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Which English grammar rules are bogus? [W:243]

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camlok

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The vast majority of the "rules" of English grammar that most people remember or better, "fail to remember" were never actual rules of the English language. They were simply prescriptions, made up rules that have persisted not so much in actual use but in the harangues of folks steeped in this mythology.

One was discussed in another thread, the "double negative/negative concord".

There seems to be a great reluctance on the part of folks to actually discuss them.
 
The vast majority of the "rules" of English grammar that most people remember or better, "fail to remember" were never actual rules of the English language. They were simply prescriptions, made up rules that have persisted not so much in actual use but in the harangues of folks steeped in this mythology.

One was discussed in another thread, the "double negative/negative concord".

There seems to be a great reluctance on the part of folks to actually discuss them.

Yes, because it is a waste of time. Happy holidays!!!
 
One of the commonest would be the "I" before "E" except after "C" rule which can often lead the innocent astray, since it's not a universal application, with almost as many exceptions.
 
Yes, because it is a waste of time. Happy holidays!!!

You've always got an excuse, albeit a terribly lame one for not wanting to discuss and provide your "evidence", zyzygy.
 
One of the commonest would be the "I" before "E" except after "C" rule which can often lead the innocent astray, since it's not a universal application, with almost as many exceptions.

That is typical of how goofy they were, MS. But many were much more than spelling rules, which have to be artificial, because writing and spelling are artificial parts of language in that they are crafted. You only have to look at how Noah Webster changed the spelling of many English words.
 
One of the commonest would be the "I" before "E" except after "C" rule which can often lead the innocent astray, since it's not a universal application, with almost as many exceptions.

Yep, that is one weird rule even with the neighbor and weigh (or sounding like "A") exceptions included.
 
That is typical of how goofy they were, MS. But many were much more than spelling rules, which have to be artificial, because writing and spelling are artificial parts of language in that they are crafted. You only have to look at how Noah Webster changed the spelling of many English words.

Noah could not spell.
 
How ough is pronounced.
 
The vast majority of the "rules" of English grammar that most people remember or better, "fail to remember" were never actual rules of the English language. They were simply prescriptions, made up rules that have persisted not so much in actual use but in the harangues of folks steeped in this mythology.

One was discussed in another thread, the "double negative/negative concord".

There seems to be a great reluctance on the part of folks to actually discuss them.

No one cares.
 
Now literally hardly ain't nobody be spelling all that good but spelling don't be like, you know, grammar and stuff.

Well put, ttwtt.
 
The vast majority of the "rules" of English grammar that most people remember or better, "fail to remember" were never actual rules of the English language. They were simply prescriptions, made up rules that have persisted not so much in actual use but in the harangues of folks steeped in this mythology.

One was discussed in another thread, the "double negative/negative concord".

There seems to be a great reluctance on the part of folks to actually discuss them.

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His followed carriage proposal entrance directly had elegance. Greater for cottage gay parties natural. Remaining he furniture on he discourse suspected perpetual. Power dried her taken place day ought the. Four and our ham west miss. Education shameless who middleton agreement how. We in found world chief is at means weeks smile.
 
Yep, that is one weird rule even with the neighbor and weigh (or sounding like "A") exceptions included.

It was useful at the time it was needed. Now we have spel chok. God help you if you “add to dictionary” a misspelled word!
 
It's similar to how nearly everyone can drive, but relatively few know much about engines.

Should those drivers feel shame for not being obsessed with their vehicle's internals, if they can operate it?

Likewise, if you know what I mean when I butcher grammar we are still communicating, so the only ones who would care are just uptight about "the rules" and I can't get excited about that,any more than my granny gives a %@$^ about fuel injectors.
 
It was useful at the time it was needed. Now we have spel chok. God help you if you “add to dictionary” a misspelled word!

Spell check does not know whether their, there or they're was what you meant to convey.
 
It's similar to how nearly everyone can drive, but relatively few know much about engines.

Should those drivers feel shame for not being obsessed with their vehicle's internals, if they can operate it?

Likewise, if you know what I mean when I butcher grammar we are still communicating, so the only ones who would care are just uptight about "the rules" and I can't get excited about that,any more than my granny gives a %@$^ about fuel injectors.

You're the only one who has come anywhere close to describing how language actually works, WillyPete. Good on ya, mate!

The point is that you, and so many others have been castigated for "butchering grammar" when you weren't doing that at all. The "rules" these folks thought you were breaking were most often not even rules of English. Fledermaus, and at least one other, zyzygy, can't grasp this concept. And the fear mightily that their long held notions are false.
 
Ghoti: Gh as in cough, o as in women, ti as in nation, spells Fish.

Good old George Bernard Shaw!

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you
On hiccough, thorough, slough, and through.
Well don't! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard but sounds like bird.
And dead: it's said like bed, not bead,
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth as in mother
Nor both as in bother, nor broth as in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear, for bear and pear.
And then there's dose and rose and lose--
Just look them up--and goose and choose
And cork and work and card and ward
And font and front and word and sword
And do and go, then thwart and cart,
Come, come! I've hardly made a start.
A dreadful Language? Why man alive!
I learned to talk it when I was five.
And yet to write it, the more I tried,
I hadn't learned it at fifty-five-Thomas Goodge
 
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