Basic English

[legionking]

well the problem could be that the words sound too similar to one another. you should also learn what context the word should be used in.

 

[Viking_UK]

It doesn't help that some noun/verb endings are the opposite way round in UK and US English, eg licence/license. I often feel like digging out my red pen when reading US English, even though it's correct according to US grammar and spelling rules.

 

[D_Jared Padalicki]

Hahaha, I notice that more native-english speakers make the mistakes of writing wierd instead of weird. The rest are indeed basic rules, although it was handy to see when we should use 'then' and 'than', that kept confusing me.

 

[Calboner]

It doesn't help that some noun/verb endings are the opposite way round in UK and US English, eg licence/license. I often feel like digging out my red pen when reading US English, even though it's correct according to US grammar and spelling rules.

You probably think that our spellings belong in gaol. (American readers may need to be told that that is how Brits write the word "jail.")

 

[lopo2000]

I once asked my friend whether or not I could use credit card in a particular shop in my place, then he answered, "credit card is excepted..."

I notice some people do this mistake.

Or is it correct? I'm not a native speaker, enlighten me if the sentence can be used in a way.

 

[invisibleman]

If only I could learn to spell United Airlines. When I'm in a hurry it always turns out Untied Airlines for some reason.

You are gay, that's all. You suffer from dick-slexia.

 

[AquaEyes11010]

Some spoken things that crinkle my brow:

"conversate" (there's already the word "converse" so no need to make up a new one)

"I graduated college" (you graduated from college; college graduated you)

"I could care less" (shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"?)

"Can you borrow me some?" (You're borrowing, I'm lending)

"I was laying down" (I think you mean "lying down" unless there's a missing object, like "I was laying down bricks")

"playing golf" ("golf" as I learned it is a verb...so you "golf", not "play golf")


That's all I can think of at the moment, but this is a fun thread to read.

 

[meanestpenis]

Some spoken things that crinkle my brow:

"conversate" (there's already the word "converse" so no need to make up a new one)

"I graduated college" (you graduated from college; college graduated you)

"I could care less" (shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"?)

"Can you borrow me some?" (You're borrowing, I'm lending)

"I was laying down" (I think you mean "lying down" unless there's a missing object, like "I was laying down bricks")

"playing golf" ("golf" as I learned it is a verb...so you "golf", not "play golf")


That's all I can think of at the moment, but this is a fun thread to read.

Nice things to bring up.

One that seems to be in common usage, especially among the grandparents who were raising families during the catalog shopping days is "Store Bought"

I mean, I understand "Store Made", like "Did you bake that bread?" "No, it's store made."

Old people though.. .they call it store bought at times.

Well like... uhhh.. unless you're a thief, isn't everything from the store, "STORE BOUGHT?"

 

[Calboner]

I once asked my friend whether or not I could use credit card in a particular shop in my place, then he answered, "credit card is excepted..."

I notice some people do this mistake.

Or is it correct? I'm not a native speaker, enlighten me if the sentence can be used in a way.

Here's a corrected version:

I once asked my friend whether or not I could use a credit card in a particular shop in my place, and he answered, "Credit card is accepted..."

I notice some people make this mistake. [Of course, now that I have corrected it, there is no mistake!]

Or is it correct? I'm not a native speaker. Enlighten me if the sentence can be used. [Better: "Tell me whether such a sentence can be used."]

 

[Calboner]

Nice things to bring up.

One that seems to be in common usage, especially among the grandparents who were raising families during the catalog shopping days is "Store Bought"

I mean, I understand "Store Made", like "Did you bake that bread?" "No, it's store made."

Old people though.. .they call it store bought at times.

Well like... uhhh.. unless you're a thief, isn't everything from the store, "STORE BOUGHT?"

Things can be bought from other sources than stores. "Store bought" is contrasted with being acquired, whether by purchase, barter, gift, or theft, from an individual, say.

 

[RawDog]

I'm shocked no one's mentioned my two favorites. Plurazing using 's, and the phrase "I should of said."

