WAMT....what annoyed me today!

nilagin said:
Standing is a verb and an adjective though.
A. It tells us what the man is doing.
B. It describes the man to differentiate him from anyone else there, for example people who are seated.
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By George, I think he's nearly got it!

A. Yes, he's sitting, not sat. (just as it's 'what the man is doing' and not 'what the man is do, or done').
B. Yes, the word sitting is being used in a descriptive way in the example we've been referring to.

In the example discussed, it's an 'ing' form of verb being used as an adjective, as the link I provided in Post #9,438 explains. Adding 'ing' to the end of the verb makes it descriptive. Hence sitting at the bar, not sat at the bar, and standing at the bar, not stood at the bar, etc.

You could use the word 'sat' to say "The man (or I) sat at the bar", but to say "The man (or I) was sat at the bar" is grammatically incorrect in Standard UK spoken and written English. (y) :)
 
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Mr Badger said:
You could use the word 'sat' to say "The man (or I) sat at the bar", but to say "The man (or I) was sat at the bar" is grammatically incorrect in Standard UK spoken and written English. (y) :)
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Not true, it all depends on past or present tense and what is meant by sat. If you were directed to sit at the bar, you would have been sat at the bar.
Context is everything.
 
nilagin said:
If you were directed to sit at the bar, you would have been sat at the bar.
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No, in that context, you would have been seated at the bar. Yes, context is important, and at every relevant point in this discussion you'll see that I have referred to the context of my original example.

You can try as much chaff and obfuscation as you like, but it won't alter the rules of English grammar. Now give up or I'll set Stephen Fry on you! ;)
 
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Mr Badger said:
No, in that context, you would have been seated at the bar. Yes, context is important, and at every relevant point in this discussion you'll see that I have referred to the context of my original example.

You can try as much chaff and obfuscation as you like, but it won't alter the rules of English grammar. Now give up or I'll set Stephen Fry on you! ;)
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the rules of English grammar are often wrong. The ‘rules’ have been made up to try to describe people’s speech, they are useful but usage ultimately will trump* them :).

*sorry, rude word :(.
 
Some paint had flaked off one of my Prius windscreen wiper arms where it sits on the wiper motor connection so I wanted to replace it. I had to go to the dealer. Unbelievably, driver side £83 passenger side £77. I didn't ask..being in shock :rolleyes: if that included VAT.
 
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sphexx said:
the rules of English grammar are often wrong. The ‘rules’ have been made up to try to describe people’s speech, they are useful but usage ultimately will trump* them :).

*sorry, rude word :(.
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The rules have been constructed in an attempt to make things clear and intelligible. For instance, take my original example of "The man was sat at the bar", if that were grammatically correct (in the afore mentioned context) then you could be left wondering whether the man was sitting at the bar, or whether the man had been instructed/invited to do so.

That's where grammar comes into play. If you read "The man was sitting at the bar" then you would clearly know what the man was doing. If you read "The man was seated at the bar" then you would know that he had been invited or instructed to do so.
 
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Context and correct spelling......... example number 2 ;):exit:

A well maintained machine is achieved by regular maintenance.
 
Mr Badger said:
The rules have been constructed in an attempt to make things clear and intelligible. For instance, take my original example of "The man was sat at the bar", if that were grammatically correct (in the afore mentioned context) then you could be left wondering whether the man was sitting at the bar, or whether the man had been instructed/invited to do so.

That's where grammar comes into play. If you read "The man was sitting at the bar" then you would clearly know what the man was doing. If you read "The man was seated at the bar" then you would know that he had been invited or instructed to do so.
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It’s amazing really how humans got along for a million years or so with unclear and unintelligible speech until the grammarians (grammarists?) came along to save them :). It was probably the invention of pubs (by the neanderthals, judging from some of the behaviour of their modern clientele) that necessitated rules about ‘sat or sitting‘ at the bar that saved them ... and the rest is history :exit:
 
Tigger.ufo said:
B****y Volvo advert!

Just reverse onto your drive in the first place and then you can see if traffic is coming. :rolleyes:
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Have not paid much attention to that one.................but was it 'set' on a UK main road? If so then AFAIK reversing onto said type of road is against the Highway Code rules!
 
Box Brownie said:
Have not paid much attention to that one.................but was it 'set' on a UK main road? If so then AFAIK reversing onto said type of road is against the Highway Code rules!
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That's what I was taught! :) Why would you want to reverse your children into traffic?
 
