Grammer failure plague sweeping the nation

[Mayhem]

The problem with effect and affect is that they can be both used as a noun or a verb. Effect is more commonly used as a noun and affect a verb but not many people appear to know how to use them correctly the other way round.

Affect as a noun is quite rare though, and possibly the root of the word "affectionate". Effect as a verb is a lot more modern I presume, I tend to hate as I associate it with the more recent creepage of office/manager bollockspeak and buzz wording.

[wakka]

I don't let children start a sentence with 'and' in my classes. Grammar tests to be a big part of this years literacy SATs. Might post a mock paper on here to see how folks get on.

And yet you freely omit apostrophes for possession (sod's law stating that any post commenting on grammar will contain at least one grammatical error).

[ItsThere]

Ooh, yes. That'd be cool.


I can start a sentence with 'Ooh' can't I?

Ooh what a lovely pair.

[QualityChimp]

In my daughter's book that she brought home from school today for homework (she's 4), it happily started a sentence with "And ", so it looks like that rule's out of the window now.

Sheesh, Charles. That rule's been out the window for yonks! If it was good enough for King James it's good enough for me.

Granted, the Bible, Shakespeare and many good books have sentences starting with "And", but it should only be used in conversational writing because otherwise it can be really clunky to read. And it makes you sound like a five-year-old listing things. And it makes you sound like you've just run up some stairs. And there are lots of other ways to start a sentence.

EDIT: And it makes you look like you didn't think out the sentence before writing it and had to keep editing it.

[Brad]

We should have a rule whereby any time you want to use an apostrophe it must be taken from a previously used superfluous one from this forum, thereby improving the grammar of the site as a whole.

[Paulos G]

And I think FSW'''''''''''''s idea is grate!

[endo]

Affect as a noun is quite rare though, and possibly the root of the word "affectionate". Effect as a verb is a lot more modern I presume, I tend to hate as I associate it with the more recent creepage of office/manager bollockspeak and buzz wording.

Affect isn't the root of affectionate as such, but the two words do share the same etymology.
Bizarrely enough, effect actually dates back hundreds of years as a verb. There's nothing wrong with using effect as a verb, per se, but it is prone to abuse by buzzword enthusiasts.

[QualityChimp]

Acronyms are a current irk.

I'll accept that in theory if you say the letters it should have ellipses, such as K.G.B., and if you say the word you don't need them, such as NATO. These rules aren't set in stone and BBC, for example, doesn't have them.

My issue is when people don't use ellipses on all the letters: V.I.P

It's all or nothing, people!

[J0e Musashi]

Mrs. sends text last night. I will not divulge the details, but she typed "bighting" instead of biting.



?_? ECT.

[noobish hat]

Acronyms are a current irk.

I'll accept that in theory if you say the letters it should have ellipses, such as K.G.B., and if you say the word you don't need them, such as NATO. These rules aren't set in stone and BBC, for example, doesn't have them.

My issue is when people don't use ellipses on all the letters: V.I.P

It's all or nothing, people!

If you're saying the letters then it's not an acronym. An acronym has to make a new word, by definition.

[QualityChimp]

No sorry, I went off on one.

I just meant I don't like it when people miss the last "." off things like V.I.P. if it's written.

I know that if you pronounce the letters (DVD, K.G.B or IRA) it's an initialism.

You're more likely to hear them described as acronyms though, AFAIK.

[noobish hat]

I know, and it brings my piss to a boil.

[kryss]

Unless you actually skated with King James, you can't really trust him though.

I see what you did there.

[charlesr]

2 minutes into a speech by the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world: "Our .... initiatives did excellent." The massive pause afterwards left the grammar failure ringing in my ears.
Sigh.
Otherwise, good speech. Mine would have been grammatically correct, but not as good in all other areas

[wakka]

What company?