the stupidest thing

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Dauphin
Grammar bad no matter provided understood yes.

Me laugh, up thumbs give.

[Dauphin]

What purpose did the word 'because' serve in your first sentence then? (be it stylistically or grammatically).

[Asher]

Why sentence fragments are not bad grammar:

Sentence fragments are dependent clauses, yes. They, therefore, cannot be alone and must be accompanied by another, completing statement or another statement that adds detail.

This is a stylistic choice because a period is read as a slight pause usually, which can be used for emphasis.

In formal, rigid documents this style is frowned upon. Just like mixing up your tenses is. They want each sentence to be an independent clause.

In casual usage, this style is used extensively. The grammar of language evolves over time, and it is grammatically acceptable provided it is linked with another sentence that completes the thought.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Dauphin
What purpose did the word 'because' serve in your first sentence then? (be it stylistically or grammatically).

Because it was in response to a question:

How about just teaching kids how to spell english correctly?

[Dauphin]

The response did not answer the question though.

"Because they have a hard enough time..."....there was no completion to the thought and so the because was not being used as intended.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Dauphin
The response did not answer the question though.

"Because they have a hard enough time".....there was no completion to the thought and so the because was not being used as intended.

You don't think that's a completion of the thought?

Well, that's your problem then.

[Dauphin]

Because they have a hard enough time learning grammar they should not have to learn spelling.

Because they have a hard enough time learning grammar they should make spelling easier.

Could have been anything to complete that sentence, but no, you left it hanging with lack of completion of a sentence.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Dauphin


English is far more Latin than Germanic in terms of quantity of root vocabulary (~80% being Latin derived IIRC ), which may account for the confusion.

True, but appoximately 70% of the words in a given text will be of Germanic origin. Much of the Latin vocab is scientific terminology or "fancy" words which are great for poetry or shading meanings, but aren't used that often.

[Barnabas]

English spelling makes no sense, I dont think it is even really phonetic.

Spanish and German spelling are a lot better.

But it is too late to reform english, I see english spelling as a way of making more complicated a very easy language to learn.

[St Leo]

Originally posted by Mercator
You are deluding yourself. No language has a perfectly phonetic writing system and every language has its quirks.

Perfect for what? Latvian has no pronunciation exceptions whatsoever. Every letter is pronounced the same way every single time. There are advantages to grammar and spelling being systematized in the late 19th/early 20th centuries by lovers of Latin while the only speakers were illiterate peasants if that.:P

[St Leo]

Eether wae, the consept has yet to capcher th publix imajinaeshun.

The article itself shows the problem with making English spelling phonetic -- there are lot of ways to pronounce the damn thing. I would say the same sentence this way:

Ayze wei, ze koncept haz yet to kaptchur ze pablik's imadzhineyshawn.

Your odometer readings may vary.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by St Leo
Your odometer readings may vary.

See, and I would have said, "Your (units of distance traveled per unit of fuel) may vary." I hope the odometer would accurately measure that.