Forums > Associated Board, How Could You?

Deborah

Jan 11 2007, 04:59 PM

Just read this on the AB homepage:

QUOTE

SoundJunction scoops major award 10th Jan 07 SoundJunction has received it's sixth award at the annual BETT awards for the category of Digital Content at Secondary School Level. Read on for more details.

Anyone else notice that it should have been its not it's?

Frederic Chopin

Jan 11 2007, 05:10 PM

I haven't read the homepage recently but well spotted Deborah!

mwl1

Jan 11 2007, 05:21 PM

The nerve of those guys!

bobifier

Jan 11 2007, 05:21 PM

QUOTE(mwl1 @ Jan 11 2007, 05:21 PM)

The nerve of those guys!

We should have a 'We Hate Bad Grammar' club

YetAnotherPianist

Jan 11 2007, 05:23 PM

Next people will be in up arms about the missing apostrophe in 'Forums Cafe'....

bobifier

Jan 11 2007, 05:24 PM

QUOTE(YetAnotherPianist @ Jan 11 2007, 05:23 PM)

Next people will be in up arms about the missing apostrophe in 'Forums Cafe'....

I think that one has a certain degree of ambiguity. It's (WITH an apostrophe) the missing accent that gets me, however much I miss it out too...

Deborah

Jan 11 2007, 05:40 PM

QUOTE(YetAnotherPianist @ Jan 11 2007, 05:23 PM)

Next people will be in up arms about the missing apostrophe in 'Forums Cafe'....

The only reason that mine aren't is because I can't type that way!

To quote St. Lynne of Truss on punctuation in names, the trouble is that instututions, towns, colleges, families, companies and brands have authority over their own spelling and punctuation (which is often historic), and there is absolutely nothing we can do except raise an eyebrow and make a mental note...."The Times Guide to English Style and Usage" (1999) sensibly advises its readers not to pin their mental wellbeing on such matters

Just noticed that the homepage has had a minor amendment...

bobifier

Jan 11 2007, 05:59 PM

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 11 2007, 05:40 PM)

QUOTE(YetAnotherPianist @ Jan 11 2007, 05:23 PM)

Next people will be in up arms about the missing apostrophe in 'Forums Cafe'....

The only reason that mine aren't is because I can't type that way!

To quote St. Lynne of Truss on punctuation in names, the trouble is that instututions, towns, colleges, families, companies and brands have authority over their own spelling and punctuation (which is often historic), and there is absolutely nothing we can do except raise an eyebrow and make a mental note...."The Times Guide to English Style and Usage" (1999) sensibly advises its readers not to pin their mental wellbeing on such matters

Just noticed that the homepage has had a minor amendment...

I'll cry if we don't found a club

Where did that thingummy come from with the quote and stuff?

Sorry, my language skills are not at their pinnacle tonight...

YetAnotherPianist

Jan 11 2007, 07:28 PM

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 11 2007, 05:40 PM)

Just noticed that the homepage has had a minor amendment...

Excellent. If it works, can I point out another blooper in the 'forums rules'*:

.... at the moderator's discretion ....

I'm sure we have more than one moderator

.

* Actually, come to think of it, what about 'forums rules'?

lizbun

Jan 11 2007, 07:40 PM

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 11 2007, 04:59 PM)

Just read this on the AB homepage:

QUOTE

SoundJunction scoops major award 10th Jan 07 SoundJunction has received it's sixth award at the annual BETT awards for the category of Digital Content at Secondary School Level. Read on for more details.

Anyone else notice that it should have been its not it's?

There's lots of that kind of mistake everywhere

YetAnotherPianist

Jan 11 2007, 07:45 PM

QUOTE(lizbun @ Jan 11 2007, 07:40 PM)

There's lots of that kind of mistake everywhere

Oh the irony

.

carol*piano

Jan 11 2007, 08:06 PM

Is it not - it's - as in - belonging to it - or am I being really stupid here?

