English Grammar 101

[m.cellophane]

One of my pet peeves is "insure" vs. "ensure".  Insure is to protect against loss. Ensure is to make certain of something. It's "Set your alarm to ensure you arrive on time" rather than "Set your alarm to insure you arrive on time".

[Najemikon]

Good call Goodguy! I'm always getting it wrong, but it is definitely "an SD".

My pet hate is the rule about possessive versus plural apostrophes following an abbreviation. The plural of DVD is DVDs, but the possessive of MGM would be MGM's. I'm always seeing DVD's and it drives me nuts!

[m.cellophane]

My pet hate is the rule about possessive versus plural apostrophes following an abbreviation. The plural of DVD is DVDs, but the possessive of MGM would be MGM's. I'm always seeing DVD's and it drives me nuts!

Agreed. It should be '70s instead of 70's when referring to decades!   

[RossRoy]

You think english grammar is hard? Try french! 

[Jimmy]

You think english grammar is hard? Try french! 

You couldn't be much right... more than 30 years of writting it and I continue to make a lot of errors. I was one of the many students who were used to test a new method to learn our language : wrote it as it sound !!

The results : I don't understand 50% of all the rules of my native language (they are so many exception it's not funny at all)

[MEJHarrison]

While we're on the topic, here's another that just kills me and people get it wrong far too frequently (we'll ignore to vs. too for the moment):

[Halo2]

One of my peeves is affect and effect. Often times, the effect it has on me can affect how I respond to the user.

[Achim]

"an" is used before a vowel SOUND even if written as consonant. Thus: an SD card.

Really?

Really. An SD card, but a SCSI controller (scuzzy) and a UFO (you-foe). And despite knowing the rule, I mess it up all the time when writing.

Well, that is very interesting indeed. The rule actually also takes care to explain why it's "an hour". I have to say though, it looks a bit weird on the "you-foe" there, as I see it as an acronym and therefore "an unidentified flying object" or just "an u. f. o.". Then again, it's fascinating that what we have as umlauts (Selbstlaut?) in German doesn't seem to apply in English... My head starts spinning

I have never known a lot grammar (even in German ) and mostly "just do it"; seems to go alright 95% of the time.


Thanks for Bob's guide, Mark!

One of my peeves is affect and effect. Often times, the effect it has on me can affect how I respond to the user.

Oh, good one. That one usually bugs me too.

[MEJHarrison]

I have never known a lot grammar (even in German ) and mostly "just do it"; seems to go alright 95% of the time.

Same here.  As a computer guy, English wasn't my greatest subject.  And I'm sure my writing leaves a lot to be desired.  But I give it my best.