NationStates Jolt Archive

I've noticed it is rather common for people on this forum to misuse then and than. They also misuse there and their. Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?

A bit of both. I think native English speakers are more likely to make those mistakes, though.

A bit of both. I think native English speakers are more likely to make those mistakes, though.

True. Even my elementary English students don't make those mistakes. It's almost like they respect the language, or something equally tenuous.

There's a difference?

I've noticed it is rather common for people on this forum to misuse then and than. They also misuse there and their. Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?

I wonder about this, too. And there's the whole "when to use an apostrophe" business, too. I think some of it is laziness, some is ignorance of which word to use. English doesn't make the problem easier by having these words sound alike, either. Maybe the language will evolve new spellings for the words if they get confused enough.

i beleive their just typos and/or the athiests fault and your a grammer nazi! I of got proof!

...

Honestly, I've seen way too much of this to say it's just a matter of typos. And as Ifreann said, many of us non-natives have been through so much grammar drills that we are less likely to commit these orthographic atrocities, and more prone to heart attacks when other people do it.

True. Even my elementary English students don't make those mistakes. It's almost like they respect the language, or something equally tenuous.

My college students do make that mistake, sadly. It got to the point where last week, I threw that into one of my lectures.

I've noticed it is rather common for people on this forum to misuse then and than. They also misuse there and their. Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?

when typing fast, its easy to type the wrong word.

when typing fast, its easy to type the wrong word.

Spell check doesn't catch a wrong word either. :(

My college students do make that mistake, sadly. It got to the point where last week, I threw that into one of my lectures.

.. and I think this is exactly where we see the native/non-native speaker difference in action.

Spell check doesn't catch a wrong word either. :(

is there a spell check for this posty deally?

is there a spell check for this posty deally?

No. Cut, paste into Word, spell check, cut, past back into post deally.

I've noticed it is rather common for people on this forum to misuse then and than. They also misuse there and their. Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?
I'd say it's a combination. I sometimes accidentally write 'their' when I mean 'there', despite knowing the difference (I usually notice immediately afterwards and correct it).

when typing fast, its easy to type the wrong word.
Your 'its' there was a deliberate mistake, right?

And as Ifreann said, many of us non-natives have been through so much grammar drills that we are less likely to commit these orthographic atrocities, and more prone to heart attacks when other people do it.
Shouldn't it be 'so many grammar drills'?

My grammar, spelling, etc. is horrible on here. Mostly because Im just trying to get thoughts out. If Im doing something like writing a research paper, I make improvements.

My grammar, spelling, etc. is horrible on here. Mostly because Im just trying to get thoughts out. If Im doing something like writing a research paper, I make improvements.

We don't rate your best grammar and spelling? :( *weeps*

I know the difference, but my fingers don't. When I finish typing I'll look at the screen and go "How'd that get there?"
Of course this is because I can't type without looking at the keyboard.

I know the difference, but my fingers don't. When I finish typing I'll look at the screen and go "How'd that get there?"
Of course this is because I can't type without looking at the keyboard.

Try the Mavis Beacon typing program. It's fun and inexpensive. I still have to look at the keys for punctuation and numbers but considering I was a two finger typist not that long ago that's not bad.

Try the Mavis Beacon typing program. It's fun and inexpensive. I still have to look at the keys for punctuation and numbers but considering I was a two finger typist not that long ago that's not bad.
Hopefully it'd do me more good than my highschool typing class. Which is apparently no good at all.

No. Cut, paste into Word, spell check, cut, past back into post deally.

Don't even bother. MS Word doesn't catch homophonic or usage errors. To this day, nothing beats proofing your work and having a solid command of the language.

I grew up in Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina. The fact that I speak English at all is a miracle.

I've noticed it is rather common for people on this forum to misuse then and than. They also misuse there and their. Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?Probably both, depending on the person.

Don't even bother. MS Word doesn't catch homophonic or usage errors. To this day, nothing beats proofing your work and having a solid command of the language.Reading a lot when you're young helps, so long as you read things that were spelled correctly :p

when typing fast, its easy to type the wrong word.
Bullshit. People just don't make an effort to spell correctly!
Shouldn't it be 'so many grammar drills'?
Yup.
Reading a lot when you're young helps, so long as you read things that were spelled correctly :p
I agree.

