Grammar

[Malchik]

Perhaps if you want help you'd better give an example and see which of the forum experts can break it into its constituent parts. How are you on split infinitives and dangling participles?

 

One problem is that in spoken English (I suspect any language) we use abbreviated formats and ignore grammar. We don't need to speak in sentences and, because the thought process is taking place while we are speaking, what we say constantly changes direction and gets modified.

 

We use a similar, although slightly more formal, approach when 'talking' on msn etc. In consequence we very rarely need the rules of grammar. This makes it harder to understand them or apply them to written English.

 

As an English native speaker I found the concept of the subjunctive tense very difficult in other languages. (Knowing when to use it, I mean). The English subjunctive has vanished in all but about three circumstances. ('Britannia rule the waves' is the only one I can remember). English has more words than any other language and is highly flexible. Its rules are hard to learn by those who don't have it as a first language AND by those who do.

 

One common error is to forget that even in written English many words are omitted and assumed by the reader. It means that the 'sentences' are not formally correct but they are still used and that needs to be recognised. We have to be careful not to become grammatical pedants!

[Stanhead]

me got good grammer im tellin j00!

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Dagoth vs. Fargoth's post deleted. Thread necromancy. Please don't post in threads more than 1 month old unless you have something relevant to add that will continue the discussion, thanks.

 

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