How's you're grammar?

[kenny]

This is kind of fun.

They used an app to analyze the spelling and grammar of supporters of various candidates.
The results are shocking, I tell you, shocking ... as your about to see.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/10/06/3709463/grammar-presidential-candidate-supporters/

 

[AGBF]

You asked:

"How's your grammar?" (Actually, Mozart, I edited that for you.)

I have not, yet, looked at your link. I can answer your question without doing so, however. My grammar is extremely old-fashioned. I do not move with the times. I am more a grammarian than a follower of the loosey-goosey linguistics point of view about language. Although I sometimes make grammatical errors, I make fewer than most people. I do not mind having my errors pointed out to me as I wish to keep learning better grammar. I cannot bear change. I am always the last person to accept that the language has changed. For example: I will not use an "s" to make a noun ending in "s" possessive.

I was taught that one writes, "The Davis' house" and I will not, now, write "The Davis's house".

Deb/AGBF

 

[Dancing Fire]

What is grammar?...

 

[december-fire]

The person married to grammpa.

 

[kenny]

You asked:"How's your grammar?" (Actually, Mozart, I edited that for you.)

Had you read the link you'd know the incorrect 'you're' in the title was intentional, and intended to be humorous.

It's always unfortunate when humor has to be explained, but there it is.

 

[MollyMalone]

just a fyi, Deb (I prefer the Davis's house, altho' it's not something about which I feel so strongly that I will go to the mat with someone whose work I am editing):
The 's possessive for even words ending in s is not relatively new. That's been the general prescription in the Oxford University Press and the U.S Government Printing Office's style manuals for at least 100 years & is Rule of Usage #1 in the very first edition (191 of The Elements of Style.

 

[AGBF]

You asked:"How's your grammar?" (Actually, Mozart, I edited that for you.)

Had you read the link you'd know the incorrect 'you're' in the title was intentional, and intended to be humorous.

Well, all you had to do was wait a few minutes. I had promised my daughter I would watch some Netflix shows with her, so her I had to take a break from Pricescope and couldn't read the linked article immediately! When I got to it, I enjoyed the article, and even decided that if his supporters had such good grammar that perhaps I should take another look at Lincoln Chafee as a presidential candidate!

AGBF

 

[kenny]

Since we have some of 'those' people ...

Your is used when talking about something that belongs to you.
You're is short for, you are.

The words your and you're are not interchangeable.
It's not an 'every way is equally right' thing, nor should poor grammar be respected as diversity.

Using good grammar makes you appear smarter.
Using poor grammar makes you appear less smart.

Now, lets practice ...

Correct: That is your apple.
Incorrect: That is you're apple.

Correct: You are a wonderful person.
Correct: You're a wonderful person.
Incorrect: Your a wonderful person.


Legal Disclaimer Fine Print: This thread is intended to be all in good fun, and not intended to be serious.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Now, lets practice ...

Correct: That is your apple.
Incorrect: That is you're apple.

Correct: You are a wonderful person.
Correct: You're a wonderful person.
Incorrect: Your a wonderful person.

Even I knew that..

 

[kenny]

Now, lets practice ...

Correct: That is your apple.
Incorrect: That is you're apple.

Correct: You are a wonderful person.
Correct: You're a wonderful person.
Incorrect: Your a wonderful person.

Even I knew that..

Groovy! Another Hillary supporter!

 

[AGBF]

You're a good teacher, kenny. It's too bad you have such a limited audience here on Pricescope. I like what you did with "your" and "you're " and "loss and "lost". Would you like to tackle my personal favorites: "less" and "fewer" and "number" and "amount"?

Deb

 

[missy]

just a fyi, Deb (I prefer the Davis's house, altho' it's not something about which I feel so strongly that I will go to the mat with someone whose work I am editing):
The 's possessive for even words ending in s is not relatively new. That's been the general prescription in the Oxford University Press and the U.S Government Printing Office's style manuals for at least 100 years & is Rule of Usage #1 in the very first edition (191 of The Elements of Style.

Interesting, this is what I learned in school too. That one uses the "s" possessive for even words ending in s.

I enjoyed the article Kenny, thanks. To answer your question my grammar is not as good as it used to be sadly. There is lots of room for improvement. Deb, I wish you lived closer and could be my grammar teacher. I too do not mind my errors being pointed out to me. I am far from perfect. At least where my grammar is concerned.

 

[iluvshinythings]

I'd say my grammar is B-. It's slightly better than the average newspaper commenter, and sometimes better than the average newspaper article author, but not perfect. It embarrasses me when I make mistakes but I'd rather know and correct it next time.

