10 grammar mistakes people love to correct (that aren’t actually wrong)

Posted by 40dots / Grammar

1. Saying “I am good” when someone asks “How are you?”
2. Splitting infinitives.
3. Using “over” instead of “more than” to indicate greater numerical value.
4. Using “preventative” to mean “preventive”.
5. Using “that” instead of “who” as a pronoun to refer to a person.
6. Using words like “slow” and “quick” as adverbs.
7. Ending a sentence with a preposition.
8. Treating “data” as singular instead of plural.
9. Using “they” as a singular pronoun.
10. Starting a sentence with “hopefully”.

Dictionary of untranslatables – Michael Wood

Posted by 40dots / Books

Some words just can’t be translated into another language. Michael Wood, one of the editors of the “Dictionary of Untranslatables,” says that’s just not true — you can translate anything. But even “untranslatable” itself is a word with many meanings.

Greek literature risks getting lost in translation

Posted by 40dots / News

If you write in a less well- known language, such as Irish, Finnish or Greek, the essential vehicles for reaching a wider readership are a reliable translator and a publisher who can exploit your book in the marketplace. This in turn requires a cultural policy underpinning the work of translation. But there is no government agency responsible for pushing Greek writers under the noses of commissioning editors, reviewers or the bulk-buying outlets.

In Greece, the Frasis project, managed by the national book centre, funds the translation of books published outside Greece. In its two years of existence, with a budget of €189,000, out of a total of 100 applications it has subsidised the translation of 28 books (at an average cost of €6,500), only four of them into English.

This software reads your emotions via typing style

Posted by 40dots / News

Can our typing style reveal our emotions? If we believe researchers here, a new computer programme can recognise people’s emotions based on how they type.

An emotionally intelligent online system can change teaching style or the contents of its lectures to better adapt to a particular student’s emotional state, a team of researchers noted.

5 verb mistakes

Posted by 40dots / Grammar

I seen vs. I saw
Incorrect: “I seen the movie last week.”
Correct: “I saw the movie last week.”

2) I been vs. I have been
Incorrect: “I been there!”
Correct: “I have (I’ve) been there!”

3) I done vs. I did
Incorrect: “I done the homework.”
Correct:”I did the homework.”

4) We was vs. we were
Incorrect: “We was just about to start the reading.”
Correct: “We were just about to start the reading.”

5) I would of vs. I would have
Incorrect: “I would of gone with you if I knew.”
Correct:”I would have (would’ve) gone with you if I had known.”

Source: Grammarly

mistranslation

Dirty Little Secrets for Translators