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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Bad English
Hi all,
I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by Sebastian Hew.
"I really fail to see the point. Are the examples of 'phoque English' you post really so egregious? One meets with solecistic usage of English, from native and non-native speakers alike, at every turn. Were we all to post the examples of poor English we came across, as you seem to be so fond of doing, this newsgroup would be so overwhelmed by them that there would be room for little else."
I think it is very bad English, so I want to ameliorate it. Can anyone help me?
E.g., "fail" should be followed by a noun, like "fail an exam", so "fail the point"? Should the third sentence be "One meeting with solecistic usage...?" And "solecistic" is not a word. I can't find it in my dictionary. Also the last sentence is completely incomprehensible to me. Shouldn't it be "We were all..."? And "them that would be room for little else" is not a good relative clause at all, which should be "they that would be room", right? (What does "for little else" mean?)
Someone who writes so bad English that cannot be understood should not correct other people's English, I think.
Victor
I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by Sebastian Hew.
"I really fail to see the point. Are the examples of 'phoque English' you post really so egregious? One meets with solecistic usage of English, from native and non-native speakers alike, at every turn. Were we all to post the examples of poor English we came across, as you seem to be so fond of doing, this newsgroup would be so overwhelmed by them that there would be room for little else."
I think it is very bad English, so I want to ameliorate it. Can anyone help me?
E.g., "fail" should be followed by a noun, like "fail an exam", so "fail the point"? Should the third sentence be "One meeting with solecistic usage...?" And "solecistic" is not a word. I can't find it in my dictionary. Also the last sentence is completely incomprehensible to me. Shouldn't it be "We were all..."? And "them that would be room for little else" is not a good relative clause at all, which should be "they that would be room", right? (What does "for little else" mean?)
Someone who writes so bad English that cannot be understood should not correct other people's English, I think.
Victor
Top answer
[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by ... [/nq] All of your suggested 'improvements' are incorrect, Victor. Christopher (Change 3032 to 3232 to reply by private e-mail)
- [nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by ...
- [/nq] All of your suggested 'improvements' are incorrect, Victor.
- Christopher (Change 3032 to 3232 to reply by private e-mail)
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27 Answers
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[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by ... else" mean?) Someone who writes so bad English that cannot be understood should not correct other people's English, I think.[/nq]
All of your suggested 'improvements' are incorrect, Victor.
Christopher
(Change 3032 to 3232 to reply by private e-mail)
All of your suggested 'improvements' are incorrect, Victor.
Christopher
(Change 3032 to 3232 to reply by private e-mail)
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[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by ... Can anyone help me? E.g., "fail" should be followed by a noun, like "fail an exam", so "fail the point"?[/nq]
Following "fail" with an infinitive is entirely correct.
[nq:1]Should the third sentence be "One meeting with solecistic usage...?" And "solecistic" is not a word. I can't
Following "fail" with an infinitive is entirely correct.
[nq:1]Should the third sentence be "One meeting with solecistic usage...?" And "solecistic" is not a word. I can't
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[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by Sebastian Hew.[/nq]
If this post isn't a joke, than I'm a struggling actor.
Commander Venus+
"Let's dance." (circa 2003)
If this post isn't a joke, than I'm a struggling actor.
Commander Venus+
"Let's dance." (circa 2003)
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You have failed to master the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used for indignation and hauteur (``Be that as it may,'' ``Far be it from me''), moral posturing (``Would *** I were,'' ``If there be justice'') and sparring for time when caught with another woman (``What if she were?'').
``Were we all'' is posturative.
Ron Hardin
On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
``Were we all'' is posturative.
Ron Hardin
On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
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[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by Sebastian Hew.[/nq]
Actually, Sebastian Hew writes very good English.
Dyl.
Actually, Sebastian Hew writes very good English.
Dyl.
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[nq:1]Someone who writes so bad English that cannot be understood shouldnot correct other people's English, I think.[/nq]
This part says it all really.
Skræðer
This part says it all really.
Skræðer
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It's worth pointing out that most of the usages that tripped up the OP are slightly literary and wouldn't be used in newspaper English or technical writing.
Gary
Gary
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[nq:2]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by Sebastian Hew.[/nq]
[nq:1]If this post isn't a joke, than I'm a struggling actor.[/nq]
To the OP it probably wasn't, so have you had a talking part in something we might have seen?
wrmst rgrds
Robin Bignall
Quiet part of Hertfordshire
England
[nq:1]If this post isn't a joke, than I'm a struggling actor.[/nq]
To the OP it probably wasn't, so have you had a talking part in something we might have seen?
wrmst rgrds
Robin Bignall
Quiet part of Hertfordshire
England
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[nq:1]Hi all, I'm quite good at English, but I cannot understand at all the paragraph under from a post by ... for little else." I think it is very bad English, so I want to ameliorate it. Can anyone help me?[/nq]
Is this a joke? Like "I'm going to do the opposite of what he says while pretending not to understand"?
[nq:1]E.g., "fail" should be followed by a noun, like "fail an exam", so "
Is this a joke? Like "I'm going to do the opposite of what he says while pretending not to understand"?
[nq:1]E.g., "fail" should be followed by a noun, like "fail an exam", so "
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[nq:2]Following "fail" with an infinitive is entirely correct. "It is ... with proper English usage should not correct other people's English![/nq]
[nq:1]It's worth pointing out that most of the usages that tripped up the OP are slightly literary and wouldn't be used in newspaper English or technical writing.[/nq]
"Fail" + infinitive is literary? "This newsgroup would be so overwhelmed by
[nq:1]It's worth pointing out that most of the usages that tripped up the OP are slightly literary and wouldn't be used in newspaper English or technical writing.[/nq]
"Fail" + infinitive is literary? "This newsgroup would be so overwhelmed by
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