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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 10:06:17 GMT
Just had to do some formatting / converting of a 'Literacy and Grammar Checklist' for a teacher... ...so, of course, I had to check the literacy and grammar of it! Imagine my despair as on ONE page, I had to correct 10 different mistakes. I'm saying nothing other than that!  |
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courage
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Post by courage on Sept 17, 2014 10:48:28 GMT
How do u remember it all though?  so many rules. |
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 11:06:38 GMT
Guess it's like anything else really, practice.
If you end up using maths for things every day, you get even better at maths. If you have to read / write / check stuff every day, then that improves.
I was wondering if having a spell checker on the forum might be handy, but when I looked at it, there's only an American one.
I don't use spell checkers, but they are good for folks, can help get you out of bad habits when typing and spelling. Once you've spelt something wrong a few times, even when you realise it's wrong, your brain defaults back to that spelling first.
I wasn't very good at grammar at school, was always good at spelling, even before I started, but the apostrophe s rules used to bend my head and I would always get them wrong, but, I had to learn it all thoroughly for a previous job which included proof reading, so, the obsession was born from that!
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courage
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Post by courage on Sept 17, 2014 11:11:21 GMT
Yeah spellchecker has helped my spelling and knowing when something is one word or two.
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 11:17:51 GMT
I might add it and see if it's at least vaguely helpful, if it helps with 75% of stuff, then it's a start. Not saying it really matters on here, but I guess if people get in the habit of things being correct, it'll have a knock on beneficial effect overall.
I'm trying to get back in the routine of typing everything properly, capitalising at start of sentences, which I got lazy on, capitalising I, all sorts.
Of course, there is always room to put in yoot spk n txt tlk innit m8.
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Post by sellotapethecat on Sept 17, 2014 11:18:24 GMT
Still can't get my head round the apostrophe s rule, especially when it goes after the s. Also, when to use: or ;aaaaargh.
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 11:27:50 GMT
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courage
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Post by courage on Sept 17, 2014 11:39:24 GMT
I think if in doubt put in an apostrophe  |
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 11:47:12 GMT
Still can't get my head round the apostrophe s rule, especially when it goes after the s. Also, when to use: or ;aaaaargh. Basically... Plurals don't have one.Cats, dogs, cars, apples, butchers. Usually the apostrophe is to replace something, to shorten the sentence.s apostropheIf you're talking about something that belongs to one of those plurals, then the ' comes after the s The dogs' bones (the bones belonged to the dogs OR the dogs and their bones).The apples' pips (the pips belonged to the apples OR the apples and their pips).If you're not sure, try putting in the apostrophe and read out the sentence... The dog's bones = The dog is bones, which is wrong. (Unless its name IS Bones, but then it would be a capital! Haha) Apostrophe sIt is = it's (It's a plane = It is a plane) He is = He's (He's on a bus = He is on a bus) Cat's = Cat has (Cat's whiskers = Cat has whiskers) Itscan be a problem one for people. Usually that is to do with something belonging to someone as well. The cat has its whiskers.The bus has its driver.If you're not sure, try putting in the apostrophe and read out the sentence... The cat has it's whiskers = The cat has it is whiskers, which is wrong. I'll do another one for the : and ; in a bit... |
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joebassdude
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Post by joebassdude on Sept 17, 2014 12:41:28 GMT
*catastrophe
(Yes I had to spell check that one)
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 12:42:26 GMT
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 12:44:04 GMT
Smart Alec ;-) Cat has a trophy Cat's trophy Cat is a trophy Cats as trophies Cat's trophy's are cats. (I like this last one actually, the cats that were given as a trophy to Cat!) |
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joebassdude
D42 brings me free food
Wa'gwaaaan?!
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Post by joebassdude on Sept 17, 2014 12:46:15 GMT
Cats don't deserve trophies.
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 12:56:17 GMT
Cats don't deserve trophies. ...but maybe Cat does. |
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joebassdude
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Post by joebassdude on Sept 17, 2014 12:59:10 GMT
Maybe. Depends what she's won.
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 13:03:46 GMT
Cat won some cats for correctly correcting 'The Cat's Sat On The Mat' to 'The Cats Sat On The Mat'.
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joebassdude
D42 brings me free food
Wa'gwaaaan?!
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Post by joebassdude on Sept 17, 2014 13:14:15 GMT
Deffo's trophy!
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 13:22:41 GMT
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Post by sellotapethecat on Sept 17, 2014 15:37:01 GMT
Yes! That's really easy to remember. Thanks. The apostrophe S will definitely take longer! |
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 16:31:57 GMT
It is a bit of a nightmare, because there's so many 'ah, but what if this...' type clauses to it, but, as with anything, familiarity with the basics of it helps the rest make a bit more sense.
Most people get scared of it, but the way I made it make most sense to begin with is just remembering that the apostrophe is there to shorten two words or a sentence, and not just in this case: you are = you're; they are = they're; where have = where've. The rules carries on elsewhere so hopefully helps make that even easier.
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courage
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Post by courage on Sept 17, 2014 16:45:19 GMT
Why is it boys' poo and women's poo? Why would it move? The rules are nonsense
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Post by sellotapethecat on Sept 17, 2014 16:53:57 GMT
The replacing words is fine it's the possession thing that trips me up. ^^^
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 17:10:28 GMT
Why is it boys' poo and women's poo? Why would it move? The rules are nonsense Because you're mixing up two different kinds of names... Boys' poo and girls' poo (as in poo that belongs to boys and girls, read it as Boys that have poo, Girls that have poo) Man's poo and woman's poo (as in a poo that belongs to one man and one woman, read it as Man HAS poo and Woman HAS poo) Men's poo and women's poo (as in poo that belongs to many men and many women) Probably the exception to the rule (because there always is at least one), but the reason for it is that Men is the equivalent of Mans, Women the equivalent of Womans, so it's a plural without an s... This probably made it more confusing now. Ignore the aPOOstrophe s rule, and learn the other one first. People's poo = poo of the people. A combined nation's worth of poo. |
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Post by Mr42 on Sept 17, 2014 17:12:26 GMT
The replacing words is fine it's the possession thing that trips me up. ^^^ Usually, if it's about one thing, it's apostrophe s, if it's about more than one thing, it's s apostrophe. An elephant's trunk (An elephant (and his) trunk) Ten elephants' trunks (Ten elephants (and their) trunks) |
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Post by sellotapethecat on Sept 17, 2014 17:18:32 GMT
Men's poo and women's poo (as in poo that belongs to many men and many women) An elephant's trunk (An elephant (and his) trunk) Ten elephants' trunks (Ten elephants (and their) trunks) Aaaargh I thought I had it then Mr42 It's like trying to do maths *brain plays white noise* |
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so many rules. 
