Things People Say or Write That Annoy You

Trollheart · 03-23-2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

There's what you can do and there's what's right. Treating a single entity as plural is nonsensical to me.

"The Ramones are some of my favourite bands."

To be fair, I think that it's perfectly acceptable to start a sentence with a conjunction. That's just one of those archaic hierarchical grammar rules that can be skirted while still coherently conveying meaning.

Bad example. People is a plural noun, not a collective noun like public or band. You would say the American people are mad for voting for Trump. You could also say that the American public is mad for voting for Trump for an example that's closer to what I'm talking about.

Yeah, you're right. I was in a hurry. Still, would you say for instance the Dodgers are a good team or the Dodgers is a good team? Not that I know anything about the Dodgers - could be **** for all I know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Dear god I hope not.

There's an implied pause after "So" that helps to prime the listener for the following sentence, whereas if you were just to jump into the sentence it might seem rather abrupt and awkward. I use "So" and similar words/phrases all the time because when I don't it just doesn't read as well.

I don't get that. People don't say (well the ones I've heard don't) "So ... this is what we do." They run the whole thing together. I know you said "implied" but I don't see how it is. Anyway, I hate it on general principles. Why would it seem awkward to jump right in? Consider these two sentences:
"I went to the shops and bought bread".
"So I went to the shops and bought bread."
How does the second one make the sentence any better, or more understandable or relatable? It's completely redundant, in most cases, to start any sentence with "so".

Inb4 anyone does this to annoy me..

**Frownland** · 03-23-2018, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah, you're right. I was in a hurry. Still, would you say for instance the Dodgers are a good team or the Dodgers is a good team? Not that I know anything about the Dodgers - could be **** for all I know.

If I'm describing them as a team, I use the singular.

The Batlord · 03-23-2018, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

If I'm describing them as a team, I use the singular.

Pretty sure this is a lie. No one does that. Probably because it's a pointless grammar rule that should be flexible.

Trollheart · 03-23-2018, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

If I'm describing them as a team, I use the singular.

Yeah. I pretty much always do the opposite. And it's not just me. I see it on Match of the Day: "Spurs weren't great on the defence today, were they?" (Not Spurs wasn't great...") or "That player is really something. He's too good for Middlesboro. They'll struggle to keep him there." Not "It will struggle" etc. Maybe it's wrong; I'm not saying it isn't. But it's one of those things that has just happened and been accepted for so long now. You go to see Zu in concert. Do you say "It played a great set" or "They played a great set"? Just sounds wrong, the former...
(shrug)

The Batlord · 03-23-2018, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah. I pretty much always do the opposite. And it's not just me. I see it on Match of the Day: "Spurs weren't great on the defence today, were they?" (Not Spurs wasn't great...") or "That player is really something. He's too good for Middlesboro. They'll struggle to keep him there." Not "It will struggle" etc. Maybe it's wrong; I'm not saying it isn't. But it's one of those things that has just happened and been accepted for so long now. You go to see Zu in concert. Do you say "It played a great set" or "They played a great set"? Just sounds wrong, the former...
(shrug)

Precxactly.

**Frownland** · 03-23-2018, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Pretty sure this is a lie. No one does that. Probably because it's a pointless grammar rule that should be flexible.

Mark this as the day you found out that someone you know does that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah. I pretty much always do the opposite. And it's not just me. I see it on Match of the Day: "Spurs weren't great on the defence today, were they?" (Not Spurs wasn't great...") or "That player is really something. He's too good for Middlesboro. They'll struggle to keep him there." Not "It will struggle" etc. Maybe it's wrong; I'm not saying it isn't. But it's one of those things that has just happened and been accepted for so long now. You go to see Zu in concert. Do you say "It played a great set" or "They played a great set"? Just sounds wrong, the former...
(shrug)

I'm aware that people don't know how to use collective nouns, that's why I brought it up.

I would say "Zu played a great set." This isn't a discussion about pronouns. If you were to describe their music, would you say "Zu play a combination of metal and jazz" or would you say something coherent such as "Zu plays a combination of metal and jazz"? "Zu are very good" versus "Zu is very good"? If you're referring to a unit, it's singular. Soz if you've been convinced otherwise because you're wrong.

**Frownland** · 03-23-2018, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah, that only works if you keep saying Zu like a retard. You can do that, I guess, as it's a short word (but people are going to think there's something wrong with you, that you can't replace the word Zu with another pronoun) but what if the band name is longer? Say, oh I don't know, The Andrew Jackson Jihad? Are you going to keep repeating their name? At some point you have to say "it" or "they". And yes, I'm aware that for that particular band you could refer to it as "he" since it's basically his band, but you know what I mean.

You must have missed this part of my post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

This isn't a discussion about pronouns.

Honestly a totally different ballpark.

grindy · 03-23-2018, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Honestly a totally different ballspark.

ftfy

The Batlord · 03-23-2018, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Mark this as the day you found out that someone you know does that.

A convenient lie. No one does that or even thinks about it, even grammar Nazis. Thankfully language is always evolving, and this stupid rule is being evolved out of the language.