My title makes a blanket statement about the entirety of the ProU community. It is likely an untrue statement, at that. It is very possible that someone on this site is a certifiable genius. A more accurate--or at least, safer--statement would read, "Not Everyone on Progressive U Is a Genius." This is most certainly true.
Let's do a little intelligence test, shall we? (This applies only to those whose first language is English. And I'm sorry that I judge intelligence by understanding of one's first language, but on an English language blogging site, what other measure is there?) It's an easy test; just one question. Were you able to identify the difference between the meaning of my title and the meaning of the amended version?
Just in case anyone got lost along the way, here's the difference. The title states that everyone isn't a genius, therefore, NO ONE on the site is a genius. But I would never say that. In the amended version, the word "not" places conditions on the subject, "everyone," rather than the verb, "is." It functions as an adjective here, rather than an adverb. Both statements use the same words, but the order of those words changes the meaning drastically.
Bartleby.com, a one-stop shopping resource for English majors, has this to say about the use of the word "not":
You should be careful where you put not and other negatives in a sentence in order to avoid ambiguity. The sentence All classes are not open to enrollment could be taken to mean either “All classes are closed to enrollment” or “Not all classes are open to enrollment.” Similarly, the sentence Kim didn’t sleep until noon could mean either “Kim went to sleep at noon” or “Kim got up before noon.”
It is my pet peeve, and unfortunately, it is becoming more and more of an annoyance every day. I have heard this syntactical error several times this week alone from people who should know better. All the presidential candidates have done it. An NPR reporter said this week, "We all can't afford to..."
Let me tell you what we all can't afford. We all can't afford to let this syntax error slide, because syntax, or meaning as informed by word order, is the rule of law when it comes to the meaning of our language. If it changes, nothing that came before will make sense to future generations. And yes, I phrased that exactly as I mean it.
I failed grammer class level english three times before just skipping it all together.
I originally read your title as the words in your editted version. Once you started 'talking' and showed the edited version I knew exactly what you meant. Then you got in the grammer lesson and I got lost. I guess I am the kind of person who does not need to know 'why' just that it is.
Maybe the candidates do this on purpose so that people hear what they want and the runner can say what they mean???
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
Wow! I hadn't thought about that! I wonder if that's they they do it? I wouldn't be surprised...
And the fact that it now looks normal to people just shows how pervasive the mistake is becoming.
And your blogs have never struck me as lacking in the grammar department. But you KNOW I'll be on the lookout now! (Policing grammar is sort of a hobby of mine. Or bad habit...whatever you want to call it). ;)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Well, it's not the same exact thing, but I remember someone in one of the organization I'm a part of sending out an e-mail (in reference to a dinner reservation) that said: "I need to call them to let them know we're coming at 5". Now, I took it exactly how it says... that she was telling them we'd get there at 5. What she meant was that she was going to call at 5 to let them know we're coming (our reservation was supposed to be at 6).
~C
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That's a split infinitive! It's the same thing...changing the meaning of the sentence by changing the word order.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
As you can guess, I have no idea what that means. I know that in order for the e-mailed sentence to say what it was meant to, the person should have used a comma or two.
By the way I am really glad that the grammar nazi blogger finally either relaxed or left. For awhile I was afraid to post for retribution from that person. I think I learned how to write a sentence since then to though.
A mistake similar to the everybody vs every body, is the a lot vs alot issue, I do this way to often for knowing its wrong.
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
I got all excited about taking the test... but then you gave away the answer :(
The other one that bothers me is everybody versus every body. One is plural referring to a group of people collectively - the other is singular, referring to each individual member of the group. This can also change the meaning of your title.
Of course, I could go on and on about grammar mistakes that people make that annoy the shit out of me... but I'm sure you don't want my rant in regard to that...
:D
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence
The way you italicized "regard" has me worried...
eh
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
LOL, I don't think you have...but I see it so often that I don't even know anymore who has or who has not done it.
I always have to shake my head and giggle whenever I see someone writing the phrase "in regards to"...
as though they want to show their affection for...
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence
I probably do that all of the time.
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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...are when people say things are based off of something instead of based on, when people write your when they mean you're (or vice versa), and when people insist on spelling definitely as definately. I could go on, but I won't!
LOL, or "this is better then that."
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence
I'm guilt of the "based off of" when I speak, but not when I write, as far as I am aware. I tend to mangle the English language as I talk...it's really just the dialect of my region...and for the most part, I'm fine with it when people are talking. But when writing...look out, people, my inner editor has a flamethrower.
And in regard to "definitely." I see it spelled, ALL the time, "defiantly." I'm fairly certain that's the wrong word in context...and it bothers me that when I point it out, people get defensive because their spell-checks said it was right. Yes, it is spelled correctly. It's just the wrong word!!!!! :-&
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
--
The Story of Myself
I love it because sometimes the accident geives you a glimpse at the person....They are defiantly annoying!
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
rofl
How very true!
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
--
The Story of Myself
I decided to read this blog because my inner editor kicked herself into action at the sight of your title. She thought you were going for the edited version in the title, but once I started reading, she calmed down and realized you'd done it on purpose. :)X
I will admit, I don't know much about grammar. For me, it's all instinctive. I can tell when something isn't right, for the most part. But I can't name most of the rules and such. And I'll admit, I tend to overuse commas, because I place them at the places my internal voice pauses while dictating to my fingers. [-( My English teacher really gets on my case about that...
