Are you a native American English speaker? (Part 2 :D)

[Hullu]

Hello!

If you're bored, please answer truthfully to the poll above. (Hopefully I remember how to post a poll. )

The idea is to decide whether these sentences sound ok or just acceptable to you, it doesn't matter whether you or your English teacher think they are 'good' or 'proper' English or grammatically correct. But any further comments would be welcome.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Neither.

"Wyatt Earp prevented trouble from occuring on the ranch."

 

[Jintor]

Yeah, as above.

 

[Beerdude26]

Yeah the verb doesn't feel right.

Reminds me of John Freeman
"JOHN FREEMAN PREVENTED THERE FROM BEING TROUBLE ON THE RANCH. SO HE PREVENTED AND HE WENT."

 

[$kelet0r]

welcome back hullu

 

[bbson john]

Noticed that people here are of good English, huh?

 

[sinkoman]

Noticed that people here are of good English, huh?

No.

Jverne, you, Double_Blade, Ikerous, RJMC

There are allot of people who can only speak broken english.

 

[bbson john]

No.

Jverne, you, Double_Blade, Ikerous, RJMC

There are allot of people who can only speak broken english.

When? Where? Tell me since I have to improve my English.

 

[Beerdude26]

When? Where? Tell me since I have to improve my English.

Sometimes you construct weird sentences. It's readable, all the rest of the grammar and/or vocabulary is correct, but then there's this one thing :|

I'll see if I can get an example

 

[sinkoman]

Sometimes you construct weird sentences. It's readable, all the rest of the grammar and/or vocabulary is correct, but then there's this one thing :|

I'll see if I can get an example

I forget who, but somebody put it perfectly.

"You seem to speak an overly dramatic, broken english. It's like you learned english from B action flicks".

 

[bbson john]

I forget who, but somebody put it perfectly.

"You seem to speak an overly dramatic, broken english. It's like you learned english from B action flicks".

I don't. I speak my own English. :|

 

[AntiAnto]

I am not a native American English speaker, but with my years of learning I am inclined to find neither of those sentences correct. As Rakurai pointed out, it requires another verb to be conform.

 

[Hullu]

I might be wrong but my hunch is that Brits are much more liberal with these sort of things. Americans seem to be really careful with their language, well, educated people at least. I mean, it looks like Americans are trying to stop any sort of language variation from happening but Brits just don't give a sith.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone but I found one really strange use of the verb preventwith the help of Google..and guess who was the speaker? George W. Bush. I wasn't surprised. I feel sorry for him when Conan jokes about his slips of the tongue, because I do those all the time and I just can't help it.

 

[Solaris]

And whats with the thread title.

'Native American English Speaker'
Why not just 'Can you speak English'?

 

[Hullu]

Firstly, because it makes more sense to ask a native speaker who presumably knows his/her language better than someone who speaks English as a foreign language. And secondly, because there are differences between American English and British English, it makes sense to ask speakers of each variant separately. Even though it would be just as interesting to ask non-native speakers, that is not what I'm interested in here.

 

[Reginald]

"Neither of the sentences above is ok"

In my opinion that's wrong too. Neither of the above sentences are OK sounds far better. Singular = is. Plural = are.

 

[Reaktor4]

Are you a native American English speaker?

Are you?

 

[Danimal]

Both sentences are wrong and I don't speak American English.

 

[Hullu]

Good point Reginald.

And no I'm not a native AmE speaker, that's why I'm asking you.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

When? Where? Tell me since I have to improve my English.

I love the cheap icon of headcrab

 

[AntiAnto]

"Neither of the sentences above is ok"

In my opinion that's wrong too. Neither of the above sentences are OK sounds far better. Singular = is. Plural = are.

Neither is a singular unnumbered quantitative term, so it requires the use of the third person. It is opposed to "both".

EDIT:
The traditional rule also holds that "neither" is grammatically singular. However, it is often used with a plural verb, especially when followed by "of" and a plural.
- The American Heritage

 

[DreadLord]

Americans are trying to stop any sort of language variation from happening but Brits just don't give a sith.

 

[kirovman]

I thought the meaning of this thread was are you a Native American who speaks English.

 

[Raziaar]

Neither of those sentences are correct. To me, it sounds like those were written by somebody who's primary language is something other than English.

I mean, it looks like Americans are trying to stop any sort of language variation from happening but Brits just don't give a sith.

You're kidding, right? Many British people are elitist when it comes to how they view the English language should be.

 

[Parlez]

Neither of the sentences are written in proper English.

 

[Viperidae]

I think Narcolepsy and I can agree that they're both incorrect.

