What happened to English grammar?

But this thread isn't about someone dying, it's about grammar!

Surely the point is that at least the sub editor could get it right for a hero. Would it matter if it were a trivial subject? In my opinion yes but we have few enough heroes of the tradional Boys Own Paper so they should make an effort. Now pedants should I have an apostrophe?

Well it was originally called Boy's Own Paper so yes! I am being jocular obviously. I just hope I have got the spelling of jocular right.

You have . ---Laugh

Traditional is what I meant. As for the apostrophe I checked where it went on Wikipedia . Just testing.

I don't believe you are ever taken aback Bags. Never!

Seriously, am I the only one on here who remembers the Falklands "campaign" as being a terrible shock to the system? We actually sent out a fleet, and soldiers, to war. I don't remember the Korean war.

Not too keen on SW being referred to as a "Boys' Own" hero. tbh.

[laugh]

or even

Um... terrible admission here... but what's wrong with the headline? I mean, grammatically?

PS are newspaper headlines obliged to be grammatical anyhow? If so, who sez?

Don't ask me. I haven't a clue.

Joined the Navy at the age of 13, worked his way up through the ranks, both subs and ships, sounds pretty "Boys Own" to me, but in the best possible sense.

Presumably the use of the word 'sunk' is deemed to be wrong....

It is, and it is, Ana

Glad that's been established!

One day I will be able to post a thread without being jumped on, but obviously not yet.
I feel that reporters, proof readers and sub editors should be able to write grammatically. If that makes me a pedant, so be it.

A pedant is one thing...

but totally insensitive about the subject is another, surely.

The subject was grammar - how can I be insensitive about that?

Seriously, greatnan, I don't know what the grammatical faux pas is! I'm not criticising your grammatical pedantry.

jura, the subject matter is irrelevant if one is simply talking about the grammar of a phrase or sentence. It's perfectly possible to be critical of the grammar while feeling emotion about the subject.

Though, to be honest, I don't feel any emotion about this Sandy chappy dying. Why should I? I wouldn't have know him from Adam, even with his uniform on.

It's just a piece of news. We all die.

Absolutely Bags. The only thing I feel sad about is the totally pointless loss of life, both British and Argentinian in a stupid war.

And if you're a sub, then do your job properly.

The original post was about the inability of a journalist to report his sinking of the Belgrano grammatically. He did not sunk it, he sank it.

He was 81. He had a good career, saw action, sank a famous enemy ship, is mourned by friends and family. We who never met him don't need to show our sensitivity in a dramatic display of grief. We know more about Mishap's old Dad than we do about this man, and it comes nearer to us.

I thought sank and sunk were both past participles of sink, almost interchangeable.

I have sunk this rubber duck wouldn't sound right as I have sank...

whereas I sunk this duck = I sank this duck