Illogical English

[CalcuoCuchicheo]

Illumattile is techniquely correct, but I think Jokerman's answer is a valid stance to hold.

 

[Illuminattile]

Actually, it's not wrong but optional to use an apostrophe with things like CDs or 80s. It's up to you. I prefer not to because it seems unnecessary. But whichever way you do it, just make sure you're consistent. Don't say 80's in one sentence and then 70s in the next.

But I will use an apostrophe to form a plural when not using it may cause confusion, as in: He got three A's in class. Don't want ppl to confuse it with the word As.

Apostrophes are only supposed to be used when there would be ambiguity if left out, as in your example, or in the sentence "Mind your p's and q's". If you were writing in capitals for some reason, you might need to use an apostrophe to avoid confusion. "I BOUGHT SOME CDS" might cause confusion, so "I BOUGHT SOME CD'S" would be preferred.

 

[Jokerman]

Let's see what ppl here think of these language problems. And I really want you to answer these off the top of your heads. Don't get your usage books or do an internet search. However, for a lot of these you really won't find that much in the books or on the internet.

1. Is ice cream one word or two? Notice it's not iced cream. It stands for a specific thing.

2. crisp and crispy- Both adjectives meaning the same thing. Do we ever need to use crispy because crisp just won't do?

3. Is it log into or log in to? Is it log onto or log on to?

4. Is pants singular or plural. Is there such a thing as a pant?

5. Is it correct to say "The purpose of this report is" and then list two or more items? How about "The purposes of this report are?"

6. What about the word skies? Is it plural? Last time I looked up there was only one sky. Where does one sky end and the next begin?

7. Should we only be capitalizing the word God when we're referring to the Judeo-Christian one? Isn't it unfair to refer to the Wiccan god or Hindu god with a small "g?" Isn't that giving implicit preference to one religion over another? And what if you don't believe in the Judeo-Christian god, should you still have to capitalize the word?

8. People use dairy to refer to dairy products. "I don't eat dairy." Is this good? Will we soon consume farm instead of farm produce? A dairy is where cows live. Should we now say ocean instead of fish? "I don't eat dairy, farm, or ocean."

9. When--and why--did Daylight Saving Time become Daylight Savings Time? And does either term make any sense?

10. Is into and in to interchangeable?


If I get good responses here, I'll come in with my answers to these after.

 

[chaos]

^^^ 3. logon to, login to

 

[Illuminattile]

1. Is ice cream one word or two? Notice it's not iced cream. It stands for a specific thing.

Two. Doesn't necessarily make sense. It was called iced cream, I think it was probably shortened to make it easier to pronounce.

2. crisp and crispy- Both adjectives meaning the same thing. Do we ever need to use crispy because crisp just won't do?

I don't think many poets would say "I woke up on a crispy winter's morn".

3. Is it log into or log in to? Is it log onto or log on to?

The verb is 'log in'/'log on' rather than 'log'.

4. Is pants singular or plural. Is there such a thing as a pant?

Well pants is plural, but a pair of pants is singular. It's like scissors.
Should "The United States is full of idiots" be "The United States are full of idiots"?

5. Is it correct to say "The purpose of this report is" and then list two or more items? How about "The purposes of this report are?"

I'd probably go with the latter, unless the two or more items were different aspects of one purpose.

6. What about the word skies? Is it plural? Last time I looked up there was only one sky. Where does one sky end and the next begin?

I suppose it's more poetic. I might look up and see a grey sky with lots of rain clouds, you might look up and see a clear blue sky with the sun shining down.

7. Should we only be capitalizing the word God when we're referring to the Judeo-Christian one? Isn't it unfair to refer to the Wiccan god or Hindu god with a small "g?" Isn't that giving implicit preference to one religion over another? And what if you don't believe in the Judeo-Christian god, should you still have to capitalize the word?

If it's used as a name, it should be capitalised. The Judeo-Christian God isn't a god, he's the God. If Wiccans and Buddhists only have the one, I'd use a capital letter. If you're referring to Norse gods or Greek gods, maybe not. Some people capitalise 'Kings', some don't.

8. People use dairy to refer to dairy products. "I don't eat dairy." Is this good? Will we soon consume farm instead of farm produce? A dairy is where cows live. Should we now say ocean instead of fish? "I don't eat dairy, farm, or ocean."

Ppl r 2 lazy 2 say it all

9. When--and why--did Daylight Saving Time become Daylight Savings Time? And does either term make any sense?

I don't know why we don't just scrap DST altogether.

10. Is into and in to interchangeable?

Erm...
Anyway, shouldn't that be "Are into and in to interchangeable?"? I don't like how that last sentence ended, with two question marks. That was ugly.

 

[feichen]

Print out my post, roll it up into a point and stab your teacher with it.

'CDs' is the plural of 'CD', as 'cats' is the plural of 'cat'. If 'cats' doesn't need an apostrophe, neither does 'CDs'.

teacher said this:

it has to be CD's because CD is written with capitals. Only americans write CDs .