SuzyMac

Jan 11 2007, 08:20 PM

QUOTE(carol*piano @ Jan 11 2007, 08:06 PM)

Is it not - it's - as in - belonging to it - or am I being really stupid here?

To quote Lady Lynne again, "...possessive determiners and possessive pronouns...none of which require an apostrophe"

These include his, hers, yours, theirs and its.

carol*piano

Jan 11 2007, 08:23 PM

QUOTE(SuzyMac @ Jan 11 2007, 08:20 PM)

QUOTE(carol*piano @ Jan 11 2007, 08:06 PM)

Is it not - it's - as in - belonging to it - or am I being really stupid here?

To quote Lady Lynne again, "...possessive determiners and possessive pronouns...none of which require an apostrophe"

These include his, hers, yours, theirs and its.

Oh okay - I WAS being really stupid!

SuzyMac

Jan 11 2007, 08:28 PM

QUOTE(carol*piano @ Jan 11 2007, 08:23 PM)

QUOTE(SuzyMac @ Jan 11 2007, 08:20 PM)

QUOTE(carol*piano @ Jan 11 2007, 08:06 PM)

Is it not - it's - as in - belonging to it - or am I being really stupid here?

To quote Lady Lynne again, "...possessive determiners and possessive pronouns...none of which require an apostrophe"

These include his, hers, yours, theirs and its.

Oh okay - I WAS being really stupid!

It IS (It's) more fun that way

mwl1

Jan 11 2007, 08:32 PM

QUOTE(bobifier @ Jan 11 2007, 05:21 PM)

QUOTE(mwl1 @ Jan 11 2007, 05:21 PM)

The nerve of those guys!

We should have a 'We Hate Bad Grammar' club

'We Hate Bad Grammar, particularly when it comes from a certain geography teacher...' club!

SaxFan

Jan 12 2007, 04:09 PM

How about not hating bad grammar, although it is anathema to some of us! but let's encourage correct grammar.
It really is just as easy to be correct...

CGS Correct Grammar Supporters? perhaps CoGS

Dulciana

Jan 12 2007, 06:43 PM

Ok, so who's starting the thread, then? Does anyone remember the 'noodle, your inbox is full' thread? It ran riot late one evening, consisting of Shakespeare quotes, and was promptly deleted in the morning! But it was really good fun. I'm off to see Barry Douglas in concert now, but will take a look when I get back to see if there's a CGS club recruiting!

Car Expert

Jan 12 2007, 07:12 PM

Looks like the error has been corrected now.

Car Expert

bobifier

Jan 12 2007, 08:00 PM

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 12 2007, 06:43 PM)

Ok, so who's starting the thread, then? Does anyone remember the 'noodle, your inbox is full' thread? It ran riot late one evening, consisting of Shakespeare quotes, and was promptly deleted in the morning! But it was really good fun. I'm off to see Barry Douglas in concert now, but will take a look when I get back to see if there's a CGS club recruiting!

'Will all Great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?'...

SaxFan

Jan 12 2007, 09:33 PM

QUOTE(bobifier @ Jan 12 2007, 08:00 PM)

'Will all Great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?'...

hey, what brilliant language.... fantastic!

bobifier

Jan 12 2007, 09:35 PM

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 12 2007, 09:33 PM)

QUOTE(bobifier @ Jan 12 2007, 08:00 PM)

'Will all Great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?'...

hey, what brilliant language.... fantastic!

I hate Macbeth, and everything affiliated.

Deborah

Jan 13 2007, 10:03 AM

QUOTE(Car Expert @ Jan 12 2007, 07:12 PM)

Looks like the error has been corrected now.

See post 7

I now realise that I'm laying myself wide open any time I misplace an apostrophe in any of my post's.

Yes, this one was intentional, and you've no idea the pain it caused me typing it

SaxFan

Jan 13 2007, 10:21 AM

QUOTE(bobifier @ Jan 12 2007, 09:35 PM)

I hate Macbeth, and everything affiliated.

