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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA 
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There are some very common grammatical misusages that grate at me like a squeaky chalkboard... eeeeeeeewwwwwww!!!! For instance: A lot of these misusages really should be occasionally reviewed by every serious writer. A lot is one very common error. It's always two words, folks... Of course, you knew that all right, properly written, is two words as well. "Alright" is actually a commonly indulged misuse. "Ain't" is well known as an improperly combined usage of isn't and aren't. It really has no place in proper speech or writing, and should be avoided. "All the farther - All the faster"... NOT!! These phrases, more properly used are as far as and as fast as. If there's a secret between two people, it will most likely be shared among three or more very soon... And etc. is repetitively redundant!!  The Latin term et cetera means and other things, so misuse of this phrase is actually saying "and and other things".... unless, of course, you prefer to stutter..  "Anywheres, somewheres, everywheres, nowheres"... Yuck!! Lose the s, my friends. The proper use is anywhere, somewhere, everywhere, and nowhere. Besides (meaning "moreover"), I always have a dictionary and a thesaurus beside (meaning "next to") me. Burst is a verb. Bust is not used properly as its replacement. Could have, should have, would have, might have, must have or could've, should've, would've, might've, must've should be used rather than the improper "could of, should of, would of, might of, and must of". Never use the verb have with ought. "Had ought" or "hadn't ought" are incorrect. Ought to or ought not to are the appropriate usages. Have but and have only are used properly. "Haven't but" and "haven't only" are actually double negatives. Different from is proper use. "Different than" is not. Here's a good one, folks. Like is actually a preposition which is commonly misused in place of the conjunction as. Formal English always uses as - the proper choice to introduce subordinate clauses. All righty, then - That's enough for me for the moment - I'm gettin' a headache here..... |
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Temptress
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-06-15
Posts 7136Mobile, AL |
Thanks Nan! I don't think I remembered the "alright" and "all right" difference. By the way, if I said "Ain't" last time we spoke, I'm truly sorry. Chalk it up to Southerner's habit. I'm trying to break it. HONESTLY! That thought leaves me hoping I didn't because I'm embarrassed if I did. |
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Michael
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-13
Posts 7666California |
Well, I just ain't buyin' this one, Nan. Alot of us folks out her in California knows that it's alright to spell all right alright!All the further, but just among us, nowheres else in this country will you find a lower edukashun rate than good ol' California. Mayhaps that's why Chris gots to be the moderator here. He had ought get crackin' though, I've been here a hole week and my's English ain't no different then it was whenz I got here. He's slow like molasses, idn't he? Michael [This message has been edited by Michael (edited 02-19-2000).] |
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Munda Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544The Hague, The Netherlands |
Thanks Nan. I printed this one : ) It has some "old" things I knew, some new things I didn't know and some things I never heard of and hopefully will never use.  |
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doreen peri Member Elite
since 1999-05-25
Posts 3812Virginia |
Is it alright to disagree? I think it's perfectly acceptable to use "alright". Yep, I think it's all right. But, there has always been some disagreement in literary circles about the proper usage. Anyway, I agree with all the other things you said, Nan, and I'm glad to see this forum and type of discussion about language. I had to prove it to myself that it was alright to use 'alright' so I looked it up in an online dictionary and this is what I found: "al*right (adverb or adjective) First appeared 1887 : ALL RIGHT usage: The one-word spelling alright appeared some 75 years after all right itself had reappeared from a 400-year-long absence. Since the early 20th century some critics have insisted alright is wrong, but it has its defenders and its users. It is less frequent than all right but remains in common use esp. in journalistic and business publications. It is quite common in fictional dialogue, and is used occas. in other writing LOL... good ol' Gertrude! She's always been in there swinging making waves about this or that, etc. etc. and so on. So, I figure if SHE can use it, well, hell... I can, too! hehe I think I'll stop by here more often. (is the "t" pronounced in "often"?) And what do you guys think, btw, of how the net is effecting the English language. ROFL. Will all be abbrev. words sentences phrases paragraphs etc etc leaving out punctuation? Writing sentences without completing Is the period destined to become a "dot". Ok, class, the teacher said without any proper punctuation that is capital t at the beginning of the sentence and end it with a dot. Oh, com on now, folks! How long will we be able to tolerate this? Frankly, it's not alright with me! hehehe... night all... dp |
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