spelling

[winchester85]

it sure appears that people on this site can spell better than on other sites. one forum that i am on, a guy sent me a pm. his spelling and punctuation was so bad that i couldnt determine what he was saying!
not sure why it would be, are casters more literate than predator hunters?

[btroj]

We have a few with poor grammar and spelling skills too.

I think some do I out of habit, some to just be a pain.

When it gets bad enou for me to have a hard time following what is said I give up and stop reading.

I don't think we can say one segment of the shooting world is more literate than another.

[nanuk]

I think one BIG problem is folks using "Stupid" phones

no punctuation, abbreviated spelling, and Text-Speak

we are dumbing down

[cheese1566]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

[OBIII]

For one thing, a lot of people on this forum are older, not saying young is dumb, just that us old folks were raised in a different world. I understand that they are beginning to not teach writing in cursive, anymore. That means that in a few thousand years, anything written in cursive will be needing a "rosetta" stone to figure out. Won't future archaeologists have fun. But, that said, nanuk is just as correct. Du u undrstnd?

[runfiverun]

i had an [intelligent?] young man turn in a job evaluation in text speak.
i could not understand a single word he wrote.
needless to say he didn't get a raise.
he did get councelled,and a second try.

[gew98]

I see this more and more these days...and it bugs me. It's obvious it's not lack of typing skills. And the worst culprits are those dummies that use "text" abbreviations and expect me to respond to such garbled bunk.

[oneokie]

I think that many of the members here use firefox browser with automatic spell check.

[Fishman]

I think one BIG problem is folks using "Stupid" phones

no punctuation, abbreviated spelling, and Text-Speak

we are dumbing down

Actually, my "stupid phone" autocorrects my spelling and even puts in periods for me. I don't need it to, but it's a nice feature. Don't blame the tool for the fool using it.

Edit - after reviewing your comment a second time it appears we are in agreement. It's some of the folks using the phones.

[Ickisrulz]

it sure appears that people on this site can spell better than on other sites. one forum that i am on, a guy sent me a pm. his spelling and punctuation was so bad that i couldnt determine what he was saying!
not sure why it would be, are casters more literate than predator hunters?

Do they happen to use capital letters to begin sentences?

[Love Life]

Do they happen to use capital letters to begin sentences?

Zing!!!!

[x101airborne]

And it just eats me up when I get a PM with no punctuation and a lot of misspelled words. I know I misspell a lot, but when every word sounds like something written after a fifth of scotch, it just eats me up. No need for perfection, but when you are TRYING to get a new History channel show named after you, I mean, come on!

[429421Cowboy]

I agree, I know I have my fair share of words spelt (!) wrong on accident due to either typing error or honestly not knowing the difference, but i do try and properly punctuate sentences and start them with capitals to better get my meaning across. It really throws me off when posts are totally devoid of capital letters, OR GO TO THE EXTREME THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE SOMEBODY HIT CAPS LOCK. THIS ALSO MAKES IT HARD TO SEE WHERE ONE SENTENCE ENDS ANDTHE NEXT STARTS. Same for misuse of two-to-too, your-you're, their-there-they're. But all in all this site is pretty well stocked and generally very user friendly. I prefer to not use text/chatspeak besides the usual LOL or IMHO as is common on forums now days. I also partially blame Word and other spellchecked programs, they often put capital letters and puncuation, leading to writers that simply type without slowing down for the extra keys.

[303Guy]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are,I got half way through before I realised there was something wrong![smilie=l:

I only spell sort of OK because I use Google Chrome which has a spell checker. It doesn't have grammar correction or left out word alert though.

[geargnasher]

My spell checker is a little tab link to an online dictionary that is perpetually "up" on my tabs bar. The problem is remembering to use it, and knowing when to use it. Grammar, well, sometimes I try to be correct and sometimes my Texas Grammar goes deliberately into print. I speak that way, sometimes I don't mind being read that way. I spent too many years necessarily being technical both verbally an in writing to do every post without some sort of 'inflection'. Ya'll can jus' deal widdit. :-P

Gear

[kappy]

This is partially caused by smart phones, but the truth is that the population of America has bought into the idea that "good enough" exists. It doesn't. As a part of my job, I read what average people write every day. I am horrified that people are able to type the letter "I" by itself without hitting the shift key. I'm willing to deal with homophone errors (like "their," "there," and "they're"), but I've noticed that many posters on forums all over the internet universe choose incorrectly more often than they choose correctly.

I don't call posters on grammar, usage, or other conventions unless their writing is so bad that it cannot be understood without a lot of help.

[kappy]

By the way... Google Chrome has a built-in spell checker.

[Lloyd Smale]

Keep in mind this is a gun forum not a english fourm. It is frequented by guys with many levels of education. I could give a rats @@@ if someone has a word misspelled or doesnt use a cap or proper puntuation. Im here to learn and share knowlege about casting, not to get grammer lessons.

[Fishman]

Keep in mind this is a gun forum not a english fourm. It is frequented by guys with many levels of education. I could give a rats @@@ if someone has a word misspelled or doesnt use a cap or proper puntuation. Im here to learn and share knowlege about casting, not to get grammer lessons.

So you are saying that a poster's ability to spell and punctuate is not indicative of their knowledge of casting? Interesting. :)

[161]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

And that's why I can't spell.
161

[Sasquatch-1]

Keep in mind this is a gun forum not a english fourm. It is frequented by guys with many levels of education. I could give a rats @@@ if someone has a word misspelled or doesnt use a cap or proper puntuation. Im here to learn and share knowlege about casting, not to get grammer lessons.

Excuse me , but that is spelled "rat's @$$" :bigsmyl2:

I'm 59 and I know that my grammer and my spelling is horrendous. The thing is, half of the mistakes you see here are from not going back and rereading your writing before you post it.

I can't really complain about the people here when I see this every morning when I read on-line news articles from supposed journalist.

