Job Discussion Forums

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

Reading The Economist today got me thinking about the inconsistencies in our "rules" for spelling...

bat [v., to hit a ball] - batting, batted
debate [v.] - debating, debated
so... combat - combating or combatting? combatted or combated?

bus [v., to transport by bus]
buss [v., to kiss]
so... "We are busing/busing the schoolchildren to the other side of town to achieve integration." "The children were bused/bussed to the other side of town..."

Comments???

And while we're at it, wouldn't you think that an English teacher would know that the present participle of "write" is "writing", not "writting"? I saw this error in the thread on formal vs. informal English. It's bad enough when our students do it, but for an ESL teacher to make that mistake, well... Or is that just an example of "informal English" which really doesn't matter because, after all, this is just an Internet bulletin board?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

That was my error. It was a typo. I was 'writting' at nearly midnight after a very long day of travel. I saw it this morning and nearly bothered with an additional post to counter the misspelling, but I thought I'd be seen as nitpicking.

I am entirely aware of the correct form of the word, and am 99.9% able to spell it properly in nearly every situation, I assure you.

johnslat · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: Mortal Combat

Dear jwbhomer,

"debate [v.] - debating, debated
so... combat - combating or combatting? combatted or combated? "

Well, there IS a rule:

Two syllable verbs: stress on the first syllable, don't double the final consonant that has a single vowel before it.
E.G. enter - entering, entered (or combat - combating, combated)

Two syllable verbs: stress on the second syllable, double the final consonant that has a single vowel before it.
E.G. prefer - preferring, preferred

Of course, there ARE exceptions (tee-hee)
In fact, most dictionaries will tell you that both combating/combated and combatting/combatted are OK.

Heck, English spelling is whacko.

Regards,
John

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

Slat, you had to be a teacher's dream as a kid, Were you? or did you get a love for language and research late in life?

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

@ Spiral78, my apologies for being harsh. It's easy enough to make a typo, especially when you're tired.

@ Johnslat, thanks for stating the rule. But, uhmm, what about bus/buss?

Yes, English spelling is whacko, or wacko... I've never forgotten George Bernard Shaw's favourite example: GHOTI. Who will be the first to post the "alternative spelling" for this common word? Twisted Evil

If my memory serves, Shaw offered a prize for the development of a coherent and rational system for spelling English words. The prize has never been awarded.

johnslat · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject: Something fishy

Dear jwbhomer

ghoti = fish

To emphasize the problem, Bernard Shaw once proposed the spelling ghoti for "fish", with the [gh] from "laugh", the [o] from "women" and the [ti] from "nation".
Regards,
John

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

English is truly the mongrel of languages

johnslat · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject:

Dear arioch36,

Ah, but mongrels are much hardier than pure breeds.

Regards,
John

Chancellor · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject:

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

Cheers to Johnslat. GHOTI = FISH. That was quick!

johnslat · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

Dear jwbhomer,

Thanks - sometimes I'm fast, but often I'm only half-fast.

Regards,
John

Chancellor · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:09 pm Post subject:

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA