Lose the loose

Discussion Open Forum
1

While I’m mindful of the fact that we have a multinational Forumosa community writing in what may be a foreign language to them, would it be helpful/patronising/desirable, etc. to occasionally highlight some usage errors, particularly those that may incite ridicule of the poster?

For example, one persistent error is that plenty of people (including native speakers) clearly don’t know the difference between lose and loose. This is the kind of basic error that invites sniggers.

Should or could we occasionally point out these infelicities in a spirit of assistance and without mentioning names? It seems this already happens with regard to Chinese learning.

2

Make this a sticky thread and provide this as a reference:

wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/errors.html

The lose/loose error is listed in that site.

3

Thank you for your calling.

4

Why point them out? Let people’s spelling errors speak for themselves. We know what they mean most of the time.

If someone spells ‘apartment’ as ‘department’,‘consensus’ as ‘consciencious’ or ‘exempt’ as ‘excempt’ that’s all part of the rich tapestry that is forumosa.
If you can’t spell a word it really doesn’t matter.
I’ve pointed out a few funny spellings from time to time, but it would be tedious to point out every single one. Just let 'em slide.

I think if you want to spare someone embarrassment just send them a PM to let them know, then they can edit.

5

I’ve been thinking about asking some of my native English speaker friends to point out typical mistakes I make (I try to check on my spelling before I submit posts). However, I know that some posters don’t like to do that because either they’re teaching English all day anyway or they feel that this is an editing/teaching job that should be paid for.

I wouldn’t mind a few hints on things I could work on…

Feel free :wink:

Iris

6

That would be me.
English is my second language, and I am barely average compared to my fellow countrymen.
Sometimes it takes too long time to check the correct spelling or usage of certain words, and then I have the option of not posting, or just guess the spelling/correct usage.

I have been expecting sniggering to some of my posts because of this, but you guys seem very considerate and understanding in this matter.

However, I would appreciate a PM if you see that a post lose its meaning or incites ridicule due to poor English skills.

Thanks in advance.

7

I just can;'t type!

8

:blush: Please do! :blush:

9

[quote=“X3M”]That would be me.
English is my second language, and I am barely average compared to my fellow countrymen.
Sometimes it takes too long time to check the correct spelling or usage of certain words, and then I have the option of not posting, or just guess the spelling/correct usage.

I have been expecting sniggering to some of my posts because of this, but you guys seem very considerate and understanding in this matter.

However, I would appreciate a PM if you see that a post lose its meaning or incites ridicule due to poor English skills.

Thanks in advance.[/quote]

X3M, I’m wondering how long you took to write the above post. Because, I see very few, if any (though, I make mistakes and miss stuff myself), problems with your post. You say you are “barely average compared to [your] fellow countrymen.” However, I work in an office full of your “fellow countrymen” and I’d say, from this post, your written English is above average. Even my bf makes more mistakes than you did in this single post. :notworthy:

Why is it the Taiwanese with the best English always apologize the most for it being bad. :idunno: :smiley:

By the way, I think the suggestion of sending someone a PM, instead of pointing it out in a forum, is best. Unless, of course, you want to start a “English Errors” thread that can, possibly, be sticky and stay in the Teaching English forum. If you do that, however, I’d ask that you don’t directly quote someone, but come up with your own examples of correct/incorrect usage. That way it can’t be traced back to anyone and embarrass them.

Over all, though, unless the mistake is major and/or takes away from the meaning of the posts, I’d say just leave it.

10

X3M is a Viking, not a Taiwanese… :wink:

And his English is fine, by me. I posted a link above because I find it useful sometimes and thought that maybe others might as well.

11

[quote=“tigerman”]X3M is a Viking, not a Taiwanese… :wink:

And his English is fine, by me. I posted a link above because I find it useful sometimes and thought that maybe others might as well.[/quote]

Well, I’ve not met a lot of Vikings. However, I’d still say that the English in that post is better than even some of my fellow country men (as well as myself). And, we are supposed to be native-English speakers.

As for the link, thanks. I bookmarked it already for my own reference. :smiley:

12

[quote=“X3M”]That would be me.
English is my second language, and I am barely average compared to my fellow countrymen.[/quote]

Heh - I have to say I never noticed. IMO the people who actually care about this stuff aren’t generally the ones that need “help” in the first place :slight_smile:

13

All of you, thank you for your kind compliments. :beer:
I really feel flattered. :blush:

Tigerman is correct, I am a viking. The vikings were pretty good in communicating in foreign languages - “understand what I am saying, and trade with me, or I kill you” - not easy to misunderstand… :wink:

14

If a non-native speaker makes errors in their postings here I couldn’t care less. If I could write in any foreign language half as well as Iris, Rascal, or the forumosa vikings do then I would feel pretty good about myself. And as I make my living correcting other people’s mistakes I don’t really want to have to do it in my leisure time.

But when someone who claims that English is their first language doesn’t know the difference between ‘loose’ and ‘lose’, and dares to express any negative sentiment about anyone else they are asking to be jumped on pretty damn hard. Repeatedly. Chop them up into little bits, and jump up and down on the pieces until you are sure they have had enough.

“You’re a looser!” - how absurd.

15

[quote=“X3M”]All of you, thank you for your kind compliments. :beer:
I really feel flattered. :blush:

Tigerman is correct, I am a viking. The vikings were pretty good in communicating in foreign languages - “understand what I am saying, and trade with me, or I kill you” - not easy to misunderstand… :wink:[/quote]

Or if it was, the ones who misunderstood got the message quickly, if briefly.

16

X3M, it had never dawned on me that you’re not a native speaker of English! I’d somehow got the impression that you were either Canadian or a fellow Brit.

17

Why not American? Oh… I think I get it… 'cause his English was too good… huh? :raspberry: Yeah… yeah… ok… :unamused: :laughing:

18

All compliments to our educational system then. My generation started English as second language when we were 10 y.o., and still the English profiency is very high in our countries. Something there to consider for the ESL authorities in Taiwan - but that’s another thread… :laughing:

However, we are not native speakers/writers, and it is always useful to get a heads up when we repeatedly “translate directly”, ending up using the wrong words or expressions - random typing errors does not count, everyone can do that.

On the other hand, I understand very well why English teachers would not like to be burdened by being language police on their free time. :sunglasses:

Shit, now I am getting even more afraid of using incorrect language, words or expressions, I should never have gotten involved in this thread. :blush:

19

Haha. Kind of odd considering the “American” accent is preferred here. You’d think it would have been the other way around. :laughing:

20

A good friend of mine was a US Navy officer during the Vietnam war. Among his endless array of stories from that time (for example, “fishing” for marlin with 0.50 caliber “hooks” during a fully sanctioned weapons exercise - he was the ship’s battery officer at the time, so the authorization was his) is this: on the same destroyer that suffered my friend Tim as weapons officer lived and worked some poor swab whose name I’ve forgotten. Tim had more than a couple stories about this poor guy - to my memory it seems he lived, basically, his entire naval life below-decks. Even after duty this guy chose to stay below the water line playing poker, fighting, whatever. He was, in short, a poor slob who actually seemed to deserve his life, or lack thereof, precisely because he so relished its banality. Tim said he was definitely not the most acute anchor in the US Navy circa-1970 (and that’s really saying something), an opinion borne out by his rich connection to this topic (imo). To wit, this guy had the best tattoo I’ve ever heard tell of, immediately distal to his right deltoid muscle:

Born to loose

True to this topic, Tim also told that this guy was, overall, a happy, even-tempered, genial dude, blissfully oblivious to spelling mistakes, or any unfortunate impact upon his life that such unintentionally-told truths might imply.