[303Guy]

As for smart phones and dumb phones and just cheapo mobiles, I'm the guy that writes out whole words and uses caps and punctuations and generally takes forever to write a txt. But, the recipients don't complain 'cause they can read my messages! I did get my first mobile later in life and only because I was forced to. I used to say, 'we go out into the wilderness to get away from the phone so why take the flipping thing with you?' Actually, taking a mobile out hunting is kinda silly - there's no reception out there and when there is, someone you're trying to escape from is going to phone you just as you're sneaking up close to that deer!:veryconfu But I take mine anyway and I do forget to turn it off. Well, actually, I leave it in the car. That way it won't fall out my pocket and get lost. And be a bloody nuisance!

On the other hand of course the is the emergency call one might get like someone has just died - like they won't stay dead if you don't get the message immediately! So what's that got to do with spelling? Oh yes, drifting off topic![smilie=1:

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I try to do the best I can. English was not my best subject. Not even close! A verb is a strange creature that moves around in a sentence. I just never understood English class. Math, now there's something you can understand. There are rules, laws and formulas that don't change.

[Bret4207]

I think that many of the members here use firefox browser with automatic spell check.

HAR!!!:bigsmyl2: Yup, when I use another computer without Firefox my sheer ignorance shows through!

My biggest problem is the ', ", ;, and : keys get hit accidentally so that my post looks like "...they;re...". Bugs me cause I don't catch it.

[41mag]

I try really hard to get the majority of my post or PM's proofed before I post them. Even so I think I am somewhat dyslexic, in that there are simply several words, and usually always numbers which leave my brain in one order, and end up in another after they get to my hand, whether it is writing or typing.

So if you come across something in one of my post or PM's that looks bass awkward, or transposed, well it simply means I didn't read through it three or more times before I posted it.

I do however try really hard to get the punctuation in the right places though.

[bob208]

i have always had a bad hearing problem so my spelling was never good. i was also told not to use capital letters it was shouting.

[Moonie]

My spelling is only as good as it is due to grand parents that were English teachers. My mother had it so bad that her and her siblings were not even allowed to use contractions growing up... Saw my Grandmother almost blow a gasket after my use of the word ain't as a child.

[WILCO]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Yep. But it's still a matter of personal ignorance and social decay.

[sav300]

I am like 41mag.So I do not type a lot,but I do notice the missing letter or two in folks posts.
Sometimes the poster makes a mess of a word and is hard to work out what he is saying.
Dyslexia can be a problem with typing loads,so I do not suggest any sort of loading data.
Lionel

[Rockchucker]

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!

[winchester85]

Wow, I am amazed at all the responses. Lack of proper spelling and grammatical errors is something I have noticed for a long time. Spelling is one thing, but I think that what makes me wonder more is the use of the wrong word. Using site instead of sight, their, or they're and so on. Those cases make me think that the person doesn't know which word it correct. I will admit that I don't capitalize or use apostrophes in contractions, the reason for that is my typing skills.
The biggest thing that annoys me along these lines is the use of the apostrophe. It is used on all forums, by so many people. Even here on this site in a category headline there is an apostrophe where there should not be one. "alloy's"
Not trying to annoy anyone, I started this thread partly to be humorous.

[kappy]

I ranted at my class today about their lack of effort in writing anything these days. This includes emails to me, visual aids for projects upon which they are working, and (especially) their essays.

Lower case "I" comments abound (even though they aren't even supposed to use "I" in an academic essay), you get the odd "R" substituted for "are," and for whatever reason they have yet to figure out that the red squiggly under a word means that it doesn't seem to exist in the English language.

Today, I decided to show them how I felt about their writing by posting up the following message, compliments of http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/4766/#comment. If you check the comment from someone with the handle, "witchywoman," you'll see the following:

I do not 4 1 sec think that this wonderful song has ne thng what so ever 2 do with drugs. But of course I believe that each and every song means something differant 2 every1 depending on ur life experences. And 4 me (being in2 Wicca) I adore this song. i am accually getting ready 2 get these words tatooed on my back around my penigram thats what brought me 2 this site. 4 me this song descibes who i am . i am n no way on any kind of drugs. unless u concider caffine 1.... lol... i am simply a sexy, out going female... WITCHY WOMAN... thats me..

They immediately started laughing at the poor grammar. I told them, "I am to you, as you are to her. You laugh because she cannot spell, capitalize, or make any kind of real sense? I feel the same about most of you. Every time I see one of these in your work, I will ignore your entire document. If you cannot show me enough respect to write properly, as you have been taught for the last 12 years, you cannot receive a grade. Even if there were such a thing as 'good enough,' what you habitually turn in is not it. Now... if you don't mind, I need to go get some words inked on around my penigram tattoo."

Amusing, yes, but I refuse to believe that this has anything to do with text messaging. It has everything to do with intellectual laziness. Writing is contextual. What you write to your friend doesn't go to your boss's boss.

/rant

[Stick_man]

Just remember, it is not the person that misspells words, it is the pencil. Everybody knows that!

[jcwit]

I ranted at my class today about their lack of effort in writing anything these days. This includes emails to me, visual aids for projects upon which they are working, and (especially) their essays.

Lower case "I" comments abound (even though they aren't even supposed to use "I" in an academic essay), you get the odd "R" substituted for "are," and for whatever reason they have yet to figure out that the red squiggly under a word means that it doesn't seem to exist in the English language.

Today, I decided to show them how I felt about their writing by posting up the following message, compliments of http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/4766/#comment. If you check the comment from someone with the handle, "witchywoman," you'll see the following:


They immediately started laughing at the poor grammar. I told them, "I am to you, as you are to her. You laugh because she cannot spell, capitalize, or make any kind of real sense? I feel the same about most of you. Every time I see one of these in your work, I will ignore your entire document. If you cannot show me enough respect to write properly, as you have been taught for the last 12 years, you cannot receive a grade. Even if there were such a thing as 'good enough,' what you habitually turn in is not it. Now... if you don't mind, I need to go get some words inked on around my penigram tattoo."

Amusing, yes, but I refuse to believe that this has anything to do with text messaging. It has everything to do with intellectual laziness. Writing is contextual. What you write to your friend doesn't go to your boss's boss.

