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Am I Alone In This? Topics With Bad Titles.


beak

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I never (well, hardly ever) open topics announced by bad English in their titles.

 

Life (and the fraction of it I spend at FPN) seems far too short to trudge through muddy fields.

Sincerely, beak.

 

God does not work in mysterious ways – he works in ways that are indistinguishable from his non-existence.

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Ah, but we're glad you do trudge through because of your contributions :)

 

I wish had the ability to share and entertain in succinct diagram form. Too many years over-explaining the bigger picture to students with intellectual challenges.

 

Don't you sometimes find the treasure is what's behind the words, not the form?

 

Two summers ago, my friends and I welcomed a large group of friends traveling from the far corners of the globe. Despite some language issues we throughly enjoyed their delightful company and interchange of culture. Because we cared, we chose to adjust. And well worth it!

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I never (well, hardly ever) open topics announced by bad English in their titles.

 

Life (and the fraction of it I spend at FPN) seems far too short to trudge through muddy fields.

It's very nice for you that you don't have to use a different language than the one you think in to communicate here...

I for one am happy not all native english speakers think the way you do - it would be a poor FPN if everyone did... Happily, the generosity of spirit expressed here with regard to pens, ink, and paper, for most also extends to language...

So I guess if you don't want to make the effort, it's your loss... mostly.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

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It's very nice for you that you don't have to use a different language than the one you think in to communicate here...

I for one am happy not all native english speakers think the way you do - it would be a poor FPN if everyone did... Happily, the generosity of spirit expressed here with regard to pens, ink, and paper, for most also extends to language...

So I guess if you don't want to make the effort, it's your loss... mostly.

Agree.

Verba volant, scripta manent

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I was once told that English is "The easiest language to learn to use badly and the most difficult one to learn to use well".

 

There are so many, and ever-changing, nuances in how to put a phrase together, along with a vocabulary that comes largely from several European languages (mostly dead or ancient forms), together with a made up grammar that was developed to imitate "The Perfect Language" - Latin - that it is impossible for anybody to use the language flawlessly. With the possible exception of Hemingway in "The Old Man and the Sea".

fpn_1412827311__pg_d_104def64.gif




“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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In a forum with a diverse and global membership approaching 100,000 it's bound to happen.

It doesn't bother me. Poor use of language among native English speakers is at worst only mildly irritating.

With non-native English speakers ... remember that they are accomodating you, not the other way around.

If you want to gauge literacy levels just browse through the adverts on Gumtree some time! ... :)

Andy sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled ...

(With apologies to Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson)

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Sometimes poor English is is indeed due to the writer/speaker having a different native language. That's understandable. It's harder to understand why native English speakers use poor English. But not everybody has the same educational background. Then, too, there are some well educated people who enjoy lapsing into the vernacular of their local area on certain occasions. I try to remember that I can usually learn something from other people, so I'd hate to miss learning something because I'm too picky about how it's expressed. I'm more likely to dismiss someone for vulgarity than for poor English.

 

Judybug

So many pens, so little time!

 

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5642/postcardde9.png

 

My Blog: Bywater Wisdom

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Judybug, may I refer you to "The Sentimental Bloke" by C.J. Dennis.

It is the first of a series, and, as should be, love triumphs in the long run.

fpn_1412827311__pg_d_104def64.gif




“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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Ah - the expected xenophobia hunt from some. I thought it unnecessarily obvious to mention the exclusion from this of non-native speakers, which you can usually spot. But the obvious will out.

 

Many titles mangle the language to such a degree that there seems to be no other reason for it than a delight in doing so. These, I never bother with.

Edited by beak

Sincerely, beak.

 

God does not work in mysterious ways – he works in ways that are indistinguishable from his non-existence.

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Every time I read the title of the thread "Can I Make An Ink Question" I think that someone is asking how to make ink. There are now 25 replies to that thread which means I probably misread the title at least two dozen times. Shame on me.

...............................................................

We Are Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams

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Poor English is something up with which I can put.

Bad language is something else.......

 

Mind you, even the officials can get it wrong.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.

That's why it's called the present

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Poor English is something up with which I can put.

Bad language is something else.......

 

Mind you, even the officials can get it wrong.

Funny, but merely a typo, and not what I'm talking about, of course.

 

Nice to see Michael Caine is anti EU.

 

Interesting article on language test for immigrants to UK.

 

Friend of mine recently moved to Holland; she had to sit a very stressful, stiff English test. But then she was born in England, had lived there most of her life, and had a degree in Eng Lit, so I guess it was only fair.

Edited by beak

Sincerely, beak.

 

God does not work in mysterious ways – he works in ways that are indistinguishable from his non-existence.

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Friend of mine recently moved to Holland; she had to sit a very stressful, stiff English test. But then she was born in England, had lived there most of her life, and had a degree in Eng Lit, so I guess it was only fair.

 

Do I miss something at the start of this sentence?

Lately I encountered a situation where a non-native speaker suggested to have a text read by a native speaker (to correct some errors apparently). The text was written by someone who has gone through an education system completely in English, from primary school to university. So, wiling to learn: how do you spot non-natives (don't look at the flags in FPN), what are common mistakes?

Ik ontken het grote belang van de computer niet, maar vind het van een stuitende domheid om iets wat al millennia zijn belang heeft bewezen daarom overboord te willen gooien (Ann De Craemer)

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I was reading an online post yesterday, and was struck by a completely misleading/ambiguous phrasing due to sloppy English usage: "Candidate A" leads "Candidate B in polls," 51%, and then the accompanying graph showed "A" having 51% and B having 42%. Very misleading!!! I was expecting A to have 51% MORE than B! Sadly, the site was a pro-B site, so they were actually making their own candidate look bad; they were excited about a narrow margin, and they basically smeared the home team!!!

 

For the benefit of non-native English speakers, It would have been much more clear it it had said something like, "'Candidate A' leads with 51% in the polls, with B closing in!" or Margin narrows by ten points!!

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Do I miss something at the start of this sentence?

....

I think what you missed was the reference to the previously linked article, and the reading thereof.

Sincerely, beak.

 

God does not work in mysterious ways – he works in ways that are indistinguishable from his non-existence.

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I was reading an online post yesterday, and was struck by a completely misleading/ambiguous phrasing due to sloppy English usage: "Candidate A" leads "Candidate B in polls," 51%, and then the accompanying graph showed "A" having 51% and B having 42%. Very misleading!!! I was expecting A to have 51% MORE than B! Sadly, the site was a pro-B site, so they were actually making their own candidate look bad; they were excited about a narrow margin, and they basically smeared the home team!!!

 

For the benefit of non-native English speakers, It would have been much more clear it it had said something like, "'Candidate A' leads with 51% in the polls, with B closing in!" or Margin narrows by ten points!!

I think this is clearer to native speakers as well.

 

By the way, considering the example mentioned by OCArt, "Can I Make An Ink Question", this is a common mistake and clearly understandable from a Roman language background. If you feel tempted to reply to the essential of such message, you could also write something like "Of course you are allowed to ask a question" and continue with whatever you would like to write. People over here are intelligent people (the use fountain pens) so they will note the difference and maybe rephrase similar questions in the future. No?

Ik ontken het grote belang van de computer niet, maar vind het van een stuitende domheid om iets wat al millennia zijn belang heeft bewezen daarom overboord te willen gooien (Ann De Craemer)

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