The Importance of Punctuation

Craig1 · Guru

The Importance of Punctuation

yobarr · Guru

Craig1 wrote:
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUATION
A class of men and women were given the following words to punctuate:
A woman without her man is nothing
The men gave the following response:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
The women responded thus:
A woman: Without her, man is nothing.
(And Im man enough to share it!)

Unfortunately Craig, the rapid decline in standards of grammar among many people in Australia is likely to mean that few will understand what you've written.

Grammar is important. Unfortunately, many newspaper reporters (editors?) have no idea.

Capital letters are the difference between "helping your Uncle Jack off a horse" and

"helping your uncle jack off a horse". Cheers.

-- Edited by yobarr on Wednesday 2nd of August 2023 02:23:18 PM

Whenarewethere · Guru

I bought this book years ago, quite handy.

ISBN 9781785781414

Are We Lost · Guru

How about an explanation of what the book is about.

Possum3 · Guru

The book is called F*cking apostrophes - Simon Griffin (author).
www.qbd.com.au/fcking-apostrophes/simon-griffin/9781785781414/

yobarr · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
How about an explanation of what the book is about.

Does this help?

Are We Lost · Guru

Ha ha, sure. Thanks to both.

I certainly know how to look up an ISBN but I rarely follow links or searches without some explanation on what I am going to be looking at. Too many links so little time sort of thing. So it was actually a hint for Whenarewethere.

Whenarewethere · Guru

I couldn't be bothered.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
Too many links so little time sort of thing

I just tried clicking on the ISBN number I posted.

No issues with instant page on that number using Android phone about as simple as any task I can think of.

As the Bondi Icebergs say, conditions to become a member... As long as you are breathing!

Santa · Guru

"Apostrophes are a f'ing pain. The rules about how to use them are complicated, and have evolved haphazardly."

I've never found this to be the case; most punctuation is pretty basic and easily understood.

yobarr · Guru

Santa wrote:
"Apostrophes are a f'ing pain. The rules about how to use them are complicated, and have evolved haphazardly."
I've never found this to be the case; most punctuation is pretty basic and easily understood.

Punkchewashin and gramma is eezy wen ya av morin arv a brayn an no howta speek proply Inglish.

dorian · Guru

One of my biggest annoyances is those pretentious old farts who insist on avoiding uppercase and punctuation. You know who you are. Please dispense with your silly adolescent affectation and write the way that you were taught in school. For example, the first person pronoun is "I", not "i".

yobarr · Guru

dorian wrote:
One of my biggest annoyances is those pretentious old farts who insist on avoiding uppercase and punctuation. You know who you are. Please dispense with your silly adolescent affectation and write the way that you were taught in school. For example, the first person pronoun is "I", not "i".

And for Heaven's sake, it's not "myself and my wife" or "my wife and myself". Correct term is "my wife and I".

There also is a disturbing shift to replying " Okay,and what about yourself" in response to being asked "How are you, Mate".

I'll leave it at that because if I continued I would likely be here for hours. Cheers (sort of!)

Whenarewethere · Guru

All the dodgy spelling in trademarks hasn't helped. I find I am increasingly checking spelling because my brain can't cope anymore.

Are We Lost · Guru

Ahh those silly greetings. Other than close associations nobody really wants to know the answer to "How are you?" and its various derivations. When asked that at Bunnings or other stores I have often felt tempted to spend 5 minutes talking about my medical complaints (real and imagined) just to really make their day. Actually I think Bunnings stopped asking that a while ago so my chance may have gone.

Maybe we should revert to times when "How do you do?" was more common. And the most common response instead of telling them about your difficult bowel problem was to echo those words back again ..."How do you do".

How do you do?

Whenarewethere · Guru

In the 1980s we were told to say 'How can I help you' or 'What can I do for you'.

Recently buying a friand, I was asked 'why do you want that'

I said 'because I hate them'

That shut the person up, didn't know how to handle any further conversation.

When I am asked "how are you", I often say I have had a s_it day & have a spitting headache.

Will have to remember the bowels department!

yobarr · Guru

dorian wrote:
One of my biggest annoyances is those pretentious old farts who insist on avoiding uppercase and punctuation. You know who you are. Please dispense with your silly adolescent affectation and write the way that you were taught in school. For example, the first person pronoun is "I", not "i".

Just saw an interview on TV where the person being interviewed proudly announced that "our prices are 30% cheaper than they were last year". What RUBBISH.

