English

Started by terrysoham, August 26, 2016, 09:34:54 PM

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terrysoham

"How to weather an 'N'gauge diesel"

This is the title of an interesting article by Dave Lowery in the latest edition of Model Rail.

I go into a local primary school as a volunteer for two days each week and help Year One children.   It is a constant struggle to teach written English because of the poor examples they see all around them.

Am I alone to be concerned about the 2 errors of English in that one title?

Terry Metcalfe
Ely and District Model Railway Club
Building a new layout based on Soham.

jpendle

I think the use of 'an' in front of 'En Gauge' sic, is appropriate as that is how one should say it in spoken English.

I suppose the other error could be if you're worried about the use of  'diesel' as a noun rather than as an adjective.

I assume that you would prefer,

"How to weather a N Gauge Diesel Locomotive"

Let battle commence  :D

John P

Check out my layout thread.

Contemporary NW (Wigan Wallgate and North Western)

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39501.msg476247#msg476247

And my Automation Thread

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=52597.msg687934#msg687934

Sprintex

Quote from: terrysoham on August 26, 2016, 09:34:54 PM
Am I alone to be concerned about the 2 errors of English in that one title?

Probably not, but if it bothers you that much in the grand scheme of things then maybe you should be? ;)


Paul

Agrippa

There shouldn't be quotation marks round N, after all
you would not say
Nothing is certain but death and taxes -Benjamin Franklin

railsquid

U wurry 2 much, m8.

I'd be hard-pressed to find two blatant errors, at most the 'quotation' marks would 'annoy' me.

Bealman

As a retired high school teacher (Physics, not English, mind you), it doesn't really bother me.... in fact what bothers me most is the lack of a space between N and gauge, which is probably a typo which we all make from time to time. The quotation marks are annoying, though.
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Chris Morris

So what are the two errors? I'm reasonably well educated but I can't see a problem.
Working doesn't seem to be the perfect thing for me so I'll continue to play.
Steve Marriott / Ronnie Lane

mr bachmann

now I'm wondering how many 3 to 5 year olds model N scale/gauge ???

woodbury22uk

In this internet age we are exposed to all sorts of spelling and grammar errors on a daily basis. I read an amusing message a few days back:- " My dog Mollie has black all round her mouth. She must of eaten some lickrish".

(E&OE just in case.)
Mike

Membre AFAN 0196

Chetcombe

 Firstly, I agree the article was an interesting one - well worth a read if you haven't!

I also groan when I see spelling and grammar errors, particularly in anything published. Although in these days of spellcheck spelling errors are much less frequent than in the fabled times of the Grauniad!

Headlines of course are not complete sentences and thus are not subject to quite as strict rules as the paragraphs that follow. So if you view the actual headline as a sentence you could also criticize the use of capitals and the unecessary ellipsis! In the context of a headline though, both are fine, particularly as the article is one of several in a 'How to...' series.

"HOW TO... WEATHER AN 'N' GAUGE DIESEL"

I am guessing though that the grammatical errors are the use of 'an' before a word beginning with a consonant and the use of the quotation marks. I agree the latter is unnecessary, especially in the context of its use to bring attention to the term "N" - this is a model railway magazine so I think the author can assume that all the readers will be familiar with the term! The use of a or an is an interesting one. I actually adhere to the rule that the author has used in that it doesn't actually matter whether the next word begins with a vowel or a consonant, what matters is whether the next word begins with a vowel sound or not. So 'an hour' and 'a unique fact' would both be correct as would 'an N gauge diesel'.

I am more than happy to be corrected, both on the use of a or an, or if I have missed another error!
Mike

See my layout here Chetcombe
Videos of Chetcombe on YouTube

MJKERR

I just observe them, and ignore them
People go on about the English language evolving, and certain words and phrases can be interpreted and written in different manners

So long as message gets through, and is understood as originally intended, then the language element has worked

The latest one is of for have

Zebedee

Kids today don't talk proper like wat we duze  ;)

Newportnobby

I gave up on English as it is wrote (thank you Ernie Wise) long ago as, basically, the language has gone to the dogs in my opinion. I had to laugh at the TV the other morning when they were talking about GCSE results and one girl was yelling "I got a A in English!" She obviously bribed someone.
@Chetcombe
Now to get really serious, and I apologise for using Chetcombe as an example here but consider taking a little extra time to read anything written and spot all the unnecessary 'that' words used.

Quote from: Chetcombe on August 27, 2016, 05:57:52 PM

I am guessing though that the grammatical errors are the use of 'an' before a word beginning with a consonant and the use of the quotation marks.

Removal of that 'that' changes nothing but reduces the sentence by a word. I have to say I have read some paperback fiction where the book could actually have been several pages shorter if all the surplus 'thats' had been edited out.

Maurits71

I have a saying, if you don't understand my English I am more than happy to explain in Dutch.

internet is one thing, but professional publications should be correct
Hills and Meadows on social media

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Chetcombe

Quote from: newportnobby on August 27, 2016, 08:35:16 PM
I gave up on English as it is wrote (thank you Ernie Wise) long ago as, basically, the language has gone to the dogs in my opinion. I had to laugh at the TV the other morning when they were talking about GCSE results and one girl was yelling "I got a A in English!" She obviously bribed someone.
@Chetcombe
Now to get really serious, and I apologise for using Chetcombe as an example here but consider taking a little extra time to read anything written and spot all the unnecessary 'that' words used.

Quote from: Chetcombe on August 27, 2016, 05:57:52 PM

I am guessing though that the grammatical errors are the use of 'an' before a word beginning with a consonant and the use of the quotation marks.

Removal of that 'that' changes nothing but reduces the sentence by a word. I have to say I have read some paperback fiction where the book could actually have been several pages shorter if all the surplus 'thats' had been edited out.

I knew I had set myself up with this post :D
Mike

See my layout here Chetcombe
Videos of Chetcombe on YouTube

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