Everyone says that these days, English grammar is slipping. I would agree, although sometimes it’s a matter of evolution. Language is a form of human communication – a living thing. It changes with time, age and usage. BUT, there are some things that grate a little and others that grate enormously.
Today we have lots of text speech.
— thank u 4 the w/e
— LOL
— CUL8r
We now have a myriad of #s This week I had to look up what #OOTD meant after my daughter had posted it on Instagram. Answers on a postcard, please!
We older folk get frustrated with what we consider to be the deterioration of both written and spoken English. I expect I’m opening up a can of worms but I have a few pet hates. Here they are:-
Should of...(or would of, or could of) instead of should have etc.,
I was sat (which is apparently okay but I would always write or say, I was sitting. It’s a conditional conjugation I think. Now, I’m no grammar expert but it just feels right and looks right to me.
I wish I was…I prefer, I wish I were, which is correct, but little used.
Up until… is wrong. It should be until, or up to.
their; their; there. Commonly misused.
Listening to BBC Radio 4 this week an interviewee kept saying, ‘it’s sort of... ‘ it is the most annoying phrase and she repeated it several times. My late husband (not to be confused with The Man who is still with us), used to say, ‘It either is, or it isn’t, it cannot be sort of.’
The Man, does not like tautological statements. . . Reverting back; Pretty unique; dry desert; adequate enough.
I am quite sure that many people reading this will have their own opinions as to what is right or wrong. I am also sure that there will be plenty of others wishing to correct or disagree with me. Carry on — I like a good discussion.
PS #OOTD stands for Outfit Of The Day
I’m with you! I have an itch to grab a red pen when I see poor grammar…..and am mortified when I make mistakes!!!
Well said, Ninette, spot on. There’s a job for you at The Times as a sub-editor!
I think ‘I was sitting is the Past Continuous tense of the verb ‘to sit’.
😊😊
Here’s speaks a woman who knows! I thought maybe ‘I was sitting’ was conditional because often/usually, we say ‘I was sitting on the wall when…etc.,’ I hate ‘I was sat’ and even worse, ‘I was sat sitting!!’ ha ha ha. Hope you are well and enjoying Italy. We’ve certainly got Italian weather here at the moment. x