Common English mistakes

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by Mahyar

I always make the mistake of writing Santa Clause instead of Santa Claus.

And I also always make the mistake of writing Lets not Let's.

Reading shadow's post, I think I write independence too

Also many people here write homeworks which should be homework

That is correct Mahyar. IndependEnce is spelt with an E not an A. It's the French royal blue blood in us that makes us spell it independance.

[Mey]

Oh Shadow, I misunderstood your post, because I thought "**** I write responsibility too " I doubted myself for a second there.

I used to write secterian, and I think many people do that mistake too, I learned that it is sectarian. I think it is a good practice if people use a word editor with spell check to write, they can learn a lot about some common mistakes they do.

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by Mahyar

Oh Shadow, I misunderstood your post, because I thought "**** I write responsibility too " I doubted myself for a second there.

Upon re-reading my post I can see how it would be confusing so let me clarify

IndependEnce is corrrect, IndependAnce is not

ResponsIbility is correct, responsAbility is not

[terror]

So you two kids choose to ignore my post, eh?

Originally Posted by shadow1

Well you get what you deserve and the result of the polls is not exactly because they were done in two seperate areas but because you always need at least two truths for followers.

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post415740

and other examples:

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post414658

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post318502

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post318502

and many more...

Mahyar:

Originally Posted by Mahyar

FPM is a secular Lebanese party, whose one of its aims to seperate religion from politics. The FPM leader thus is a national secular leader.

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post404021

That's not all folks.

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post323980

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post290997

http://www.lfpm.org/forum/showthread...ate#post260455

and many, many more...
I tell you, most Lebanese people make that mistake.

I can see it coming. I see it coming.
*hides*

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by terror

So you two kids choose to ignore my post, eh?

and many, many more...
I tell you, most Lebanese people make that mistake.

I can see it coming. I see it coming.
*hides*

Terror,
I actually wondered after reading your post whether I make that mistake and yes I do. For you I am ever grateful but did you really need to go to such length to highlight my shortcomings? I am going to say five hail Marys and six our Fathers and hope I am forgiven by Terror.

[Mey]

I second shadow, terror you are dead meat now

Separate, it does look weird writing it correctly

Thanks for the correction.

[Fragrance of Roses]

I love this thread!

One mistake most people on this forum commit is saying: "I felt in love" instead of "I fell in love." One falls in love and feels love.

Also, many say "Split Image" while describing someone who looks exactly like someone else. The correct term is "spit image." (We say it in Arabic too = Bez2u min timmu).

Another common mistake that many Americans commit is saying that this food is healthy. The correct term is "healthful." "Healthy" means that the food is not sick or affected with an illness, while "healthful" means full of nuitritional values.

Thanks Terror and Shadow for all your very well appreciated advice!

[shadow1]

Now that we delved into the world of grammar here is an interesting rule re. the addition of S:
Example Sarah is twenty years old and has gone on a three week holiday.

Why would the word year above require an S and the word week wouldn't I dont know. But my guess is if the described noun is followed by an adjective it requires an S and if followed by a noun not preceded by a preposition it doesnt. Maybe Terror could give us the rule.
ex: Sarah is twenty years old, her sister Magma is a twenty two year old princess.

[terror]

Originally Posted by shadow1

Now that we delved into the world of grammar here is an interesting rule re. the addition of S:
Example Sarah is twenty years old and has gone on a three week holiday.

Why would the word year above require an S and the word week wouldn't I dont know. But my guess is if the described noun is followed by an adjective it requires an S and if followed by a noun not preceded by a preposition it doesnt. Maybe Terror could give us the rule.
ex: Sarah is twenty years old, her sister Magma is a twenty two year old princess.

I think it's all because adjectives can never be plural.

In "Sarah is twenty years old," the word "years" is used as a noun and CAN take the plural form.

But when you say "three-week holiday," the word "week" is actually being used as an adjective for "holiday" and therefore always remains singular.

Or you can think of "three week" as a compound adjective for "holiday," and in that case the same rule applies.

Abir, I'm getting the urge to do something evil to you (easy to guess - you had to see that one coming :D)... but well you're too nice, I will have mercy on your soul for now but keep in mind I have a weapon and it's brutal. :p

[CPL]

Here is a rule that you can memorize:

"I before E, except after C, of when sounding like A"

Examples:

I before E

Retrieve
Siege
Friend
Yield

Except after C

Conceive
Deceive
Receive
Ceiling

Or when sounding like A

Neighbor
Sleigh

Exceptions

either, weird, foreign, leisure, science, conscience, forfeit, counterfeit, leisure, neither, seize, species, height, sufficient