Make Amercia Grate Again

[+ Charlie]

ESPN just put up a headline "Rain wrecks havoc at Wimbledon." I realize that it is a somewhat archaic phrase, but is there no one at ESPN literate enough to correct such errors? I keep getting spam from a "Candian Pharmacy," which I assume is located on the island of Crete, offering me cheaper medications than I can get from Rite-Aide. Almost every article I read online is missing some prepositions and/or copulative verbs.

 

I want a Presidential candidate who will promise to appoint a Proofreading Commission.

[+ Funguy]

Simply laziness!

[+ azdr0710]

I receive lots of news with conflicting articles about the same story (or the same story repeated in the next article).....it appears a computer puts all this together and a real person does not even look first......

 

and the spelling and grammar mistakes are entirely common....I've nearly given up

[jawjateck]

I employed graduate students as interns for many years but finally gave up on them. I had to spend so much time correcting their work that they offered no value to me. I adopted a policy of requesting copies of their academic writing as part of the interview process; their report-writing for me rarely matched the quality of the pre-employment samples they provided. I assume they were stealing/plagiarizing. All of them were graduates of or enrolled in well-"respected" universities. I will add that the guys were generally worse than the gals, but not one grad student ever impressed me with his/her performance. I will withhold my judgments about what has happened to our institutes of higher learning.....though I'm pretty sure you know what I think.

[+ glennnn]

I'm a retired English teacher and the breakdown of correct usage, careless errors and plain ignorance is maddening, but can also be amusing. Here are a few of my favorite malapropisms.

 

-We will nip that in the butt!

-I had an outer body experience.

-My job has good French benefits.

-I drank a litter of wine and got really drunk.

- It's outside my spear of influence.

 

The great thing is that these sort of make sense!

[+ poolboy48220]

And here I was expecting a thread where I could go on about how useful my 20-year-old Salad Shooter is...

[rvwnsd]

...it appears a computer puts all this together and a real person does not even look first......

 

and the spelling and grammar mistakes are entirely common....I've nearly given up

 

You hit the nail on the head - a computer assembles the article and then the article is posted. No human intervention.

 

...I adopted a policy of requesting copies of their academic writing as part of the interview process; their report-writing for me rarely matched the quality of the pre-employment samples they provided. I assume they were stealing/plagiarizing. ...

 

They probably did not steal or plagiarize. Instead, they probably edited, checked, double-checked, and re-edited their academic work. When it came time to churn out reports they did not have that kind of time.

 

I'm a retired English teacher and the breakdown of correct usage, careless errors and plain ignorance is maddening, but can also be amusing...

 

Almost as amusing as a retired English teacher who did not use an Oxford comma.

 

Bad, glennnn. Bad, bad, glennnn!

[+ Truereview]

Presonally, dis fockus on spaling & gramar thing drives loco, , We all can camonicate good. Give rest

[+ glennnn]

You hit the nail on the head - a computer assembles the article and then the article is posted. No human intervention.

 

 

 

They probably did not steal or plagiarize. Instead, they probably edited, checked, double-checked, and re-edited their academic work. When it came time to churn out reports they did not have that kind of time.

 

 

 

Almost as amusing as a retired English teacher who did not use an Oxford comma.

 

Bad, glennnn. Bad, bad, glennnn!

 

You got me, but the use of an Oxford comma is debatable here, because the meaning cannot be misconstrued without it. With commas the rule should remain, "Meaning thin? Put it in. When in doubt, leave it out".

[+ newatthis]

...and/or copulative verbs...

I love it when you talk dirty to me.

[gezellig4u]

I love it when you talk dirty to me.

How doe you feel about dangling participles?

[+ Funguy]

Presonally, dis fockus on spaling & gramar thing drives loco, , We all can camonicate good. Give rest

 

I'm vomicking at the thought of doing it.

[+ glennnn]

How doe you feel about dangling participles?

 

 

I find I'm very attracted to many things that dangle. I want to see them in an erect state, and will do most anything to achieve this worthy goal. Dangling bad. Erect good.

[gezellig4u]

I find I'm very attracted to many things that dangle. I want to see them in an erect state, and will do most anything to achieve this worthy goal. Dangling bad. Erect good.