/rant

Wow kappy, Very well put!:wink::wink:

[Bullet Caster]

I've always been good at English and other languages and have always prized myself in knowing how to use good English. I always proofread anything I type not only for correctness but for correct grammar as well. Even in this thread I've noticed non capitalized I for the first person singular, but also I've noticed split infinitives, i.e., to not buy or to not do. I've also noticed that there're a few who do not know the use of "then" and "than". I could have been an English teacher but chose another field of study. Just wished I had continued with English. Having a proper knowledge in the English language helps with other languages as well. I have found that in English you can make your thoughts known either in the active or passive voice, use the first person or refer to yourself in the third. There are a lot of ways to say something in English. Not so true of other languages. German has a distinctive word order and capitalized every noun. In Spanish the adjective follows the noun and they have two past tenses, different verb endings for each person, and of course they have perfect, future perfect tenses and use two different verbs for "to be". There are rules in language just as there are rules in mathematics. One must learn the rules in order to be able to use correct English. I know that many abbreviations are necessarily used on this forum and I started out using them. But then I started to think about the lurkers who read a lot of information and I certainly do not want to add to their confusion over mere terms. So now I spell everyting out, try to use proper punctuation and grammar but, as I am a human creature, I am sometimes too lazy to look up a word in the dictionary and merely guess at its spelling.

However, things are quite different when I talk in the vernacular. I kin rite dialogue 'bout as well as any 'an I feel I kin git my message accross usin' this tipe of Englush as I know thet some r from the hills 'o Tennessee an' thay talk thataway. Sorry for the rant. I learned all my English in the 8th grade. I had a teacher who gave you a one-hundred or a zero--you got a zero if you missed just one thing on the test. With that kind of teacher you either learned or burned. BC

[rockrat]

English was my worst subject, in school. However, that said, once I started my own business, I had to learn how to write a decent business letter.




Did you mean "pentagram tatoo" Sorry, couldn't help myself

[Love Life]

My job is easy in that department. I just have to drag my knuckles better than everybody else!

[kappy]

English was my worst subject, in school. However, that said, once I started my own business, I had to learn how to write a decent business letter.




Did you mean "pentagram tatoo" Sorry, couldn't help myself

No... I meant "penigram." Witchywoman, on the other hand, likely meant "pentagram."

[kappy]

I could have been an English teacher but chose another field of study. Just wished I had continued with English.

Trust me... I went that way. I'm still going that way. You can do better. You likely already have.

[clodhopper]

As a youngster I was so pissed off at school and teachers the mispelling was about 50/50 intentional/accidental.
It is some effort to spell correctly and write clearly, but the effort pays off when someone acutualy reads what you write.
I'm not smart enough to get a spell check going on this site but do have my thesaurus handy.

[303Guy]

.. an apostrophe where there should not be one. "alloy's" ..Aha! But an apostrophe thing is appropriate at times, like when speaking of the alloy's characteristics.[smilie=1:

P.S. It is a fun thread! :mrgreen:

[firefly1957]

If you do not wear a tin foil hat Google Chrome automatically spell checks. I confess I need it I should have studied spelling and grammar more in school it is important now, then I did not think so but those were the days of my signature below! Two high school buddies also spell poorly (emails) one I suspect is because he types to fast and letters from right hand are in place of letters from left hand. The other is a LEO and can't spell for anything I have often wondered if it hurts him in court?

[StrawHat]

So you are saying that a poster's ability to spell and punctuate is not indicative of their knowledge of casting? Interesting. :)

When I worked in the engine rooms of various ships, some of the better engineers, from whom I learned, did not make it out of elementary school. Yet, the were still able to pass the test and become licensed steam engineers. Diesel boats, the engineers were usually better educated but not better engineers. So I can see where the ability to spell has little to do with one's knowledge of a craft.

[3006guns]

When I worked in the engine rooms of various ships, some of the better engineers, from whom I learned, did not make it out of elementary school. Yet, the were still able to pass the test and become licensed steam engineers. Diesel boats, the engineers were usually better educated but not better engineers. So I can see where the ability to spell has little to do with one's knowledge of a craft.

It doesn't.........but it has everything to do with communicating information about that craft to others.

[Sasquatch-1]

I ranted at my class today about their lack of effort in writing anything these days. This includes emails to me, visual aids for projects upon which they are working, and (especially) their essays.

Lower case "I" comments abound (even though they aren't even supposed to use "I" in an academic essay), you get the odd "R" substituted for "are," and for whatever reason they have yet to figure out that the red squiggly under a word means that it doesn't seem to exist in the English language.

Today, I decided to show them how I felt about their writing by posting up the following message, compliments of http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/4766/#comment. If you check the comment from someone with the handle, "witchywoman," you'll see the following:


They immediately started laughing at the poor grammar. I told them, "I am to you, as you are to her. You laugh because she cannot spell, capitalize, or make any kind of real sense? I feel the same about most of you. Every time I see one of these in your work, I will ignore your entire document. If you cannot show me enough respect to write properly, as you have been taught for the last 12 years, you cannot receive a grade. Even if there were such a thing as 'good enough,' what you habitually turn in is not it. Now... if you don't mind, I need to go get some words inked on around my penigram tattoo."

Amusing, yes, but I refuse to believe that this has anything to do with text messaging. It has everything to do with intellectual laziness. Writing is contextual. What you write to your friend doesn't go to your boss's boss.

/rant

What scares me about this is that in another generation this may be acceptable. It may even be taught in our schools just like the attempt to teach ebonics in the lower income areas a few years ago.

This also reminds me of an episode of Star Trek (the original series) where Kirk is on a planet and this guy is reciting something just before he is supposed to go on trial. It ends up it is a very corrupted version of the Pledge of Alliegence. After pondering what this character is saying, Kirk relizes and starts repeating the original version, to everyones amazement.

I will be one of the first to admit that my grammer is terrible and my spelling may be worst but this whole texting thing is another of the many things corrupting our youth.

[dragon813gt]

A thread like this shows the age of the people posting. In this case, old. That is not a bad thing in anyway. And there is no excuse for the way people write. As a younger guy it annoys me. English was a subject I hated and paid little attention to. If people proof read before posting and then read it again after it's been posted a lot of the errors would be caught. I have a habit of leaving words out as I type fast. I catch this when reading the post after it's up. I tend to miss them when proof reading.


Brought to you by TapaTalk.

