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My biggest grammar pet peeve is the excessive use of ''ain't'', and when it is used as an alternative for all contractions and as a contraction to support another negative. Examples: I ain't got no car,- Double negative; We ain't stupid.- incorrect
Without the contraction:
I am not got no car.
We am not stupid.
You can see how both sentences sound flat out wrong.
"Ain't" is a colloquialism and contraction for "am not", "is not", "are not", "has not", and "have not" depending on the tense and context of the sentence. Therefore, using your example "We ain't stupid" would be correct. As in "We are not stupid," not "We am not stupid."
You are correct, however, in that the first example you provided is indeed a double negative - "I have not got no car."
As a nation, and as an individual, the ability to express oneself in writing is important. Many time inability to express oneself in writing contributes to poverty, hunger, and the "other things" you referenced.
Try qualifying for a meaningful job with a good salary without being able to communicate in some form of the written language.
Indeed! Try turning in a report that requires lengthy descriptions of events and procedures. You won't be there long, if you cannot communicate in writing!
Making grammatical errors does not amount to stupidity. Did you even read the rest of my post?
And yep, that's about the extent of usefulness for having perfect grammar. I admit, when you're applying for a job or writing a school paper, it does help, because people do judge you by it. But the only reason it helps in those situations is because people are judging your intelligence based on something that really has nothing to do with your intelligence. In other words, you have to play the game to beat it.
Again, though, if people realized that grammatical rules are arbitrary and learned, they would realize it has nothing to do with someone's innate cognitive ability.
So how the heck do you think you're gonna get through the door!?? You might be intelligent! But if you can't show them your smarts in written form, you will be a genius washing dishes.
This is important....whether you think so or not! Whether you think it's fair or not.
One of many things that bug me is the misuse of the "possessive pronoun"
YOUR.
As in: "Your a cool guy" or "Your an important person".
Do they not teach english in school anyomore?
Do people know what a contraction is?
It should say: "You're a cool guy" .....short form of "You are a cool guy". "Your" is only used to show ownership: "Is that your car?"
I actually saw a billboard ad with the "your" used the wrong way!! A BILLBOARD!! This means that either someone didn't catch it or they don't know any better! If it's the latter, that's scary! Because more than likely, that is a college educated person!
"Ain't" is a colloquialism and contraction for "amnot", "is not", "are not", "has not", and "have not" depending on the tense and context of the sentence. Therefore, using your example "We ain't stupid" would be correct. As in "We are not stupid," not "We am not stupid."
You are correct, however, in that the first example you provided is indeed a double negative - "I have not got no car."
No sir. You are reeeeeally stretching a point.
Ain't is indeed a colloquialism and contraction for "am not".
But not for "is not"". "Isn't" is the proper word for that.
That would translate to "We is not stupid," or "We has not stupid,"
One of many things that bug me is the misuse of the "possessive pronoun"
YOUR.
As in: "Your a cool guy" or "Your an important person".
Do they not teach english in school anyomore?
Do people know what a contraction is?
It should say: "You're a cool guy" .....short form of "You are a cool guy". "Your" is only used to show ownership: "Is that your car?"
I actually saw a billboard ad with the "your" used the wrong way!! A BILLBOARD!! This means that either someone didn't catch it or they don't know any better! If it's the latter, that's scary! Because more than likely, that is a college educated person!
Where are we going???
You picked a helluva place to ask this question...............
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