I want to have my daughter check out a house. Why can I not have a phone number to communicate with the owner?

[Tim2166]

I wNt to have my daughter check out a property before I commit. I need the phone number of the host. Why r u blocking that number?

gretchen

[Emilia42]

@Sarah977 People all around me speak like this, it makes me cringe. Call me out on it if you ever see me write that way!

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  I really have to restrain myself from mentioning it when I see or hear it, lest I get accused of being pedantic 🙂  I've noticed many people, rather than appreciating being corrected when they use poor grammar, take offense and think that grammar and spelling isn't important.

How about "I seen it"? That's one that really makes me cringe.

[Stephanie]

It's a tragedy @Sarah977 , it really is. While our language is constantly changing, adding new words and definitions all over the shop, you do have to double-take sometimes at some of the text slips. I saw a headline, the other day, that was so poorly constructed it changed the meaning entirely. Something about some people surviving a fire. It read as if the fire had survived the wrath of the victims! A good laugh... and then cry for the language! 

Having said that, I truly enjoy non-native speakers posts here on the CC. I love that they have tried and have such a grasp on a second language. I'm not so talented in that respect. I was telling my colleagues about @Ute42  asking for clarification on grammar; it really made my morning! 

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Susan17]

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have had the benefit of a good education though, @Sarah977 

For example..

"the use of the past participle in a compound verb is replaced with the past tense"

I have no idea what that even means! 😉

[Susan17]

Also, as regards standards in professional journalism - I'd find the willingness to repeat whatever they're spoon-fed by interested parties, the lack of basic fact-checking and the staight-up regurgitation of stories they've lifted from other publications (often without even crediting the source), to be infinitely more concerning than a few misplaced or mis-spelled words. Grammatical errors in journalism pale into insignificance, next to factual errors. 

[Sarah977]

@Susan17  Yes, there are plenty of people who haven't a clue what various grammar terms mean, but that isn't necessary to know in order to speak correctly. In spite of you not knowing what that meant, you still write in a grammatically correct way.  A child as young as 5 can speak quite articulately and more or less grammatically well if the adults around them do, without having any idea about grammar terms. 

I doubt you would say or write "I taken it" or "I have took it". You'd say "I took it" (past tense of "to take") or "I have taken it" (compound tense using the past participle of "to take").

Lots of folks think that grammar stuff is way more complicated than it is, either because it wasn't taught well and clearly in school, or because we weren't paying attention. 😉 I could teach it to you in an hour or less.

[Sean433]

@Tim2166 

Consider the time wasted by a host if they had to show a house to many perspective guests who will only stay for a few days or even a week or 2. If you are not renting a home long-term or buying it, it does not make sense for the host.

You wouldn't go to a hotel and ask the reception to see the rooms before you commit right.  There are  usually several pictures, a description and reviews to help you decide if a home is right for you. In a hotel, you just get 1 or 2 pictures of the room and reviews to make a decision.

[Linda108]

Finally back on track for the original issue of the post 😛  Thanks

[Mike-And-Jane0]

Americans discussing the proper use of English - What's the world come to!

[Ute42]

.

@Mike-And-Jane0 

As you are a real english native speaker from Great Britain, what is Your judgement -

which of the 2 versions is correct? Or are insecure yourself?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ute42 

I would go with

• Just because you wouldn't do that doesn't mean others would.

[Lisa723]

@Mike-And-Jane0 "others would" what?

[Kevin1322]

Grammar...…   😬 *    Cornishman grabs popcorn*

[Lawrene0]

@Tim2166 , here is what the Help Centre has to say to hosts: https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/47/what-should-i-do-if-a-guest-wants-to-see-my-place-before-booki...

It is actually worse that you are the one who wants to book, but you are trying to send a third party (your daughter) around to check the place out. You are breaking a few rules -- trying to get contact information before booking, involving a third party -- and it must be making the host nervous. 

Your only review is for someplace that you booked for your friends (a third party booking), so I think it is just a matter of not knowing how Airbnb works.

Now that you do, with the bonus of being treated to a grammar debate :), I'm sure you understand. 

[Ute42]

.

@Emilia42  , @Sarah977 , @Susan17 , @Stephanie , @Colleen253 , @Lisa723 , @Michelle53 , @J-Renato0 , @Mike-And-Jane0 

Here are the results of the international „wouldn't-poll“. The appearance of the participants is in chronological order, so there is no discrimination there, Stephanie – ok?

Emilia changed her mind in the course of the conversation which results in multiple appearances in the spread sheet. Some people couldn't make up their mind.

The biggest surprise for me is Susan. She is known for being very opinionated and I expected a very strong statement from her. But she didn't voice any opinion at all on the subject matter. What happened with her?

As You can all see, there is no unambiguous outcome of this poll. The guys from Monty Python once sayed:

• We come from nothing, we're going back to nothing, what have we lost – nothing

After all the hard work I have put into this project, I think I must say:

• I knew nothing, I know nothing, what have I gained, nothing.

But it was entertaining. Thank You everyone.