"everything affiliated" seems to mean all of Shakespeare. That would be a shame

Wobby

Jan 13 2007, 03:41 PM

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 12 2007, 04:09 PM)

but let's encourage correct grammar.
It really is just as easy to be correct...

CGS Correct Grammar Supporters? perhaps CoGS(.)

Isn't there a club somewhat like the negatively critical version of the club you are referring to, i.e. the "Pedantic's Club", or the "Pedantic Club", or whatever it was!

But I guess we could begin by encouraging good grammar... ensure that you capitalise each of the letters at the beginning of your sentences, and add a space after each full stop - that one gets to me every time! Now let's just watch to see someone think they're really clever to correct my post in which I have probably made at least one error that derives from my tendency to over-elongate each of my sentences.

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 13 2007, 10:03 AM)

QUOTE(Car Expert @ Jan 12 2007, 07:12 PM)

Looks like the error has been corrected now.

See post 7

I now realise that I'm laying myself wide open any time I misplace an apostrophe in any of my post's.

Yes, this one was intentional, and you've no idea the pain it caused me typing it

Nice use of laterality there - we have a big book of laterality, and some of the solutions are so bad you can't help but groan.

~Wobby~

SaxFan

Jan 13 2007, 04:10 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 03:41 PM)

But I guess we could begin by encouraging good grammar... ensure that you capitalise each of the letters at the beginning of your sentences, and add a space after each full stop - that one gets to me every time! Now let's just watch to see someone think they're really clever to correct my post in which I have probably made at least one error that derives from my tendency to over-elongate each of my sentences.

I accept the corrections. I should perhaps say it took me a while to understand the very verbose and 'over-elongated' sentence!

Wobby

Jan 13 2007, 04:13 PM

Hehe, I try my best - it is my lifetime aspiration to be as arcane and esoteric as possible, but so far, I have not yet succeeded, as I do not know enough complex vocabulary!

But yes, a grammar correcting group would be great! It's much more pleasant seeing writing displayed in the way it should be: I myself still need to learn my 'who's from my 'whom's though!

~Wobby~

Rosemary7391

Jan 13 2007, 04:16 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 04:13 PM)

Hehe, I try my best - it is my lifetime aspiration to be as arcane and esoteric as possible, but so far, I have not yet succeeded, as I do not know enough complex vocabulary!

But yes, a grammar correcting group would be great! It's much more pleasant seeing writing displayed in the way it should be: I myself still need to learn my 'who's from my 'whom's though!

~Wobby~

Just be glad people aren't writing in text language! Do you like seeng the blank looks on people's faces when you talk to them like that?

Wobby

Jan 13 2007, 04:29 PM

Oh no, I talk 'normally' at school to appease them, but I like to do it whenever I'm writing. You should have seen my GCSE English Exam, it was hilarious! I decided to 'play the game', and stick a 'floccinaucinihilipilification', 'flocculent', 'abstruse', 'laconic', 'ostensibly' and 'nubivagent' here and there - i.e. words that have disappeared pretty much completely from the English Language - I discovered some of those the day before - and not to mention a few interrobang punctuation marks to throw the examiners off. But I have now encorporated some of the words I learned into my everyday vocabulary - but that is only beneficial providing that I actually can impliment the words correctly!

The 'question' in the English Language Exam 2 was 'Describe yourself.' I made out I was some sort of arrogant condescending outcast, just for the sake of characterisation, but it probably didn't help out that I'd made the stupidest blunder of answering both of the 27 mark questions, when I was only meant to answer one, effectively halving the time I spent on them. But nevermind, I still got my A* in the end...

Fortunately, I haven't seen much text language in the forums lately, it gets quite annoying, but I can see why they use it on mobile phones. Actually though, I use full sentences in my text messages, and paragraphs, and I even sign my name on the end. But in my first message, I tried using text language, but gave up, as ironically, it took too much effort.

