I heart grammar...
Tonight's rant is about the state of the English language. Now I am the first to admit that I have problems sometimes, mostly with split infinitives, and apostrophes of all things. However, it seems to me that more and more people out there just don't write properly.
Firstly what is with a) giving nouns capital letters or b) putting apostrophes everywhere/leaving them out altogether. I accept that some languages, like German, give all nouns capital letters, and that at some time in the past English, being a Germanic language also used capitals. However, that has long since stopped. Not for some people though, who enjoy putting capitals in the middle of sentences. Here's a great example: "I need to start doing my Homework, not leaving it until the night Before it is due." Good.
Does anyone know 'Sophie's Cafe' on Papanui Road? First of all she actually omits the apostrophe on her sign, so it reads 'Sophies Cafe' which really annoys me for a start, and then she puts up signs like: "A women's dream, and a mans best friend". I believe she is talking about a steak sandwich, but really who cares? I think someone should present Sophie (or Sophie and her best friend Sophie - i.e. Sophies) with a dictionary/grammar book. Maybe I am just being unnecessarily harsh.
However, I like language a lot, and all the amazing and clever things that can be done with it when it is used properly. Novels by clever wordsmiths like Salman Rushdie would just not be possible without it. It is just unfortunate that so many people have no idea about simple things, like what is a verb?
Quiz:
Anyone reading may like to prove their mastery of the English language by answering the following simple questions...
1. What is a verb?
2. What is an adjective?
3. Give an example of a conjunction.
4. Give an example of an adverbial phrase.
5. Conjugate two tenses of "to go"
One final question. What is it with the new use of the noun 'heart'? Suddenly it has become a verb!! For example, "I heart my Dad." actually means "I love my Dad". Interesting.
I heart English. I really really heart it.
7 Comments:
Heh - I've just been re-writing an essay, so I should be able to do your questions:
1. A verb is a doing word.
2. Something that describes a noun
3. um... 'and'?
4. "he walked quickly to sophies cafe"
5. Past: went (all persons)
Future: will go (all persons)
It that all you want? It seems rather short
in comparison to something like greek.
Yes.
It does seem rather short doesn't it!
I was going to ask people to decline a noun, but then I realised that isn't actually possible in English! Or is it? I don't think we even talk about nominative/accusative cases or anything like that do we? We certainly talk about subjects and objects, but to my knowledge they don't have cases...
Hmmmm...
Snaps for you in any case for doing the quiz. Good to see someone understands our language. *grin*, although I see you left out the apostrophe in Sophie's Cafe...
No. No declension of nouns. That special addition was left for Russian. And German I Hear. (ha ha ha.. are you foaming at the mouth yet?). I so know what you mean. I HATE bad grammar and wrong apostrophes. Especially in public signs or advertisments. Or printed material.
ooh miels ... no I'll say it over email.. :)
Well as a fellow graduate of that fine institution known as STAC and soon to be Lyndon McIntosh B.A. (wow) I am feeling a little bit convicted and am ashamed to admit that as you have probably realised I have sinned in ignorance and am part of the problem. I still dont really know how to structure sentences and paragraph and my typing is slow enough without worrying about extraneous little extras-for-experts bits like the aforementioned much misused apostrophe. I guess that you my readers suffer but I can communicate 'much more betterer' verbally and can blame txting, our education system and the pakeha for imposing their crazy lingo on me and my people. I feel I need to be compensated for this.
I also feel like doing a paragraphee thingee so i just did:P I cant say that sophie and her steak sandwiches have really bothered me in fact they do sound like something I might dream of (cant be my best friend as i would eat it before i really got to know it). I must go there someday and meet this mysterious Roseanne lookalike Sophie (If she in fact really exists). Despite my pretences at culture I cant say that i have read any of Rushdie's works nor have your level of knowledge of linguistics. Think i mite pass on yr test. I have yet to hear of that much widespread use of the word heart as a verb I guess that might be related to txt culture. You are leading the way with that particular perversion, i mean evolution/ development of our beloved language of the civilised world.
I have always been more miffed by bad, i mean creative spelling than creative grammar. This is far more obvious to me as I have always been a god spelr. I am sure that this well written post will give you something to think about in your quest for excellence in language.Language (reo) is a great treasure(taonga) for us to preserve. I know I should read more(without pictures) in this "playstation generation" picture driven media age that we live in.much heart to you and your homies.
Hmmmm....
Come to think of it, bad paragraphing is one thing that I aren't much a fan of (though probably do it nonetheless). Yeah... People can correct for errors in punctuation and spelling, but paragraphing directs the readers comprehension. ok, so does punctuation...
I guess it comes down to idea representation. It should be done well. Yeah. That is... ideal.
(Anyone hate excessive eplipsis usage?)
what about excessive ! marks?!! like, I know blogging and emails and commenting are exciting!!! but still... every sentence??!!! I will leave you to ponder on this one!!! (I got a fax from my friend once when I was in Tahiti, and in the whole page of typing there were two sentences without exclamation marks!!!)
I am not, not I aren't.
Just to be picky.
:)
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