 

[sinkoman]

Firstly, because it makes more sense to ask a native speaker who presumably knows his/her language better than someone who speaks English as a foreign language. And secondly, because there are differences between American English and British English, it makes sense to ask speakers of each variant separately. Even though it would be just as interesting to ask non-native speakers, that is not what I'm interested in here.

I'm pretty sure the Native Americans spoke Cheroke, Hawaiian, Cheyyne, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

No english though

 

[Yuri]

Um, why is there a "One of these sentences is correct" when both of the sentences are already poll options? Why didn't you just write the sentences in your post, and make each of them a poll option along with "Neither" and "Both?"

You're poll are broked!

 

[Narcolepsy]

I think Narcolepsy and I can agree that they're both incorrect.

Oh, the unbridled RAGE when I saw the first two options! And worse, I couldn't vote them incorrect because the "neither" option was incorrect too.

*rocks nervously back and forth*

D:

EDIT: Actually, I think "Neither of the sentences above is/are ok." is a British/American thing.

M-M-M-MONSTER EDIT: Dreadlord, your picture made my computer beep. Like the creepy motherboard beep. Good lord, even your .gif files are argumentative.

 

[Reginald]

EDIT: Actually, I think "Neither of the sentences above is/are ok." is a British/American thing.

Really? Ah, I'll let you off this time then. I won't give the sith.

 

[Yuri]

Its actually not a British/American thing, its just a Right/Wrong thing.

It should be "are."

 

[Reginald]

Ah. So I was right. Good. [/Spellatron]

 

[Narcolepsy]

Its actually not a British/American thing, its just a Right/Wrong thing.

It should be "are."

Ok, let's not go into this again. It depends on whether you view "neither of the above sentences" as a singular entity or a reference to two distinct nouns. Pretty much the same as that classic argument where we were arguing whether it's "Valve is" or "Valve are". It depends on whether you see Valve as a company or a group of people. The British will tend to use the latter.

Of course, all that aside, the Americans actually are right, because we have the guns under our pillows to enforce it.

 

[Reginald]

I'm not sure "above sentences" as a singular entity can be compared to Valve as a singular entity. The former is clearly plural whereas the latter is singular but represents a group of people.

Like "The Government is stupid" means the government itself is stupid.
"The Government are stupid" means the people who represent the government are stupid.

 

[Axyon]

Neither of those sentences are correct. To me, it sounds like those were written by somebody who's primary language is something other than English.

Whose, not who's.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Wyatt Earp prevented there being trouble on the ranch.

I believe this one is technically gramatically correct (though I can't be sure) - but it's horribly ugly and clumsy. "Wyatt Earp prevented trouble from occuring on the ranch" as Rakurai suggested or just "Wyatt Earp prevented trouble on the ranch" would be better. I refuse to vote because of the "niether...is".

As for Americans being more prissy about their language...it seems like the opposite to me. :E Brits consistently refuse to accept that language is, always has been and always will be a liquid form which evolves and changes constantly (this is not to say you can type in leet). Or maybe, like me, they don't care and are just having fun arguing over whether it's 'colour' or 'color'. :E

 

[Reginald]

I hereby start a Crusade against all those who use incorrect grammar and/or spelling.

It deserves a capital C because it's cool like that.

/me checks for grammatical errors to avoid making a fool of himself

 

[blackrose]

someone i know once said his english was...'fluid'. one of the sentences is more 'fluid' than the other. none of them is pleasing to the ear. why, the music is what matters

 

[AntiAnto]

I'm not sure "above sentences" as a singular entity can be compared to Valve as a singular entity. The former is clearly plural whereas the latter is singular but represents a group of people.

Like "The Government is stupid" means the government itself is stupid.
"The Government are stupid" means the people who represent the government are stupid.

How can you oppose the english grammatical rules... It clearly says that

According to the traditional rule, neither is used only to mean "not one or the other of two." To refer to "none of several," none is preferred: None (not neither) of the three opposition candidates would make a better president than the incumbent. The traditional rule also holds that neither is grammatically singular: Neither candidate is having an easy time with the press. However, it is often used with a plural verb, especially when followed by of and a plural: Neither of the candidates are really expressing their own views. As a conjunction neither is properly followed by nor, not or, in formal style: Neither prayers nor curses (not or curses) did any good

 

[Narcolepsy]

I hereby start a Crusade against all those who use incorrect grammar and/or spelling.

It deserves a capital C because it's cool like that.

/me checks for grammatical errors to avoid making a fool of himself

Oh, but such a crusade already exists.
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41495

But I'm still trying to figure out a way to cleanse the land of bad grammar without transforming into an utter prick in the process.