Tigger.ufo said:
That's what I was taught! :) Why would you want to reverse your children into traffic?
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Yup, though there are circumstances where as with "us", though we have space for both cars if we both reversed on, one car would be darned difficult to get out of the driver's door! NB we live on a residential estate and the road only had estate traffic i.e. not a drive thru or rat run.

Edit~ project in hand to mitigate by making it easier to park closer to the edges of the driveway!

As for the technology in the Volvo....the worry is that some folk rely on it too much and that softens the drivers response to risk. A bit like folk that are too reliant/trusting satnav!!!
 
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Tigger.ufo said:
B****y Volvo advert!

Just reverse onto your drive in the first place and then you can see if traffic is coming. :rolleyes:
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Just another example of letting technology think for you, ok until it goes wrong, wonder who would get the blame
I always reverse into parking spaces, far easier to see when you leave them, which in supermarkets seems to be a problem
from the amount of times people have reversed out almost into me !
 
Tigger.ufo said:
That's what I was taught! :) Why would you want to reverse your children into traffic?
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Surely if there are children with you, you would send them into the road to check if it’s clear? Much as people always (used to?) push the park out first to check if it’s safe
 
Gremlin said:
Just another example of letting technology think for you, ok until it goes wrong, wonder who would get the blame
I always reverse into parking spaces, far easier to see when you leave them, which in supermarkets seems to be a problem
from the amount of times people have reversed out almost into me !
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You obviously don't have a big shopping trolley full of stuff and drive a large vehicle (required for work). I have to pull in bonnet first into a supermarket parking space so I can unload the trolley into the boot of the car, as I can't get the trolley down the side of the car to reach the boot if I reverse in. Plus, that's a great way to dent or scratch other people's cars... which annoys me as my car has two such trolley dents in it.
 
sphexx said:
Surely if there are children with you, you would send them into the road to check if it’s clear? Much as people always (used to?) push the park out first to check if it’s safe
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Did your parents often tell you to go and play with the traffic? :sneaky: ;)
 
Tigger.ufo said:
B****y Volvo advert!

Just reverse onto your drive in the first place and then you can see if traffic is coming. :rolleyes:
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Not always, some councils have regulations for allowing dropped kerbs for driveways. Unless there is a clear line of sight over a minimum distance in both directions, so no trees, bushes, fences or walls, you won't get a dropped kerb. Regardless of even if you are driving forward out of a drive, you are still several feet from the front of the vehicle and getting a clear view. At least if a vehicle is reversing, other motorists or pedestrians have a better visual means of knowing a vehicle is about to move.

Some vehicles are now fitted with camera systems on the front as well as the back to improve safety when pulling out
As for supermarkets, it doesn't really matter whether you drive forward or reverse into a space, you will still get the same people wandering aimlessly down the aisles, not really paying attention to car movements as they try to remember where it was that they had parked.
 
Mr Badger said:
You obviously don't have a big shopping trolley full of stuff and drive a large vehicle (required for work). I have to pull in bonnet first into a supermarket parking space so I can unload the trolley into the boot of the car, as I can't get the trolley down the side of the car to reach the boot if I reverse in. Plus, that's a great way to dent or scratch other people's cars... which annoys me as my car has two such trolley dents in it.
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Yep, I think that's why most people park nose in in supermarkets. Also, my wheelchair lives in the boot.
 
nilagin said:
As for supermarkets, it doesn't really matter whether you drive forward or reverse into a space, you will still get the same people wandering aimlessly down the aisles, not really paying attention to car movements as they try to remember where it was that they had parked.
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Now that's one of the benefits taking a huge 4x4 to the supermarket... I can see where I've parked the bloody thing! :LOL:
 
Re: supermarket car parks ~ none too sure if there is a recommended minimum width for parking spaces but some are darned narrow!

Having said that, a combined Sainsbury's & Homebase site they opened approx 10 years ago was IMO quite innovative, in that instead of a single white line demarcation they painted a double white line (width of outer edge to outer edge approx 10inches???) with hoop end (think very elongated letter U). That helped immensely to encourage folk to park "pretty".....on the few times I/we have been there over the years I don't recall seeing much if any 'ar*ehole' parking behaviour.

