English language is funny

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You can say:

they're
we're
you're
where're
who're

but not:

there're ?
these're ?
which're ?

Seriously, why? With we're/you're I can understand the argument of 'easier pronunciation by drop of vowel' but with the others...

After rereading that a few times i think i get what you are asking....I have always had trouble with grammar so i may be off but as far as i know it is just arbitrary. Lots of rules in english don't seem to have any real purpose at all, at least not now, perhaps they did in the past.

I've never seen where're or who're, but the spellchecker says they're ok.

Also,

It's can mean "it has", "it was", or "it is".

(S)he'll can mean "(s)he will" or "(s)he shall".

Most of the shortening is for ease of phonetic use.

no, you're funny,

no, you're funny,

How come?

If I were a dictator of the world I would give an order to make my native language compulsory to learn in school in all the world And you can believe me - English seems a very simplified language if compared with Polish Polish would be even "funnier"

Last edited by Irulan on 22 Mar 2008, 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

because i say so.

A Polish girl I know told me Polish is even more complicated than Russian, though I think it is nicer sounding and they have much better music which probably makes up for the complication.

no, you're more complicated than russian.

I never had an occasion to learn Russian - now in our schools this language is being replaced by English and German.

My school has taught it until this year. Now, the teacher's way too old to continue teaching and there's nobody else other than our headmistress who would be able to take over. Seeing as headmistresses are always busy with whatever, the class will not be available any longer.

Not much of a loss if you ask me. Now only if they found a decent teacher, a non-Russian, non-Serbian, non-Polish, non-Ukrainian student might actually be able to learn something and enjoy the class...




No doubt, I was always proud of being a complex and sometimes complicated individual.

i'm glad we agree.

What about difference between "proper" written language vs. "acceptable" spoken language ? Can say all sorts of things that would need to be standardized or made grammatical if written down, but cause no strange looks when said aloud. That's what I notice most-beyond the inherent bizarreness of English.

Glad I learned it as child, bc. I'd never be able to figure it out now, as an adult. My mother came from another culture & learned Spanish first-she said learning English was very hard (counteintuitive, inconsistent), though I never noticed her having any trouble with it-she sounded (to me & to others) like English was as easy for her as Spanish.

The Yank comedian had an entire routine built around this, complete with blackboard so he could illustrate what he was saying.
Don't remember much, but we say "eat", so the word must be pronounced sweeter (sweater), right?

He went on and on with how english is so inconsistent with the way we pronounce words.

Well I know what you can say and what not, just not why. It's not like English is the language which can be nonsensical. But sure, somewhat more nonsensical than other languages.

I was asked to give younger students coaching in English, but I didn't want to do that. I could make a fortune. But how to explain when the drop of a vowel is acceptable and when it's not or why words are pronounced differently form how they're written? And I sure would teach them colloquial things they're not allowed to write/say in class.

I'd love to say these're though.
Remembers me of: In German, when you say 'talk about', it's 'unterhalten über'. Funny thing is, 'unter' is like English beneath, 'über' is above (or in this case about). I keep saying 'überhalten' (not a word), why ever throw 'unter' in there?

I wonder how nobody ever wondered about that... or why you can't say 'these're'.