O/T: Grammar pendantry

[REDLAND]

"What time shall we meet?"

"About 3-ish"

FFS it's "about 3" or "3-ish" - how f***ing vague is 'about 3-ish'

GET OUT MORE about now-ish !!!

 

[Reading Posh]

Use of the word 'actually' - it's usually redundant.

 

[aftershavedave]

Afters: Sorry, but Royal Ali is incorrect about the company thing. A company is NOT plural - it is singular. The pronoun for a company is 'it', NOT 'they'. Of course, the people within the organisation are plural.

People - plural
A collection of people: singular

correct, but not what you said!
"company" is of course singular, the name of a company "joe bloggs ltd" can be read as a collective noun and hence plural.

 

[The Large One]

I usually find that the people who constantly harp on about how intelligent they are, actually aren't as clever as they think.

Rather like people who have Pit Bulls as pets, or drive 4x4s, it's about trying to feel superior.

It's not about how clever one is - it's a comment on the education system that English must be either taught or learned so badly.

 

[Rangdo]

With the exception of when used as a possessive, then its (without the apostrophe) is used.

So you're saying that the only time you use "it's" is when it is used as a possessive?

 

[Reading Posh]

It's not about how clever one is - it's a comment on the education system that English must be either taught or learned so badly.

Education, funny you should mention that... BBC Online

 

[The Large One]

correct, but not what you said!
"company" is of course singular, the name of a company "joe bloggs ltd" can be read as a collective noun and hence plural.

Incorrect, because there is only one company - a singular entity. What that noun refers to is irrelevant.

 

[aftershavedave]

Incorrect, because there is only one company - a singular entity. What that noun refers to is irrelevant.

incorrect

 

[The Large One]

So you're saying that the only time you use "it's" is when it is used as a possessive?

No. Did I phrase that badly?

As Safeway correctly pointed out, "it's" is a truncation of "it is". You use "its" (without the apostrophe) for possessive.

For example - "It's a long way to Tipperary.." (truncation - with the apostrophe)
"that was its last chance..." (possessive - without the apostrophe)

 

[bhafc99]

With the companies plural/singular thing, you have to pay some attention to accepted conventions. For example, I'd say
"Boots is the UK's biggest high street chemist" not "Boots are the UK's biggest high street chemist"
But I wouldn't say "Arsenal is out of the European Cup", I'd say ""Arsenal are out of the European Cup".

In some areas, grammar is flexible enough to allow for that. In others, such as it's and its, it isn't.

 

[Rangdo]

No. Did I phrase that badly?

As Safeway correctly pointed out, "it's" is a truncation of "it is". You use "its" (without the apostrophe) for possessive.

For example - "It's a long way to Tipperary.." (truncation - with the apostrophe)
"that was its last chance..." (possessive - without the apostrophe)

Thats what I thought.
You said that you use "its" with exception of when it is possessive.

 

[Rangdo]

Re: Re: O/T: Grammar pedantry

Surely "Brighton & Hove Albion are trying to get a stadium at Falmer'' means
"The directors, chairman and board, fans and anybody else associated with Brighton & Hove Albion are trying to get a stadium at Falmer?"

No, because BHA is one single entity.

 

[Safeway]

But I wouldn't say "Arsenal is out of the European Cup", I'd say ""Arsenal are out of the European Cup".

I think the reason for that is, when people talk about football clubs, they are talking about the team rather than the PLC. Therefore "Arsenal are out of the European Cup" would be perfectly acceptable.

DAMN, I said I wasn't going to get involved in this blasted debate! I'm on to NSP to ogle men.

 

[The Large One]

With the companies plural/singular thing, you have to pay some attention to accepted conventions. For example, I'd say
"Boots is the UK's biggest high street chemist" not "Boots are the UK's biggest high street chemist"
But I wouldn't say "Arsenal is out of the European Cup", I'd say ""Arsenal are out of the European Cup".

In some areas, grammar is flexible enough to allow for that. In others, such as it's and its, it isn't.

Agreed to a point.

English is an ever evolving language, and some aspects change purely through popular choice. 'Arsenal is out...' is actually correct, but 'Arsenal are out...' has become accepted as the norm mainly through spoken English (as opposed to written English - which is quite often slightly different). And we all know how commentators are prone to mix their metaphors and fudge the English language.

Oh, and you are correct about the 'Boots is...' bit.

 

[Reading Posh]

Re: Re: Re: O/T: Grammar pedantry

No, because BHA is one single entity.

But I definitely saw a banner at Cardiff *sponsored by Nationwide* that read "Brighton are promoted"

 

[Rangdo]

This is all very civilised. You wouldn't get this sort of discussion on a palace board.

 

[Reading Posh]

Yes, because "Brighton is Promoted" would imply the city of Brighton.

Imply or infer

 

[The Large One]

Imply or infer?

Imply.

There is a definite distinction between 'imply' and 'infer'. Damn, that was the other thing I was going to be a pedant about in the first post on this thread.

There, I've put the question mark in for you.

 

[aftershavedave]

Re: Re: Re: Re: O/T: Grammar pedantry

But I definitely saw a banner at Cardiff *sponsored by Nationwide* that read "Brighton are promoted"

"brighton is promoted" would be the american way, and clearly inferior it is too.

 

[BensGrandad]

My least favourite saying is the continual use of 'at this moment in time' why not NOW