Are younger students even being taught English grammar in school?

[frankfrank]

people think the plural of "person" is "people". It's "persons". People should be a collective singular noun with "peoples" as its plural form but tautology changed that overtime. Another similar example is "data". Data is also a plural noun [in Latin] and the singular form is "datum".

Another example is when somebody talks about "an opera." OPUS is the singular, and "operas" is really a plural of a plural. But, like PEOPLE, it has been fully adopted in contemporary usage, and thus is considered to be proper.

Persons, though, is indeed used as the plural in most Legalese. I may say "persons" instead of "people," also, when I want to refer to "multiple individuals, each of whom have their own personalities" instead of only saying "society" or "a crowd" or "a group of some size."

So, basically I guess I think of "persons" as being a more formal word.

The plural of "person" being "people" passed into standard usage before my time, thus it is congenial and constant and a barometer of correct English, and to revert to "persons" and "peoples" is poncing nonsense that grates on the ears. Hideous affectations.

Before my time, too, and I think I'm considerably older than you. Probably even before my grandparents' time.

 

[pat grimshaw]

...I eventually released the pearl that Shakespeare didn't base the play off some Italian couple as typically indicated but rather off the Greek tragedy Pyramus and Thisbe in Ovid's Metamorphoses. ...I may bitch about how I endured 12 years of Catholic education but I at least felt I learned something.....

So did you like the poetry of Ovid?

 

[ravenstar]

I had to do an English and Grammar test for a job I applied for recently. I scored 98% and the information stated that the Global average score for the test was 77%. I can't for the life of me figure out how it could be so long, the questions were stupid. One of them said;

"Insert the correct use of the words there, they're and their into the following sentence" - the sentence was

_____ are dancing a jig over _____ to celebrate _____ mothers birthday

According to the test results over 80% of people got it wrong. 90% got "the kittens where mittens on their a- paws, b - noses, c - lips & d - hands wrong. Mind you I wanted to say e on that one, Kittens don't wear mittens you idiots. lol

 

[RoadBike]

The one that gets me the most is the difference between good (adjective) and well (adverb). Good is erroneously used in place of well so often that it's pathetic. Rarely will people say well in place of good.

She writes really _______? A: Good B: Well

B is the correct answer. writes is the verb and requires an adverb as a modifier, not an adjective.

When a foreign person who learned English as a second language corrects the English of a native English speaking person, it's sad.