Do these people not understand that it is not the prices that are cheaper?

It is the product that is cheaper.

Prices cost nothing.

Spare me. Where are we heading with this semi-literacy? Cheers

P.S Another example is " the reason why is because".

What garbage, as all that needs to be said is "the reason is that".

What these clowns are effectively saying is "why, why, why".

Why?

-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 4th of August 2023 10:56:29 AM

KJB · Guru

yobarr wrote:
dorian wrote:
One of my biggest annoyances is those pretentious old farts who insist on avoiding uppercase and punctuation. You know who you are. Please dispense with your silly adolescent affectation and write the way that you were taught in school. For example, the first person pronoun is "I", not "i".
Just saw an interview on TV where the person being interviewed proudly announced that "our prices are 30% cheaper than they were last year". What RUBBISH.
Do these people not understand that it is not the prices that are cheaper?
It is the product that is cheaper.
Prices cost nothing.
Spare me. Where are we heading with this semi-literacy? Cheers

" Cheap Prices".....been a common advertising statement for a few years ....it is really irritating when ever you hear it....... also "a discount of 20% less...." ???

Are We Lost · Guru

And "The team are top of the ladder .." or this old ABC headline:

The team are....

yobarr · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
And "The team are top of the ladder .." or this old ABC headline:
The team are....

Yes, another example of a person having absolutely no idea.

Although made up of many team members,a "Team" is singular, "The team IS " being correct.

But ignorance is bliss, it seems. Cheers

KJB · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
And "The team are top of the ladder .." or this old ABC headline:
The team are....

Wonder if they are a "good group of players " or a "group of good players" ????

Whenarewethere · Guru

Export to overseas countries!

yobarr · Guru

KJB wrote:
Are We Lost wrote:
And "The team are top of the ladder .." or this old ABC headline:
The team are....
Wonder if they are a "good group of players " or a "group of good players" ????

Hi Kerry. If we're discussing the playing ability of the players it's got to be "group of good players" as "good group of players" means only that they're players that are in a group, with no reference to their playing ability. Cheers

Long Weekend · Guru

The comments have changed from punctuation to grammar!

But back to the start, nobody has yet mentioned that if Craig1 made the closing statement: "And Im man enough to share it" he failed to include the apostrophe in 'I'm!'

Murray

KJB · Guru

yobarr wrote:
KJB wrote:
Are We Lost wrote:
And "The team are top of the ladder .." or this old ABC headline:
The team are....
Wonder if they are a "good group of players " or a "group of good players" ????
Hi Kerry. If we're discussing the playing ability of the players it's got to be "group of good players" as "good group of players" means only that they're players that are in a group, with no reference to their playing ability. Cheers

I heartily agree...that is what I was getting at......

Whenarewethere · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:
The comments have changed from punctuation to grammar!

But back to the start, nobody has yet mentioned that if Craig1 made the closing statement: "And Im man enough to share it" he failed to include the apostrophe in 'I'm!'

Murray

English & not American:

The statement should be enclosed in ' ' not " ".

& the reverse for "I'm" not 'I'm'

Bobdown · Guru

See what you started now, Craig,,,,,, get over it you lot...... biggrin biggrin biggrin

Craig1 · Guru

Go Dee's, think that one is right.

Long Weekend · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
Long Weekend wrote:
The comments have changed from punctuation to grammar!

But back to the start, nobody has yet mentioned that if Craig1 made the closing statement: "And Im man enough to share it" he failed to include the apostrophe in 'I'm!'

Murray

English & not American:

The statement should be enclosed in ' ' not " ".

& the reverse for "I'm" not 'I'm'

Touche

Murray

Magnarc · Guru

We constantly hear Pollies and media using the phrase, "What we do know". The words what and do are not needed but, because someone somewhere coined the phrase and the Sheep think it makes what they are saying more plausible, it suddenly becomes De Rigueur.

I noticed that an advert on tv for a mob flogging spectacles at inflated prices, depicts two people making silly hand gestures and cavorting around like a couple of crazies. Lo and behold within a few days there are more ads doing the same.Very few advertising agencies have an original thought, much easier to get on the bandwagon. A brilliant exception to this would have to be the boy on the bus for the Cadbury ad. That is original thinking.

Where was I? Oh yes I remember, punctuation. Punctuation is vital. All those little dots, commas, etc; they are there to enable the reader to make some sense out of what is written. I like many others, do not always get it right, but I still try to.

Apologies for hijacking the thread.