English help please

[Hilts]

Wondering if anyone can critique the following..

"A word was used completely wrong and incorrectly."

Is this bad, even incorrect English ?

Can a word be 'used completely wrong', although it can be used wrongly. Secondly, the word 'incorrectly' is redundant in this sentence as it conveys the same meaning as 'wrong' and is therefore a needless repetition.

Picky I know but I'm dealing with the most anally retentive American guy on t'internet who claims that the proper and intelligent use of the English language is becoming something of a lost art.

Have I got him here ? even slightly :hehe:

[james_j]

Yes, there would seem to be needless repetition, in fact it's not a very good sentence.

...incorrectly what?

Perhaps he was trying to say "a word used was completely inappropriate" or

"a word was used incorrectly"

[JMGS4]

Hilts said:

Picky I know but I'm dealing with the most anally retentive American guy on t'internet who claims that the proper and intelligent use of the English language is becoming something of a lost art.

The problem is that the americans only speak 'Morican and know SFA about english, they can't even spell it correctly, FFS!

"A word was used incorrectly" or "a word was used with the wrong connotation" ... mind you that has more than one syllable, he might have problems [tongue in cheek smiley]

[groucho]

Isn't that what they call a verbose sentence?

[titiany]

groucho said:

Isn't that what they call a verbose sentence?

Technically, I guess, but I thought 'verbose' referred more to over-exaggeration.

Gratuitous, maybe?

[Raify]

That sounds more like tautology to me

[groucho]

This is what the old dic has for it.

ver·bose (vr-bs)
adj.
Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. See Synonyms at wordy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Middle English *verbous, from Latin verbsus, from verbum, word; see verb.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ver·bosely adv.
ver·boseness, ver·bosi·ty (-bs-t) n.

[wizzpig]

I work very closely with our American cousins and must say, on the whole, their English is utterly appalling, save for the possible exception of maybe one or two.

However, I can’t see anything technically 'incorrect' with his sentence (hopefully one of our learned PH’s colleagues will point out a flaw) but I do feel it is not very well structured. Personally, I would have constructed it thus - “A word used was completely wrong and incorrect”.

I agree also that they seem to have an annoying tendency to compile sentences with monumental degree of verboseness. Ironic when you consider they also have a habit of fluffing most of it up.

As him about windscreens and pavements

[JMGS4]

wizzpig said:

As him about windscreens and pavements

And don't forget lifts and braces.........

[Eric Mc]

Why use the words "wrong" AND "incorrect" in the same sentence. They both mean exactly the same thing!

I would have said "A word was used which was completely incorrect".

[GetCarter]

"A word was used completely wrong and incorrectly."

This should read:

A word was used wrongly.

You shouldn't use 'completely wrong' as it is either wrong or right. Even if you did decide to do so, it should read 'A word was used completely wrongly' not 'A word was used completely wrong'.

To add 'and incorrectly' is tautology and a waste of time and space.

Steve

[beano500]

I think I've spotted the problem

You have some mis-appropriate words residing in the same stratosphere. They clearly do not belong together....

Hilts said:

... American ...claims ... English language ...

....it just does not compute!

[wizzpig]

GetCarter said:

You shouldn't use 'completely wrong' as it is either wrong or right. Even if you did decide to do so, it should read 'A word was used completely wrongly' not 'A word was used completely wrong'. Steve

I was of the understanding that 'completely' can be used correctly to emphasise something as 'wrong'. Or am I 'completely wrong'!?

Of course, the Americans don't emphasise, they emphasize.

[pdV6]

wizzpig said:

I was of the understanding that 'completely' can be used correctly to emphasise something as 'wrong'. Or am I 'completely wrong'!?

People do do it, but its not necessarily gramatically correct.

[titiany]

You can't have an adverb of an adverb, can you?

But then again, if the word 'completely' is attributed to the word 'wrong', rather than the verb, then what exactly is it?

[MilnerR]

"the word used was incorrect"

If you can cut a word out and retain the meaning ALWAYS cut the word out!

As Dan Quayle once said:

"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate...... things!"

[wizzpig]

Would - “I completely forgot”, therefore be grammatically incorrect as a sentence also?

[pdV6]

wizzpig said:

Would - “I completely forgot”, therefore be grammatically incorrect as a sentence also?

Technically, I guess so. Its a very common usage, though.

[srebbe64]

"A word was used completely wrong and incorrectly."

I don't think the above breaks any grammatical rules, but it's badly constructed. A more simple sentence might be:

"Incorrectly, a word was used, which is also incorrectly."

or

"A word was used that was incorrect and wrong."

or

"Oi Yankie, who the hell are you to preach to me about use of the English language, you red-neck son of an immigrant? Not even your esteemed leaders can construct a sentence without at least a dozen cock-ups contained therein. Rather than spending your time preaching to the English about their own language, you might want to stop murdering foreign kids, have a pop at your local drug dealers and try and reduce your domestic murder rate.



>> Edited by srebbe64 on Tuesday 21st June 09:29

[x1m]

While you're there, ask him what the z in lazer stands for