Of course, my favorite when it comes to spoken English is when people say "Acrossed".

 

[Calboner]

Of course, my favorite when it comes to spoken English is when people say "Acrossed".

I haven't noticed that (perhaps it is a regionalism?), but many people seem unable to pronounce the word "wish" without adding the past-tense ending even when speaking in the present tense, as in "I wished he would get here" (meaning "I wish" etc.). It's as if they thought the verb was "to wished" (or "to wisht").

 

[Viking_UK]

You probably think that our spellings belong in gaol. (American readers may need to be told that that is how Brits write the word "jail.")

Actually, where I come from, gaol means love. Brits very rarely spell jail gaol these days, except when it's part of a place name.

Nice things to bring up.

One that seems to be in common usage, especially among the grandparents who were raising families during the catalog shopping days is "Store Bought"

I mean, I understand "Store Made", like "Did you bake that bread?" "No, it's store made."

Old people though.. .they call it store bought at times.

Well like... uhhh.. unless you're a thief, isn't everything from the store, "STORE BOUGHT?"

Store-/shop-bought have been in common use for ages. It's to differentiate it from home-made.

I know what you mean about "I could care less." However, it does still make sense. They care a little bit, but not a lot.

The ones that irritate me most are bought/brought and should of/have/'ve.
It bugs me no end to hear otherwise well-educated people saying - or even worse, writing - something like, "I should of bought it with me" instead of "I should have brought it with me."

 

[AquaEyes11010]

I know what you mean about "I could care less." However, it does still make sense. They care a little bit, but not a lot.

No, think about it for a second. "I could care less" means there are things about which you could care less, but "I couldn't care less" means there is NOTHING about which you could care less. Substitute "care" with "pay" and tell me which phrase relates to getting something for the lowest cost.

 

[nimble]

I couldn't care less.

 

[RawDog]

I haven't noticed that (perhaps it is a regionalism?)

I think you're right. All the rage nowadays around here is to start using the word "Anymore when remeniscing about something... "Anymore, no one seems to like foreplay."

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

"I could care less" (shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"?)

I know what you mean about "I could care less." However, it does still make sense. They care a little bit, but not a lot.

No, think about it for a second. "I could care less" means there are things about which you could care less, but "I couldn't care less" means there is NOTHING about which you could care less.

I think you're both applying logic where logic doesn't belong.
"I could care less" is of course a very slangy Americanism, but its meaning, as far as I can tell, is exactly the same as "I couldn't care less."
The implicit "not" has been dropped, but no shift in meaning is present.
With idioms, strict logic doesn't apply.
Saying the new phrase has a literal meaning different from "I couldn't care less" makes a correct but irrelevant point.

 

[RawDog]

Could someone please explain why "caregiver" and "caretaker" mean the same thing?

 

[D_Tyrone_Tittickler]

This is possibly a regionalism since I have only heard the misuse of the word fathom spoken in Chicago. "I cannot phantom (fathom) his motive."

 

[Calboner]

Brits very rarely spell jail gaol these days, except when it's part of a place name.

I'm glad to hear that. I used to think that Oscar Wilde's poem about his years in prison was called (i.e., pronounced) "The Ballad of Reeding Gah-ole."

I think you're both applying logic where logic doesn't belong.
"I could care less" is of course a very slangy Americanism, but its meaning, as far as I can tell, is exactly the same as "I couldn't care less."
The implicit "not" has been dropped, but no shift in meaning is present.
With idioms, strict logic doesn't apply.
Saying the new phrase has a literal meaning different from "I couldn't care less" makes a correct but irrelevant point.

"I couldn't care less" is just as concise and expressive, and has the advantage of making sense. "I could care less" is just stupid.

My otherwise literate mother always says "couldn't hardly" instead of "could hardly." (E.g., "You couldn't hardly see.") This is someone who would never, ever use a double negative, say, but she fails to see the confusion in adding "not" where it doesn't belong. It drives me nuts, but I don't correct her because doing so has no effect.