I get really upset when people mutilate the English language in really stupid ways.
As a foreign speaker, I('ve) put much effort in my speaking and writing skills, and I consider it bad manners to misspell easy words when it's clear it's not a simple typo.

Just put in a little effort. It really ain't that hard.

Besides, when I have to read stuff full of mistakes and typos, I have a hard time a) getting the message and b) taking the poster seriously.

I wonder about this, too. And there's the whole "when to use an apostrophe" business, too. I think some of it is laziness, some is ignorance of which word to use. English doesn't make the problem easier by having these words sound alike, either. Maybe the language will evolve new spellings for the words if they get confused enough.

The apostrophe use can be extra hard for non-native speakers since it often differs from the apostrophe use in their mother tongue.

I have however noticed that many native English speakers have a real problem with "ie" and "ei". E.g. : "theivery".

Besides, when I have to read stuff full of mistakes and typos, I have a hard time a) getting the message and b) taking the poster seriously.
Without boasting, I think a good part of why I'm taken seriously as a poster is because I do my best to be exact in my use of language. Part of that is habit--I'm a writer and a teacher by trade--but part is because I think sloppy writing is a sign of sloppy thinking.

My college students do make that mistake, sadly. It got to the point where last week, I threw that into one of my lectures.
we got lectured on the difference of "thrown" vs. "throne" after we turned in our papers on King Lear and Macbeth

we got lectured on the difference of "thrown" vs. "throne" after we turned in our papers on King Lear and Macbeth

Another one I've seen a lot of lately is "loose" and "lose," and the one that makes me nuts is when students use "of" instead of "have," as in "must of seen it coming."

Without boasting, I think a good part of why I'm taken seriously as a poster is because I do my best to be exact in my use of language. Part of that is habit--I'm a writer and a teacher by trade--but part is because I think sloppy writing is a sign of sloppy thinking.
Yes! I whole-heartedly agree.
(The only problem I have is with hyphenated words, when and where to place commas, but especially where to put the quotation marks because that truely is different from German...)

Another one I've seen a lot of lately is "loose" and "lose," and the one that makes me nuts is when students use "of" instead of "have," as in "must of seen it coming."

"Loose" and "lose" I do sometimes, just because Word isn't going to catch it. That is the best way to tell how carefully I've proofread. If I ran out of time, then I won't read carefully, and the wrong one will be there.

"Than" and "then" bothers me to no end, as in, "And than we did this":mad:

And the "of" thing gets to me, mostly because we had that drilled since elementary school. I can just hear my 4th grade teacher screaming.

Another one I've seen a lot of lately is "loose" and "lose," and the one that makes me nuts is when students use "of" instead of "have," as in "must of seen it coming."
And that truely drives me up the wall!!! :mad:

Yes! I whole-heartedly agree.
(The only problem I have is with hyphenated words, when and where to place commas, but especially where to put the quotation marks because that truely is different from German...)

I have huge issues with apostrophes. I moved towns and school districts right when one was starting that lesson and the other had just finished. Therefore, I never learned it properly, and I have had a hell of a time getting it to stick and become natural to just remember were they go.

I did get lectured the other day by a professor for using a colon. Her reasoning is that no one else seems to know how to use it properly, herself included, so I shouldn't be proving myself better with certain punctuation than the person grading it.

I did get lectured the other day by a professor for using a colon. Her reasoning is that no one else seems to know how to use it properly, herself included, so I shouldn't be proving myself better with certain punctuation than the person grading it.

...okay, that's a little nuts.

It does, however, remind me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few days ago over AIM, in which he informed me that I was almost certainly the only person he'd ever met who actually used semicolons in instant messages. I think he thought I was a little silly; I, however, took it as a compliment. :)

I have huge issues with apostrophes. I moved towns and school districts right when one was starting that lesson and the other had just finished. Therefore, I never learned it properly, and I have had a hell of a time getting it to stick and become natural to just remember were they go.

I did get lectured the other day by a professor for using a colon. Her reasoning is that no one else seems to know how to use it properly, herself included, so I shouldn't be proving myself better with certain punctuation than the person grading it.
Huh. To this I might answer: Why the hell not?
Now, semicolons are a whole different story; how are we supposed to know when they are right? :p

Huh. To this I might answer: Why the hell not?
Now, semicolons are a whole different story; how are we supposed to know when they are right? :p

haha...I rarely use semicolons, just because I'm rarely writing in a style where they are needed. Colons, however, I use constantly. I prefer two united clauses rather than two seperate sentences. It flows much better.