~Wobby~

Rosemary7391

Jan 13 2007, 04:35 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 04:29 PM)

Oh no, I talk 'normally' at school to appease them, but I like to do it whenever I'm writing. You should have seen my GCSE English Exam, it was hilarious! I decided to 'play the game', and stick a 'floccinaucinihilipilification', 'flocculent', 'abstruse' and 'nubivagent' here and there - i.e. words that have disappeared pretty much completely from the English Language - I looked those up the day before - and not to mention a few interrobang punctuation marks to throw the examiners off.

The 'question' was 'Describe yourself.' I made out I was some sort of arrogant condescending outcast, just for the sake of characterisation, but it probably didn't help out that I'd made the stupidest blunder of answering both of the 27 mark questions, when I was only meant to answer one, effectively halving the time I spent on them. But nevermind, I still got my A* in the end...

Fortunately, I haven't seen much text language in the forums lately, it gets quite annoying, but I can see why they use it on mobile phones. Actually though, I use full sentences in my text messages, and paragraphs, and I even sign my name on the end. But in my first message, I tried using text language, but gave up, as ironically, it took too much effort.

~Wobby~

Wow! Sounds like you had a lot of fun there! If only you could have seen their faces.... Wish I could be so sure of my A* in English, but I can't stand the analysis. Creative writing, though.. I love it!

I tend to use a wierd mix of proper and text language on my phone, but stick to proper English on a forum. Some of mty friends use interesting abbrieviations that take forever to work out.

Wobby

Jan 13 2007, 05:02 PM

Abbreviations are always really hard to figure out - especially without a given context - luckily, people tend to just speak to me via voice as opposed to text - it's only me that's the cheap-skate that uses texts in order to save money. That's why I've still got so much credit on my phone.

Have you taken your English exam yet, or is it in the Summer? I'm presuming it's Language and Literature? Do you know your coursework and speaking mark yet? Try to maximise them if you can. When it comes to the exam, just come up with the silliest analyses possible and them begin expanding on and explaining them - you can do this especially well in the literature exam. You can't lose marks for this. Each point and explanation is worth a tick, regardless of how implausible they actually are.

Take my 'comparison of memories' between 'Homecoming' and 'Before You Were Mine' - I said 'the use of first person in 'Before You Were Mine' as compared to the use of third person in 'Homecoming' suggests that Duffy feels that memories are much more personal than Armitage, as further displayed by use of informal language such as the onomatopoeia 'Cha Cha Cha' and the colloquialism 'sweetheart'.'

Another one was: 'The structure of the poem, 'Homecoming', is a lot more spaced out than the structure of the poem 'Before You Were Mine', in the sense that there are more lines per stanza. This suggests that Armitage feels memories much more nubivagent and abstract than Duffy, who feels memories to be more organised and intertwined.'

Well, something like that, anyway. Of course, this is all a lot of rubbish -just 'play the game', as the expression the teachers here like to use goes, and you'll do fine - put it this way: no-one else would have though of those reasons, so you'll get ticks for creativity and originality - thinking outside the box!

I actually thought I'd do really badly in English actually, but the grades contradicted me, so I'm sure you'll do fine too!

~Wobby~

Rosemary7391

Jan 13 2007, 05:39 PM

I've got all A's in my coursework, except one piece, which I'm re-doing, and speaking which I got A* on!
Your strategy sounds exactly like what my friend does (Who gets A*s without fail!) only you explan it better. Thanks! I will try that come the dreaded summer exams... I only just scraped an A on my mock, so there is some work to be done there!

Wobby

Jan 13 2007, 05:45 PM

Your welcome! I actually got an A in my mock test, which was the highest mark for the year, but I think this was namely because teachers undermarked on purpose so that it looks better when you come out with your grade at the end - about 40% or so came out with an A* in English Language by the end - the same probably applies for you!

~Wobby~

Choddy

Jan 13 2007, 07:03 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 05:45 PM)

Your welcome!

