THE WATERCOOLER

Also, it's not "me and my friend" debating. It's "my friend and I." Others go first in this construction, and you wouldn't say "me am debating," would you? You'd say "I am debating"

I've heard ''me & my friend'' used many times in real life & never heard ''my friend & I'' used, sometimes grammar has to step aside for realism.
 
I've heard ''me & my friend'' used many times in real life & never heard ''my friend & I'' used, sometimes grammar has to step aside for realism.

Not and make anyone believe you are an educated person. This is a classic way of identifying someone who was on their cell phone rather than listening in high school English class.
 
Not and make anyone believe you are an educated person. This is a classic way of identifying someone who was on their cell phone rather than listening in high school English class.

You have no idea how many times I have corrected this very thing. I think some of the authors must have been asleep in English class when this was taught.
 
You have no idea how many times I have corrected this very thing. I think some of the authors must have been asleep in English class when this was taught.
In German we have a saying "Der Esel nennt sich selbst zuerst", meaning that only a dumb person would call themself first. Some of my Anglophone friends already call me a grammar nazi. lol
 
Scammers?

Hi there
I have had request to edit/correct a love letter which I find a bit strange, has anyone else had a similar request and is there scammers trying to use our talents?
 
I've heard ''me & my friend'' used many times in real life & never heard ''my friend & I'' used, sometimes grammar has to step aside for realism.

Just because people choose to speak incorrectly most of the time (myself included more than I care to admit) does not mean it's correct nor does it mean correct grammar must step aside as if it doesn't exist. When incorrect: grammar (me & my friend, etc.); spelling (luv, etc.) and word usage (to for two, your for you're, etc.) are excessively used, it gives the impression that the person is illiterate/uneducated which, in most cases, is not true. Most people go to school. I won't believe that schools teach improper spelling, grammar and word usage but I do believe each person makes his/her own choice to/not to use their knowledge. Unfortunately, much of the decision used is due to peer pressure...to be part of the crowd.
 
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I use the "me and my friend" and "my friend and I" differing usage to determine if someone is literate or not. I don't see grammar changing for changing times on this but I do see an increasing number of people who basically aren't literate.
 
Can anyone come in here and grip about crap, or is it reserved for editors?
This forum is really for editorial chatter, but you don't need to be an editor to come here. If you have something to say or ask about story editing, this forum is the place.

If you want to comment or have questions about writer stuff in general, there's the AH.

Keep an eye on the age of threads too - you've commented here for the first time in eighteen months, so the mix of players will be different, and the specific conversation might be over. Sometimes it's better just to start a new thread.
 
This forum is really for editorial chatter, but you don't need to be an editor to come here. If you have something to say or ask about story editing, this forum is the place.

If you want to comment or have questions about writer stuff in general, there's the AH.

Keep an eye on the age of threads too - you've commented here for the first time in eighteen months, so the mix of players will be different, and the specific conversation might be over. Sometimes it's better just to start a new thread.

Thank you for that information and the tips.
 
Just because people choose to speak incorrectly most of the time (myself included more than I care to admit) does not mean it's correct nor does it mean correct grammar must step aside as if it doesn't exist. When incorrect: grammar (me & my friend, etc.); spelling (luv, etc.) and word usage (to for two, your for you're, etc.) are excessively used, it gives the impression that the person is illiterate/uneducated which, in most cases, is not true. Most people go to school. I won't believe that schools teach improper spelling, grammar and word usage but I do believe each person makes his/her own choice to/not to use their knowledge. Unfortunately, much of the decision used is due to peer pressure...to be part of the crowd.
And this is why oldnakeddad is my favorite VE on this site :)
 
It isn't that I disagree with the old school linguists, but how do you adjust when Merriam-webster adds words like "ain't" to the dictionary. Language evolves largely through the general public. I've always been fascinated with etymology. It's one of those common "there's right, there's wrong, and then there's both" paradoxes I enjoy reading about and researching.

Remember arguing with a friend over "less" and "fewer". Fewer, numbers. Less, general. Ok. (By the way is it ok or okay?)

She would ostentatiously correct anyone and everyone if they said less instead of fewer. One day I snapped and pointed out that she was in the "10 items or LESS" line. In common language (states) less is interchangeable with fewer these days.

Anyway, I enjoy the argument but I think it's one of those deceptively subjective topics with the pretense of some absolute solution -- the solution really doesn't exist.