Oddly, I never use them on here. Go figure.

Are these just typos or do people just not know the difference between these sets of words?

The problem stems from a combination of factors. I think typos or simple mistakes are the usual root, but sometimes it's simply ignorance.

I think native English speakers are more likely to make those mistakes, though.

Usually, but not always. One of my students yesterday wrote down "fly lice", when she misheard "fried rice". :)

Maybe the language will evolve new spellings for the words if they get confused enough.

It already does. For example, "octopi" is becoming an acceptable alternative spelling of "octopuses". [1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Terminology)]


Don't even bother. MS Word doesn't catch homophonic or usage errors. To this day, nothing beats proofing your work and having a solid command of the language.

Well, yes, but it's a start. I'll also note that I usually keep dictionary.com open.

Bullshit. People just don't make an effort to spell correctly!

I get really upset when people mutilate the English language in really stupid ways.
As a foreign speaker, I('ve) put much effort in my speaking and writing skills, and I consider it bad manners to misspell easy words when it's clear it's not a simple typo.

Just put in a little effort. It really ain't that hard.

Besides, when I have to read stuff full of mistakes and typos, I have a hard time a) getting the message and b) taking the poster seriously.

Exactly so. :)

Without boasting, I think a good part of why I'm taken seriously as a poster is because I do my best to be exact in my use of language. Part of that is habit--I'm a writer and a teacher by trade--but part is because I think sloppy writing is a sign of sloppy thinking.

Indeed, indeed. That's exactly why I took a certain poster to task last weekend regarding his disdane for proper usage. To quote myself "grammar and spelling are the fundamental building blocks of language. Correct use of language means that you communicate presicely what you mean."


Another one I've seen a lot of lately is "loose" and "lose," and the one that makes me nuts is when students use "of" instead of "have," as in "must of seen it coming."

Oh good lord, yes!

I did get lectured the other day by a professor for using a colon. Her reasoning is that no one else seems to know how to use it properly, herself included, so I shouldn't be proving myself better with certain punctuation than the person grading it.

:( That's no good.

...okay, that's a little nuts.

It does, however, remind me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few days ago over AIM, in which he informed me that I was almost certainly the only person he'd ever met who actually used semicolons in instant messages. I think he thought I was a little silly; I, however, took it as a compliment. :)

I've gotten odd comments like that in regards to my cell-phone texting.

Huh. To this I might answer: Why the hell not?
Now, semicolons are a whole different story; how are we supposed to know when they are right? :p

Ask, and all shall be answered: http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/semicoln.html

Shouldn't it be 'so many grammar drills'?

Only if you regard 'grammar drills' a countable noun (phrase); I've been through so many I'd call them uncountable ;)

Of course you're right.

And that truely drives me up the wall!!! :mad:
Ahem... truly. :-)

How did I guess that this would some how, be blamed on Bush?

So, Bush should be in every class room now. What ever happened to parents being parents? Yes, it's the teacher's responsibility to teach and it is the child's responsibility to learn and it's the parent's responsibility to be the parent, to encourage, to read with and to listen to the child read, etc... I feel that the parents are as much to blame as the teachers.

I also find it sad how secretaries of the universities are paid much higher than the teachers. Teacher's have a job of the utmost importance. I just don't understand why the state offer better salaries to secretaries when teachers have a more important job. Kids are our future.

...And on the eighth day God created the pedant. It was his only mistake.

I don't necessarily agree with the people who insinuate spelling/grammar errors are from idiots. Some people, when they type, type fast. Fast typing can lead to many spelling/grammar errors. That's why I feel proof reading is key. However, in today's world, whether it be on the road or on the computer, people are just in a hurry and that leads to sloppiness.

How many of you have a few different windows up, going from one to the other?