~Wobby~

What about my welcome??

sarah-flute

Jan 13 2007, 08:24 PM

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 13 2007, 10:03 AM)

Yes, this one was intentional, and you've no idea the pain it caused me typing it

Oh Deborah, Deborah... some of us DO feel your pain, believe me!

SaxFan

Jan 13 2007, 10:35 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 05:45 PM)

[font=Souvenir Lt BT][size=2]Your welcome!

Please explain this part of your post.
'Your welcome' is this as opposed to 'his welcome', 'my welcome' or indeed 'our welcome'?

'Your welcome!' doesn't seem to make a sentence.

Maybe we should also have a spelling correction thread; I have noticed one or two suspect words

Dulciana

Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 13 2007, 10:35 PM)

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 13 2007, 05:45 PM)

[font=Souvenir Lt BT][size=2]Your welcome!

Please explain this part of your post.
'Your welcome' is this as opposed to 'his welcome', 'my welcome' or indeed 'our welcome'?

'Your welcome!' doesn't seem to make a sentence.

Maybe we should also have a spelling correction thread; I have noticed one or two suspect words

And what ever happened to semi-colons?
" 'Your welcome'; is this as opposed to..."
Otherwise it means 'this is your welcome, as opposed to his, mine or ours'!

Sad to be doing this on a Saturday night, really!

SaxFan

Jan 13 2007, 10:51 PM

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM)

And what ever happened to semi-colons?

There was a semicolon missing in a previous post, but I hesitated to mention it. It would probably be more accurate to say that I simply DIDN'T mention it.

I wonder when 'never mind' became one word.

Dulciana

Jan 14 2007, 12:14 AM

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 13 2007, 10:51 PM)

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM)

And what ever happened to semi-colons?

There was a semicolon missing in a previous post, but I hesitated to mention it. It would probably be more accurate to say that I simply DIDN'T mention it.

I wonder when 'never mind' became one word.

Or when 'so not' became acceptable? It's so not on!

Wobby

Jan 14 2007, 02:36 PM

QUOTE(Choddy @ Jan 13 2007, 07:03 PM)

What about my welcome??

I shall now donate a welcome to everybody here for their personal appeasement. Oh yes, as this is the thread for pedantics, you are not permitted two question marks in a row. I think an exclamation mark after a question mark can be permitted, however, due to the fact that it is so hard to 'type' an interrobang without taking the bother of opening up character map.

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 13 2007, 10:35 PM)

Please explain this part of your post.
'Your welcome' is this as opposed to 'his welcome', 'my welcome' or indeed 'our welcome'?

'Your welcome!' doesn't seem to make a sentence.

Maybe we should also have a spelling correction thread; I have noticed one or two suspect words

How would you know this was not intended as a poetic use of a 'fragmented' sentence? They are all the rage in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings books. Besides, although you would like a spelling correction thread, you still failed to notice the absent full stop to end your last sentence before the smiley. And Dulciana pointed out the other mistake.* But theoretically, a colon could have been used.

*This was another fragmented sentence. Additionally, 'And' can be used to begin sentences, and ambiguity and passive sentences are not errors.

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM)

And what ever happened to semi-colons?
" 'Your welcome'; is this as opposed to..."
Otherwise it means 'this is your welcome, as opposed to his, mine or ours'!

Sad to be doing this on a Saturday night, really!

Surely by your own standards, an agent is required to meet minimum standards for a sentence, unless it is an intentional fragmented sentence, which it is not. Therefore, the use of the two words 'It is' is required before the word 'Sad', which should by then be changed to 'sad'.

~Wobby~

Car Expert

Jan 14 2007, 02:46 PM

QUOTE(Deborah @ Jan 13 2007, 10:03 AM)

QUOTE(Car Expert @ Jan 12 2007, 07:12 PM)

Looks like the error has been corrected now.

See post 7

Oh yes...

Car Expert

SaxFan

Jan 14 2007, 07:36 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 14 2007, 02:36 PM)

amiguity

[/font][/size]~Wobby~

What is this word, please?