[largom]

Keep in mind this is a gun forum not a english fourm. It is frequented by guys with many levels of education. I could give a rats @@@ if someone has a word misspelled or doesnt use a cap or proper puntuation. Im here to learn and share knowlege about casting, not to get grammer lessons.


I agree 100%. Larry

[Ickisrulz]

These threads on English come up from time to time.

The consensus is normally that if someone is at least trying it's good enough for most of us. But, those that continually use substandard English on purpose (to include writing in all one case or omitting punctuation)...they should change their ways if they want to be read.

Then there are those that say the way someone writes has nothing to do with their skill set when it comes to casting, shooting or reloading.

My opinion is that if someone cannot communicate in an easily understood manner, I’ll move on.

[montana_charlie]

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!

Yeah, it's a cute trick, but it also proves something else.
If your mind is able to decrypt the word because the first letter is correct ... even though the rest of the letters are jumbled ... it is still necessary that the other letters be the right ones, and that the word be the proper word for the context of the sentence.

People who never learned correct spelling, or who are too lazy to proofread, depend upon spell checkers to make the corrections needed to make them appear literate. However, when there are three choices of identical-sounding words, the software can't know which is required.

If you are tallking about the rear aperture on your target rifle, the spell checker doesn't know if 'site' or 'sight' is correct. If you type 'site', the software will be satisfied because you spelled the wrong word correctly.

It's possible that we see 'spruce plate' and 'spur plate' so frequently because spell checkers have no knowledge of 'sprue'.

CM

[3006guns]

I've never been impressed by Spell Check.......nothing more than a high speed idiot in my opinion. Oh, it'll spell the word correctly but the program has no idea if that's the correct word or usage.

I'm not a spelling nazi, but as posted above if it's obvious that someone's not even trying to communicate, well............

Enough on this.......we're all here to enjoy ourselves and launch lead downrange!

[ErikO]

I know that I have issues with my left middle finger being a faster typer than my right index finger and have been tempted to change the locations of my 'e' and 'h' keys. 'teh' is a typical typo of mine...

Teh fnnuy tnigh is taht ti sah bene found that as lngo as the lettres ear ritgh, the human mind can sort it out, mostly. ;)

[gnoahhh]

We all have some sort of cross to bear. For some it is the mastery of spelling and punctuation. (For me it is my brain-frying attempts at higher mathematics.) As long as the mistakes aren't so atrocious as to make it impossible to decipher the meaning, I can live with it. When the writer segues into 'text speak' or uses 'cutesy' terminology is when I tune out. More's the pity because often that person has something valuable to add to the discussion.

I also wonder sometimes why some questions get asked when there are efficient search engines available that the original poster could have accessed for an answer. I can't remember how often I answered questions (on other forums, not here) by the simple expedient of a quick Google search, that the OP could have done himself. I suppose some people just like to hear themselves talk.

[montana_charlie]

I also wonder sometimes why some questions get asked when there are efficient search engines available that the original poster could have accessed for an answer. I can't remember how often I answered questions (on other forums, not here) by the simple expedient of a quick Google search, that the OP could have done himself. I suppose some people just like to hear themselves talk.
Some people are so accustomed to having others do things for them they don't even consider doing it themselves ... and may not even know how.
CM

[Ola]

Reading a thread like this is quite daunting for a non-English speaker.

For example Finnish is completely different kind of language and that's why I have no idea f.e. how the punctuation goes in English. I just try to get myself understood without it.

Hope you are not too disgusted because of it.

[303Guy]

I love the Chrome spell checker. It's not a good one and one has to add missing words but at least it alerts me to a typo - and I make lots of those. I don't rely on the checker for the correction, instead I try to correct it myself - it's quicker. But spell checkers have improved my spelling. Not so much my grammar.

I used to spell better and type more accurately when I was touch typing and I was pretty fast too but the advent of fingertip numbness in cold weather made me switch to two finger typing. That's when the typo's and dropped words rushed in.

Correct terminology is another communication problem we face. The man on TV - a scientist - says the bullet is chambered and fired during some demonstration, I think "Huh! What else doesn't he know?" He's just lost his credibility with me.

[mold maker]

I'm with Lloyd.
One of my pet peeves is those who publicly humiliate others for spelling and such.
Get over it, or don't read it.
Besides the spell checks don't have a lot of the words we commonly use. Their correction is worse than the original.

[jcwit]

Far from claiming I'm a good speller, I do use ispell, I also keep a Dictionary handy.

Is there something wrong with attempting to look as if you're intelligent!

[Ickisrulz]

Is there something wrong with attempting to look as if you're intelligent!

Right on...especially considering all the threads talking about how stupid other people are (e.g., young people, people who work in stores, gun store counter staff, etc.).

Proper English and grammar are taught in school at a very early age. So even if someone didn’t finish the 8th grade they still have been instructed.

[fryboy]

english .... didnt we overthrow them sometime in the late 1700's ??? or is this the "bitter clingers" i hear about in the lamestream media fantasy stories ? :P with a site name like cast boolits .... and where loob grooves reside , to be totally anal about ummm overthrown english is ...well just anal , but a village has all types [shrugz] yeah , we all have our pet peeves ( i usually dont share mine ) and like opinions they're all different . even tho i dont usually share mine my biggest one is idiot drivers on the cell fone , trust me that can cause much more damage than a few grammar mistakes , typos or plain misspelled words .....

[MBTcustom]

I try to spell check everything I post. If I re-read an old post, I correct it for future viewers. As it is, spelling is my downfall.
However, I have to say that castboolits has made a better speller out of me. I find that I make less mistakes than I ever have since I am typing and writing so much now. If I misspell something, I dont just auto-correct it, I erase it and retype it to force the word into my brain. It's a slow process, but it is paying off little by little.

[DCM]

When I worked in the engine rooms of various ships, some of the better engineers, from whom I learned, did not make it out of elementary school. Yet, the were still able to pass the test and become licensed steam engineers. Diesel boats, the engineers were usually better educated but not better engineers. So I can see where the ability to spell has little to do with one's knowledge of a craft.

I have a VERY good long time friend that is EXTREMELY mechanically inclined. he can easily put most mechanical engineers to shame in a heartbeat. He cannot spell to save his life, but give him anything mechanical to fix and he will do it right before you can spell it!

