- #61
The Bob
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pig said:What are the words in Croatian? That's where I'm from.
Skeuir Lanimgo
The Bob (2004 ©)
The internet is destroying grammar
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The discussion centers on the impact of the internet on grammar, with participants expressing concern over the decline in grammatical standards in online communication. Many acknowledge their own lapses in grammar while critiquing others, highlighting common errors such as mixing up "loose" and "lose." The conversation includes humorous takes on grammar rules, with some participants advocating for flexibility in grammar usage, especially in creative writing. There is a recognition that while grammar rules are important for clarity, informal contexts allow for more leniency. The role of technology, particularly spell-checkers, in shaping language is also debated, with some expressing frustration over their influence on traditional spelling and grammar conventions. Overall, the thread reflects a mix of nostalgia for strict grammar rules and acceptance of evolving language practices in digital communication.
Skeuir Lanimgo
The Bob (2004 ©)
- #62
zoobyshoe
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You may complain about ambiguity, affectively, but that won't effect any changes. The affect of ambiguity is happy-go-lucky. This effectively affects all of us here at PF. This is not just a notion I have affected. Affectation is not effective. The effects of an affected affect affect affective responses ([i.e.] they effectively affect the affect of those affected).plover said:
Affect aside, the ambiguity caused by confusing the words "affect" and "effect" can affect the clarity of expository prose in posts about physics. Consider: "Will that affect a change?" This might mean what it says or it might mean "Will this effect a change?" You can't really tell.
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The Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has a particularly long usage commentary for the transitive verb effect:
"usage The confusion of the verbs affect and effect is not only quite common but has a long history.Effect was used in place of 3affect as early as 1494 and in place of 2affect as early as 1652. If you think you want to use the verb effect but are not certain, check the definitions in this dictionary. The noun affect is sometimes mistakenly used for effect. Except when your topic is psychology, you will seldom need the noun affect."
The noun affect they are referring to is accented on the first syllable, and is primarily used in psychology and psychiatry to refer to emotion, or the outward appearance of emotion. A patient with a "blunted affect", for example, is one who seems pathologically lacking in emotion.
"The Edison Affect", therefore, would refer to the expression on Edison's face, not the thermiotic effect he discovered.
It was amusing when, once or twice, I've seen references to "the Edison affect", or "the Einstein affect".
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- #63
jimmy p
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Quote from Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist.
Get the Grammar Gestapo on that.
Get the Grammar Gestapo on that.
- #64
pig
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The Bob said:Skeuir Lanimgo
The Bob (2004 ©)
That's definitely not Croatian
- #65
The Bob
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pig said:That's definitely not Croatian
Well a Croatian told me it was. Never mind.
The Bob (2004 ©)
- #66
Prometheus
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Destroy is a value judgment, and one that I do not agree with. As well, I do not know why you cast blame on the Internet.Evo said:
Some of these are still considered rules. Others remain rules only in the minds of prescriptive purists.
For example, the evolution of adverbs into adjectives, such as correctly into correct, is not the fault of the Internet. Neither is it the destruction of grammar.Monique said: