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Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: JT on June 07, 2006, 06:23:34 AM

Title: 10 Flagrant Grammar Mistakes
Post by: JT on June 07, 2006, 06:23:34 AM

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39273376,00.htm (http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39273376,00.htm)

Aside: Are mistakes like their/there/they're and then/than grammatical in nature?  I thought grammar covered mainly syntax and morphology, not usage.

Title: 10 Flagrant Grammar Mistakes
Post by: Porter on June 07, 2006, 07:14:41 AM

"What are you doing over they are?"

That's bad usage, especially if you intended "What are you doing over there?"

Title: 10 Flagrant Grammar Mistakes
Post by: Jonathon on June 07, 2006, 08:47:47 AM

Quote

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39273376,00.htm (http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39273376,00.htm)

Aside: Are mistakes like their/there/they're and then/than grammatical in nature?  I thought grammar covered mainly syntax and morphology, not usage.

You are correct, sir. However, in layman's terms, grammar also covers usage, spelling, and punctuation.

I don't think I'd include "different than" in the top-ten list, especially since it's occasionally correct.

Title: 10 Flagrant Grammar Mistakes
Post by: pooka on June 07, 2006, 09:47:49 AM

In the Linguistics Department I took Grammar which was mostly syntax and morphology.  In the English department I took Modern English Grammar, where the professor didn't even have a good grasp on generative grammar principles (Which is odd because he was in the Linguistics department, it was just sort of after his time.)