Dulciana

Jan 14 2007, 08:11 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 14 2007, 02:36 PM)

QUOTE(Choddy @ Jan 13 2007, 07:03 PM)

What about my welcome??

I shall now donate a welcome to everybody here for their personal appeasement. Oh yes, as this is the thread for pedantics, you are not permitted two question marks in a row. I think an exclamation mark after a question mark can be permitted, however, due to the fact that it is so hard to 'type' an interrobang without taking the bother of opening up character map.

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 13 2007, 10:35 PM)

Please explain this part of your post.
'Your welcome' is this as opposed to 'his welcome', 'my welcome' or indeed 'our welcome'?

'Your welcome!' doesn't seem to make a sentence.

Maybe we should also have a spelling correction thread; I have noticed one or two suspect words

How would you know this was not intended as a poetic use of a 'fragmented' sentence? They are all the rage in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings books. Besides, although you would like a spelling correction thread, you still failed to notice the absent full stop to end your last sentence before the smiley. And Dulciana pointed out the other mistake.* But theoretically, a colon could have been used.

*This was another fragmented sentence. Additionally, 'And' can be used to begin sentences, and amiguity and passive sentences are not errors.

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM)

And what ever happened to semi-colons?
" 'Your welcome'; is this as opposed to..."
Otherwise it means 'this is your welcome, as opposed to his, mine or ours'!

Sad to be doing this on a Saturday night, really!

Surely by your own standards, an agent is required to meet minimum standards for a sentence, unless it is an intentional fragmented sentence, which it is not. Therefore, the use of the two words 'It is' is required before the word 'Sad', which should by then be changed to 'sad'.

~Wobby~

I stand corrected; or rather I am sitting at my computer, my error having been pointed out. If you tell me now that ending a sentence with a preposition is an abomination up with which you will not put, I will be expecting an alternative!

P.S. What the **** is an interrobang?

superpyroman

Jan 15 2007, 06:40 PM

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 14 2007, 08:11 PM)

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 14 2007, 02:36 PM)

QUOTE(Choddy @ Jan 13 2007, 07:03 PM)

What about my welcome??

I shall now donate a welcome to everybody here for their personal appeasement. Oh yes, as this is the thread for pedantics, you are not permitted two question marks in a row. I think an exclamation mark after a question mark can be permitted, however, due to the fact that it is so hard to 'type' an interrobang without taking the bother of opening up character map.

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 13 2007, 10:35 PM)

Please explain this part of your post.
'Your welcome' is this as opposed to 'his welcome', 'my welcome' or indeed 'our welcome'?

'Your welcome!' doesn't seem to make a sentence.

Maybe we should also have a spelling correction thread; I have noticed one or two suspect words

How would you know this was not intended as a poetic use of a 'fragmented' sentence? They are all the rage in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings books. Besides, although you would like a spelling correction thread, you still failed to notice the absent full stop to end your last sentence before the smiley. And Dulciana pointed out the other mistake.* But theoretically, a colon could have been used.

*This was another fragmented sentence. Additionally, 'And' can be used to begin sentences, and amiguity and passive sentences are not errors.

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 13 2007, 10:47 PM)

And what ever happened to semi-colons?
" 'Your welcome'; is this as opposed to..."
Otherwise it means 'this is your welcome, as opposed to his, mine or ours'!

Sad to be doing this on a Saturday night, really!

Surely by your own standards, an agent is required to meet minimum standards for a sentence, unless it is an intentional fragmented sentence, which it is not. Therefore, the use of the two words 'It is' is required before the word 'Sad', which should by then be changed to 'sad'.

~Wobby~

I stand corrected; or rather I am sitting at my computer, my error having been pointed out. If you tell me now that ending a sentence with a preposition is an abomination up with which you will not put, I will be expecting an alternative!

P.S. What the **** is an interrobang?