Granted there are fewer spaces but surely not too many lost but I think it was and is something that should adopted more widely(no pun intended ;) )
 
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Mr Badger said:
You obviously don't have a big shopping trolley full of stuff and drive a large vehicle
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Not any more but I used to drive a Volvo V70 estate and always reversed that in too.
At the time I often had at least one family member with me and we would carry the bags down the side
I find reversing into to tight spaces far easier then driving in

Marc said:
Also, my wheelchair lives in the boot.
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Disabled spaces down here tend to have large areas both side for that, in Tesco they also have a path at the rear between the 2 rows of cars
 
Gremlin said:
Disabled spaces down here tend to have large areas both side for that, in Tesco they also have a path at the rear between the 2 rows of cars
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Some supermarkets do but many don't. Our local Morrisons, the disabled bays do have a path along the front of the building that you can reverse towards but, as you get to the entrance, there's a big hump with a pole in the middle. It's one of the major bugbears for wheelchair users in that we're often forced to wheel ourselves into the path of cars where we're not as visible as walking pedestrians.
 
Gremlin said:
Not any more but I used to drive a Volvo V70 estate and always reversed that in too.
At the time I often had at least one family member with me and we would carry the bags down the side
I find reversing into to tight spaces far easier then driving in
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That's fine until some numpty parks about 5 cm from your back bumper! My supermarket mainly has nose-to-nose parking in the car park. :(
 
Maybe we should have a WMMST (What Made Me Sad Today) thread

Just watched the Rob Burrow documentary the was on BBC2 yesterday, one of the toughest half hours of television I've ever sat through.

For anyone who doesn't know, a couple of years ago, he was playing professional rugby league at the highest level. Shortly after retiring, he was diagnosed with MND and is now unable to walk unaided and has very recently lost the ability to speak.

As someone with a progressive, incurable neurological disease (although nowhere near as devastating as MND), it really hit home for me.
 
I lost a friend to MND last summer. He was 52 and only lasted a year after his initial diagnosis - in spring we were having wheelchair races and by the end of summer he was gone. A truly dreadful disease.
 
Sky said:
I lost a friend to MND last summer. He was 52 and only lasted a year after his initial diagnosis - in spring we were having wheelchair races and by the end of summer he was gone. A truly dreadful disease.
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Indeed, the speed in which it works is terrifying.
 
Marc said:
Maybe we should have a WMMST (What Made Me Sad Today) thread

Just watched the Rob Burrow documentary the was on BBC2 yesterday, one of the toughest half hours of television I've ever sat through.

For anyone who doesn't know, a couple of years ago, he was playing professional rugby league at the highest level. Shortly after retiring, he was diagnosed with MND and is now unable to walk unaided and has very recently lost the ability to speak.

As someone with a progressive, incurable neurological disease (although nowhere near as devastating as MND), it really hit home for me.
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I think there was a previous documentary by/about him.

It made for an emotional 'watch'.....I spotted the program you mention on the blurb on the programme schedule and did not see it.

Such programs are a salutary reminder that whatever state of health we are in.......there is someone living with a health issue worse than oneself who is doing so with a fortitude and stoicism worthy of my greatest respect and humility!
 
I bought a case and pen for my tablet from a company called USourceUK, thinking they were a British company,nope they are Chinese and I got stung £17 customs and handling.
 
Windows 10 update. :runaway:

Why move the taskbar from the bottom (where it has always been) to the right (where I now have to scroll to see everything on 2 pages)?

B'stards!!!! :bat:
 
Hopefully THIS will unannoy you, Heather!
 
An old annoyance but middle lane motorway hogging. The M8 in central Scotland must be the worst motorway in the world for them. In a 20 min drive today I counted over ten idiots that should have been in the inside lane.
Anytime I have driven on the M6, M5, M1 etc I rarely come across this. Why is Scotland's major motorway so bad :thinking:
 
Peter10d said:
An old annoyance but middle lane motorway hogging. The M8 in central Scotland must be the worst motorway in the world for them. In a 20 min drive today I counted over ten idiots that should have been in the inside lane.
Anytime I have driven on the M6, M5, M1 etc I rarely come across this. Why is Scotland's major motorway so bad :thinking:
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Its not just the motorway.
On the A77 dual carriageway there's a 3 mile stretch which is a 50 zone, and at the end the inside lane continues left so cars don't need to stop.
There's a roundabout for cars going straight on or turning right.
Some cars going straight on or turning right think it's ok to sit in the outside lane for 3 miles and won't move to the inside. :mad:
 
Tigger.ufo said:
B****y Volvo advert!

Just reverse onto your drive in the first place and then you can see if traffic is coming. :rolleyes:
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Something I always do at home but got my knuckles rapped by some traffic cops in the USA when doing it in a supermarket car park. Most US cars only have a rear number plate and the police like to see these when cruising around car parks looking for stolen or wanted vehicles.
 
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