But at least he TRIES to spell correctly, capitalize and use punctuation! He may not do it right all the time but he does put in effort any ways unlike some.

The fact that he doesn't do well with this doesn't make him a bad person by any means! He is the one person I can DEFINITELY count on when the chips are down! No matter what!!!

[Bullet Caster]

Ola,
It seems that your English was very well learned as I do not have any trouble reading your posts. I just wish I could communicate in Finnish the way you do in English. I've never put anyone down for their grammar or spelling as I too am human and prone to errors. Sort of like, "let he who is without guilt cast the first stone." I have always strived to communicate with the best grammar I know how and to the best of my abilities as I was taught in junior high school. I try to keep abreast of current trends in the English language and was surprized to find that the word "irregardless" is now acceptable for use in our everchanging language. I was typing a professional report and used the word "irregardless" and was sent packing with a retype in hand. From early in grammar school until now, I have seen quite a change in what is acceptable now as opposed to then. Sometimes it just "blows my mind." BC

[gandydancer]

come on guys lighten up.the next thing you know you all will be complaining about a dress code on here. or we all will be wearing funny little hats and pitching about the Queens English. GD :kidding:

[firefly1957]

Sasquatch-1 Had a good point with the old Star Trek show either outer limits or twilight zone had another were a future soldier was sent back in time and spoke only in abbreviations which is the why we are heading. Did those shows show my age?

[kappy]

What scares me about this is that in another generation this may be acceptable. It may even be taught in our schools just like the attempt to teach ebonics in the lower income areas a few years ago.

This also reminds me of an episode of Star Trek (the original series) where Kirk is on a planet and this guy is reciting something just before he is supposed to go on trial. It ends up it is a very corrupted version of the Pledge of Alliegence. After pondering what this character is saying, Kirk relizes and starts repeating the original version, to everyones amazement.

I will be one of the first to admit that my grammer is terrible and my spelling may be worst but this whole texting thing is another of the many things corrupting our youth.

The episode was called "The Omega Glory." An excellent episode which almost became the pilot for ST.

And again... I don't allow people to claim texting as an excuse. If you text, text with moderately proper grammar and spelling. I think the real problem is that we type everything on computers and don't ever really have to learn to spell.

[kappy]

Ola,
It seems that your English was very well learned as I do not have any trouble reading your posts. I just wish I could communicate in Finnish the way you do in English. I've never put anyone down for their grammar or spelling as I too am human and prone to errors. Sort of like, "let he who is without guilt cast the first stone." I have always strived to communicate with the best grammar I know how and to the best of my abilities as I was taught in junior high school. I try to keep abreast of current trends in the English language and was surprized to find that the word "irregardless" is now acceptable for use in our everchanging language. I was typing a professional report and used the word "irregardless" and was sent packing with a retype in hand. From early in grammar school until now, I have seen quite a change in what is acceptable now as opposed to then. Sometimes it just "blows my mind." BC

"Irregardless" is still nonstandard English. There are some folks questioning whether it should be upgraded to being somewhat tolerated... but it still isn't quite kosher.

[Bullet Caster]

Yeah, kappy, I'd probably be the first person to sign up against using nonstandard English words as though they were already acceptable. I guess sometimes we older generations have to bend with the wind or get blown away. Please don't get me started on trite expressions. They're a pet peeve too, sometimes. BC

[waksupi]

If you would sometime like to see some world class bad spelling and punctuation, catch me in chat some evening. Guaranteed to please!

[snuffy]

This is my pet peeve on forums, one continuous paragraph.


I've always been good at English and other languages and have always prized myself in knowing how to use good English. I always proofread anything I type not only for correctness but for correct grammar as well. Even in this thread I've noticed non capitalized I for the first person singular, but also I've noticed split infinitives, i.e., to not buy or to not do. I've also noticed that they're a few who do not know the use of "then" and "than". I could have been an English teacher but chose another field of study. Just wished I had continued with English. Having a proper knowledge in the English language helps with other languages as well. I have found that in English you can make your thoughts known either in the active or passive voice, use the first person or refer to yourself in the third. There are a lot of ways to say something in English. Not so true of other languages. German has a distinctive word order and capitalized every noun. In Spanish the adjective follows the noun and they have two past tenses, different verb endings for each person, and of course they have perfect, future perfect tenses and use two different verbs for "to be". There are rules in language just as there are rules in mathematics. One must learn the rules in order to be able to use correct English. I know that many abbreviations are necessarily used on this forum and I started out using them. But then I started to think about the lurkers who read a lot of information and I certainly do not want to add to their confusion over mere terms. So now I spell everything out, try to use proper punctuation and grammar but, as I am a human creature, I am sometimes too lazy to look up a word in the dictionary and merely guess at its spelling.

It's just that it's hard to read without breaks in the thought line.

I try real hard to spell correctly. I do use firefox, so I make use of the spell checker. As far as grammar, I think it's highly over rated. Dangling participles, and the proper use of verbs and adjectives matter little to me.

I made it through the required english classes in high school by the skin of my teeth, just barely. I couldn't see any reason to learn all the finer points of english, boy how wrong I was. I never knew I would be trying to share what I know with people around the world on a forum like this.

[geargnasher]

Reading a thread like this is quite daunting for a non-English speaker.

For example Finnish is completely different kind of language and that's why I have no idea f.e. how the punctuation goes in English. I just try to get myself understood without it.

Hope you are not too disgusted because of it.

Now hold on a minute! I have never had trouble reading or understanding any of your posts, and your grasp of English sentence structure and diagramming is probably better than most Americans. No need to apologize at all, I applaud and somewhat appreciate the supreme effort needed to communicate in the most screwed-up language on earth, especially if you don't think in English. I notice this from many "foreigners" here on the site who's principle or native language is drastically different than English. Slight errors in punctuation are usually due to differences in sentence structure between the languages, particularly the Asian and "romance" languages. I also notice that Germans tend to get gender mixed up when translating to English, and anyone who's studied German would understand why.