I shall, therefore, endeavor to keep my participle in a turgid state!

[+ Truereview]

How doe you feel about dangling participles?

 

I find I'm very attracted to many things that dangle. I want to see them in an erect state, and will do most anything to achieve this worthy goal. Dangling bad. Erect good.

but Guys; Remember- punctuation makes it hard:

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/56/e9/77/56e977d61d18b48c15b91908585f8cd1.jpg

[MikeyGMin]

 

-We will nip that in the butt!

-I had an outer body experience.

-My job has good French benefits.

-I drank a litter of wine and got really drunk.

- It's outside my spear of influence.

 

The great thing is that these sort of make sense!

 

These are great. My personal favorite is:

 

-It's a mute point.

 

It's a different situation, but I work for a company who has a core philosophy of "Speed over Elegance." I work for an extremely educated, extremely intelligent man who simply can't be bothered to proof read or spell check 90% of the time. It makes for some very amusing emails. One would think he spoke some bizarre version of pidgin English.

[Guy Fawkes]

Don't let your verbs copulate, have them spayed or neutered as soon as possible.

http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/4T9/E57/4T9E57qXc.gif

 

ESPN just put up a headline "Rain wrecks havoc at Wimbledon." I realize that it is a somewhat archaic phrase, but is there no one at ESPN literate enough to correct such errors? I keep getting spam from a "Candian Pharmacy," which I assume is located on the island of Crete, offering me cheaper medications than I can get from Rite-Aide. Almost every article I read online is missing some prepositions and/or copulative verbs.

 

I want a Presidential candidate who will promise to appoint a Proofreading Commission.

[AdamSmith]

With commas the rule should remain, "Meaning thin? Put it in. When in doubt, leave it out".

The first sensible guidance on the Oxford comma ever to grace these boards!!!

[+ glennnn]

I shall, therefore, endeavor to keep my participle in a turgid state!

 

Yes! Turgid is such an evocative word, but, please, send photos. I'm a visual learner!

[+ Funguy]

ESPN just put up a headline "Rain wrecks havoc at Wimbledon." I realize that it is a somewhat archaic phrase, but is there no one at ESPN literate enough to correct such errors? I keep getting spam from a "Candian Pharmacy," which I assume is located on the island of Crete, offering me cheaper medications than I can get from Rite-Aide. Almost every article I read online is missing some prepositions and/or copulative verbs.

 

I want a Presidential candidate who will promise to appoint a Proofreading Commission.

 

It's actually a "Canadian Pharmacy" and medication IS much cheaper than Rite-Aide.

[Guy Fawkes]

Too big? or Too purple?

 

Don't let your verbs copulate, have them spayed or neutered as soon as possible.

http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/4T9/E57/4T9E57qXc.gif

[oscarkin]

You got me, but the use of an Oxford comma is debatable here, because the meaning cannot be misconstrued without it. With commas the rule should remain, "Meaning thin? Put it in. When in doubt, leave it out".

This is the last place I expected to see references to the Oxford comma, but then I'm new to this.

[+ Truereview]

This is the last place I expected to see references to the Oxford comma, but then I'm new to this.

Welcome to the Forum, Oscarkin! If that surprised you, check out this 5- page thread with ~ 85 posts, all extolling the virtues of good grammar. You will take great pleasure in some of the Oxford comma debates that ensued. Cheers!

[+ WilliamM]

I employed graduate students as interns for many years but finally gave up on them. I had to spend so much time correcting their work that they offered no value to me. I adopted a policy of requesting copies of their academic writing as part of the interview process; their report-writing for me rarely matched the quality of the pre-employment samples they provided. I assume they were stealing/plagiarizing.

 

They probably did not steal or plagiarize. Instead, they probably edited, checked, double-checked, and re-edited their academic work. When it came time to churn out reports they did not have that kind of time.

 

 

I agree with @rvwnsd.

 

Some applicants may have plagiarized, but such general statements are just as bad as unacceptable grammar, @jawjateck.

[rvwnsd]

This is the last place I expected to see references to the Oxford comma, but then I'm new to this.

Welcome to the forum!

 

You would be surprised by some of the topics that have been discussed. Once, we even discussed lady parts! I would use the correct term, but some posters are afraid of it.