http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

I found this link and it has all the words people screw up, I've recently found out that my use of then/than is well terrible and this site has helped me in the error of my ways. (Thanks for pointing this out Tomson)

Hopefully it can help others who may have some grammar problems that they would like to correct in the future.

Thanks Wesley, I found the link very helpful. If any of you guys keep misspelling particular words, or if you don't understand why a word is spelled the way it is, I suggest you try the link!

Hey, great link. I’m glad to see they included some scolds toward one of my biggest pet peeves in life -- businesses that deliberately butcher our language to make a buck, such as “KarmelkornTM.”

There’s a business I drive by all the time called “Men’s Wearhouse.” Get it? It’s a clothing store. They use “‘wear’ house” instead of the correct “warehouse.” Clever, huh? The only problem is that they contribute to our country’s enormous illiteracy problem. Businesses like this make me sick to my stomach.

I hate when people complain about grammar and can't spell words like the right in their screenplays. I can find most spelling errors in screenplays but grammar is just not my thing.

An article like this will do wonders for me but I still have no clue what certain Then/Than sentances would be so mostly I'll continue to guess with that word.

They never complained about my grammar in high school English class, I won a freaking award in that so that shows how much Canada cares about the future. I guess I was always good at reading and writing essays on what I read. (Plus I write really tiny so half the time my teachers would just say please write bigger next time.)

Anyways if this helps you as much as it did me I'm happy.

Quoted from Old Time Wesley An article like this will do wonders for me but I still have no clue what certain Then/Than sentances would be so mostly I'll continue to guess with that word.

Just think of “then” as a point in time, as in “now and then” or “then and there.” It has other uses but it’s primarily used as a point in time.

“Than” is kind of like the word “rather.” It can also be a point in time such as, “no sooner did I start to pull out of my driveway than a car drove by.” But, primarily, “than” is used to show a preference. For example; “I enjoy reading scripts with good spelling and grammar more than ones with rampant misspellings.”

Words like these are tricky because they often derive from the same source words and have similar meanings.

The one that bugs me is “affect” and “effect.” An “effect” is usually a noun; the result of something. It’s only used as a verb to note an accomplishment, such as, “I hope this thread will effect real change in some of the grammar issues with some of the scripts at this site.”

“Affect” is always a verb. The difference between “affect” and the verb form of “effect” is like the difference between cause and effect. One causes while the other is a produced result. Examples:

“It affects me in a very emotional way to read a good script.”

“This script has a very unique effect on the reader’s emotions.”

I love this thread!

Quoted from Breanne Mattson Hey, great link. I’m glad to see they included some scolds toward one of my biggest pet peeves in life -- businesses that deliberately butcher our language to make a buck, such as “KarmelkornTM.” There’s a business I drive by all the time called “Men’s Wearhouse.” Get it? It’s a clothing store. They use “‘wear’ house” instead of the correct “warehouse.” Clever, huh? The only problem is that they contribute to our country’s enormous illiteracy problem. Businesses like this make me sick to my stomach.

Kind of like "Kwik Karwash"? There was a carwash in Richmond where I used to live and that always bothered me.



But other than that, I, too, have a question. When do you use the form "on to" and "onto"?

Sean

Literacy can be a problem. Illiteracy is another problem. Dyslexia is whole different issue.

Different cultures use of the same language does not necessarily mean they share the same meaning and indeed, the subordinate form of language known as ‘slang’ is a good example here.

American forms of ‘English’ as both written and spoken differ quite remarkably from British ‘English’.. Americans have slang terms for everything and the problem with this is these slang terms become assimilated into the language so much so that people use them when they are writing thereby subordinating the use of the correct written form for the slang form..

There are a plethora of examples one could choose to illustrate this argument but I have a few here I will mention:

“A ball park figure”

I know what the above means but it is a cultural definition employing slang, probably from sports, and can sometimes be misinterpreted unless people understand or agree to what the supposed figure is.. And why a ball park?

There are many more.. I find the American slang for terms and definitions very interesting but equally they annoy me.. They can be fascinating and baffling at the same time..

