Why Do So Many Native English Speakers Write "your" When They Mean "you're"?

[Statebriga]

Do they really not know the difference or what? And how can so many people have problems with it?

[jno]

Shakespeare probably didn't make up that many words - he's just left the best preserved record of the words he did use; lesser authors' manuscripts have vanished, and oral usage has left no traces. And a lot of what Shakespeare did was using old words in new ways (turning nouns into verbs and so on).

[Mamyalynne]

Now you are just getting inebriated with the exuberance of your own verbosity Kval, I've warned you before about that ;-)

[kvalidir]

Okay you're eximberantly scrumdumptious too Hypog ;-)

[kvalidir]

I know, I should sit down before I hurt myself:) Actually I'm up late because my sugar levels are twitchy and I do get a bit mental when that happens :)

[Hypognosis]

//I assumed, evidently wrongly, that if poor grammar and punctuation upset you, then people making words up to suit themselves willy nilly would have given you a fit :) //


Even a pedant, like myself, has no objection to newly made-up words. I do it myself, to relieve the boredom. I don't often expose them to public scrutiny, mind you.

New words represent creativity, misusing old ones is decay. If someone misused one of the words -you- so rumbumptiously made up, then you'd be justifiably upset by it.

I can only imagine but it's on the same level as writing a song and then hearing it being mangled by someone in a karaoke bar,

[ChillDoubt]

My current favourite made-up word: Testiculating i.e. waving ones arms around whilst talking b0llox!

Another was from The Thick Of It, when Jamie said he was having to deal with a 'catastraf**k'.

[kvalidir]

Actually, you've got me there that's true, I'd be mightily peeved, so I'd better shut up now :)

[BlackadderV]

...and Shakespeare wrote, "The kvalidir of mercy is not strained..."

[kvalidir]

I like both of those chill, theyre great:)
Since my blood sugar is now gravitating towards a charming 7, iIm going to slope off to bedski and hope it stays around there:)

Night all xxx

[Hypognosis]

Full Moon, 08 October, 11:51am. kval's avatar is most appropriate.

No night owl threads lately. What happened to those?

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OvO
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[BlackadderV]

I used to be a werewolf, but I'm alright NOOOOOWWW!

[douglas9401]

"Not now, Hc....much as this foreigner loves the Queen's English....it's not enough to get strung up about...or post on a forum about.....x"

Plainly not the case, Gness :-)

[janbee]

Hoo nose ?

[Old_Geezer]

It's poor schooling in the main. Admittedly though we can all make errors when rushing to get a post out. I get most annoyed at not being able to correct the ones that slip past my proof-reading.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO Newly made up words are only acceptable for common use when an existing one does not cover the desired meaning. Or arguably when the language is missing some word that looks as if, by the grammar rules, should already exist.

[gness]

Your right, Douglas....that's not what the op was doing and it looks as if I jumped on him for that....

It happens so often now on hear.....a member picked up for the above or for.....their they are....on there feet.....that I get grumpy at the unkindness far to quickly.....

Apologies, State...but if you do do it.....I'll be on your tale.....☺

[jim360]

I'm not sure the parallel chilldoubt draws with getting sums wrong is correct. Mathematical results are absolute and universal. Two plus two is always four, up to how you name those numbers. But language is fluid. It changes between and within generations. "Yours" doesn't need an apostrophe before the s. Two hundred years ago it did though (eg jane Austen in pride and prejudice). A hundred years from now it may well have an apostrophe again.

Fluidity is at the heart of language. Given that we can't afford to be too rigid about language "rules" that are actually guidelines anyway, and more to with convention. I'd certainly teach these cconventions to children though because it is a useful life skill to be able to construct a coherent sentence. But beyond a certain point it becomes less worthwhile mentioning it. As long as the meaning is clear and/ or obvious then you may as well leave it. And clarity of meaning is what language is for anyway. Obviously if you don't understand what they mean you should be entitled to ask for clarification but that's different.

[gness]

Jim....you took the words out of my mouth...... ;-)

[Old_Geezer]

I could show you how 2 plus 2 = 10 if you wish ?
:-p

[EDDIE51]

I have noticed on AB that the threads from people who ask what sentence to expect for ABH/GBH almost invariably have terrible grammar and spelling. It can be difficult to understand exactly what they are to explain.
It happens too often too be coincidence.