Non-Standard English

As an English teacher and trainer, I have an eye for language and how it is used. English is evolving and trying to stop those changes are likely to be as successful as Canute stopping the incoming tide. For this reason, I prefer the term ‘non-standard’ English for phrases such as “I don’t know nothing about grammar.” As a teacher, I encourage my students to use the standard “I don’t know anything about grammar” but will not condemn those who use non-standard forms. Can you say that your form English is correct and English spoken by people from Australia, South Africa, Scotland, Alabama or the East End of London, is wrong? Different, yes. Non-standard, definitely. But ‘wrong’? Having said that, what do you make of the following?

Let's hope they provide snacks for people who get hungary during the match.
Let’s hope they provide snacks for people who get hungary during the match.
shoping
Shopping is a word that you would expect a major supermarket in the UK to be able to spell…
This one appears outside Debenhams in Wenceslas Square, Prague. Or should that be Dubenhams in Wunceslas Square?
This one appears outside Debenhams in Wenceslas Square, Prague. Or should that be Dubenhams in Wunceslas Square?

 

Why don't Bacon Butty sell newspaper's, sweet's and cake's as well? Please note they do outside catering so if you have a wedding coming up, your guests will be able to sit back and enjoy "Hot" soup's, bovril's and perhaps coffee's.
Why don’t Bacon Butty sell newspaper’s, sweet’s and cake’s as well? Please note they do outside catering so if you have a wedding coming up, your guests will be able to sit back and enjoy “Hot” soup’s, bovril’s and perhaps coffee’s.

David Beckham (after visiting a school): “It was totally different to what I was teached when I was at school.”

Diplomates
Perhaps Diplomates are diplomats that you are friendly with.

On the British Airways website  Error! We are unable to display your booking as all flights have been flown.

From a Slovak website SERVICE OFFER – We are not the best, but we are the others (You have to admire their honesty, if not their English)

On a Czech hotel website: The hotel offers to its guests: saloon ( for 15 persons) congerss room ( for 30-40 poeple ) for a bussines talks. If their English is a reflection of their congerss room…

be07b
Here we can see the delights awaiting the customers of a fish and chip shop in Cornwall. Jamie Oliver would turn in his grave – if he were dead.

A posting on a forum for jobs. to rspected sir, my name is m_____ k________ ,i m student of luminy and i m learning international business programme and i m looking for job for english teacher . i done my bachelor degree in chemical engineering. i passed out TOEFL exam vth 573 marks i can teach english grammer.

His students would probably pass out if he were given a job…

notre dame sign
You might expect a simple mistake like this in a small provincial museum but the one below was outside Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
An intriguing one. Why did Penwith Council choose to leave out some words? What exactly did they leave out? at their... peril? own risk? disposal? leisure?
An intriguing one. Why did Penwith Council choose to leave out some words? What exactly did they leave out? at their… peril? own risk? disposal? leisure?

 

From the good people of Penwith District Council again.
From the good people of Penwith District Council again.

 

Paid for by the very descent people of Lulworth.
Paid for by the very descent people of Lulworth.

 

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