The Literacy Project

[InkL0sed]

Can you read and write? Can you spell, and form grammatical clauses with structural integrity? Do you know how to use a comma?

If the answer is "Why yes, I most certainly can!", then this thread isn't for you!

If the answer is "no", "..." or another grammatically unacceptable negative, then the light at the end of your tunnel has arrived!

The elite Spelling and Grammar Nazis™ have arrived! If you would like to learn how to spell or the finer points of English grammar (or even the spelling or grammar of such languages of high civilization as French and Latin), simply post in the affirmative in this thread, and we will come to your aid! Our intent with this thread is to bring the posters here at CC out of the darkness of illiteracy, and into the light of cohesiveness and semi-colons!

"There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance." – Ali ibn Abi Talib

[Anarkistsdream]

i dunno wat "u" mean?!.,;:

[Frigidus]

wat.

[InkL0sed]

I don't what you mean, good sir.

Surely you do, dear leader.

What?

[MeDeFe]

i dunno wat "u" mean?!.,;:

"U" is the chemical symbol for Uranium.


A few comments on your grammar and spelling:

• Don't be afraid of capitalizing the first word of a sentence, the word "I" should always be capitalized in any case, whether it's the first or the last word of a sentence or anywhere in between.
• "Dunno" is better spelt out as "don't know" or even "do not know".
• "h" is a friendly letter that feels perfectly at home in the word "what".
• If the subject of a sentence is third person singular, the verb relating to has the ending -s, in this case it would be "means".

So a correct version of your question would be: I don't know what "U" means?!

[Nickbaldwin]

i dunt spel gud

[jonesthecurl]

[quote="MeDeFe[*]"Dunno" is better spelt out as "don't know" or even "do not know".
[/quote]

Sez who...??!

[Kinnison]

We (the S&GN) will also attempt to note the occasional clash between varying standards of formality, as well as English suited for:
a> the British abusers of the English language,
b> the overly-egregious American abusers of the English language, and...
c> various other abusers of the language.

We see the difference first in MeDeFe's use of "spelt". This spelling is correct, but is a less-common variant in America. I was educated that the preferred form is "spelled". I reiterate that both are, however, acceptable.

The usage of "don't know" versus "do not know" versus "dunno" is a matter of formality. "Dunno" is in present dictionaries, first appearing circa 1840 as a casual form, a connotation that clings to the word to this day. Not being a professional writer of any sort, I have no information on the preference for, or relative formality of, "don't know" and "do not know". I could see myself using any of the three in various situations, reserving "dunno" only for the least formal forms of verbal interaction.

[suggs]

But Inklosed isn't very literate himself, which would seem to throw this thread into a disarray of hypocrisy.

But if you can rework that above sentence into something intelligible, I'll forgive you

[InkL0sed]

Mr. InkL0sed is a supremely educated man; this would suggest that the Grammar Nazis were wise in selecting him to create this thread.

Suggs, you are correct much too often.

[suggs]

You've got the gig!

[jonesthecurl]

How do the grammar nazis feel about my preference for the word "gotten" for the past tense of "to get"?

It feels right to me, and I believe it is a correct (though rare) usage.

Incidentally, your opinion will not influence my practise.

[jonesthecurl]

Another question, mutatur mutandis - "tooken" for "to take".

[Juan_Bottom]

Yes, and I want to know how you feel about the word AIN'T. And your opinion will influence my use of the word.

[Snorri1234]

i ain't gotten me a propr edyoucation, sow i lyke these thred very gud.

[Anarkistsdream]

How do the grammar nazis feel about my preference for the word "gotten" for the past tense of "to get"?

It feels right to me, and I believe it is a correct (though rare) usage.

Incidentally, your opinion will not influence my practise.

First, good Jones the Curl, you must be made aware that, since you now live in America, it is 'practiCe,' not 'practise.'

Gotten is a horribly atrocious word that I find myself saying all too often. 'Got' in itself is a lazy man's word.

"I got myself a sandwich" should be "I made myself a sandwich" or "I bought myself a sandwich" or "I slapped the shit out of that lazy wife of mine and she made me a sandwich."

[Anarkistsdream]

I don't what you mean, good sir.

Surely you do, dear leader.

What?

You forgot the word 'know.'

