My first B3ta post. Wish me luck.
The disappearance of the word "those".

"Do you see them people?"
"You mean THOSE people?"
"Yeah, them people."
"No. THOSE people."
"What you on about, ya dick? Them people over there."
"(Sigh) Yes. THOSE people. I see them."

---

"I don't like them crisps."

---

Please bring back the word "those".
(ThatNiceMan thought he was being funny, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 18:24, 11 replies)

I tend to stop talking to people who refuse to learn their native language.
If a friend or family member of mine were to say "them people" I'd likely just stop talking to them. I'll hazard a guess that the people who say "them people" consider English their first language also.
Nothing wrong with not knowing -- but willful ignorance is pathetic and should be punished.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 18:32, closed)

anybody know the grammar
For when to use either?
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 18:43, closed)

I forget some of the technical jargon but it's to do with pluralisation of the subject's pronoun and the location relative to the speaker.

(Near to the speaker) This = these
(Far from the speaker) That = those

Distance can be physical as in "those people" who are "over there" or in time talking about and event "all those years ago".

I think that pretty much is it.


As an aside I get SUPER-RAGE at mis-placed apostrophes. "FFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" has nothing on me.
(ThatNiceMan thought he was being funny, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 18:51, closed)

You Sir,
are going to fit right in.
( bane, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 20:34, closed)

and 'them'?

( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 21:40, closed)

"Them" is a personal pronoun and is the plural of "it".

Example: (singular)
A. Do you like your car?
B. Yes, I like it.

"It" is used as a pronoun and negates saying "my car" and over a series of questions stops you sounding like some kind of spaz parrot.

Example: (plural)
A. Do you like chips?
B. Yes, I adore them.

As an article, "chips" are plural so the pronoun agreement is made. "Them chips" is a bit like a double-negative in terms of pronouns. If you used "it" then you would have:

A. Do you like chips?
B. No, never watched it.
A. "It"? I mean the cut, fried potatoes and not the TV show.
B. Silly me! I never realised how important context is. As for delightfully crispy chips from the chippy, I adore them.

Hopefully this helps. The way English is taught in this country is awful. I only learned and understood proper grammar when I studied German.
(ThatNiceMan thought he was being funny, Tue 5 Apr 2011, 22:24, closed)

This is one thing that annoys me greatly.
I have often wondered why grammar is not taught in English schools anymore; it happens in most of Europe and facilitates learning of foreign languages, something I think we should do more of nationally.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 10:36, closed)

This is absolutely true,
I learnt more about grammar when I learnt French than I ever gleaned during all of my schooldays.
( Tab Hunter Make this useless process end and so, begin again, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 12:03, closed)

Completely agree
I only learnt English grammar when I trained to be a TEFL teacher. I don't recall having any formal grammar lessons at school. Infact, I think my GCSE in the subject is specifically English Literature.

(goes off to loft to hunt down GCSE certificates)
(mcgriffto, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 14:15, closed)

Them's were the days, back when everybody speaked proper.

( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Tue 5 Apr 2011, 20:58, closed)

I suspect ...
that as language develops, this one might stick.
Can't say that I like it, but I have this awful feeling that 'them' might munge into 'those' as an acceptable substitute.

Daren't think how bad above posting might be, typing while under the influence of red wine.
(WaveyDavey, Wed 6 Apr 2011, 0:29, closed)