Thread: The English Language

I got 'bailed up' in a large company I worked for in the UK over 20 years ago because people were misinterpreting my emails. No body language or inflection so the reader puts their own interpretation on the typed word. When sending an email, or posting a thread on a forum for that matter, type it then try and read it as though you are a recipient then modify accordingly.

Another problem is that the English language gets watered down since we moved on to 'text speak' etc.

Punctuation is another area that is falling by the wayside, along with the correct use of capital letters...... Using capital letters | Oxford Dictionaries
A capital letter and maybe some punctuation changes the meaning of this sentence "helping uncle jack off a horse" (yeah, I know it's an oldie....)

Welcome to the Apostrophe Protection Society

We still have kids at school and the homework sheets they bring home have American spelling, problem is that the teachers probably don't know any different. Spell checkers on software packages default to American English which doesn't help either.


I guess language changes as time goes by, American is spelt as it's spoken so the 'English' language will gradually become American........



Colin

Originally Posted by pop058

You have been there before, something new perhaps ??

I went to see uncle Jack off at the airport.

In Thai (IIRC)...
My my my my (spelling??) translates to 'wet wood won't burn'. I'm not sure if each my is spelt differently, but it is spoken in a different tone.

Originally Posted by Homestar

The AULRO app. This is the only place I can’t see it in bold. On my iPhone and iPad using Safari and laptop using Chrome, it’s fine.

Aah. Sorry, don't use it so didn't think of it.

Originally Posted by gromit

I got 'bailed up' in a large company I worked for in the UK over 20 years ago because people were misinterpreting my emails. No body language or inflection so the reader puts their own interpretation on the typed word. When sending an email, or posting a thread on a forum for that matter, type it then try and read it as though you are a recipient then modify accordingly.

Another problem is that the English language gets watered down since we moved on to 'text speak' etc.

Punctuation is another area that is falling by the wayside, along with the correct use of capital letters...... Using capital letters | Oxford Dictionaries
A capital letter and maybe some punctuation changes the meaning of this sentence "helping uncle jack off a horse" (yeah, I know it's an oldie....)

Welcome to the Apostrophe Protection Society

We still have kids at school and the homework sheets they bring home have American spelling, problem is that the teachers probably don't know any different. Spell checkers on software packages default to American English which doesn't help either.


I guess language changes as time goes by, American is spelt as it's spoken so the 'English' language will gradually become American........



Colin

It's funny that the Americanisms that I rail against are actually nearer to English as it was than English English is. Not "normalcy" though; that is an abomination. So is "closure".

The poor semi-colon is virtually extinct.

The semicolon.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

English is a crazy language.

Mick, you should try German !
The same word can have several meanings depending on the word preceding it, and sentence genders can be a little random....

Yes, someone is learning German atm....

Originally Posted by rick130

Mick, you should try German !
The same word can have several meanings depending on the word preceding it, and sentence genders can be a little random....

Yes, someone is learning German atm....

Mandarin is similar, a word is spelt the same but can have many means depending on the pronunciation. Some variations are so subtle as a westerner you have great difficuly picking them up.