Perfect for pedants' corner

Is ########################the new must have?

Yes. But only one at a time

Right
#enlightenedthankyou

Why#?

I wondered that, just thought I was missing something. But harmless decoration eh? I'm assuming it's a bit Twitterish?
I suppose it could also be shorthand for making a bit of a # of something?

Yes, graces, Tweeple use #es #Ithinkit'sfunAbsentthinksit'stiresome

There was an article in todays Telegraph about a teacher trying to get pupils in Teesside writing in "proper" English as opposed to using dialect.

One example given was instead of "Gizit'ere" pupils should say "Please give me it"

I was rather

9 out of 14. [embarrased] but what I would say is that this test seems to just be about understanding "grammatical terminology" which is not the same as being able to write grammatically.

Having made many posts, I don't think I make too many grammatical errors, which has to be more important I hope!
I would be interested to know if anybody can be bothered to check stuff I have written.

If you can do this kind of exercise all it means is that you've learned some rules like learning tables in maths. You don't have to know what the thing is called to use it properly. It's a bit like faith and ethics

No one asked to differentiate between a gerund and verbal noun, not to mention the gerundive. Lot of old rubbish really.

That's deep, Lilygran!
I don't necessarily disagree but remember being abolutely gobsmacked when an otherwise intelligent Sixth former in my A- level German class asked in all seriousness, "But what exactly is a verb Mrs Gracesmum?"

That emoticon should have been . Not a wrongly spelt embarrassed. Double

Lilygran , as evry fule nose, Ethics is a county in the South Eatht

Bags absent is a fairly grumpy old woman most of the time, but not invariably.

I feel [smug], but then I'm a sad soul.

11 . I've never heard of a gerund either and didn't know how to tell the 'active' one. Got careless for the preposition - but I knew it really. I'll try it again tomorrow by which time I'll have forgotten the questions.

Ditto

NellieMoser Lol

Oh, phoenix you fiery creature!

Crikey, how old are we? My Mum would have loved this My progress in life has never suffered from a lack of knowledge of the deepest, darkest recesses of the rules of English grammar. In the US, some forty States no longer teach pupils how to write but they teach keyboard skills. If you think about it, when did you last write anything by hand?

This seems archaic. Teach kids to read but not this.

Don't think it's passive, Bags, but I agree that the subordinate clause is conditional, for which English uses a residual subjunctive. Brain now hurting, off to bed. In a minute.

It's just a rubbish article. It starts off talking about testing year 6 children (11 year olds?) and then goes on to say "Take our quiz for students, teachers and grammar fans".

Who is it supposed to be aimed at?

Whether or not you write it by hand is not the point though is it? it's what you write and whether using Times New Roman on an an iPad or "joined up writing" with a quill pen if it's right it's right and if it's wrong, it's not!

Sorry - this was in answer to Sel's comment - bit of a time lag here!

gracesmum I appreciate it's what you write that matters but, actually communication is what matters. It evolves. The rules of English Grammar, at this level, matter not a jot in the wider world. I have many emails from people for whom English is not their first language - as long as I can understand the meaning that's fine, I don't 'mark' them.

For many people speed is of the essence - my style of writing has changed beyond recognition - from the days of learning the 'correct' salutations and endings' in a typed letter to the emails of today.

I would personally hate children to go through the English Grammar torture I went through and would much prefer they learnt a love of reading.

I did score highly but my point is, so what?