RIP prepositions?

My son these days doesn’t visit me, but “swings by”. I don’t mind at all as a) I love him and b) he always does a few jobs for me.
I believe there is a decline in reading now as we generally spend so much time online. Bookworms find that their grammar and spelling will naturally improve through reading.

I am a pedant, so add me to your list JackyB. I think we can blame America for most of the lapses in grammar. I know language evolves over time, but surely we need correct grammar to clarify the meaning of a sentence. How many times have I had to reread one without commas (even in the Telegraph) to understand the meaning? Journalists don't seem to be taught punctuation nowadays.

It's nice how this year-old thread has.taken on a new life. But one day I shall sit down and compile a statistic of the pedants' threads, listing now long each one takes to mention the various niggles that crop up in every thread.

My pet hate is waiting on, instead of waiting for. I would only wait on if I worked in a restaurant.

AshleysGran

Have you noticed we don't shop FOR something now? When did that "for" disappear?

It seems people don't search for anything these days, either. I'm sick of all those ads exhorting me to "Search Gubbins Motors" or "Search Seymour Opticians now". It leaves me with a vision of black-clad police, mob handed, bursting into the oremises, yelling, "We've got a warrant!"

And to add to the unnecessary propositions: one of my friends never just fancies a meeting or a get-together but always asks if we can meet up. Definitely not a young-petson thing; she's 87 and has done it for the three decades I've known her.

I hate “exact same”.

Cossy

Where I live (in Essex) so many people appear to have stopped using “the” and “to” so they “go shops” “go Spain” “go Doctors” I cannot bear it, it sounds like gibberish!

That’s very strange isn’t it? Sounds like a toddler, ‘me go shops’
Is it just young ones saying this or different ages?

grandtanteJE65

polnan

I have forgotten any "grammar" I was taught at school, but this thread strikes a chord with me! is that grammatically correct..
what really bugs me is,,, me and her.... I was taught to always put the other person first.... when did it change?

all this is said with a smile, as language evolves, so I understand

Sometime in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, judging from the children I have taught in the three last decades of my teaching life, who had never been taught that it is polite to mention yourself last in these kind of sentences.

The reason they did not know it was that their parents had not be taught it either.

They thought it very odd when I insisted on "Jane and I were playing" in preference to "me and Jane were playing" on two grounds the one being politeness, they just could not see that it was impolite or arrogant to think yourself more important than others, the other reason being that even their generation considered it incorrect to say " me was playing""!

Unless you are in S.W./Lancashire and you would say "I was playing, me"

The English language no longer, most of these are lazy Americanisms. Owing to the prevalence of US TV, I think.

Lots of missing vowels too.

Have you noticed we don't shop FOR something now? When did that "for" disappear?

RosiesMaw2

grandMattie

And, yes, all these ridiculous euphemisms for dying. Both my husband and son died recently, I didn’t “lose” them, they didn’t just pass away (unless one adds “to a better place”. As for some people saying my chaps are “late”. Huh!🤔

My late father in law - is OK though.

I don't mind "late" . I realise it's a euphemism which many people don't like, but I find it quite respectful.
I got it from the "Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency" stories where the deceased are either " Late" or "Very late" when they have been dead a long time.

AGAA4

People don't seem to contact each other any more. They always reach out. The only time I reach out is when the remote has shuffled to the other end of the sofa.

That's another one that has me shouting at the t.v."CONTACT"
fgs.
I remember Hilary Clinton saying this ( so at least 15 years ago).
Is it an Americanism ?

RosiesMaw2

I have become increasingly aware of the omission of any preposition after verbs which I was brought up to recognise as intransitive (not taking an object) . Let me show you what I mean
The Republican candidate agreed to debate Ms Harris on Sept 10 - it used to be that you debated a topic and with or against an opponent
You used to “grieve for “ someone - to “mourn their loss” - now you “grieve” the departed.
You used to “appeal against a sentence” - now you apparently “appeal a sentence”
People used to “pass away “ ie die - now they simply pass
Anybody see what I mean?

I absolutely see what you mean.
Is it partly to do with communications like texts where people use many abbreviations to restrict length to 140 characters ( or whatever it is ; if it still is.....) and this has leaked into the language in general ?

My mum would say to me "I hope you're sorry for that" she meant - I hope you're sorry for doing that.And it was a prompt for an abject apology and "I won't do it again". (until the next time)

'for the loss of your friend'

You may be grieving. But you cannot 'grieve my friend' because it does not make sense; you are grieving For the loss of your frind, or for the misfortune that has befallen here.
If you say 'I am grieving' the logical response would be, 'I am sorry; who are you grieving for.'

Another moan for 'speak with...' It makes me think of two speakers talking about different subjects. Why can't we just 'speak to.....'

grandMattie

“Can I get something” drives me potty. I feel like saying”of course, help yourself; it’s in the kitchen/saucepan..” or whatever.
Less and fewer are frequently confused.
My father always used to correct me if I got the use of “surprise” and “astonish” with this story - a man came home after work and found his wife in bed with two men. They were surprised, he was astonished…

Incorrect use of "less" and "fewer" drives me mad. I find myself literally shouting at the t.v.set "less chances" "FEWER" chances.....It's singular v plural if I remember my grammar correctly.
Begging your presence Miss Keller , my EnglishLanguage teacher. We had a whole teacher for it in those days and it was a separate subject separately examined.

Bored of rather than bored with drives me up the wall

“Can I get something” drives me potty. I feel like saying”of course, help yourself; it’s in the kitchen/saucepan..” or whatever.
Less and fewer are frequently confused.
My father always used to correct me if I got the use of “surprise” and “astonish” with this story - a man came home after work and found his wife in bed with two men. They were surprised, he was astonished…

ExaltedWombat

Septimia

I see exactly what you mean and having been thinking much the same as you. I was reminded about the "debate" example only this morning while listening to the radio.

While I accept that language evolves (sometimes to its detriment), in my opinion when the prepositions are omitted the sentence doesn't make sense.

OK. So what else COULD 'debate Mrs. Harris' mean?

It could mean discuss her relative merits and demerits and whether or not she is a suitable candidate for eg a job/ a good neighbour/ honest or otherwise/ just have a general bitch about her.
Ie the object of the verb “to debate”

The English language is in a constant state of evolution. The way things are going we will soon be communication in emojis.

James and John I’m not sure you are taking this subject seriously enough for Gransnett

Could we please make sure that we use pronouns appropriately?
Chicken legs I'm looking at YOU
Would you say, this has occupied I?
Think about it.
"My husband and I" is NOT always correct. If you and he follow a preposition (they always take the accusation in English) or if you are the direct objects, use the correct pronoun - obviously me in this case

When my Sis-in-Law moved to Cheshire, she seemed to drop ‘to’. The boys go golf, her DH went football and she goes shops. It sounds really odd.