clear from the context and also that it is completely unacceptable to shame or ridicule someone for a perceived mistake. I also know, having spent my working life corresponding on litigation, that I am particularly sensitive to the issue, although not myself immune from making mistakes. However, ignoring the issue feels like complicity in the decline of written communication when an intervention would be a small step in arresting that decline and might even be useful to the author.

So, is it acceptable to politely suggest why the wrong word has been chosen and why another word might be correct, or is a letter to The Times signed "Outraged of Tunbridge Wells" a more appropriate response.

The wisdom and guidance of the elders of the Beta community would be most welcome on this thorny issue. 

Logged

1995 Dedra 2.0 16v SW
1987 Y10 Fire
1977 Beta Spider 1.6
1962 Flaminia Berlina 2.5
betabuoy
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 303



« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2021, 06:58:52 PM »

Hi Frank
I wouldn’t go there. I value enormously the information shared on this Forum and I’d hate to think that folk hold back on a post for fear of another’s grammatical analysis and comment.

Chris
Logged

1979 Beta Coupe S2FL (1st registered May 1983!)
1967 Morris Minor Traveller
1925 Austin 7 Chummy
WestonTB
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 107


« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2021, 07:36:39 PM »

I was the first year to do the G.C.S.E qualifications , I really tried in all subjects, never had a detention at school & failed all my exams, no where near a C grade.

Re-took English and failed it again.

Predictive text & spell check helps me immensely and I agree we should all try to do our best, that said a good friend of mine is a car restorer extraordinaire, his knowledge & capability is through the roof but his written English & grammar in general is so bad spell check cannot help him. For this reason he does not use any forums of any kinds, a loss to everyone.

Apologies for any mistakes ,like with school, I try... but fail!   
Logged
peteracs
Administrator
Legendary Member
******
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 3821


Peter Stokes


« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2021, 10:55:23 PM »

Hi Frank

Interesting topic and not one I think expected here.

It does jar with me at times with the likes of ‘of and off’ and ‘there and their’ etc and also guilty of failing as well.

As to pointing it out, I think I would have to agree and say no unless there was a post using text message abbreviations when it should be changed to reflect readable English.

Peter
Logged

Beta Spyder S2 pre F/L 1600
Beta HPE S2 pre F/L 1600
squiglyzigly
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 512



« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2021, 09:29:19 AM »

I would prefer to avoid this direction for several reasons. Not least of which, this is a global forum and to correct people on the use of the English language may well discourage people who do not speak English as their first language.
Also engineering vocabulary is almost another language in itself. I learnt this whilst installing signalling equipment onto high speed trains in France. You may speak a language well, but you won’t necessarily understand anything in engineering terms. Or indeed you will mis-understand and be mis-understood.
Then I am eternally grateful to any Italian that encounters my dreadful use and abuse of their language when I am in their company. Be it around the dinner table, cycling within their clubs or on holiday. They generally welcome my efforts with open arms and often a kiss on each cheek (still not comfortable with that amongst men)  Grin
And as a multi-cultural country with a long colonial past I think would be correct to overlook the use or misuse of our ‘international’ language.

Ian



« Last Edit: February 26, 2021, 09:30:58 AM by squiglyzigly » Logged

VX HPE (resto started Sept ‘21)
Beta Saloon 2.0l s2 1979 (completed July 2020)
Beta coupé VX (completed April 2017)
WestonE
Legendary Member
******
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 1695


« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2021, 12:43:25 PM »

I am probably an offender here. However I will continue to provide the best answers I can in as short a form as I can, because I have limited time. I will try to avoid confusion from poor grammar and spelling, but the first person to complain about help I am providing them will not be getting more.

Eric   
Logged
frankxhv773t
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 170



« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2021, 01:33:50 PM »

Thanks for all the contributions. I'll contain myself!

I was asking fairly specifically about the accidental use of completely the wrong word, often conveying the opposite meaning to the one intended rather than errors of grammar or spelling, so I fully agree that a grammar police action would be both undesirable and totally counter productive.

I confess that I am dyslexic myself, though afflicted more by the myriad ancillary difficulties than by "word blindness", so an appreciable portion of this post comes to you courtesy of spell check! I also work periodically on projects with young international volunteers who are seeking to improve their English so am rather tuned in to offering corrections where English is misused.
Logged

1995 Dedra 2.0 16v SW
1987 Y10 Fire
1977 Beta Spider 1.6
1962 Flaminia Berlina 2.5
capriblu
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 165



« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2021, 03:08:10 PM »

Hi Frank

I was wandering if you could help me with a couple of issues's regarding the breaking system on my car.

I have been trying out an amount of different pads to see the affect on ware of the new disks I fitted last week.

I am going out for a test drive too see how the latest combination effects performance.

Any advise?
Logged

!980 2.0 Coupe - Owned since 1990
WestonTB
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 107


« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2021, 10:14:37 PM »

Oklahoma, pronounced success ! (sorry all, the old one's are always the best)

Seriously though, I have just started another thread that we may need to bear in mind.
Logged
WestonTB
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 107


« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2021, 10:33:08 PM »

Bare!!! Grin
Logged
mangocrazy
Legendary Member
******
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 1347


Graham Stewart


« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2021, 10:43:51 PM »

From my point of view, I'd suggest that if there is any ambiguity in a member's response to a question, then we should seek to understand better what the poster was trying to convey, rather than applying any form of censure. I was fortunate to receive a good 'old fashioned' English education; many others were not so fortunate. Also a number of my friends are dyslexic and this has made me aware of how difficult it is for many people to do something that I take entirely for granted.

I'd much rather receive helpful technical advice that I may need to decipher rather than someone stay silent for fear of being pulled up for a grammatical error.
Logged

1980 Lancia Beta Spider 2000 (S2FL)
2002 VW Transporter T4
2017 KTM Duke 690R
2008 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Ducati 888 SP3
1988 Honda VFR750F
1980 Yamaha RD350LC
rossocorsa
Legendary Member
******
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 2373


« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2021, 09:35:35 AM »

Predictive text is the menace, it often modifies your text in bizarre ways and seemingly sometimes after I've seen the right word on the screen.
Logged
frankxhv773t
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Posts: 170



« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2021, 02:13:22 PM »

Capriblu, just along from the car magazines in your local WHSmith's you will find dick-shun-airys and they-saw-us's's. Some people recommend them as a breakfast substitute.

However, if you really want to be confused, find an old copy of Sir Earnest Gower's book "The Complete Plain Words". It was recommended reading for new Civil Servants when I joined in the 1970s and regardless of your level of education it destroyed any illusions you might have held about being accomplished in the use of English.
Logged

1995 Dedra 2.0 16v SW
1987 Y10 Fire
1977 Beta Spider 1.6
1962 Flaminia Berlina 2.5
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines
SMFAds for Free Forums
Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!