[jonesthecurl]

Interestingly, a little research shows me that the word "gotten" goes back to the middle ages, and predates claims that is is not correct by several centuries. Oddly enough, it seems that its usage in the US is more common than in the UK - I don't know how I picked it up.

On the spelling topic, if I ever lose my Ken Livingston sound-alike accent, then I'll spell the American way. Meanwhile, I still say "zed" and not "zee", "Bah-zil" and not "Bay-Zil" and think that one parks a car in a "garridge" rather than one's auto in a "Gah-rahge".

I do now ask for the "check" rather than the "bill" however. (In the UK one might pay the bill with a cheque - in the US one might pay the check with a bill).

[btownmeggy]

Interestingly, a little research shows me that the word "gotten" goes back to the middle ages, and predates claims that is is not correct by several centuries. Oddly enough, it seems that its usage in the US is more common than in the UK - I don't know how I picked it up.

I don't understand what y'all are talking about at all. "Gotten" is a word. It's the past participle of "to get".

I'll get that.

I got that.

I've gotten that before.

You say "I gotten that yesterday"?

[jonesthecurl]

Interestingly, a little research shows me that the word "gotten" goes back to the middle ages, and predates claims that is is not correct by several centuries. Oddly enough, it seems that its usage in the US is more common than in the UK - I don't know how I picked it up.

I don't understand what y'all are talking about at all. "Gotten" is a word. It's the past participle of "to get".

I'll get that.

I got that.

I've gotten that before.

You say "I gotten that yesterday"?

Absolutely correct.
Not to mention ill-gotten gains.

[Anarkistsdream]

Interestingly, a little research shows me that the word "gotten" goes back to the middle ages, and predates claims that is is not correct by several centuries. Oddly enough, it seems that its usage in the US is more common than in the UK - I don't know how I picked it up.

I don't understand what y'all are talking about at all. "Gotten" is a word. It's the past participle of "to get".

I'll get that.

I got that.

I've gotten that before.

You say "I gotten that yesterday"?

Again, I make the claim that 'got' is a lazy man's word... Or, in your case, lazy absolutely gorgeous woman's word.

Instead of 'I'll get that,' say 'I will do that.' 'I will retrieve that.' 'I will obtain that.' etc.

Got is for people who have a small vocabulary or don't like to think when they talk.

Now, as I said, I am horribly guilty of it. However, I stand by my point.

Got is one word that is used to replace bigger, more complex, yet more descriptive words.

[jonesthecurl]

Interestingly, a little research shows me that the word "gotten" goes back to the middle ages, and predates claims that is is not correct by several centuries. Oddly enough, it seems that its usage in the US is more common than in the UK - I don't know how I picked it up.

I don't understand what y'all are talking about at all. "Gotten" is a word. It's the past participle of "to get".

I'll get that.

I got that.

I've gotten that before.

You say "I gotten that yesterday"?

Again, I make the claim that 'got' is a lazy man's word... Or, in your case, lazy absolutely gorgeous woman's word.

Instead of 'I'll get that,' say 'I will do that.' 'I will retrieve that.' 'I will obtain that.' etc.

Got is for people who have a small vocabulary or don't like to think when they talk.

Now, as I said, I am horribly guilty of it. However, I stand by my point.

Got is one word that is used to replace bigger, more complex, yet more descriptive words.

To quote Mel Smith,
"Do correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a load of old bollocks?"

[Anarkistsdream]

And check out my quote from yo momma:
GFY.

[btownmeggy]

Again, I make the claim that 'got' is a lazy man's word... Or, in your case, lazy absolutely gorgeous woman's word.

Instead of 'I'll get that,' say 'I will do that.' 'I will retrieve that.' 'I will obtain that.' etc.

Got is for people who have a small vocabulary or don't like to think when they talk.

Now, as I said, I am horribly guilty of it. However, I stand by my point.

Got is one word that is used to replace bigger, more complex, yet more descriptive words.

So it's a word with many meanings and many synonyms. Fair enough.

It's still a word with an irregular participle called "gotten".

Do people really say "I've got that before" and simultaneously look-down upon people who use "gotten" correctly? I figured the "I've got" crowd were just general ill-spoken-bums.

[Anarkistsdream]

I have no idea if people would look down on others for that or not.

I don't think that anybody who uses the word 'got'- including myself- should look down on anyone else, regardless of if they use it in the correct grammatic or not. I am just saying that we use that word way too often, and we should all learn to use a more correct verbiage.