Feedback and Criticism

There you are! Or is it their you are? It is too confusing.

PinkAngel's right about the English Language being a pig. The spelling's a total mess because of the mix of latinate and northern european roots we have (all the rude words being northern!).

Homework test: Can anyone tell me how the (non)word "ghoti" can be pronounced "fish"?

Meanwhile, though, let's be grateful for the language which gives us 47 words for a bottom and innumerable others for what we can do to it.

Just remember if it is their... then it is possessive, it belongs to someone or something

Practice makes perfect, or is that practise lol (practice is a noun and practise a verb)


A+ for getting the conversation back to bottoms

Hi Blimp. Listen carefully:
THEIR is the easier one to get clear about because,as PinkAngel says it ONLY EVER means "belonging to them" e.g. Their headmaster is crueller; I met their cane-supplier; theirs is a more painful hairbrush

THEY'RE sounds the same as the other two but of course is THEY ARE

THERE however has multiple uses which perhaps creates the confusion:
1. Opposite of HERE - Get over there, boy!
2. "There is/are/was/will be/would be/has been/could be/might be (etc) many reasons for a spanking..." - hard to define this usage (a bit like "It's raining" - what's raining?)( or "How do you do?" How do I do what?)
3. Been caned, Blimp? There, there!

Their cane caned there.

The more delicate thing is to prevent the craft of writing getting in the way of the art.
Seen but not heard.

Now I know why you are called The English Master! Thanks are due to both you and PinkAngel. I shall try and remember the difference. I know about "over there" as in a place, it is the other uses of there that I get confused with. I suppose it is a mental block. English grammar is a difficult thing to master but it is certainly necessary if you want to write well.

Pronounce the 'gh' as in rough = 'f'

Pronounce the 'o' as in women = 'i'

Pronounce the 'ti' as in nation = 'sh'

And you have fish! I'll have chips and mushy peas with mine, thanks.

Smart arse

Other big ones that confuse people:
Your / you're - your is possessive, you're is you are.
"Keep that up and you're going to get your bum spanked!"

to/two/too - to is the general usage, two is the number, and too is also.
"After I spank those other two girls, I'm going to spank you too."

its/it's - this a rule breaker. In almost all cases, 's means possessive. In this case its is possessive and it's is it is.
"When a student talks back, it's time to spank its bottom."

Goodgulf

I have to say, I never used to make these kinds of errors (their vs. there, etc.). But nowadays I have to watch myself, because I find myself making them with increasing frequency. I'd like to blame the internet for it ... cause it's either that, or oncoming senility