<p>I may be wrong about this since I see it used so often. When you are referring to a person, as in the sentence “The man who came to dinner was my uncle” is it proper to use the word that instead of who? I see that much more often than who, which I always thought was correct. </p>
<p>And I contacted Dear Abby (or was it Ann Landers?) about her using the word judgement spelled with the e. Her staff wrote back that it is acceptable. I think misuse is making it acceptable, but by her column using the spelling (which is apparently proper in England and possibly Australia) she is doing a disservice to young people.</p>
<p>Ironic(to op), no. But sometimes annoying. If a misspelling leads to confusion, or if I have to re-read a couple of times to be clear on meaning, that annoys me. I don’t doubt sometimes in my haste I am guilty of it too.
One that bothers me: Where do you want to meet at? or where did you leave your book at?</p>
<p>Misspellings on CC are not a big deal. Some of us want to relax our brains after a hard day’s work. Just pronounce it phonetically and you’ll understand the poster’s thoughts.</p>
<p>Younghoss, I think the preposition endings is a regional issue. I am guilty of it too because it’s very common to end questions with prepositions in the Midwest. When I am talking informally, I say whatever. I do use correct grammar and spellings in formal situations.</p>
<p>I think tenisghs is right, that the conclusion of questions or sentences with a preposition is a regional quirk. The practice might have originated with direct translation of German (and possibly Dutch?) into English, without a change in the word order. It’s interesting to me that many of the grammar lessons from my childhood seem to have been directed toward rooting out errors that would be natural for a native German speaker to make. (Old settlement patterns die hard, even though there were very few German speakers left in my area.) In contrast, the writing component of the SAT I now seems to be going after a different set of errors–but possibly it’s also directed against errors commonly made by non-native speakers of English, just different groups from those before.</p>
<p>I suspect so too. I’m in Ohio, I hear it all the time. I guess you mean that not many in Calif, or Ariz, or Alabama or New York will use it. Nevertheless it’s wrong by English rules, no matter what region may say- or not say it. I hear ain’t a lot too, and although it certainly is a word, it is a colloquialism and I try not to use that one unless I am quoting or something[Fats Waller].</p>
<p>younghoss, I’m with you (mostly). I don’t end sentences or questions with prepositions, but I do hear those forms often. I was lucky to grow up in a “grammatically correct” household. Errors in grammar used to make me cringe. Over time, though, I’ve become somewhat more accepting–although D might contradict this claim. A few years ago, I saw an interview with a woman scientist (on Nova, I think) who had grown up in the deep South; she commented that people often took her comments less seriously because of the way she spoke. Since then, I’ve tried to be mindful of her situation, when hearing incorrect speech. Maybe you will feel somewhat differently, younghoss, when you become oldhoss? :)</p>