108 replies to this topic

[Ethel]

were is the spell checker?

When you reply to a post the spell checker is in the top right controls, just above the alignment options. it's ABC over a small tick.

Dave

There's most likely also one in your browser that will work automatically - select options from the tools menu in Firefox.

[berkut]

Fundamental rules of English are pretty simple to grasp.

I can't believe that there are adult people who don't know how to use the apostrophe or even commas, or even know the difference between their, there and they're. I'm afraid your spell checker won't correct these errors so "my browser has a spell checker" is no excuse for writing correctly spelled nonsense.

Sorry just read this... and it's got my blood boiling!!

How can you say that?? I'll take it from your extremely naive post that you attended a private school??

I'm rubbish academically, I got C's and D's in academic GCSE subjects yet I went on to get a higher second class honors degree in a prestigious design subject. I'm extremely clever, bright and intelligent, yet I find the (as you put it) "Fundamental rules of English" very hard !!

Ask me to solve a design problem and I'll do it better job than 99% of the worlds population. But ask me to insert the correct their, there or they're in to a sentence and I'd couldn't, I'd have a 33% chance of getting it right.

I didn't go to a private school; I attended a below-average comprehensive! I went to Rawmarsh Comprehensive (you know, the one where the fat parents were feeding their fat children fish and chips through the fence on Jamie Oliver's school dinners). I just about managed so scrape a C in English at GCSE.

If I can use English reasonably correctly then anyone can. If you don't know or are unsure of something then you endeavour to find out. I'm sure you (and everyone else) do this all the time in other areas so why not do the same here?

To be able to understand every detail of perfect English usage is, I'm sure, beyond my wit and a lifetime's work for those interested but to know the basics is incredibly easy.

The problem is that when something is written (or spoken) in poor English then it makes the author (or speaker) sound like an idiot and gives them no credibility. They might not be an idiot, they might be an expert, but that is how they will appear. Not only that, but, as adults, we should be setting an example for the younger ones.

I know people for whom English is their fourth or fifth language who write better English than half of the people on here.

I know that most people on here (myself included) HATE what BMW have done to the Mini. Well I say that people who don't care about how they employ the language are doing the same to English!

[Neildanks]

Here Here ! Or is this all wrong as well.

[roberts]

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Edited by roberts, 20 March 2011 - 07:25 PM.

[shorty]

agree with you completely there roberts.

i respond better to words and historical dates...but when it comes to images i can't draw at all
but thats just the way i am. never have been good a drawing.

as for my spelling it was never great but has progressed due to the amount of essays that i have had to write for exams and what not.

[mini93]

I didn't go to a private school; I attended a below-average comprehensive! I went to Rawmarsh Comprehensive (you know, the one where the fat parents were feeding their fat children fish and chips through the fence on Jamie Oliver's school dinners). I just about managed so scrape a C in English at GCSE.

If I can use English reasonably correctly then anyone can. If you don't know or are unsure of something then you endeavour to find out. I'm sure you (and everyone else) do this all the time in other areas so why not do the same here?

To be able to understand every detail of perfect English usage is, I'm sure, beyond my wit and a lifetime's work for those interested but to know the basics is incredibly easy.

The problem is that when something is written (or spoken) in poor English then it makes the author (or speaker) sound like an idiot and gives them no credibility. They might not be an idiot, they might be an expert, but that is how they will appear. Not only that, but, as adults, we should be setting an example for the younger ones.

I know people for whom English is their fourth or fifth language who write better English than half of the people on here.

I know that most people on here (myself included) HATE what BMW have done to the Mini. Well I say that people who don't care about how they employ the language are doing the same to English!

wow...over reaction and a half....im just cr*p at spelling etc...and to be honest i cant be bothered putting effort into trying to find the correct spelling on long words when its ledgable as it is, especialy the there's etc some times its obvious others im just like MEH!

oh well! ill carry on spelling n typing (not writing ) as i do

[cookie4343]

Did'nt no tmf had turned into a english learning forum, at the end of the day were all human and have different learning abilities, like me left school at 15 and never did no gcse's but ive learnt more out of school than i did at school.

[berkut]

I didn't go to a private school; I attended a below-average comprehensive!

If that's the case then you should understand as well as anybody else that not everybody can read and write to a decent standard. As I pointed out before...

Remember the kids at school that failed there GSCE's???

Because they can't write to your 'approved standard', does it mean they can't ask for advice on this forum or email me (and other companies) regarding there Mini??

If I can use English reasonably correctly then anyone can. If you don't know or are unsure of something then you endeavour to find out. I'm sure you (and everyone else) do this all the time in other areas so why not do the same here?

If that's the case... If I can draw cars in perfect perspective then anybody can. Can they? No, some people couldn't even draw a decent stick man!!

I know people for whom English is their fourth or fifth language who write better English than half of the people on here.

That kind of backs the point up for the fact that different people have different ways of thinking.

People who are good at languages find it easy to learn another one, this is because they think in this way and there brains responds to language, writing etc.

