Note to young people on television ads, etc: I realize that you think the way you all talk alike is cute. You girls (and women in their Thirties and some Forties even) affect those high-pitched little valley-girl voices (are you listening, Elizabeth?) and the guys who want to sound like urban thugs or rappers all copy each other.
However, I feel the least you could do is pronounce words properly. Today's lesson, boys and girls, concerns words ending in "n't" - words like "wouldn't." "couldn't," "shouldn't," "hadn't," "didn't" and so on. Look carefully at these words DO YOU SEE AN "E" ANYWHERE IN THEM?
No? Then, perhaps you can explain to me why you pronounce them "wouldent," "couldent," "shouldent," "hasent" and "dident." That apostrophe does NOT take the place of an "E." It takes the place of an "O," as in "would not," "could not," "should not," "has not" and "did not." You should have learned this sometime in elementary school. There are a lot of other words like them, but I just chose them as examples because they are the "pettest" of my pet peeves. Get it? Got it? Good. Now go forth with your knew knowledge and practice, practice, practice.
As long as it stays hot, hot, hot, I will stay cranky, and there will probably be more grammar and pronunciation lessons forthcoming at intervals.
There. I've vented and I feel better, if not cooler.
Stay tuned.
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13 comments:
LOL Glad to I'm not the only one who gets annoyed at the abuse of our language.
I know how you feel, Betty. The one that bugs me the most, because I hear it ALL THE TIME on television, is when people use the pronoun "I" as an object, as in "between you and I," or "they gave it to Brad and I."
Oh, and another "I" one that really irks me: "On Ashley and I's date, we went..." Seriously? What person who has ever gone to school thinks "I's" is a reasonable substitute for "my"?
And one more unrelated one just because I'm on a roll now: several of our local news and weather reporters say "expecially." Does that mean it used to be special but it isn't any longer?
Thanks for providing a forum for me to get those off my chest.
Kay Dennison: I have so many grammar peeves, there are too many for just one blog.
Linda: Or, how about the old stand-by, "I and my friend went to the mall."
Or, "I borrowed him $10.00."
Don't get me started. lol
Check out this funny sketch a friend of mine has on her blog. apt for you this time of the year. Here, it is Winter and when I went out for my break at 2am from my night shift, it was so cold, and the car windows out in the street were iced over!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ACfrHkm2dZk/TiSz0ldjhnI/AAAAAAAAV1I/3Lrc_uiIRrk/s1600/outside_bits.jpg
Or...everything is "like" Every sentence begins with that word.
what about the news crawl just now quoting the President saying he'd "been left at the alter" instead of "altar"...sweet mary sunshine, people! xoxox
I laughed out loud at Judge Judy's reaction when this guy said "I borrowed him $100". I deal with the public in my work and when I hear bad grammar I can actually feel myself wince and I'm sure it shows on my face....no matter how hard I try to hide it. Young people today just don't seem to care and, sadly, THEIR parents didn't care in the first place or they wouldn't be talking like that. And YES...I have to blame the school system just as much.
p.s. I yell at my TV also. LOL
It's the same here in the UK Betty.
Kids can't string a sentence together without "like", and end one without "in'it" or "know what I mean?", and how come that English kids now sound like American 'gangsta' rappers ?
Those little girl voices are bad and the grammar is worse.
The use of "I mean" and "you know" are constant. Are they stalling to think what they want to say next?
I guess saying 'dident is better than 'dint', but not by much.
My pet peeve is 'ain't'. Why is it easier to say 'ain't' than 'isn't'?
How about split infinitives? They can be hilarious as in Cazzie's example above.
"Like-you know?" drives me crazy. I always want to say, "No. I don't know. And I don't 'like'?"
I'm cranky in the winter so imagine what I'm like when it's hot!!
I de-activated my Twitter account, another friend e-mailed me to say Tweets were going out about working from home and other crap
I never went there anywhere so I just killed it
thanks for letting me know
Right with you Betty. I have many 'grammar peeves' too. I sure don't know how the kids today will ever speak proper English with all the Twittering and texting they do. They're growing up by a very different standard. It makes me want to cry.
I'm so with you on this topic - even if it's cold and snowing! I don't need heat to make me cranky about this subject.
I don't understand how being stupid is cool. I don't get how talking poorly is cool. And when the school has a big ole sign out front and is filled with misspelled words and /or poor grammar they should be fired. period. end of story.
I can not spell worth a lick but for heaven's sake I am not writing on a board lit up in front of a SCHOOL!!!
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