English words that conflict with your language.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 12-13-2009, 15:04

Originally Posted by Elite Ferret

What I mean is that people write either 'there' or 'their' when the correct word to use would be 'they're'. I assume this is because they all sound the same.

They don't actually sound the same in most dialects. Their and There are inflected slightly differently, They're is actually pronounced very differently.

**Ferret** · 12-13-2009, 15:37

Here they are all said exactly the same

**KukriKhan** · 12-13-2009, 16:10

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

They don't actually sound the same in most dialects. Their and There are inflected slightly differently, They're is actually pronounced very differently.

Yeah, english contractions used to drive my German friends nuts. Especially when speaking with fast-talking northern americans.

"They're moving their camp over there.", spoken aloud with my Michigan accent = sounds identical, though I admit "they're" should have a longer "ay" sound in the middle to recognize the 'ey' of they.

"Of" is another one that confuses. 'Should've', 'would've', could've' get written as should of, would of & could of, because of the similar sound. Drives me crazy.

**Fragony** · 12-13-2009, 16:36

Imho English grammar is incredibly straightforward and easy. German and French are much more complicated.

edit, oh spoken

**Beskar** · 12-13-2009, 23:25

Originally Posted by Fragony

Imho English grammar is incredibly straightforward and easy. German and French are much more complicated.

edit, oh spoken

Male Chairs and Female Tables.

Why did they need to give everything a gender?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 12-13-2009, 23:31

Originally Posted by Beskar

Male Chairs and Female Tables.

Why did they need to give everything a gender?

In English I think chairs are weak-feminine, but I'd have to check. We lost inflection after the Normans arrived (ironically).

**Azathoth** · 12-14-2009, 00:18

Well, English technically isn't my first language, but it's the one I'm most fluent in.

I know all the grammar, but ignore certain rules either for ease of use or because I just disagree with them.

I sometimes devolve into an Eastern-Europeanish accent when aggravated.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 12-13-2009, 17:01

Originally Posted by KukriKhan

Yeah, english contractions used to drive my German friends nuts. Especially when speaking with fast-talking northern americans.

"They're moving their camp over there.", spoken aloud with my Michigan accent = sounds identical, though I admit "they're" should have a longer "ay" sound in the middle to recognize the 'ey' of they.

"Of" is another one that confuses. 'Should've', 'would've', could've' get written as should of, would of & could of, because of the similar sound. Drives me crazy.

All of this really shows that you should not use contractions. "Should'of" is grammatically nonsensical, but it is the most common mistake children make both speaking and writing. You really have to make sure they don't get the two confused, or it can mean a lifetime of error.

I have an unfair advantage over pretty much everyone in the world though, I have a clerkly (i.e. educated, not posh) Hampshire/Surrey accent; more or less the defnition of "Standard English".

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 12-13-2009, 18:14

Originally Posted by KukriKhan

"Of" is another one that confuses. 'Should've', 'would've', could've' get written as should of, would of & could of, because of the similar sound. Drives me crazy.

And pronounced "shoulda woulda coulda"

**Centurion1** · 12-13-2009, 18:19

me speak right. yall just wrong

**KukriKhan** · 12-13-2009, 18:28

Originally Posted by Centurion1

me speak right. yall'r jus' wrong

amended.

**A Very Super Market** · 12-13-2009, 18:31

I'm Chinese. Just imagine the transfer between phonetic and character-based......

I also speak a bit of French, Spanish, and German. English, with no genders for words, is unbelievably simple. Of course, we have to balance that out with absurd pronounciation.