 

[Illuminattile]

teacher said this:

it has to be CD's because CD is written with capitals. Only americans write CDs .

I'm not American, and I write CDs.

 

[CalcuoCuchicheo]

I'm not American, and I write CDs.

1, 2, 3!

Game Over!

 

[Jokerman]

1. ice cream- Words are usually separated by spaces, but every major American dictionary treats this as one word, and these give “noun” as its part of speech. Steven Pinker defines one of the senses of word as an entity that the rules of syntax cannot separate or rearrange. That seems to be the sense of ice cream that would make it one word.

2. crisp and crispy- When referring to something nonphysical use crisp: crisp morning; when referring to something physical, use crispy: crispy fries. You can use either, but it just doesn’t sound right.

3. Yes, it’s log in to or log on to, though most ppl use log into/onto.

4. pants- What Illuminattile said is correct. I would just add that those in the clothing trade consider a pair of pants to be a pant. It’s correct but only clothing people use it. I guess if you talk about pants day in and out sooner or later you’re going to say “Let me show you a different pant,” rather than pair of pants.

5. Is it correct to say "The purpose of this report is" and then list two or more items? How about "The purposes of this report are?"

It seems illogical to tell people that a report has one purpose and then declare that purpose to be a whole range of things. However, if the list to follow amounts to one complicated thing, I think purpose is fine. If the list really does cover a bunch of things, change purpose to goals or revise the sentence to read “This report is intended to serve four purposes” or something like that.

6. skies- yes, skies is a perfectly good word. “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain…”

7. God/god- Illuminattile covered this well.

8. dairy- In four of the seven major American dictionaries dairy is not defined as anything that can be consumed. But three do say that it can be used to mean “dairy products.” This variation suggests that dairy meaning “dairy products” hovers at the edge of contemporary mainstream English.

9. Daylight Saving/Savings Time- Both variations are acceptable; however, all major Amer. dictionaries agree that none of the words in the phrase should be capped. So: daylight saving time it is.

10. into and in to- The adverb in followed by the preposition to is not to be confused with the preposition into. Because if you say “The suspects turned themselves into the police,” it sounds like they’re magicians or aliens who can change their appearances…It should be in to.


Should "The United States is full of idiots" be "The United States are full of idiots"?

No, because most ppl are referring to one country, one entity, when they use the United States. If they are referring to the states individually then, yes, it would be followed by are.

 

[Dryhus]

"I bought some CD's, mostly music from the 80's."

How often do you see people misuse the apostrophe like that? Plurals don't need apostrophes.

People often use "aswell" as one word, which it's not.

Music from the 80s is also known as 80's music (eighties' music). It's a simple mistake, a mix-up. At least that's my guess.

 

[SeX KiTTeN]

Remember people, an apostophe doesn't just mean the omittion of a letter - it also signifies ownership. By saying "80's music", we are really saying "the music of the eighties".

Eg: "Temi's argument seems plausible." It wouldn't be written "Temis argument seems plausible." That's just grammatically incorrect

 

[Illuminattile]

Music from the 80s is also known as 80's music (eighties' music). It's a simple mistake, a mix-up. At least that's my guess.

Remember people, an apostophe doesn't just mean the omittion of a letter - it also signifies ownership. By saying "80's music", we are really saying "the music of the eighties".

"I bought some CD's today, mostly music from the 80's" is incorrect. "I bought some CD's today, mostly 80's music" isn't, necessarily. Not the best of examples on my part.

 

[Jokerman]

Not the best of examples on my part.

example's

j/p

 

[devils_advok8]

6. What about the word skies? Is it plural? Last time I looked up there was only one sky. Where does one sky end and the next begin?

there are 7 skies, actually

 

[Story]

hot water heater..
- why the hell would u have a hot water heater, redundant

i always liked this one, someone calls me, "yo can i ask you a question"
- belive it or not retard you just did

or "man i couldnt find my car keys, it was in the last place i looked"
- no fucking shit, if you found them, ur not going to keep looking, so its always the last place you looked

 

[Jokerman]

^those were good. hot water heater lol

 

[haunted]

i always liked this one, someone calls me, "yo can i ask you a question"
- belive it or not retard you just did

or "man i couldnt find my car keys, it was in the last place i looked"
- no fucking shit, if you found them, ur not going to keep looking, so its always the last place you looked

hahahahaha funny shit

 

[not really ken]

Can you start a question with and? I always thought you could, if the sentence had become long. However some people lately have told me you can't do that.

 

[Illuminattile]

Can you start a question with and? I always thought you could, if the sentence had become long. However some people lately have told me you can't do that.

And what makes them think that?

Starting sentences with 'and' or 'but' is fine.

 

[Story]

^^ if your writing its completely unacceptable to start a sentence with and or but. if you have a resume or are submitting a paper for publishing with the word AND or BUT beginning a sentence, its going to be sent back to you.