Conjugating Verbs

[Linda Bohr]

I must admit that bad grammar can jar a nerve in me, but it depends on the circumstances. When you are responding to a query with a quick remark, it's easy to hit the wrong key, misspell, or miss a tense. When it really bothers me is when it is in a newspaper where the writers are trained in journalism. For responses such as in this forum, I realize that some people are doing very well to express their thoughts and keyboard. I certainly give them the benefit of the doubt because I can get the gist of what they are saying. So, there can be bad form, but communication is not limited because of it. At least I don't think so. I love the communications on this forum because even if there is a misspelled word or a break in form, I appreciate the information and willingness to help anyone who writes in. There is information on this forum that is so helpful that it supersedes any lesson in grammar. The people who write it are great, both in their efforts to help people and in their kindness to even attempt to help with some very complicated problems. So, get a grip and deal with the fact that not everyone knows or uses good grammar. It's regrettable, but not anything earth shaking unless it hinders your understanding of what they are saying.

[WyCamper]

Me to, too many peoples grammer is just atrocious bad, and there spelling shows an even loser grasp of the english Language. Nough sayed.

[peggwn]

Originally Posted by moneyslinger

Ok, but how do you explain conjugating visits in prison then??

I suppose it depends on who is reporting the conjugating and when the conjugating happened.

[danhannah]

Originally Posted by GeorgeandTheBear

Knew...

Sorry, I thought the game was, every post had to have an error...

[Chief Alen]

Not for nothin, doesn't bother me as long as i can read and understand the reply to a question i have, forgetaboutit .

If i can help someone save a quarter fixin somethang him or herself and they can read what i write and understand it then im ok with it.

This is from a guy married to a retired 5th grade teacher.

[RatDog]

Even if your writing skills aren’t the best, there are simple things you can do that go a long way to getting your message across.

1. Don’t write in all caps.
2. If you string 300 words together, for Heaven’s sake, put some periods in there.

Steve

[miketo]

Originally Posted by Linda Bohr

I must admit that bad grammar can jar a nerve in me, but it depends on the circumstances.

You said it! It's like the difference between directions to the store and instructions for a liver transplant. I'd prefer the surgeon not have to pause and figure out what was meant mid-instruction. "Connect the tubey thing to the other tubey thing...." Yikes.

Pet peeve of mine: dropping the infinitive in verbs. Correct: "The engine needs to be fixed." Incorrect: "The engine needs fixed." ARGH!

[Retired FF]

The lovely nuns from my 1960's grammar school are screaming through their coffins!

[peggwn]

Originally Posted by miketo

You said it! It's like the difference between directions to the store and instructions for a liver transplant. I'd prefer the surgeon not have to pause and figure out what was meant mid-instruction. "Connect the tubey thing to the other tubey thing...." Yikes.

Pet peeve of mine: dropping the infinitive in verbs. Correct: "The engine needs to be fixed." Incorrect: "The engine needs fixed." ARGH!

In Texas - That engine needs fixin', so I'm fixin' to fix it.

[Radioranger]

I used to believe that I could write fairly well. A career in the USAF meant that I had to write performance reports and other missives fairly often.

All that was before 1991 when I retired from the "service".

Not too terribly long ago I was asked to write a piece about the DOVES. (Disaster Volunteers Escapees). They are the Escapees BOF consisting of American Red Cross Disaster Volunteers. This was to be for a ham radio orientated newssheet. No problem, I thought to myself, I'll just whip out a couple of pages and shoot them off to the newsletter's editor/publisher.

Well I found that Word gives editors the capabilities of RED INK. It turned out that the editor was a retired English Professor.

I learned a lot from writing (and correcting) that first article and a few more since then and now consider that particular person and his wife VERY good friends even though we seldom agree politically. BTW, that's one of the things that has made this country great over the years, our ability to maintain friendship across political aisles. Let's not lose that folks.
And Cliff, if you're reading this, yes that was and is you. BTW, where are you now set up AT? .... grin.

[miketo]

A good editor is worth his or her weight in gold. I wrote for a living and hoo boy, the things I didn't know. Thanks to my editors who helped me become a better writer!

[harleyjt]

Originally Posted by engine103

Most misused on this forum, brake and break.

Possibly, but I would have said their and there. I see those misused alt least 90% of the time here. The other one that I see quite often is hear and here.
jt

[RatDog]

Originally Posted by miketo

A good editor is worth his or her weight in gold. I wrote for a living and hoo boy, the things I didn't know. Thanks to my editors who helped me become a better writer!

Mike - On behalf of editors everywhere, thank you for those nice words.

Most of my work as an editor was in technical fields and much of the work
involved rewriting and editing documents produced by engineers, scientists, etc.

On one assignment, I was asked to tackle a large engineering study. The ultimate audience for the document was a Board of County Commissioners. The primary author received a very big pat on the back from his boss. He then came to my office, shook my hand, and said, "You took what I wrote and turned it into what I really wanted to say".

As an editor, I can think of no greater compliment.

Steve

[Linda Bohr]

Originally Posted by miketo

A good editor is worth his or her weight in gold. I wrote for a living and hoo boy, the things I didn't know. Thanks to my editors who helped me become a better writer!

You bet. I write also, and while I'm not a bad speller, I'm a comma blunderer and it's hard for me to keep the tenses straight within a paragraph. An editor would have a sea of red ink for my books.