Fun+grammar+stuff

media type="custom" key="5154497" = = =Top Gear and the Passive=

media type="youtube" key="pd5hXbszlWo" height="344" width="425" = = = = =__ Fun grammar stuff __= = = =Have you heard of MAD LIBS?= Just fill in your own words (use the indicated word class, and keep scrolling down) and Mad Libs will fill them into a silly story. It's a great way to exercise with parts of speech. Tip: the more outrageous words you fill in, the better... media type="custom" key="3437728"

=Something funny from youtube:= media type="custom" key="3437800"

[] click on this link and listen to the song, it is funny, and so right.... kelly.

=Apostrophe Apostasy= = = The city council of Birmingham (yes, England) voted last week to eliminate apostrophes from street signs and place names - even when grammar dictates that they should be there. [|Read the article here] (scroll down to the title "The Rage Over Apostrophes") then [|listen to the protest song, "Apostrophe Apostasy":]

(apostasy: 1 **:** renunciation of a religious faith 2 **:** abandonment of a previous loyalty **:** [|defection]  [|(Merriam-Wesbster online dictionary)]

**Apostrophe Apostasy**
(©2009 Ronnie Lee Hurst/Bob Beckley)

The word is out in Birmingham: apostrophes must go From street signs in that UK town, they're banned now don't you know The city council says it has much better things to do But I say save our language from those bureaucratic fools

(Chorus): It's apostrophe apostasy to change our English 'round Shakespeare's rolling over in his grave They took a hammer to our grammar and broke our language down It's apostrophe apostasy, what knaves!

Apostrophes are crucial to the meaning of our words To take them from where they belong is patently absurd The spineless types who voted this sure have missed the point And the pun is much intended for these governmental oinks

(Chorus): It's apostrophe apostasy to change our English 'round Shakespeare's rolling over in his grave They took a hammer to our grammar and broke our language down It's apostrophe apostasy, what knaves!

(Bridge): Thank God we have elections, because the next time out We'll vote to bring queen's English back to town

(Chorus): It's apostrophe apostasy to change our English 'round Shakespeare's rolling over in his grave They took a hammer to our grammar and broke our language down It's apostrophe apostasy, what knaves!

They took a hammer to our grammar and broke our language down It's apostrophe apostasy, what knaves!

http://www.langwichscool.com/

Stephen Fry explains why "none of them work" is ungrammatical English: media type="custom" key="2909349"



PAST.....SIMPLE? The teacher claimed it was so plain, I only had to use my brain She said the past of throw was threw. The past of grow -of course- was grew, So flew must be the past of fly, And now, my boy, your turn to try. But when I trew, I had no clue, if mow was mew - Like know and knew Or was it knowed Like snow and snowed The teacher frowned at me and said The past of feed was - plainly - fed. Fed up, I knew then what I ned: I took a break, and out I snoke. She shook and quook (or quaked or quoke?) With raging anger out she broke: "Your ignorance you want to hide? Tell me the past form of collide!" But how on earth should I decide If it’s collid (Like hide and hid) Or else - from all that I surmose, The past of rise was simple rose, And that of ride was surely rode So of collide must be collode? Oh damn these English verbs, I thought The whole thing absolutely stought ! Of English I have had enough. These verbs of yours are far too tough. Bolt upright in my chair I sat, And said to her "That’s that. I quat!". from Guy Duetscher’s book // The //[|Unfolding of Language]

HUMOROUS GRAMMAR RULES

===** 2. Never use a preposition to end a sentence with. ** **(Winston Churchill, corrected on this error once,** ** responded to the young man who corrected him by saying ** **"Young man, that is the kind of impudence up with which I will not put!")** ===