I acquired a book of American slang terms for reference and it makes for a fascinating read..

Here’s an old one for you:

“Grody to the max” – what the Hell is this?

I read some of this slang in scripts on SimplyScript and scratch my head wondering what they all mean? I reckon it’s probably alright to place this kind of slang in dialogue, would give verisimilitude but to write slang in scene descriptions and or action is unforgivable.. Using slang is an easy way out in my opinion, it is not a substitute for ‘proper’ English form and or style..

Just thought I would mention ‘slang’ seeing this thread has opened a discussion regarding the correct use of ‘grammar’ in English..

Don’t get me wrong, I do find the use of ‘slang’ fascinating if it is used in the correct context and in the right place..

The English have regional variations with ‘slang’ and would definitely confuse the American reader or viewer if they heard some of the language spoken in my country.

For example: Scouce slang spoken in Liverpool

Alright, der la..

This actually translates into “Alright there lad”

Cockney:

“Awite, mat-e” the ‘t’ sounds like ‘mate sounds like ‘ate’ but with a silent ‘t’

Weird..

Cockney slang spoken in London uses rhyming slang which can be weird. A lot of British Gangster films set in London use Cockney Slang:

Apples and Pears = Stairs

China Plate = Mate

Rosie Lea = Tea (drink variety)

Dog and Bone = Telephone

You get the picture.

Other regional accents such as those from Yorkshire are very pronounced and are unique in their own right..

So the English have their own unique forms or ‘slang’ and tend to be both national and regional.

Because of my job, I've had to learn American English. You'd think it'd be relatively easy, but the differences go much deeper than a few spelling deviations.

Anything with a double L becomes one L. Travelling becomes traveling etc. That's easy enough.

The letter S becomes a Z (pronounced 'zee' not 'zed') in words like organised, analysed, and civilised, but not words like rise.

Kerb is spelt curb. A pavement is a sidewalk. A catapult is a slingshot (thanks bert)

These are all things I can handle, but it gets much more complicated the deeper you go.

In England, we say 'I walked towards him'. In America they say 'I walked toward him'. The same goes for 'backward' and 'backwards'. I think.

The most annoying one I've seen was in a screenwriting article I read recently:

"Most everyone knows that..."

Most? You mean almost. I've heard this one a lot. Is this correct usage of the word 'most' in American English?

Kevan's right about the slang too. It happens in England and the U.S. The word 'innit' for example. Gangster rappers are great butchers of the language. "We be all up in this biaatch".

Cockney slang is probably the most baffling for an outsider. I watched 'Lock Stock...' with my German girlfriend and she didn't have a clue what was going on. Her English is pretty good, but cockney's like another language.

To complicate matters, the African-American subculture in the Untied States has an American-English variant called Ebonics, which only serves to help them further segregate themselves from the American society. Ebonics is what is used a lot in rap "songs" and by people who make a vain attempt to fit in.

The most comprehesive dictionary of these terms and thousands more I've ever found is at http://www.urbandictionary.com

Find words like:

badonkadonk = A large, round, curvaceous behind

mac daddy = The pimp-meister, the king of the streetwalkers, God to all bitches, possessor of the blingest of bling-bling. The mac daddy is the man who means everything (and the only man who really means anything) to his ladies of the night.

phone stamina = The total amount of time one can manage being on the phone with someone.

yoink = the tranfer of ownership from one person to another. Legal stealing.

dinner whore = girl who dates for free meals and expensive gifts

jump off = something that is hip, chic, or in fashion

word = 1) well said
2)said in a agreement
3) can be used as a greeting, hey whats up

A versatile declaration, originating (more or less) in hip-hop culture.

"Word" has no single meaning, but is used to convey a casual sense of affirmation, acknowledgement, agreement, or to indicate that something has impressed you favorably.

Its usage among young blacks has been parodied ad nauseam among clueless suburban whites.

word up = A greeting that's also a question! - mainly informal, used as an all in one 'hey, how you doing, hows things, whats going on'. It mean ''what's up?'' or ''what's the word on the street?''. Basically ''What's been happening?''

word out = marks the end of a conversation and your departure. opposite of word up.