What irks the crud out of me and many others is PURE LAZINESS. Not someone from a non-English-speaking country who already knows probably three languages and spends half an hour with a translating dictionary before each post. Just like was mentioned about the posters who are too lazy to do a simple site search or Google search for something and just want it spoon-fed to them, some people think it's their "right" to take liberties with spelling and syntax. I'm afraid that the modern concept of universally accepting moral and intellectual degenerates and supporting them is at the root of our country's impending failure.

Gear

[montana_charlie]

Reading a thread like this is quite daunting for a non-English speaker.

For example Finnish is completely different kind of language and that's why I have no idea f.e. how the punctuation goes in English. I just try to get myself understood without it.

Hope you are not too disgusted because of it.
If I spoke Finnish, I would be proud if I could do as well as you do when writing in English. Your word choice, sentence structure, and general grammar are better than many who post here ... for whom English is their native language.

Reading your input is much more enjoyable than deciphering that of the writer who can only find the Shift Key when enclosing a parentetical lift of his shoulders.

CM

[303Guy]

'Irregardless' has still made it into the dictionary.
Irregardless means the same as regardless, but the negative prefix ir- merely duplicates the suffix -less, and is unnecessary. The word dates back to the 19th century, but is regarded as incorrect in standard English.It's 'irrespective'!

Spelling can vary as can the use of English and its grammar. Like is it different than or different to or different from? Or is it compared to or compared with or compared against?:-?

[kappy]

I still remember on another board where someone tried to correct my English. I do make mistakes... but I feel that it is poor behavior to correct someone's language on a board unless it is so terrible that you cannot make out what they mean at all.

So... what did I do? I posted after him EVERY TIME he posted for the next few days, quoting him and correcting every mistake, including split infinitives, misspellings, homophone errors, subject/verb agreements, dangling prepositions, dangling modifiers, using adjectives instead of adverbs (my personal pet peeve), etc. If he wanted me to be an English teacher 24 hours per day, all he had to do was ask. :)

[Ola]

If I spoke Finnish, I would be proud if I could do as well as you do when writing in English. Your word choice, sentence structure, and general grammar are better than many who post here ... for whom English is their native language.

Reading your input is much more enjoyable than deciphering that of the writer who can only find the Shift Key when enclosing a parentetical lift of his shoulders.

Thank you, I'm glad to hear it.

There is two main reasons why Finns usually are quite good in English. First the school system is teaching the basic skills and the ability to write in English. Secondly there is the "Hollywood-effect". We watch a LOT of American (and English, also some Canadian and Australian) movies and TV-series. With subtitles. So we are constantly bombarded with spoken English. After couple of years vocabulary has grown big enough and the subtitles start becoming unnecessary..

[StrawHat]

It doesn't.........but it has everything to do with communicating information about that craft to others.

Only with written communication. And that is the concern of this thread. These fellow were eloquent speakers but the written word was something that had escaped them. When we made port, I would sometimes go to the bank with one of them as a witness to the mark he made on the paycheck. Not an "X" but a picturegraph of his last name. I would present my ID and sign the check as proof the fellow was who he claimed. You rarely meet folks like that today holding down good jobs but when I started sailing, it was common enough.

[Sasquatch-1]

Look, I don't know what all the hubbub is about English. In 15 to 20 years we will all be speaking Spanish or Farsi ( and yes I had to look that one up) or something of that nature. :kidding:(I hope)

[gnoahhh]

It's all good. I doubt anybody here thinks the less of anybody else because of their language skills (at least I hope not). Poor language skills merely result in less-than-effective communication of the knowledge that person is trying to disseminate.

One thing I have noticed is the quality of language used here has improved a lot since the last time one of these threads generated debate on this subject. Perhaps after this one it'll improve some more. Very soon we'll all be writing like college professors!

[303Guy]

... including split infinitives, misspellings, homophone errors, subject/verb agreements, dangling prepositions, dangling modifiers, using adjectives instead of adverbs ...Ummm ..... just out of interest - I have no idea what any of that means!:?

But I can see that language could be quite fun to study. People with language skills can do amazing things with the written or spoken word. I wish I had a better command of the English language.

[montana_charlie]

I wish I had a better command of the English language.
Dream on. Only if you had been (like us) part of the British Empire could you have a chance at that.
Since New Zealand - and Australia - were never ...

Uhh ... oops!

[oneokie]

... including split infinitives, misspellings, homophone errors, subject/verb agreements, dangling prepositions, dangling modifiers, using adjectives instead of adverbs ...



Ummm ..... just out of interest - I have no idea what any of that means!:?

You aren't old enough to have experienced diagraming sentences in English class are you?

[Ickisrulz]

You aren't old enough to have experienced diagraming sentences in English class are you?

That reminds me of a Greek class I took. The professor said the greatest hindrance students had to learning Greek was they did not know English well enough.

[Bullet Caster]

Okay snuffy.

I'll try

to

do

better in the

future. BC

[rockrat]

I just HATED diagramming sentences. Barely passed that part of English.

[1Shirt]

I just go along with Lloyd! Common senst thread!
1Shirt!

[kappy]

Ummm ..... just out of interest - I have no idea what any of that means!:?

But I can see that language could be quite fun to study. People with language skills can do amazing things with the written or spoken word. I wish I had a better command of the English language.
Split infinitive: An infinitive is a type of verb, made up of the word "to" and the verb... like "To go" or "To cast (boolits)." Splitting the infinitive means to add a word between "to" and the verb. Like... "to quickly cast boolits." You aren't supposed to have ("to have is another infinitive" a word between "to" and the verb. Why? I'm sure there's some reason... but it's enough to know that it isn't grammatically correct.

Misspellings: I think we all know this one.

Homophone errors: Words which sound alike, like "which" and "witch" are sometimes used in place of each other. As an example, "Witch boolits do you cast?" should be "Which boolits do you cast?"

Subject/verb agreements: The subject (who/what is doing something in a sentence) and the verb (what they are doing) must "agree." As an example, "He casts boolits." and "They cast boolits" would be correct versus "He cast boolits" and "They casts boolits."

Dangling prepositions: Try not to end a sentence with anything called a preposition. An example would be "That is something I've never heard of." "Of" is the preposition. The correct order would be "That is something of which I've never heard."