'Tis is the older contraction of it's. Aren't (am not and are not) is the original contraction of Ain't.

'Tis = old / it's = new
Aren't = old / ain't = new

Whether it's a school paper, email or a story you'd be rightly smacked upside the head if you replaced every instance of it's with 'tis. And smacked again if you substituted ain't for aren't. Old = bad and new = bad. Go figure.

I digress... The history, evolution and argument still fascinates me. But like with the meaning of life (question), I don't bother picking a side in such a fluid idealogy. I simply cherry pick when I need to and watch from the sidelines when I'm not directly involved.

For what it's worth, I refuse to use the word ain't and accept that one day after I'm dead using aren't instead ain't will be marked with red ink. And at the same time I (often outloud) curse every spell checker that refuses to let me type can not - changing it to cannot.

But I'm "wrong".

Edit: Wow, knew it was old but just noticed it was five months. Sorry, I'm bored and needed a break from... editing. No joke.
 
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It isn't that I disagree with the old school linguists, but how do you adjust when Merriam-webster adds words like "ain't" to the dictionary. Language evolves largely through the general public. I've always been fascinated with etymology. It's one of those common "there's right, there's wrong, and then there's both" paradoxes I enjoy reading about and researching.

'Tis is the older contraction of it's. Aren't (am not and are not) is the original contraction of Ain't.

'Tis = old / it's = new
Aren't = old / ain't = new

Whether it's a school paper, email or a story you'd be rightly smacked upside the head if you replaced every instance of it's with 'tis. And smacked again if you substituted ain't for aren't. Old = bad and new = bad. Go figure.

I digress... The history, evolution and argument still fascinates me. But like with the meaning of life (question), I don't bother picking a side in such a fluid idealogy. I simply cherry pick when I need to and watch from the sidelines when I'm not directly involved.

For what it's worth, I refuse to use the word ain't and accept that one day after I'm dead using aren't instead ain't will be marked with red ink. And at the same time I (often outloud) curse every spell checker that refuses to let me type can not - changing it to cannot.

But I'm "wrong".

Edit: Wow, knew it was old but just noticed it was five months. Sorry, I'm bored and needed a break from... editing. No joke.



I’m bored, too, and need a break from boredom.

TedTalk w/ Dean Anne Curzan on evolving etymology

Ain’t ain’t incorrect and it ain’t the same as aren’t. Long story short, it’s been a contraction used by educated people the way it’s used today since the 18th C.
 
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There are two types of U.S. style English-language dictionaries: Descriptive--what "is" as it becomes established (e.g. Merriam-Webster Collegiate) and Prescriptive--what should be after time to settle as predominately used (e.g., The American Heritage Dictionary). U.S. fiction and general nonfiction publishing goes with the Descriptive.
 
There are two types of U.S. style English-language dictionaries: Descriptive--what "is" as it becomes established (e.g. Merriam-Webster Collegiate) and Prescriptive--what should be after time to settle as predominately used (e.g., The American Heritage Dictionary). U.S. fiction and general nonfiction publishing goes with the Descriptive.

Thanks, it’s really helpful to know that distinction!
 
No she hasn't been tested for diabetes or hypoglycemia because this isn't something they are concerned with. She drinks plenty of fruit juice throughout the day.

The fainting are not only once or twice a day but more like 8-15 times/day. And now more and more she's out of it for longer period of time. She's passed all the test they could think of so far and everything came back negative. Now we're waiting on the results of an EEG test as now the doctor is thinking that it might be related to a minor form of epilepsy:eek: Which would REALLY surprise me as I know what epilepsy looks like like...my son suffers from it and I've seen it enough time to know what is is and isn't.

Seizure activity can be a much, much more subtle occurrence than you are aware of or have experience with. Some seizure occurrences may involve only a brief moment of confusion with no "fainting" or other symptoms other than fatigue or dizziness, rather than the routinely observed petite or gran mal seizures. One key is whether her blood pressure has dropped during the fainting spells, and you can easily determine this with a standard home BP cuff and stethoscope. If her BP has dropped the cause is biochemical or vascular, but if her BP is normal during the episodes the cause is more than likely neurological.
 
I've heard ''me & my friend'' used many times in real life & never heard ''my friend & I'' used, sometimes grammar has to step aside for realism.
Is "me and my shadow" ok?

:) (Tongue firmly planted in cheek)
 
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