tegwini Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Spot on GlueyI am reminded of a recent BBC programme on Chinese school children. They were so determined, hardworking and knew they had to do well at school to get into a decent University/college. Many were at school and studying at home for 18 hours each day. No doubt more coherent & literate than many children in the UK - in English! Major contrast with UK school children. Yes, it does not bode well for UK Plc.RegardsTegwini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaud Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I think that Cathy is spot on when she said that she: "couldn't find it in the dictionary because I was looking in the wrong place".If you can't spell a word, how can you look it up in a dictionary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="Renaud"]I think that Cathy is spot on when she said that she: "couldn't find it in the dictionary because I was looking in the wrong place". If you can't spell a word, how can you look it up in a dictionary?[/quote]Google is great for this. Stick a word in Google and spell it wrongly, and a little sign comes up saying "Did you mean..?"[:D] Modern technology has its uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 That's a great idea, Coops. I was disappointed in my score on the test as I thought my spelling was good. Never knew that liaison had two i's, and millennium two n's. but I do now.[:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="tegwini"]Spot on GlueyI am reminded of a recent BBC programme on Chinese school children. They were so determined, hardworking and knew they had to do well at school to get into a decent University/college. Many were at school and studying at home for 18 hours each day. No doubt more coherent & literate than many children in the UK - in English! Major contrast with UK school children. Yes, it does not bode well for UK Plc.RegardsTegwini[/quote]About eight years or so ago, I was asked to sit in for one of the Profs who needed to go to his eye specialist urgently.It was a day at a London University BSchool, which ran a twinned mature MBA with a German University, the students all being either German or based in Germany.Apart from thoroughly enjoying myself - it was practical workshop where the students, in teams, researched a realtime study, prepared a feasibility study and finally presented to the tutors et al and the other teams - one could not fail to be impressed by the standard and language skills.One team was headed up by a young Chinese woman, whose mother tongue was Cantonese: and was studying for her MBA in German and English!Her presentation was compelling, to say the least.We aint go no chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="Patf"]That's a great idea, Coops. I was disappointed in my score on the test as I thought my spelling was good. Never knew that liaison had two i's, and millennium two n's. but I do now.[:$][/quote]But is 'wont' really a word ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="Patf"]Never knew that liaison had two i's, and millennium two n's. but I do now.[:$][/quote]Now "Liaison" is one word I've been able to spell since I had a holiday job whilst doing my degree in an "industrial liaison centre". That soon taught me how to spell it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Russethouse"][quote user="Patf"] That's a great idea, Coops. I was disappointed in my score on the test as I thought my spelling was good. Never knew that liaison had two i's, and millennium two n's. but I do now.[:$][/quote]But is 'wont' really a word ?[/quote]Yes, of course it is. As in "Cooperlola is wont to spell definitely incorrectly." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I was thinking more in the opposite to 'will': Yes I will, no she wont ?I think someone must have told me it was wrong as I always hesitate to write it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Russethouse"] I was thinking more in the opposite to 'will': Yes I will, no she wont ?I think someone must have told me it was wrong as I always hesitate to write it.[/quote]In that case, it's wrong, as it should be "won't" - never without the apostrophe.http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/WONT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tancrède Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Patf"]Never knew that liaison had two i's…[/quote]That second 'i' is not without its uses. It will ensure that you remember its gender correctly. Nouns in …on are not a user-friendly group as regards revealing their gender, but the vast majority in …aison are feminine. (Perhaps without exception?)But nouns in …ason are another kettle of fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegwini Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I agree with Cooperlola - never heard of 'wont', it does need an apostrophe.I have a super little book, I've had it for decades and find it invaluable in checking points of grammar, puctuation, and so on. It lists commonly mis-spelt words, spelling rules, words often confused eg affect/effect, of/off as well as notetaking, summarising, letter writing and so on.It's out of print, but it's possible to get one second hand on the net from various sources.Michael Temple Get it right. London: John Murray, 1978 ISBN 07195 3507 7 and 07195 3508 5There are many more, and I have quite a few, but I find 'Get it right' the best one I have because it is very easy to use.RegardsTegwini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="tegwini"]I have a super little book... It's out of print, but it's possible to get one second hand on the net from various sources.Michael Temple Get it right. London: John Murray, 1978 ISBN 07195 3507 7 and 07195 3508 5There are many more, and I have quite a few, but I find 'Get it right' the best one I have because it is very easy to use.[/quote]http://www.amazon.fr/http://www.amazon.co.uk/http://www.abebooks.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 This thread is apposite at the moment because elsewhere on here (I won't say where or I'll be jumped on for being rude and anti-social) there was a post which, no matter how many times I read it, I could not understand what the poster was trying to say. No capital letters, mis-spellings and bizarre punctuation. However much one might argue about this, there are times when it does become really important, so I for one will try to get things right, even if I don't always succeed.There's also a Bill Bryson (yes, that one) book called "Difficult Words" which is very good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tancrède Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]Spelled and dreamed are in the past tense. Spelt and dreamt are past participles.Last night I dreamed I was at Manderly (Daphne Du Maurier's immortal opening line in "Rebecca"). The narrator said that she had dreamt of being back at Manderly.[/quote]I think not.Spelled/spelt and dreamed/dreamt are equally good forms for either past simple or past participle.And, in confirmation of this freedom, the words of Daphne du Maurier's immortal opening line are actually: 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Gengulphus"][quote user="sweet 17"] Spelled and dreamed are in the past tense. Spelt and dreamt are past participles.Last night I dreamed I was at Manderly (Daphne Du Maurier's immortal opening line in "Rebecca"). The narrator said that she had dreamt of being back at Manderly.[/quote]I think not.Spelled/spelt and dreamed/dreamt are equally good forms for either past simple or past participle.And, in confirmation of this freedom, the words of Daphne du Maurier's immortal opening line are actually: 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.'[/quote][:-))]And there, I thought Sweets had sorted this one for me. Never mind, either/or is much easier to remember.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Apologies. I didn't actually go to the novel but wrote from memory.I'd still only use spelled and dreamed and spelt and dreamt as I have explained. Simplifies things in my (little) mind. LOL, makes me think of Pooh and a bear of very little brain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Is it hello or hallo, ate or eat, jail or gaol? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickleover Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Weedon"]Is it hello or hallo, ate or eat, jail or gaol?[/quote]North born South born Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 What about people born in the midlands or just north of Watford? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickleover Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]What about people born in the midlands or just north of Watford?[/quote]To the south people Watford is north. Away the lads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Watford Gap ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acegundog Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="mickleover"][quote user="sweet 17"]What about people born in the midlands or just north of Watford?[/quote]To the south people Watford is north. Away the lads.[/quote] North of the Dorset border is north to me but OH being a Peak District chap thinks that Watford Gap is way down south !! How wrong can he be......................Edit - what's this got to do with spelling !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickleover Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="Acegundog"][quote user="mickleover"][quote user="sweet 17"]What about people born in the midlands or just north of Watford?[/quote]To the south people Watford is north. Away the lads.[/quote] North of the Dorset border is north to me but OH being a Peak District chap thinks that Watford Gap is way down south !! How wrong can he be......................Edit - what's this got to do with spelling !![/quote]He is no more wrong then you.I do-not know the answer to that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acegundog Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 [quote user="mickleover"]He is no more wrong then you.[/quote]He's never wrong [kiss] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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