Me however, I think creatively, my brain doesn't respond to words, it responds to images. Believe me I spent my entire schooling trying to learn English, it took me long enough to understand the difference between where and were, or weather and whether.

Many of the worlds most famous and successful creative people, including musicians, artists, designers etc. are dyslexic... I'll guarantee you that none of your friends who speak 4/5 languages are not dyslexic and the chances are that they are not creative people.

Sorry, but you need to understand that not everybody can grasp the English language to the level that you expect. Anyway, I didn't really want to get in to this I made the points I did because i feel people are being un-fairly treated (including myself).

You need to look at the bigger picture unfortunately, thank god this is a predominately UK based forum, imagine if it was a South American / African based community, places where in some locations over 3/4's off the population still can't read or write a thing.

You really would have a field moaning about there spelling and punctuation.

I'm afraid that you have missed my point entirely; I don't expect people to write perfect English on an internet forum. I do expect people to have a vague idea of how to express themselves coherently. I think I have a realistic expectation of the acceptable standard to which people's hurriedly-written messages should meet. As I said, there is no requirement for perfect English or excessive pedantry; only for people to think about what they are writing and how it will sound to others.

I don't see why you feel the need to try to excuse yourself so aggressively. I am not trying to make an attack on people who have difficulty with written English. Dyslexia is no excuse for writing nonsense or for not even caring. I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was at school and always have had difficulty reading; that doesn't mean that I have an excuse for not (at least trying to) write correctly. I'm afraid that 'being creative' is also no reason to dismiss the rules of English (how could it be?).

Being able to draw cars in perfect perspective is a skill; I expect, as you say, that many people wouldn't be able to do this. But, then again, they aren't on here trying to. If I were to draw a car with imperfect perspective and show it on this forum I would expect you to tell me that it was imperfect and to point out where I had gone wrong (as you would be right to do). I haven't done that though, have I? You, on the other hand, are writing English on this forum.

I don't know how to play the piccolo trumpet so I don't try. If I ever had to for some reason then I would try to learn. You don't know how to use the apostrophe so why don't you find out? It is (I'm not being patronising) basically simple. Once you learn you will know forever and you will be better equipped to know what people mean when you read their writing. You forget that the rules of English (in this case punctuation) are there for a reason; to make written accounts EASIER to understand and less ambiguous.

I think that this is getting pretty ridiculous. I resent that you, on your high horse, are making me out to be some kind of super-pedant who demands absolutely perfect English from everyone all of the time. This is not the case, I just think that people should respect the language and be able to write coherently.

I'm sorry that this discussion has turned into this. I'm sure that you are a decent bloke. Please don't think that I think that you are stupid; I'm sure that you aren't.

[roberts]

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Edited by roberts, 20 March 2011 - 07:25 PM.

[Ethel]

Language isn't the property of academics any more than astronomers have any ownership over how the solar system works. Any rules and conventions that exist are created by a desire for clear & unambiguous communication. Of course they can be much more relaxed on an interweb forum than they would be in a patent, contract or the likes.

I think everyone's arguing a valid point here, without acknowledging (fully) others are too.

We should accept other people's use of English if we can understand what they mean.

We should make the effort to help readers of our own posts do the same by taking a bit of care writing them.

[dazzul]

Ill stand in the corner then.


lalalalalalalalalala


People just moan to much, come to the black country we'll show ya proper englsih

google the black country alphabet.

[shorty]

black country alphabet is the best.

studied it at a level english haha was a laugh

[arnie]

black country alphabet is the best.

studied it at a level english haha was a laugh

Z is for strippy hoss. hahahahahaha, sin that on facebook, look the blackcountry facebook site, hehehe queens inglish.

[miniclubbymini]

Why are there so many people concerned about us less intelectuel people.

I am fed up of people on this forum picking up on the way we

A Spell

B Use Capital Letters On Every Word

C Use of punctuation


We are trying to either get help with our minis or basically trying to socialise.

Its not nice to keep having these things pointed out in nearly every post we give. And i'm not on my own with this, a few other members have the same problem and are getting embarresed to post anything.

You've saved me the time in starting a similar thread!


In nearly every thread I've read on 'illiterate' users, the topic starter themselves use incorrect grammar or misspell.


I'm sick of seeing threads, topics or posts directed at users who have trouble spelling and stereotype it as 'chav/text talk'. Ten percent of the British population are dyslexic; some people do genuinely have a problem with spelling and as for grammar, the English Language is the hardest language in the world to learn and grasp.

I also have to add that some users spell phonetically and therefore their posts are understandable, and shouldn't youngsters using this forum be encouraged rather than insulting them by calling them a 'drug dealer' etc? (yes, unbelievably, I have seen this in a post)!


I shall now twiddle my thumbs and wait for a lovely reply(!)

[mini93]

my reply is... there hasnt been a topic for a little while...by raising this up again, people are going to stir and cause more arguments....doh-uth!