That's a very tiny sampling of the thousands of poor, innocent, bastardized words on this site from not only the ebonic culture, but others as well.

Quoted from Kevan “Grody to the max” – what the Hell is this?

It means really, really gross.

Quoted from Dr.Mabuse In England, we say 'I walked towards him'. In America they say 'I walked toward him'. The same goes for 'backward' and 'backwards'. I think.

No, either works for us.

Quoted from Dr.Mabuse The letter S becomes a Z (pronounced 'zee' not 'zed') in words like organised, analysed, and civilised, but not words like rise.

Nope, we also spell it with an s or a z in the cases you showed."organization" we always spell with a "z" and civilized is usually spelled with a z here, but you can find either.  It's not that strange, we really don't care too much.

Quoted Text Quoted from Dr.Mabuse In England, we say 'I walked towards him'. In America they say 'I walked toward him'. The same goes for 'backward' and 'backwards'. I think. No, either works for us.

Actually, I think the "walked toward" is the proper way to do it, but since we Americans put proper English at the bottom of the barrel, nobody really questions it.

I hear people say it both ways.  I myself am more inclined to say "I walked towards him" but it's not as strict as Dr.Mabuse and Kevan apparently think.

Quoted from tomson A few years ago there was even some people (teachers, politicians) in California I believe that wanted schools to teach ebonics so that white and other minority children would understand blacks better. That legislation did not pass. That was probably good.

I remember the threat of that in Oklahoma as well. I made fun of the very idea. I thought, "So you's be wanting to show me how I's gone ta talk to the bruthas in da hood." Yeah. Real useful. Here's a better idea. Refine the English they already speak to that which has been spoken for centuries.

Martin, in America, it is indeed considered correct usage to use “most” in place of “almost” as in your example. In fact, some dictionaries offer “almost” as one of three or four adverb forms of the word “most,” though the word “almost” almost certainly derived from a condensed version of the phrase “all or most.” America has such a diversity of people and, well, so much butchery and slang that it’s not so surprising that there should be so many exceptions to the rules.

I hate the word “cuss” instead of “curse” because it sounds like some old country bumpkin slang from some uneducated hick but where I grew up, it was regularly used. America’s history is filled with people who just didn’t have access to conventional schools at the time. Not too many proper English teachers tromping through the wilderness in the frontier days -- haha.

I feel this way about “all right” and “alright.” In America, technically, “alright” is not a real word. It’s a slang. The correct form is “all right.”

“Toward/backward” versus “towards/backwards;” either is technically correct though I prefer them without the “s.” Why add an unnecessary letter? That’s my view.


Kevan, great point about the slang. I support the use of slang to some degree because I think it’s natural for a language to grow and evolve. After all, in my opinion, it’s all about communicating. If there’s a better way, I say let it be. That’s why I support the Southern slang, “ya’ll,” a contraction for “you all.” It effectively distinguishes between the singular and plural versions of “you,” which are otherwise indistinguishable. But you are absolutely correct that there should be limits. In my opinion, if a slang improves the clarity a language, welcome aboard. If it’s just a bunch of gibberish that some butcher thinks is cool then it’s just a part of the problem.

Thanks, you guys, for enlightening me about some of the British lingo. I love the way you guys talk, both your various accents as well as your sentence construction.

P.S. “Grody to the max” is especially hilarious to me because it was contrived by my particular generation -- haha. “Max” is in reference to the word “maximum,” meaning “to the greatest extent.” “Grody” is gibberish referring to anything “gross” and deriving as a corruption of the word “grotesque.”


Sean, “onto” is a combined form of the prepositions “on” and “to.” In other words, it’s a slang - one that has gained acceptance as its own word. Dating back to the early 18th century, in this case, it’s a slang that makes a lot of sense because they’re both propositions and so regularly used together. Both usages are correct and interchangeable.


As far as ebonics -- what a waste.

What is the difference between it's and its or is their one? I've always just used it's if it means it is and its when it's doesn't make sense.

Ms Words grammar check always says to change it's to its and its to it's so it really confuses matters.