Comments on: Different from, Different to, Different than http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:00:10 -0600 hourly 1 By: Maeve http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/comment-page-1/#comment-3798 Maeve Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:26:30 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/#comment-3798 Thanks for your comment, Asha. Credit for the vocabulary test belongs to Daniel. Thanks for your comment, Asha.

Credit for the vocabulary test belongs to Daniel.

]]> By: Asha http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/comment-page-1/#comment-3774 Asha Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:08:15 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/#comment-3774 Let me thank you foremost for starting DWT Vocabulary Test. It is wonderful to have something like this. Took the test and felt that I had answered everything perfectly...but sadly on checking the answers realized that I had scored only 80%. Am sure I will do better next time. Thank you once again. Asha Let me thank you foremost for starting DWT Vocabulary Test. It is wonderful to have something like this. Took the test and felt that I had answered everything perfectly…but sadly on checking the answers realized that I had scored only 80%. Am sure I will do better next time. Thank you once again.
Asha

]]> By: Maeve http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/comment-page-1/#comment-3738 Maeve Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:31:34 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/#comment-3738 Hilary, It wasn't so long ago that American English teachers did the same kind of knuckle-rapping over correct usage -- even in Arkansas where I grew up. (You will notice that Bill Clinton, who had some of the same teachers I had, speaks better English than a certain graduate of Yale.) You're not alone in thinking that writers have an obligation to model correct usage. Browse the DWT site for posts on the peeves you've listed. Your first example is one of the things I come back to again and again. ( See <a href="http://www.dailywritingtips.com/tvs-war-on-me-and-i/" rel="nofollow">TV's War on "Me" and "I"</a>) In an effort to do my part in this war against standard English I've started my own site called the <a href="http://www.americanenglishdoctor.com" rel="nofollow">American English Doctor</a>. It's targeted to parents of children who attend public schools (American version). Its purpose is to provide parents with the information and encouragement they need to measure their children's literacy in a meaningful way. Teaching quality varies enormously from school to school and Eduspeak tends to obscure how much learning is actually taking place. Hilary,
It wasn’t so long ago that American English teachers did the same kind of knuckle-rapping over correct usage — even in Arkansas where I grew up. (You will notice that Bill Clinton, who had some of the same teachers I had, speaks better English than a certain graduate of Yale.)

You’re not alone in thinking that writers have an obligation to model correct usage. Browse the DWT site for posts on the peeves you’ve listed. Your first example is one of the things I come back to again and again. ( See TV’s War on “Me” and “I”)

In an effort to do my part in this war against standard English I’ve started my own site called the American English Doctor. It’s targeted to parents of children who attend public schools (American version). Its purpose is to provide parents with the information and encouragement they need to measure their children’s literacy in a meaningful way. Teaching quality varies enormously from school to school and Eduspeak tends to obscure how much learning is actually taking place.

]]> By: Hilary http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/comment-page-1/#comment-3737 Hilary Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:51:44 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/#comment-3737 I was so pleased to know that others out there cringe at 'different than' plus, as a Brit, I have taken a long time as well to adjust to putting the comma inside the quotation marks. Other grammatical errors which throw me into a Dickey Fit (especially as an English person who was severely rapped over the knuckles in school over these) are the following: - he gave it to him and I (instead of me) - the person that (instead of 'who') - there's lots of (instead of 'there are lots of') - none of them are (instead of 'none of them is') While it may be appropriate to have the above errors made in certain dialogue, do we not, as writers, have some obligation to write correctly? Perhaps I'm alone in this? I was so pleased to know that others out there cringe at ‘different than’ plus, as a Brit, I have taken a long time as well to adjust to putting the comma inside the quotation marks.

Other grammatical errors which throw me into a Dickey Fit (especially as an English person who was severely rapped over the knuckles in school over these) are the following:

- he gave it to him and I (instead of me)

- the person that (instead of ‘who’)

- there’s lots of (instead of ‘there are lots of’)

- none of them are (instead of ‘none of them is’)

While it may be appropriate to have the above errors made in certain dialogue, do we not, as writers, have some obligation to write correctly?

Perhaps I’m alone in this?

]]> By: Maeve http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/comment-page-1/#comment-3653 Maeve Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:52:43 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/different-from-different-to-different-than/#comment-3653 Tordek, It has taken a great effort on my part to learn to place the period inside the quotation marks. When in Rome. Tordek,
It has taken a great effort on my part to learn to place the period inside the quotation marks. When in Rome.

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