Dangling modifiers: This is a bit more difficult to explain... but...
"I was in too much of a hurry. Working too too quickly, my boolits came out frosty." While we all know the boolits weren't "working too quickly," grammatically, that is what is technically being said.

Using adjectives instead of adverbs
This is becoming more common. "You did real good casting those boolits, Bobby!" Since you're talking about how he cast the boolits, not commenting on the quality of the boolits themselves. It should be either "You did really well casting those boolits, Bobby!" or "You cast really good boolits, Bobby!"

Not all of these are important, and some of them are becoming increasingly more common. I see a day before I die in which adjectives and adverbs are used interchangeably without fear of judgment.


You aren't old enough to have experienced diagraming sentences in English class are you?
Heh... experienced? I blasted my freshmen with it this year! There is no reason why sentence diagramming has to be horrible. If you treat it like... a video game, for instance. See... you start out just dividing the subject and predicate. Next lesson, you teach them a new ability: dangling the adjectives. Then you teach them dangling adverbs. They actually get kind of into it and want to diagram them on the board. It's all in how you sell it. You HAVE to sell something which takes brains.

[Haggway]

I admit it. I am a very poor speller, and my puncation is not the best either.

[TJF1]

I agree with 1shirt
terry

[oneokie]

Heh... experienced? I blasted my freshmen with it this year! There is no reason why sentence diagramming has to be horrible. If you treat it like... a video game, for instance. See... you start out just dividing the subject and predicate. Next lesson, you teach them a new ability: dangling the adjectives. Then you teach them dangling adverbs. They actually get kind of into it and want to diagram them on the board. It's all in how you sell it. You HAVE to sell something which takes brains.

Kudos to you, Sir.

[geargnasher]

That reminds me of a Greek class I took. The professor said the greatest hindrance students had to learning Greek was they did not know English well enough.

High school anc college Spanish teachers both said the same thing. I'ts tough to teach a foreign language to people who don't know the parts of speech or any of the terms in their OWN freakin' language.

Gear

[kappy]

High school anc college Spanish teachers both said the same thing. I'ts tough to teach a foreign language to people who don't know the parts of speech or any of the terms in their OWN freakin' language.

Gear

I'd reverse that. I didn't really learn English grammar until I learned Latin. It's difficult to learn something if you have nothing to which you can compare it. Just goes to show that people who are against learning any language other than English are short-sighted.

[303Guy]

Thanks, kappy. While I sort of know how to construct a sentence I don't know the names or rules.

Language evolves - we gonna be speaking different soon. A lot to do with technology (engineering, science and communication gadgets). An example of language evolution is American and communication is its influence on UK English. Pronunciation changes and influences how we speak too.


... diagraming sentences in English class ...I've no recollection of it. I remember my older sister saying that she had to learn the alphabet inside out and in her sleep while I didn't. The outcome? She can find things in the dictionary or phone book far quicker than I can. I still have to 'say the alphabet' to get by.

I passed English fairly well. I generally didn't excel at school but college was great. I earned a few distinctions for engineering and math. I was older then.

P.S. Google Chrome spell checker flagged 'diagraming'. It's 'diagramming'.:mrgreen:
Hee hee. I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.:wink:

[Sasquatch-1]

"Witch boolits do you cast?" should be "Which boolits do you cast?"



Witch bullets? Do they cast a spell on everyone around you so that they think you are scoring nothing but bullseyes?

:Fire:

[Rockchucker]

It really doesn't matter tor me if you can spell or use proper grammar in these threads, as long as you and I can understand each other. To me Cast Boolits is about lead and casting proper boolits, learning and making friends.

yuor frend, ruokchcukre :drinks:

[oneokie]

P.S. Google Chrome spell checker flagged 'diagraming'. It's 'diagramming'.:mrgreen:
Hee hee. I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.:wink:

Intentional misspelling to see if anyone would pick up on it.;-)

[snuffy]

I just HATED diagramming sentences. Barely passed that part of English.

I was a fifth year student in HS. That meant I took 9th grade twice. One reason was english class. Being forced to memorize a speech in the "merchant of venice" "The quality of mercy is not strained", I just couldn't get it! It brought me a failing grade for the entire year! Math was another thorn in my side, but I loved science class and did well in Gym.

That diagramming sentences was never part of any english class I took. THANK GOD! High school locally in that time was set up with requirements for english 1, 2, and 3. You HAD to take and pass english 1 and 2, but 3 was an elective. I suspect the diagramming took place there.

I only needed 2 credits to pass my senior year. Instead of english 3, I took all the shop classes I could, including machine shop 3, which included a lot of welding. Enough training to get me an entry level welding job after my stint in the air force. English 3 would not have done that! If I had a nickel for every bead I've run, I'd have a very nice retirement now.

[Char-Gar]

I am a Geezer and learned to read and spell by the old "sight reading" method. No phonics for us. The result is, I can't spell worth a darn. I hated to memorize rules, so grammer was a sore trial for me as well. I did very well with literature, but grammer was my Waterloo. I passed College grammer thanks to the good favor of a tall lovely 40 something professor took pity on me.
But that was of course, after some activities of a personal nature that would get her fired these days. Well, it probably would have gotton her fired back then, if it came to light.

Still, I muddle on....

[Char-Gar]

High school anc college Spanish teachers both said the same thing. I'ts tough to teach a foreign language to people who don't know the parts of speech or any of the terms in their OWN freakin' language.

Gear

I spent a full year, at age 35, in Costa Rica learning to speek Spanish. I was fighting with Spanish grammer because of my very poor foundation in English grammer as stated above.

I had to hire a tutor who was a Spanish grammer whiz and a fine teacher to boot. She translated some of the Spanish grammer terms into English, thinking that would help me understand. I had to tell her I didn't understand them in English, so I could not understand them in Spanish either.

She looked me in the eye and said (in Spanish of course), "Mr. Graff, you may not know English grammer, but before I am through with you, you WILL know Spanish grammer. She was true to her word and I have a very good grasp of Spanish grammer. Most of the English grammer I now know is through working back from Spanish to English. English grammer proved to be quite easy, once I had a foundation in another language.

I now teach Legal Writing to students who have very poor grammer foundations, so it must be still working.

