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how the handbasket do you remember the correct spelling for words such as presence, absence, essence? (as opposed to incense and license (or licence)) where's the sense in this?
-joe (yes, I often look them up) friday
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I don't know how the pavement that is done. I guess it may be a matter of remembering riffs, which English is full of.
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I wish I could help, but to me, they just look wrong if spelled with an s instead of the c. Ditto that for the contrary. I learned most of my vocabulary from books though, so saw them before I heard them spoken aloud. This resulted in good spelling skills at the cost of correct pronunciation.
Last edited by Maven; 05/23/08 04:57 PM.
tempus edax rerum
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old hand
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where's the sense in this? Um, at the end? How so very droll.... ;0)
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old hand
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I seem to remember at some time in the dim dark past being taught that verbs had 's' and nouns 'c', so that licen se means to give someone a licen ce, for example. But like everything else in English it appears far from consistent. You can't get incensed about incence for example, but only about incense. Sense? In English? ROFL. 
Last edited by The Pook; 05/23/08 11:55 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Insense
In*sense"\, v. t. [Pref. in- in + sense.] To make to understand; to instruct. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. Webster Revised 1996 , 1998
I'm sort of relieved that not only non natives have to deal with these arbitrary things.
So, you can get insensed about incense?
Last edited by BranShea; 05/25/08 09:01 AM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Ha! for years i never made a decision. I opted, i made a choice, i elected, i went for, i defaulted to, i stuck with, or i changed my mind.
I love spell check, it has slowly trained me, with a squigglely red line, and more understanding and Um, (another word, that mean quiet understanding, endurance, gentle fortitude (or if spelled wrong, a person seeing a doctor!)
trouble with that second word, it you can get it right (ie spell check doesn't point out a wrong combination of letters) and it can still be wrong.
Stationary or stationery? (finally stand has an A and write has an E... (and the first word with an A (ary) is standing still not moving, the second with an E (ery) is paper for writing on..
INSANE! I also hate silent letters! english words are packed full of them (and being told as a child to "sound them out" was a sort of cruel and unusually punishment, and being asked to spell them, torture.
but i'll be gneiss a and end my rant!
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Carpal Tunnel
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If nobody knows how to spell it; does it make any difference?
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Carpal Tunnel
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wun uv thu gratest riters ov tha inglish langwidge, Wilyum Shaksper, cudn't spel hiz oan naym dhe saim twys in uh roh.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Ah, that i were as gifted as he! then my odd spelling would be feature, not a flaw!
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