Wait a minute...back on topic here! I do agree that grammar issues like the one you presented need to be corrected. It makes me so sad when I see people make little mistakes like that and not know the difference! My friend from China, who's still learning English, has better grammar that half of the kids at our school...so terribly tragic! ;'(
When I become an editor one day, writers are going to hate me for my insistence on complete correctness of grammar.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
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The Story of Myself
They'll be better for it. You wanna help with a couple of mini projects now?
~C
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I am not sure why this comment struck me as funny but I embarassed the hell out of myself by laughing out loud in my empty room.
Oh, and there are no "mini projects" when you are a grammar buddy.
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
Well, compared to the 300+ page novels I read, this is indeed a mini project. Of course, that's not saying much, since it's already 46 pages, and we still have over half the book to cover.
~C
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If I'm being offered the chance to let my inner editor loose, I'll gladly do it!
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
--
The Story of Myself
I'm a comma freak for the exact same reason. Unfortunately, my instructors tend to let them slide so the habit just gets worse and carries over to my creative writing. It's terrible. When I eventually finish all of my writing, I'll feel great sympathy for whichever editor (and Fanaile!) is saddled with my comma compulsion.
And thanks to this blog, I had to edit that last sentence seven times because it didn't look right.
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/commas_turning_up
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
rofl
Awesome!
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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Oh, man. I just reread it, and the commas in the middle of William Safire kill me every time! Does that make me a nerd?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
rofl
I'm not quite that bad with commas, thankfully, but...
The ellipses...they're following me...
They're just so useful for indicating dramatic pauses when communicating online!!!
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
--
The Story of Myself
I will just say all of this confuses me. I am not stupid, but I have the hardest time comprehending things. I can read something then have to read it over about 50 times to understand it. Although I understand what you were saying my mind interprets things differently when I read them sometimes. It is very hard for me to concentrate and I think all of this is due to my anxiety disorder.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
You always manage to get your point across with no confusion, so no worries!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I want to say no, but I'm finding more reasons to say yes. If we don't practice good grammar on ProU, then we're shooting ourselves in the foot. If we can't get it right here, then we'll make mistakes when we are scientists, lawyers, activists, teachers, etc.
Maybe not everyone needs to fall victim to a grammar nazi as long as they are understood, but we are writing here. Writing should be understood, so we need grammar.
I guess we had better shape up as a community to have better grammar!
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
I hear the argument (mainly from kids) all the time that if you get your point across, grammar doesn't matter--as long as you are understood. I can see the point, in some settings, but as you noted, we here at ProU are students working toward something bigger. We'll be in leadership positions someday. If language is to maintain its meaning, it has to maintain its rules, so for the preservation of meaning, those in leadership positions have a responsibility to at least TRY to get it right.
IMHO, that is.
Is that elitist?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
You have high ambitions for yourself and the rest of us on ProU. We need those ambitions or else we'd all slack off and not produce any real substance. We need understandable substance as well, but not just understandable--professional. I think that's what I was getting at earlier. How can we expect anyone to take us seriously if we have the ability to reach a high level in our writing, but we take the easy way out because we're lazy with our grammar? It just doesn't gel. If we're serious and commited, then we need good grammar.
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
I couldn't agree more. Where's the good grammar dance smiley? What would one of those even look like? I guess this one will have to do:
:?!)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
There is some leeway in being grammatically correct. If you're writing any sort of academic paper, you want to be understood the best you can and so grammar is important. However, when, say, writing a novel, you have a little more leeway in the style of your prose. You can write with sentence fragments, assuming it works in the rest of the prose. You can write run-on sentences in a sort of stream-of-consciousness thing. All these break grammar rules, but they're used to define a certain mentality in the person speaking (narrator or actual character).
~C
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Bad grammer can be used to create voice, character or even understanding? I was going to say something else but I forgot and I really should go back to my shop before I get into trouble for ditching work.
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
Never read As I Lay Dying, did you? Poor grammar throughout the novel, and yet it's an American classic.
~C
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Or Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Same deal.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Another point along those lines... people will find what you have written and make fun of you elsewhere. I was Googling ProgressiveU last night and came across a website in which ProgressiveU users were being laughed at for some of the idiotic things they've written, for their inability to spell and for grammar mistakes. Dare I say it was mildly amusing? But seriously, if you don't want the entire world pointing and laughing at you... don't make an ass of yourself on a website that is linked all over the place!
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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I, too, am a grammar nazi, addicted to language, if you will. In fact, I am the "go to" person at my school for all grammar needs and questions. It's sick, really, but I can't help myself. I love language. I love it even more when it is correct. And when it is not, it makes me crazy. In fact, that is part of the reason I clicked on this blog. I wanted to see who had written such an ambiguous title, and if they really meant to do so! Well done, you.
Above, I read someone who had said, "I guess I'm just the kind of person who just doesn't need to know about grammar." Not true!! Everyone should have a basic understanding of grammar and correct language if they wish to communicate well in this society. Perhaps it was poor instruction, not servicing your learning style. I don't suggest giving up learning this invaluable skill.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kariskoett
"All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."
-Buddha
Okay, this is way off topic, but...
How are you guys doing those awesome emoticons? Just by typing? And I love grammar and writing. I admit I can overuse commas, though. (She carefully places a period here. And (wait, no starting sentences with "And," right? yes, I understood the differences in the two titles. I tutor and lecture English related material, though, so doubt it's just organic. Go academia!
When you reply to something, right under 'Reply', there's a link that says "Smileys". Click on it to see all the smileys.
~C
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