Her name was Elizabeth Alfaro and is one of the top two or three teachers I have had in my very long educational experience. There are people who collect pay for teaching, and then there are teachers, who are gifted to do just that very thing.

[jcwit]

With all of the above said,,,,,,,Is it a clip or a magazine?????????????????????????









After all we would all know what we're talking about.

[Lloyd Smale]

I grew up in a town that is about half finish/american. They sure didnt bring it over to the states from finland! We must have gotten all the duds here ;)
Thank you, I'm glad to hear it.

There is two main reasons why Finns usually are quite good in English. First the school system is teaching the basic skills and the ability to write in English. Secondly there is the "Hollywood-effect". We watch a LOT of American (and English, also some Canadian and Australian) movies and TV-series. With subtitles. So we are constantly bombarded with spoken English. After couple of years vocabulary has grown big enough and the subtitles start becoming unnecessary..

[Lloyd Smale]

some dont like swearing either!


(Especially Moderators That Have edited this post...Please watch the Language !)

[BruceB]

Chargar (I like your old handle better)...

Based on your post #97, you have NO apologies required for your English composition and structure. It reads easily and correctly. Generally I enjoy seeing your posts here..at least PARTLY because you care about the use of our language, just as I do.

A good tutor surely is a blessing. My daughter is in UNR in Reno, and found a math tutor who has helped her to a remarkable degree.


(p.S.- Now, about your spelling of "grammAr"..........(smile)

[Char-Gar]

[QUOTE=jcwit;1673313]With all of the above said,,,,,,,Is it a clip or a magazine?????????????????????????


That is an easy one. If it has a spring, it is a magazine. If it does not have a spring, it is a clip. No secret here.

[Char-Gar]

Bruce..Thank you for your kind remarks, althought it is supprising we can communicate. You learned to speak in Canada and I in Texas. Perhaps in Canada, they don't use upper case letters in the middle of a word, but wE cerTainly dO in Texas. In Texas, that is a form of creative expression. :-)

On the serious side, oral communication has been my stock in trade, in one form or another, all of my life. I have learned to do it very well. I just write as I speak, with some punctuation throw in for good measure. It has served me well thus far and I am well into my Geezerhood.

[Sasquatch-1]

[QUOTE=jcwit;1673313]With all of the above said,,,,,,,Is it a clip or a magazine?????????????????????????


That is an easy one. If it has a spring, it is a magazine. If it does not have a spring, it is a clip. No secret here.

I thought a clip was something a woman used to keep her hair out of her face. :D

[Sasquatch-1]

Bruce..Thank you for your kind remarks, althought it is supprising we can communicate. You learned to speak in Canada and I in Texas. Perhaps in Canada, they don't use upper case letters in the middle of a word, but wE cerTainly dO in Texas. In Texas, that is a form of creative expression. :-)

Must be that Mexican influence from south of the border



On the serious side, oral communication has been my stock in trade,

Now let's go off on another tangent. Is it "stock IN trade" as you stated or is it "stock AND trade" as I may have been misquoting all these years? :kidding:

[fryboy]

ummm m-43 ( 7.62x39 ) stripper clips have a built in spring lolz thereby breaking that rule .... and creating perhaps yet another [doh]
actually having met and interacted with numerous non-english language folks i'm fairly well convinced that english isnt the easiest of languages . the most common being homophones , the second being words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently , but since i'm not in english class , nor typing class i have to admit that both have improved since i've been online (maybe not to everyone's satisfaction but i get by )

[Char-Gar]

Now let's go off on another tangent. Is it "stock IN trade" as you stated or is it "stock AND trade" as I may have been misquoting all these years? :kidding:[/QUOTE]http://

I have always heard it "stock in trade". I went to an online dictionary and this is what I found

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stock-in-trade

[oneokie]

ummm m-43 ( 7.62x39 ) stripper clips have a built in spring lolz thereby breaking that rule

Serious thread drift...............

Same can be said for the M-14, M-16, 03, 03A3, Pattern 14, Model 1917, and the K-98 Mauser stripper clips. All are 2 piece, body and spring insert.

Only ones I can think of at the moment that would truly be clips are the Garand en-bloc, SMLE, and Manlicher (sp) clips

[bobthenailer]

I do the best i can ! if i could talk to you instead i would probley not make any grammer errors .
I have a wealth of knowledge to convey which is the bottom line whole purpose of this fourm !

[Sasquatch-1]

Now let's go off on another tangent. Is it "stock IN trade" as you stated or is it "stock AND trade" as I may have been misquoting all these years? :kidding:


I have always heard it "stock in trade". I went to an online dictionary and this is what I found

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stock-in-trade

Figures. I've been wrong all these years.:oops:

[Elkins45]

Thank you, I'm glad to hear it.

There is two main reasons why Finns usually are quite good in English. First the school system is teaching the basic skills and the ability to write in English. Secondly there is the "Hollywood-effect". We watch a LOT of American (and English, also some Canadian and Australian) movies and TV-series. With subtitles. So we are constantly bombarded with spoken English. After couple of years vocabulary has grown big enough and the subtitles start becoming unnecessary..

So does that mean that if I start watching the Spanish cable channels with the closed captioning turned on that I will eventually be able to speak Spanish? I may have to give that a try! :)

You have nothing to apologize for, certainly not to those of us who ONLY speak English. I doubt you'll find many of us participating in Finnish shooting forums. That reminds me of a joke:

"What do you call someone who speaks two languages"?
"Bilingual"

"What do you call someone who speaks three languages?"
"Trilingual"

"What do you call someone who only speaks one language?"
"American"

My wife was an English teacher--I try not to post when she's looking over my shoulder.

[Ola]

So does that mean that if I start watching the Spanish cable channels with the closed captioning turned on that I will eventually be able to speak Spanish? I may have to give that a try! :)

Well you must know the basic structure of Spanish and enough words. Then if you watch it couple of hours almost every day, eventually you should learn to understand what they are saying. Speaking will take some additional practice with real people..

[swheeler]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

I couldn't have said it better myself!:bigsmyl2: I do believe those that are a little "slow" could have trouble figuring out what you typed though, all minds are not created equal:redneck: