Samples/Examples of poor English

[Charlie9]

Principal (principal of a school, principal of a company)
principle (principles of physics, it is a matter of principle)

then (Then, there is the reluctant minister)
than (The minister is more reluctant than his son)

different from
different than

each other (my wife and I look after each other -- for 2 individuals)
one another (The villagers look after one another -- more than 2)

among (I gave $10 to be divided among our son and daughter -- 2)
amongst (my father left $10,000 to be shared amongst my mother, my sister and my siblings)

 

[scroobal]

People tend to use basically and actually as a support or a prompt to give an answer when both words actually carries a meaning. It becomes hilarious, when every reply or response is started with those words in the course of a conversation.

I seen school and college kids tend to use the word basically more.

Here are some samples:

Q: when do you exercise?
A. Basically I exercise in the morning.

Q. Who do you think will win?
A. Actually I think it will be Taufik.

Both words are not necessary at all.

Many years ago, there used to be a compere called Jeanette Joseph or a name similar to that who used to start to start her sentence with "yes indeed"

Hahaha bro, here is my reply:
-- Always thought that double check means to look at something 4 times. You look at it once, then check it, meaning you look at it twice. Hence double check means you look at it 4 times?
-- As for double confirm.
-- Basically and actually nothing wrong with using these words at the beginning of a sentence, right?

 

[diversifyx2]

Repeat again?? haha

 

[TeeKee]

sitting in the train or sitting on the train?

 

[myo539]

Hahaha, very mild examples.
Sometimes, they call you Mr followed by the name because they don't know which is your surname or just to be more "warm". It doesn't mean they don't know that MR should be followed by the surname.

Well out ethnic composition make it more complicated:

Mr Ahmad Masaduin - Should address as Mr Ahmad, one generation family name
Mr Kandiah Rajagopal - Should be Mr Rajagopal, the family name

Mr Tan Pei Sai - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Robert Tan - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Stamford Raffles - Should be Mr Raffles

Mr Champo de Souza - Should be Mr de Souza

Mr Elvis Presley Tan - Should be "Elvis"

 

[diversifyx2]

Well out ethnic composition make it more complicated:

Mr Ahmad Masaduin - Should address as Mr Ahmad, one generation family name
Mr Kandiah Rajagopal - Should be Mr Rajagopal, the family name

Mr Tan Pei Sai - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Robert Tan - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Stamford Raffles - Should be Mr Raffles

Mr Champo de Souza - Should be Mr de Souza

Mr Elvis Presley Tan - Should be "Elvis"

MM Lee = Lau Lee

 

[Charlie9]

Poor and / or incorrect English and grammar is not restricted to SG. We find it here in Canada. Not that my English is good, but they asked me to take an English test when I arrived in Toronto.
Unfortunately, when many individuals use a phrase or a celebrity uses one, others seem to believe that it acceptable English.
For example: There is three boys. How is the going? How you doing?

 

[diversifyx2]

sitting in the train or sitting on the train?

Hehe, depending you outside or inside the train.

 

[yogi1973]

irregardless???

 

[middaydog]

revert back to you

 

[SamuelStalin]

Okay, at least you state it clearer now when earlier you made it ambiguous without a clear basis, you spastic dumbfuck.

People tend to use basically and actually as a support or a prompt to give an answer when both words actually carries a meaning. It becomes hilarious, when every reply or response is started with those words in the course of a conversation.

I seen school and college kids tend to use the word basically more.

Here are some samples:

Q: when do you exercise?
A. Basically I exercise in the morning.

Q. Who do you think will win?
A. Actually I think it will be Taufik.

Both words are not necessary at all.

Many years ago, there used to be a compere called Jeanette Joseph or a name similar to that who used to start to start her sentence with "yes indeed"

 

[blackmore]

hahaha, some of our scholar MPs happen to like this word a lot.

You can't believe how these civil servant or Mpees still believes such a word exisits . I gave up trying to correct these buggers as they are beyond redemption .

 

[scroobal]

They tend to confuse irrespective with irregardless. One change of vocabulary that has been done is the word inflammable to flammable to avoid confusion when dealing with dangerous substance.

You can't believe how these civil servant or Mpees still believes such a word exisits . I gave up trying to correct these buggers as they are beyond redemption .

 

[kingrant]

People tend to use basically and actually as a support or a prompt to give an answer when both words actually carries a meaning. It becomes hilarious, when every reply or response is started with those words in the course of a conversation.

I seen school and college kids tend to use the word basically more.

Here are some samples:

Q: when do you exercise?
A. Basically I exercise in the morning.

Q. Who do you think will win?
A. Actually I think it will be Taufik.

Both words are not necessary at all.

Many years ago, there used to be a compere called Jeanette Joseph or a name similar to that who used to start to start her sentence with "yes indeed"

Can also throw in:

1. Mainly due to...usually in presentations when there is really no "main" factor/cause..
2. Whereby....used in place as one of those "um....ah..."

Common among youngsters nowadays is the mannerism "like" as in:

"I was, like, 5 feet from her, and she was like smiling at me...."

Used very often in conversations here in Montreal..I have also heard it in Singapore (of course)

 

[scroobal]

This is pretty much a global problem as people and cultures mix over travel and migration.

Actually Rajagopal is not the surname but the actuall name of the individual. Indians as I understand for the majority have no surnames, the name in front is the father's name. So Kandiah Rajagopal is called as Mr Rajagopal or Mr K. Rajagopal.

The newer generation however have adopted the western convention such as Tharman Shanmugaratnam or when they marry other races and their father name or their name becomes the 1st generation surname as in Viv Balakrisnan. While S Dhanabalan is using the old covention. Friends call him Dhana. SR Nathan is another using the old convention. His actual name is Ramanathan and the S stands for Suppiah which is his father's name.


The malays are also now following the western convention. Its now Mansor Hilami where Hilami is the father's name. In the past they did not even carry that if they had a first and middle name such as Muhammad Taib which are both their names. The protocol was to address the person in full - Mr Muhammad Taib and not Mr Taib or Mr Muhammad.

Well out ethnic composition make it more complicated:

Mr Ahmad Masaduin - Should address as Mr Ahmad, one generation family name
Mr Kandiah Rajagopal - Should be Mr Rajagopal, the family name

Mr Tan Pei Sai - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Robert Tan - Should be Mr Tan

Mr Stamford Raffles - Should be Mr Raffles

Mr Champo de Souza - Should be Mr de Souza

Mr Elvis Presley Tan - Should be "Elvis"

 

[scroobal]

Yes. I seen the first one often used by adults who have a technical background such as Engineers, technicians. I see you are observant as well.

The "like" is becoming very much like "pretty". Thats "pretty" good. More a cosmetic word in more ways than one.

Here is an interesting story. Returned scholar does a presentation to Perm Sec and has "Causation Factors" as a subheading. Perm Sec asked him what is the differences between "causation factors" and "causes" and why he chose more words. He stood there dumbstruck.

By the way, one word that is now rapidly gaining currency by the day is "green shoots"

Can also throw in:

1. Mainly due to...usually in presentations when there is really no "main" factor/cause..
2. Whereby....used in place as one of those "um....ah..."

Common among youngsters nowadays is the mannerism "like" as in:

"I was, like, 5 feet from her, and she was like smiling at me...."

Used very often in conversations here in Montreal..I have also heard it in Singapore (of course)

 

[phouse3]

Sales people are streetwise. Calling a potential customer by first name is too casual and rude; addressing someone Mr. XYZ is too formal. Therefore they improvise.

Many Indian Singaporeans have double anglicised names. Many Japanese expatriates write their family name in front. Muslim names are complicated.

Some forumers here like to drop names like "Swee Kiat" or "Boon Hui" as if the latter are their gay boyfriends.

I have seen forumers here condemning a native English teacher for writing "...that have got him into trouble". They thought "have gotten" is correct. But the writer was probably referring to a characteristic rather than an event that landed the student in hot soup. Moreover, haven't they heard of:
- I've just got to get a message to you;
- I've got money; I've got style; I've got the music in me

I have seen people explaining collective noun is always singular. But haven't they heard of:
- Asian foods (Japanese, Korean, Chinese food, etc.)
- peoples of the world (people of different race)
- fishes (different species of fish)

We have been taught not to start a sentence with "but" and "and". But English is evolving. And they are perfectly alright for emphasis.

On the other hand, I read somewhere that the following fashionable English terms/phrases are really bad English:
- at the end of the day
- my take on the issue
- mindset change
- paradigm shift

Q: when do you exercise?
A. Basically I exercise in the morning.

Q. Who do you think will win?
A. Actually I think it will be Taufik.

Basically the first person mean he exercises any time of the day but most often in the morning.
Actually the second person thinks others may have very good chances but Taufik would win if nothing went wrong.

 

[yinyang]

..We have been taught not to start a sentence with "but" and "and". But English is evolving. And they are perfectly alright for emphasis. .

True, and you have just applied same here. :p

This is distinct from bad or poor language use (examples abound here).

Perm Sec asked him what is the differences between "causation factors" and "causes" and why he chose more words. He stood there dumbstruck

And you have another extreme of being unecessarily "bombastic"... recall my secondary teacher gave the cuplrit a bollacking: I was intoxicated by your exuberance of your verbosity

 

[scroobal]

You are making assumptions. You will be very surprised when you do a follow-up

- So you exercise at other times of the day itself?
- So you you think others might have a chance, why?

Watch the reaction!

There is nothing wrong with the sentences just that it carries a meaning as pointed out earlier that is intended by the speaker. It meant as a support to make a comment. Just observe locals being interviewed on TV.


I am puzzled - why is it bad english? Maybe overused. They are actually powerful terms to drive a point across and importantly saves heaps of explaining.

- at the end of the day
- my take on the issue
- mindset change
- paradigm shift

Basically the first person mean he exercises any time of the day but most often in the morning.
Actually the second person thinks others may have very good chances but Taufik would win if nothing went wrong.

 

[mercbenz]

Actually I cringe when people say "repeat again" when they actually mean twice

Cum again?