I just wondered about this reading posts from answerers who are in the States, i think - there are frequently words like 'could' 'would' 'can' when I'm SURE you mean 'couldn't' 'wouldn't' and 'can't' I know it's an accent thing to omit it in speech - is this why you don't even write it any more??
Not meant to be critical in anyway - just curious!
2007-10-09 04:38:32 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
elayneki - I know they're called contractions - I was just being informal.
It's nothing to do with people that I agree with or not; it can be either - it's just answers like no.3 in this question
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiHb6lzgKlUKTEhqx4MGcxXsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071009062618AAcI6xP&show=7#profile-info-7cAYnKIsaa
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I would worry too much about it, It is probably its just the closet creaking"
She MUST mean 'wouldn't', surely? I have noticed lots like this - it's nothing to do with me being hyper or a moron - just an inquisitive reader. Thanks for your judgements.
2007-10-09 04:54:54 · update #1
dammit, didn't mean to copy all that additional blurb, sorry about that. can't get rid of it now.
thanks for the two sensible answers that appeared while I was typing!
2007-10-09 04:56:28 · update #2
elaynekickass - I doubt your edit is going to make you get any more thumbs up either - you're still being an idiot yourself.
when did I ever say this was ALL Americans?? I believe I said some answeres who were from the States, I believed. Our culture has just as many faults as do any others - and many of us know the term contraction - I was being informal and tryiing to have a little WIT but if you're too up your own *** to appreciate that..... Stop posting if you are getting so wound up by stuff you are imagining I am saying. And I'm not correcting the typos, but please don't blame us english for not being able to type...
2007-10-09 05:03:38 · update #3
Unfortunately, what you are seeing is the "dumbing”-down of the United States. Teachers and students are lazy and no one seems to even bother to attempt to use proper grammar or speak in a decipherable manner nowadays.
When I am forced to speak to anyone under 20 these days, the majority of the time I find it quite difficult to understand half of what they are saying due to all of the urban slang and street talk and the fact that they don’t even make an effort to annunciate.
It’s an absurdity, but at this time, it is the way that things are here. Most of the new grads can’t even READ or speak properly let alone spell. It seems as though each day, Americans are just getting fatter, dumber and lazier. I don’t blame the government. I blame the general malaise and complacency that has swept society as a whole.
2007-10-09 04:50:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I've noticed this too - I thought it was just an accent thing, but was really surprised to see it get written that way too. I mean, English people miss the 't's out our words, but haven't started writing that way yet - it's weird that an accent should change the way something's written, if that's how it's happened.
Elaynekicksass doesn't kick as s, I saw her answer before she changed it, and the new one isn't any better: "and yeah, I'm sure you knew the term "contraction" before I mentioned it. That's why you used it in the first place." - what are you girl, 8 years old?!
Chalice
2007-10-09 12:14:53 · answer #2 · answered by Chalice 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Americans that payed attention in school and know how to use a keyboard still use proper contractions (that's what they're called, "contractions", not "n'ts")
You shouldn't assume it's all Americans. Should I assume your culture is a bunch of idiots because you don't know the right word for "contraction"?
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Why are you making judgments about an entire culture based on one person's hurried answer?
and yeah, I'm sure you knew the term "contraction" before I mentioned it. That's why you used it in the first place.
For someone who claims she can't type or proofread, she has a lot of nerve pointing out any body's typos.
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If you're going to call me an idiot, it's against yahoo answers guidelines. So is asking questions just because you think it's FUNNY. This site is to help people with serious questions not to make loose definitions of the word "WIT"
You did not specify that it was only SOME Americans.
You don't even have grounds to assume that it is Americans.
You have no proof that "Moving to Scotland" is even an American. Chances are they were from England considering it's easier to move to Scotland from there.
You are the one who seems wound up and defensive.
I'm sorry that you are unable to articulate your thoughts clearer. But what really sickens me is the undertones of hatred for other cultures in your question.
No matter how many thumbs down I get, at least I don't make gross generalizations about other cultures.
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I didn't change my answer, I "clarified" it. I guess you don't know that big word either.
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For the record, the girl who posted this question is so wound up and defensive about this that she keeps sending me e-mails. Seriously she sent me four in the past hour. What a nut bag.
Does anyone know if there's a way to report her for harassing me?
2007-10-09 11:49:22 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 5⤋
Sometimes people type really fast and miss a letter or type the wrong one. It happens to me sometimes. I once meant to write by, and wrote but instead. Go figure. I felt silly after I saw it, 'cause my answer didn't make a lot of sense.
You'll see a lot of that on the net. Like you're when they mean your, or vice versa. Sometimes I type gunna, and wanna, when really it should be going to and want to, etc. I know it's wrong, I've just seen it so much I got used to it. I used to be a freak when it came to grammar, but I'm not so much anymore.
So to answer your question, even though I'm not american, I know americans still use their n'ts. But sometimes they may forget, or type to fast and miss a couple of letters. Well not just americans, we all do it.
2007-10-09 12:23:28 · answer #4 · answered by chloe 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I´m sorry, but I don´t quite understand you. If a person writes "could", "would" and so on instead of "couldn´t", "wouldn´t" and so on, in my opinion their texts than mean quite the opposite than what they want to ask! Am I wrong or what do you mean??? Would be interesting to know! (By the way the "Check Spelling" advises me not to use for instance couldn´t, wouldn´t, the advice is to use could not and would not, what shall I do?). I quess that I haven´t understood what you meant, sorry!
2007-10-09 12:05:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Some people forget when they type too fast, and some people just don't know proper grammar. On the net you never know which is the case.
Oh, and Elaynekickass, thanks for letting us know about contrations. You must 've been an A student. I'm so impressed!!!!
2007-10-10 05:29:22 · answer #6 · answered by Halley 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I totally understand your bafflement at this...I'm American, and I'm incredibly distressed about the poor/nonexistent grammar you see on this site. You'd think that if someone really wanted to communicate they'd phrase it in a way that's easily understandable!! Sadly, I think a lot of it just gets down to laziness...sigh.
2007-10-09 11:52:18 · answer #7 · answered by gilliegrrrl 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Probably a typing error.
2007-10-09 11:46:55 · answer #8 · answered by Sandy Sandals 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
This doesn't make any sense.
2007-10-09 11:48:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