Why English Is So Difficult

Crossfire Bulldogs · 11-21-2005, 02:23 PM

Thought this was interesting. lol

Why English Is So Difficult

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox become oxen not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice. If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet? If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

The one may be that, and three would be those, yet hat in the plural would never be hose, and the the plural of cat is cats, not cose. We speak of a brother and also a brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren. The masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on. Is it no wonder that people from other countries at times find the english language so difficult? Who could really blame them!

crazy_puppy · 11-21-2005, 02:29 PM

Ha! thats really neat...actually got my brain going for a second!!

flyndog · 11-21-2005, 02:38 PM

LOL. I do feel sorry for non-native speakers!

***Carrie*** · 11-21-2005, 02:42 PM

I've seen that someplace before. It's a riot! I get a major kick out of stuff like that. Thanks for bringing it up.

Did you ever read the book, Anguished English? It's absolutely hysterical. You've absolutely got to get it. I've got that one and a couple of sequels. This author, Richard Lederer is brilliant and has discovered the most hilarious boo boo's from newspapers, road signs, court documents/transcripts, student papers...you name it.

Here's a little taste of a chapter, mangling modifiers:

Please take time to look over the brochure that is enclosed with your family.

Plunging 1,000 feet into the gorge, we saw Yosemite Falls.

Calf Born To Farmer With Two Heads

Some sources said shorthly after his death Mao Tse-tung had expressed a wish that his body be cremated.

Two cars were reported stolen by the Groveton police yesterday.
__________________________________________________ __
He goes onto say that when newspaper people are in a hurry to quickly make a headline and have limited space, they have come up with some doozies: They're not necessarily wrong, but come out sounding pretty funny:

House passes gas tax onto senate

Tuna biting off Washington coast

Two convicts evade noose; jury hung

LOL.

English is a very hard language, even for those whose native language is English. LOL.

TribalRats · 11-21-2005, 02:42 PM

I LOVE IT!
I am going to print it out and have my daughter take it to her teacher.

minpinsrock · 11-21-2005, 02:58 PM

Thats neat!!

***Cassiepeia*** · 11-21-2005, 03:21 PM

So true!

Cass.

Crossfire Bulldogs · 11-21-2005, 03:23 PM

I have Carrie and loved it!

A few more examples of why the english language is soooo confusing.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in a pineapple.

We take English for granted. But if we explore the paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guiea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

LOL I'm all about pondering things today. No wonder I drove my mother crazy when I was younger!

***Carrie*** · 11-21-2005, 03:29 PM

ROFLOL!!!!!!!! Oh yes. I remember that part now. I'm so glad you have that book. If anyone is ever in a little down mood, this will get your tears running, but you'll be doubled over with non-stop laughter. My daughter and I get such a kick out of these books. Our stomachs hurt after reading them.

Mellie · 11-21-2005, 04:00 PM

And my favorite... why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?

D.Schäferhund · 11-21-2005, 05:33 PM

well yeah, the concept i get, but appearently not the whole thing

Ritz459 · 11-22-2005, 02:33 PM

Too funny!

I'm taking this in to show my English Teacher. lol

11-21-2005, 02:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Crossfire Bulldogs Sourmug Mom Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snuggled Between The Snorts & Snores. Posts: 7,844 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 281	Why English Is So Difficult Thought this was interesting. lol Why English Is So Difficult We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox become oxen not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice. If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen? If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet? If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth? The one may be that, and three would be those, yet hat in the plural would never be hose, and the the plural of cat is cats, not cose. We speak of a brother and also a brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren. The masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim. You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on. Is it no wonder that people from other countries at times find the english language so difficult? Who could really blame them!
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. ~ Gerry Spence As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner. Last edited by Crossfire Bulldogs : 11-21-2005 at 02:31 PM.

11-21-2005, 02:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
crazy_puppy Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA Posts: 169 Rep Power: 57	Ha! thats really neat...actually got my brain going for a second!!
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11-21-2005, 02:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
flyndog Unleash The Possibilities Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Marfa, TX Posts: 3,969 Rep Power: 179	LOL. I do feel sorry for non-native speakers!
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11-21-2005, 02:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,400 Rep Power: 279	I've seen that someplace before. It's a riot! I get a major kick out of stuff like that. Thanks for bringing it up. Did you ever read the book, Anguished English? It's absolutely hysterical. You've absolutely got to get it. I've got that one and a couple of sequels. This author, Richard Lederer is brilliant and has discovered the most hilarious boo boo's from newspapers, road signs, court documents/transcripts, student papers...you name it. Here's a little taste of a chapter, mangling modifiers: Please take time to look over the brochure that is enclosed with your family. Plunging 1,000 feet into the gorge, we saw Yosemite Falls. Calf Born To Farmer With Two Heads Some sources said shorthly after his death Mao Tse-tung had expressed a wish that his body be cremated. Two cars were reported stolen by the Groveton police yesterday. __________________________________________________ __ He goes onto say that when newspaper people are in a hurry to quickly make a headline and have limited space, they have come up with some doozies: They're not necessarily wrong, but come out sounding pretty funny: House passes gas tax onto senate Tuna biting off Washington coast Two convicts evade noose; jury hung LOL. English is a very hard language, even for those whose native language is English. LOL.
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

11-21-2005, 02:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
TribalRats Take Responsibility Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Valley, CA Posts: 3,327 Rep Power: 141	I LOVE IT! I am going to print it out and have my daughter take it to her teacher.
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

11-21-2005, 02:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
minpinsrock mommie of 3<3 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 555 Rep Power: 85	Thats neat!!
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11-21-2005, 03:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
*Cassiepeia* Chihuahua Mum Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 8,248 Blog Entries: 9 Rep Power: 279	So true! Cass.
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11-21-2005, 03:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
Crossfire Bulldogs Sourmug Mom Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snuggled Between The Snorts & Snores. Posts: 7,844 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 281	I have Carrie and loved it! A few more examples of why the english language is soooo confusing. The bandage was wound around the wound. The is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in a pineapple. We take English for granted. But if we explore the paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guiea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? LOL I'm all about pondering things today. No wonder I drove my mother crazy when I was younger!
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. ~ Gerry Spence As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

11-21-2005, 03:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,400 Rep Power: 279	ROFLOL!!!!!!!! Oh yes. I remember that part now. I'm so glad you have that book. If anyone is ever in a little down mood, this will get your tears running, but you'll be doubled over with non-stop laughter. My daughter and I get such a kick out of these books. Our stomachs hurt after reading them.
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

11-21-2005, 04:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Mellie Springer/Saint Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vermont Posts: 449 Rep Power: 94	And my favorite... why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?
	__________________ "One dog barks at something, the rest bark at him." -- Chinese Proverb

11-21-2005, 05:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
D.Schäferhund let's work Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,765 Rep Power: 108	well yeah, the concept i get, but appearently not the whole thing

11-22-2005, 02:33 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ritz459 Fuzzbutt attack Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 5,260 Blog Entries: 3 Rep Power: 215	Too funny! I'm taking this in to show my English Teacher. lol
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