I'll use myself as a prime example. I'm criticized in the NS all the time for making spelling and grammar mistakes. I am far from the smartest guy in the world, I'm also far from the dumbest guy in the world. I am in no way an idiot. However, I do confess on occasion saying idiotic things and in the RL doing idiotic stuff. I feel the main reason for the criticism is due to the fact most on NS disagree with my stance, so they'll do what ever it takes to discredit me and my views as not serious. It's a witch hunt which isn't necessary. Mistakes do and will happen, period. It's part of the imperfect humanity. Yes, we should be more careful because due to the spelling/grammar errors, can lead to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.

At my job, which is in the communications field, I use clear and proper English. In the RL, I relax my proper English a bit. Does that make me an idiot? I don't think it does.

With all of the spelling and grammar mistakes that do occur here in the NS, I'm curious to know why people seem to enjoy the humiliation of others, by directly calling them out on it and making a very big deal about it especially if you disagree with the error maker's post.

I have noticed that if an OP makes spelling/grammar errors and other people disagree with his post they are sure to tag up with each other to call the person out and further humiliate him/her. However, if the OP makes a lot of spelling/grammar errors and other people agree with his OP nothing is mentioned about the errors.

Conclusion: If you disagree with the OP's opinion, you'll feed off of his/her thread by way of humiliation and if you agree, there won't be any mention or need to call the person out.

How did I guess that this would some how, be blamed on Bush?
It wasn't.

This has been another edition of simple answers to stupid questions.

This is a very well known linguistic process known as analogy, where two or more identically or similarly pronounced words merge into one. It's not a big deal.

This is a very well known linguistic process known as analogy, where two or more identically or similarly pronounced words merge into one. It's not a big deal.

actually, that would be a (moderatly) big deal, as it would create one very ambiguous word. It would have to contain they're, their, and there, none of which are particularly similar.

by the way, when you look at it long enough, "their" is a really weird word.

To answer the question posed by the title, people are just typos and they dont know the difference.

To answer the question posed by the title, people are just typos and they dont know the difference.

funny...and surprisingly truthful.

...And on the eighth day God created the pedant. It was his only mistake.

:D

I <3 that.

Exactly so. :)
Hooray! http://www.section.at/img/smiley/juchu.gif
Ask, and all shall be answered: http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/semicoln.html
I've read the link, thank you for providing it.
Now I have to ask: Was my use of the semicolon correct?
Ahem... truly. :-)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/HaareRaufen.gif
You, of course, are right, my friend! Thanks for pointing that out. Apparently, it was truly necessary. :p
...And on the eighth day God created the pedant. It was his only mistake.
I don't see how striving for perfection in the use of (a foreign) language can be a mistake.

There's more I had to endure today.

The infamous "Here! Here!" instead of "Hear! Hear". I'm inclined to ask "Where? Where?" each time I see it.

Or when you want to say "too much" and it becomes "to much".

Gah!

Or when you want to say "too much" and it becomes "to much".

Gah!

Maybe that is just bad punctuation?

for example, they might mean "To much!" as in "let's go to a location named 'much'"

;)

Maybe that is just bad punctuation?

for example, they might mean "To much!" as in "let's go to a location named 'much'"

;)
I could and would tolerate that. But no, it's not... :p

Generally a bit of common sense allows understanding of what is being said, even if *GASP* the grammar is slightly dodgy or a world mis-spelt. If its completely unreadable then, ok, fair point, but otherwise I prescribe chill pills

Generally a bit of common sense allows understanding of what is being said, even if *GASP* the grammar is slightly dodgy or a world mis-spelt. If its completely unreadable then, ok, fair point, but otherwise I prescribe chill pills
I'd rather use common sense on what people are actually saying instead of having to make an effort to decipher their numerous ways of how they managed to mutilate the language this time... It really is annoying.

Same goes for posts when people are unsure about the spelling and put a (sp?) behind it. Just go check - takes a second on google...

A bit of both. I think native English speakers are more likely to make those mistakes, though.

It's only been in the last few years that I've noticed the then/than transposition taking place. It seems to be a big American thing because we pronounce both of them as sort of a "thuhn" sound. A lot of sounds in the American dialects have become indistinct. Like how with a British accent "class" and "mass" don't rhyme, but with an American one, they do.

Maybe the language will evolve new spellings for the words if they get confused enough.

I overheard this exchange in a classroom 30 years in the future. "Hey, Miss B. How come it p'nounced "bidniz" but it spellt, "BUS-EE-NESS."