Comments for thegoodgrammarcompany.com

Comment on Should businesses be more fussy about their website content? Or am I just an old fart? by Pat Boyden

Pat Boyden — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 21:24:44 +0000

No, you’re not ready for the knacker’s yard just yet! Good grammar is essential, especially in these days of texting and abbreviations, IMHO. What concerns me is that debates about splitting infinitives, ending sentences with prepositions, or beginning them with conjunctions, are largely redundant if the vast majority of people don’t know what these terms actually are.

Company website content is probably guided by the same drivers as fiction, where rules can be broken for impact and emphasis. Nonetheless, the misuse of words and punctuation should be challenged, not dogmatically, but helpfully.

With literacy levels in the UK in decline, every opportunity should be taken to reverse the trend. My own belief is that a major change in education is what is needed, but we can all do our bit to help.

Comment on Why can’t we proofread and edit what comes out of our mouths? by admin

admin — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:37:13 +0000

That’s a comforting thought, Gillian. Thank you!

Comment on Why can’t we proofread and edit what comes out of our mouths? by Gillian Ann

Gillian Ann — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:37:26 +0000

This is drawing on my studies at University, some years ago, but I seem to recall that participants were more inclined to trust experts who made an occasional mistake than those who were almost super human. Just a thought.

Comment on ‘Let’s eat grandma!’ by admin

admin — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 05:25:27 +0000

Hi, Shrinky!

Over time it has become acceptable to replace ‘around’ with ’round. I use ‘around’ sometimes depending on the context (e.g. I ran around the circle) but wherever ‘around’ can be used, ’round’ is acceptable. ‘I turned around/ round.’

However, this doesn’t work the other way round/ around. It is not acceptable to replace ’round’ with ‘around’. ‘The round window’ cannot be replaced with ‘The around window’.

English, hey? What a wonderful language!

Comment on ‘Let’s eat grandma!’ by Shrinky

Shrinky — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 17:33:59 +0000

I thought that it should be ‘Having Grandma AROUND for lunch’. Are you able to enlighten me on when to use ’round’ and ‘around’. I thought that ’round’ was the shape or ‘a round’ of drinks etc. Help!

Comment on Grammar Rules, OK! by admin

admin — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:21:03 +0000

So true, Shrinky. A lot of the problem lies with teachers’ own education and the fact that grammar, punctuation and spelling have for too long not been barriers to obtaining good English GCSE grades. It will take a few years to rectify this in schools.

Comment on Grammar Rules, OK! by Shrinky

Shrinky — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:08:54 +0000

The lack of correct grammar being used nowadays is very worrying and as you have mentioned, many teachers themselves could do with a lesson or two before they teach it to the pupils. It also amazes me how many teachers cannot spell very well.