correct a word

[GeneD]

When someone tells me that I misspelt a word, I am corrected, right? When I change the word after that, what do I do? Do I "correct" the word?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes and yes.

 

[andrewg927]

Misspelled, not misspelt in AE.

 

[GeneD]

Misspelled, not misspelt.

I looked up in a couple of dictionaries, and they give both "misspelled" and "misspelt" for British English.
Thanks for the correction. I'll be aware that in American English only one form is possible.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Misspelt" is certainly OK in BrE.

 

[Rover_KE]

Misspelled, not misspelt.

Andrew, please check your facts before making dogmatic statements like that.

OneLook.com lists 'misspelt' in 15 dictionaries.

 

[probus]

Misspelled is Ame. In my dialect both misspelled and misspelt are acceptable.

 

[andrewg927]

Andrew, please check your facts before making dogmatic statements like that.

OneLook.com lists 'misspelt' in 15 dictionaries.

OK, I added additional info in the original post.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't mean to be too picky but if somebody tells you that you misspelt a word, they are merely pointing out your error. They are not correcting you. They are suggesting that you correct the spelling.

 

[GeneD]

I don't mean to be too picky but if somebody tells you that you misspelt a word, they are merely pointing out your error. They are not correcting you. They are suggesting that you correct the spelling.

Well, I've had this question for a long time, and think that it's about time to ask it. How would you recommend to ask that someone show my mistakes? In a forum, for instance. "Could you point out my errors, please?" Maybe there are synonymous expressions. I would be grateful if you (or someone else) advised some.

By the way, what is a text below messages called? (E. g. emsr2d2's "Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.")

 

[jutfrank]

Could you please point out any errors that I may have made? is a good way to ask.

I think what you are referring to is called a 'signature'.

 

[GoesStation]

Well, I've had this question for a long time, and think that it's about time to ask it. How would you recommend to ask that someone show my mistakes? In a forum, for instance. "Could you point out my errors, please?" Maybe there are synonymous expressions. I would be grateful if you (or someone else) advised some.

"Please point out my errors" means "tell me where I've made mistakes." "Please correct my errors" means "fix the mistakes that I've made." You're asking readers to do less work when you ask them to point out your errors. I don't think many readers will take the difference seriously; neither is impolite, and both would often have the same results.

By the way, what [STRIKE]how[/STRIKE] is a text below messages called? (E. g. emsr2d2's "Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.")

That's your signature line. Members with at least ten posts can set up a signature in their profiles.

 

[GeneD]

Members with at least ten posts can set up a signature in their profiles.

I've been searching for this option. You've saved me time. Thanks.

 

[GeneD]

GoesStation, what did you do: correct my error in post #12 or point it out? I'm not sure I've understood that right.

(edited) Having read the next post, I think you corrected.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Please point out my errors" means "tell me where I've made mistakes." "Please correct my errors" means "fix the mistakes that I've made." You're asking readers to do less work when you ask them to point out your errors. I don't think many readers will take the difference seriously; neither is impolite, and both would often have the same results.

Some of us on the forum are (proudly) pedantic about these things. If someone wrote a paragraph preceded by "Please tell me if I have made any errors", my answer would be "Yes, you have" or "No, you haven't". If they wrote "Please point out any errors", I would probably underline each error in the quoted paragraph but I wouldn't correct them. If they wrote "Please correct any errors", that's what I would do.

 

[emsr2d2]

GoesStation, what did you do: corrected my error in post #12 or pointed it out? I'm not sure I've understood that right.

In post 12, when GS crossed out "how" and changed it to "what", he corrected your error. If he wanted to simply point it out, he might have quoted your post and made it look like this:

By the way, how is a text below messages called?

There is an error in your sentence. I have underlined it. See if you can work out what word should be used instead of "how".

 

[GoesStation]

GoesStation, what did you do: correct [STRIKE]corrected[/STRIKE] my error in post #12 or pointed it out? I'm not sure I've understood that right.

(edited) Having read the next post, I think you corrected.

You're right. In this post, I've corrected one error and pointed out another one.

 

[GeneD]

You're right. In this post, I've corrected one error and pointed out another one.

Thanks.
I wanted to say "Thanks, I've corrected them", but then I thought "is it me who really corrected"? I mean, is it OK to say "I've corrected" after someone else's correction?

 

[jutfrank]

You can think of 'correcting something' as 'putting it right'.

 

[emsr2d2]

If someone else already corrected it, it would be redundant for you to then post the same sentence and claim that you had corrected it. Simply click on the "Thank" button to thank them for their correction.