 

[chrono]

just a fyi, Deb (I prefer the Davis's house, altho' it's not something about which I feel so strongly that I will go to the mat with someone whose work I am editing):
The 's possessive for even words ending in s is not relatively new. That's been the general prescription in the Oxford University Press and the U.S Government Printing Office's style manuals for at least 100 years & is Rule of Usage #1 in the very first edition (191 of The Elements of Style.

I was taught in school that in such cases, it would be "Davis' house". I think "Davis's house" is a very old usage and is probably no longer taught in schools?

 

[AGBF]

I am not saying that this is right. This is simply what I was taught. I went to school a very long time ago and was taught by a teacher with an English background who taught us using only English authors, not American ones.

Link...https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/possessives/possessives-nouns

Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Here is another piece of trivia that may interest fellow grammar buffs. It certainly provides no definitive answers, but it provides more areas to research!

Link...http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/2964/when-did-it-become-correct-to-add-an-s-to-a-singular-possessive-already-ending

Deb/AGBF

 

[MollyMalone]

just a fyi, Deb (I prefer the Davis's house, altho' it's not something about which I feel so strongly that I will go to the mat with someone whose work I am editing):
The 's possessive for even words ending in s is not relatively new. That's been the general prescription in the Oxford University Press and the U.S Government Printing Office's style manuals for at least 100 years & is Rule of Usage #1 in the very first edition (191 of The Elements of Style.

I was taught in school that in such cases, it would be "Davis' house". I think "Davis's house" is a very old usage and is probably no longer taught in schools?

I don't know what is most often taught in school nowadays, but the 's possessive for singular nouns & proper names ending in s is still preferred/prescribed by, e.g., the U.S. Government Printing Office, the University of Chicago's The Chicago Manual of Style, which is what the Oxford University Press (along with many others) has adopted, Fowler's Modern English Usage, and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage. Generally recognized exception: "when the word ends in two sibilant sounds, separated only by a vowel sound: Kansas' Governor, Texas' population, Moses' behalf" [quote from The New York Times Manual ].

The Associated Press style manual would endorse Davis' house, but that seems to be the minority position amongst current style manuals;

 

[packrat]

What about cost? Is it proper to say cost or costed? I've never used costed, and I hear a lot of people use it and it sets my teeth on edge.

 

[MollyMalone]

What about cost? Is it proper to say cost or costed? I've never used costed, and I hear a lot of people use it and it sets my teeth on edge.

Think these may be the same people who say conversate or conversated ?

 

[AGBF]

just a fyi, Deb (I prefer the Davis's house, altho' it's not something about which I feel so strongly that I will go to the mat with someone whose work I am editing):
The 's possessive for even words ending in s is not relatively new. That's been the general prescription in the Oxford University Press and the U.S Government Printing Office's style manuals for at least 100 years & is Rule of Usage #1 in the very first edition (191 of The Elements of Style.

I was taught in school that in such cases, it would be "Davis' house". I think "Davis's house" is a very old usage and is probably no longer taught in schools?

I don't know what is most often taught in school nowadays, but the 's possessive for singular nouns & proper names ending in s is still preferred/prescribed by, e.g., the U.S. Government Printing Office, the University of Chicago's The Chicago Manual of Style, which is what the Oxford University Press (along with many others) has adopted, Fowler's Modern English Usage, and The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage. Generally recognized exception: "when the word ends in two sibilant sounds, separated only by a vowel sound: Kansas' Governor, Texas' population, Moses' behalf" [quote from The New York Times Manual ].

The Associated Press style manual would endorse Davis' house, but that seems to be the minority position amongst current style manuals;

I have not consulted a style manual since I wrote my last research paper in the 1970's.

I am glad that you are posting the information on what is considered correct. I absolutely recognize that what I do is now considered incorrect. Even my favorite authors (except those who wrote in past centuries) have now all switched to using the "s" after a singular possessive noun ending in an "s". (It still jars me in their novels.)

But I do not believe I am delusional. I believe that there was a time when good writers did not routinely add the "s".

On the other hand, my mind is going. So perhaps I am delusional and the other people who have written on the 'net about recalling what I recall are also mistaken.

Deb

 

[packrat]

What about cost? Is it proper to say cost or costed? I've never used costed, and I hear a lot of people use it and it sets my teeth on edge.

Think these may be the same people who say conversate or conversated ?

ack. I say things like that when I'm trying to be funny. When my dad interrupts me I'll say "Dad, seriously, I'm trying to do some conversationing here with mom, shush a minute"

 

[kenny]

What about cost? Is it proper to say cost or costed? I've never used costed, and I hear a lot of people use it and it sets my teeth on edge.

Think these may be the same people who say conversate or conversated ?

They're just disorientated!