It's like a milk bottle but different

Wobby

Jan 15 2007, 07:09 PM

QUOTE(SaxFan @ Jan 14 2007, 07:36 PM)

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 14 2007, 02:36 PM)

amiguity

[/font][/size]~Wobby~

What is this word, please?

What was once that 'word' is no more...

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 14 2007, 08:11 PM)

I stand corrected; or rather I am sitting at my computer, my error having been pointed out. If you tell me now that ending a sentence with a preposition is an abomination up with which you will not put, I will be expecting an alternative!

P.S. What the **** is an interrobang?

I don't understand what you are trying to get at in the first part of your post, but I was basically saying that the sentence should be changed to 'It is sad to be doing this on a Saturday night, really.' If what you were getting at was I was telling you to correct the 'really' part, I wasn't, for this could be interpreted as correct providing you were insinuating that the reader believed that the sentence was not true.

But in answer to your P.S., an interrobang is a combination between a question mark and an exclamation mark that is used to express a question said in a manner of disbelief or that is shouted. It was created to replace the grammatically incorrect '?!' puntuation series, as having two punctuation marks next to each other is wrong, unless one of the series is a full stop used to show an acronym, or if one of the series is a quotation mark, in which case this is accepted. The creation of the interrobang merged both the exclamation and the question mark together, forming one punctuation mark, making it correct. So, to summarise, an interrobang is a piece of punctuation that looks like the letter 'P' with a full stop underneath. It can be found in fonts such as Palantino Linotype and Tahoma, near the bottom in applications such as Character Map, or near the bottom in 'Microsoft Word, Insert Symbol', providing these are both up to date, I believe. I shall try typing some:

`^_

If you look under Wikipedia, you can find lots of information about this oh-so-useful punctuation mark.

Click here to see the link. Here is another interrobang site!

P.S. Would superpyroman kindly put a full stop at the end of his 'sentence'?

~Wobby~

Dulciana

Jan 16 2007, 12:07 AM

A great invention then, the interrobang! I've often thought that there are many sentences which require both!

Malone

Jan 16 2007, 12:56 AM

QUOTE(Dulciana @ Jan 16 2007, 12:07 AM)

A great invention then, the interrobang! I've often thought that there are many sentences which require both!

thats ingenious - looks like its made for the rhetorical question perhaps?

Wobby

Jan 16 2007, 12:56 PM

I think it's for things like:
'What on earth do you think you are doing`'

and

'What` You say that a giant donkey took your homework, flew to the moon, buried it in a deep crater and then blew it up with 5 tonnes of TNT`'

But yes, it truly is remarkably useful - I littered my English exam with them a while ago to see if I got extra marks for creativity - it seemed to have worked, anyway! As for rhetorical questions, I think they have another mark, known as the 'irony mark' I believe, which is designated by a backwards question mark!

~Wobby~

SaxFan

Jan 16 2007, 06:41 PM

QUOTE(Wobby @ Jan 16 2007, 12:56 PM)

As for rhetoric questions,

'rhetoric' is a noun. I don't think it and another noun should be juxtaposed.
The adjective relating to 'rhetoric' is 'rhetorical'.

Wobby

Jan 16 2007, 09:17 PM

It is true that I did intend to type 'rhetorical question' but my excuse could be that I was in a hurry to go for my lunch. However, instead, I decide to argue my point in saying that nouns can be placed next to other nouns to suggest the close relationship between each other.

Take 'jellyfish' - it is either a jelly with fish-like characteristics, or a fish with jelly-like characteristics, whilst being the crude amalgamation of two nouns.

Or, there is the 'Victoria Sponge Cake' - this is another example of nouns melded together. There is no apostrophe to suggest the cake belongs to Victoria, nor is the adjective 'spongy' used to describe the cake. 'Victoria', 'sponge' and 'cake' are merely placed together.

The only reason this works is that it is a name designated to that specific type of cake. So, I could argue that I was being poetic in creating my own brand of 'rhetoric question'...

~Wobby~