80 percent

Yankee wrote:

Goodman, has anyone by any remote chance ever mentioned to you that your Google searches are dangerous? I have to assume that the stuff you somehow managed to dig up online was either some sort of repeated typo or the word 'percents' was input by a non-native speaker of English.     Presumably, Stannum will heartily agree that the usage in the website you posted is incorrect.

Dear Amy,

By now, I think I have forged myself an image that of a renegade, haven’t I?  But that’s ok.  I talked a lot and naturally people who do will be caught with a foot or two in their mouths occasionally.   I did exactly as you had suggested. I searched with quotation. Please enlighten me which part of my last post  got your attention?  BTW, I didn't say it's correct or otherwise as far as that cut-n-paste post was concerned. I merely showed it for the sake of argument. One thing I did say though was, I agreed that "percents" are used in certain context. That's all!

Yankee wrote:

Hi Goodman It's just that it's a little frustrating when a "universally incorrect" usage gets posted (and then highlighted in blue to boot) instead of examples of the most typical usage, or examples of what I was referring to.  Generally speaking, when there is a number in front of the word 'percent' and the word 'of' after it, then the word 'percent' will not have an 'S':  75 percent of all men drive recklessly. Each of your examples (highlighted in blue in your post) apparently reflects "X percent of the final grade" and there are two different systems listed.  In other words: 50 percent + 35 percent + 15 percent = 100 percent OR 25 percent + 60 percent + 15 percent = 100 percent

That’s exactly what I tried to show. Even posting from school still contained incorrect usage. This is kind of error so common that I am not sure how many people are misusing it.

CalifJim wrote:

I don't like that plural too Kooyeen!  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  CJ

Does "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk" show approval or disaproval? I know it's onaematopeic, but what does it mean? Thanks.

Stannum wrote:

Goodman wrote:  Stannum wrote:  Grammar Geek wrote: Well, truly, I'm not interested in prolonging this discussion. I'm simply saying that when you hear "50 percent" and "25 percent" from your teacher, it's not hard to imagine coming home to say "We studied percents today" rather than "We are studying how percentage is calculated." Since you seem to be a young man of firm convictions and are unable to imagine anyone saying this, that's just fine. Cool.  I am a young man of fifty who is trying to teach learners of English. I believe that it is disingenuous to give the impression that percents is in use simply because a very young English speaker may come home to mum and talk of learning how to calculate percents. There is all sorts of baby talk between kids and their parents that would be equally confusing to someone trying to pass a test in English. Are you trying to say that the use of percents would be marked as being correct in an English test? Stannum Hey mate! Welcome! How is good old Melbourn and the smallest penguins on Phillip Island that I didn’t get a chance see despite forking out close to a $100 per person on a tour hoping to see the world’s smallest penguins while we were in Melbourn. It was a drizzling and winding night and we were waiting on the beach in rain coats for more than an hour. So disappointed, especially after spending a total of 5 hours on the tour bus. G'day Goodman, Melbourne is 25 percent drizzling and 25 percent windy and 25 percent cold and 25 percent dark. The penguins are 100 percent not trained seals and will not perform on cue for a mob of tourists no matter how much money they fork out.  Australia is not Disneyland and reality is unpredictable. I do hope that you enjoyed your visit but please don't tell your mates as that will only encourage more tourists and we need them like we need a third nostril. See ya mate, Stannum

Hi Stannum,

Um…Sorry to hear you in that unwelcoming tone of voice about the tourist from the U.S. On the contrary, that’s not what Quantas commercial wanted us to see. In any case, that was supposed to be the highlight of the tour to see the penguins come onshore after a day out at sea hunting.  I did enjoy the Melbourne visit. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco in terms of cultural diversity and harmony. Actually I did quite a bit of shopping in Melbourne. You are completely correct about the characteristics of the weather which by the way is a carbon copy of City by the Bay. On that note, I do prefer Sydney better just because of the weather.

G'day mate!

Goodman wrote:

Stannum wrote:  Goodman wrote:  Stannum wrote:  Grammar Geek wrote: Well, truly, I'm not interested in prolonging this discussion. I'm simply saying that when you hear "50 percent" and "25 percent" from your teacher, it's not hard to imagine coming home to say "We studied percents today" rather than "We are studying how percentage is calculated." Since you seem to be a young man of firm convictions and are unable to imagine anyone saying this, that's just fine. Cool.  I am a young man of fifty who is trying to teach learners of English. I believe that it is disingenuous to give the impression that percents is in use simply because a very young English speaker may come home to mum and talk of learning how to calculate percents. There is all sorts of baby talk between kids and their parents that would be equally confusing to someone trying to pass a test in English. Are you trying to say that the use of percents would be marked as being correct in an English test? Stannum Hey mate! Welcome! How is good old Melbourn and the smallest penguins on Phillip Island that I didn’t get a chance see despite forking out close to a $100 per person on a tour hoping to see the world’s smallest penguins while we were in Melbourn. It was a drizzling and winding night and we were waiting on the beach in rain coats for more than an hour. So disappointed, especially after spending a total of 5 hours on the tour bus. G'day Goodman, Melbourne is 25 percent drizzling and 25 percent windy and 25 percent cold and 25 percent dark. The penguins are 100 percent not trained seals and will not perform on cue for a mob of tourists no matter how much money they fork out.  Australia is not Disneyland and reality is unpredictable. I do hope that you enjoyed your visit but please don't tell your mates as that will only encourage more tourists and we need them like we need a third nostril. See ya mate, Stannum Hi Stannum, Um…Sorry to hear you in that unwelcoming tone of voice about the tourist from the U.S. On the contrary, that’s not what Quantas commercial wanted us to see. In any case, that was supposed to be the highlight of the tour to see the penguins come onshore after a day out at sea hunting.  I did enjoy the Melbourne visit. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco in terms of cultural diversity and harmony. Actually I did quite a bit of shopping in Melbourne. You are completely correct about the characteristics of the weather which by the way is a carbon copy of City by the Bay. On that note, I do prefer Sydney better just because of the weather.   G'day mate!

I am not unwelcoming of U.S. tourists.

I am unwelcoming of tourists who post with a complaining tone of voice.

You complained that you had forked out close to $100 per person (you got ripped off) but didn't see the penguins.

You complained about the weather (we are right on the extreme South Eastern tip of the continent with no landmass between us and Antartctica).  You complained that you had to wait on the beach in the rain and you complained that you were so disappointed.

You now seem to be trying to bring up that old saw about Sydney having better weather than Melbourne.  This is unsubstantiated hearsay.  Sydney and Melbourne each have about the same number of rainy days (not enough) as each other.

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth.  Only Antarctica has less liquid precipitation than Australia.

Australia is currently in the firm grip of the most savage drought in living memory and any day with rain is 100 percent welcome at this stage.

Melbourne's water storage is down to a terrifying 38 percent and falling.  We are under the most stringent water restrictions ever and we are trying to think of what to restrict next because we are rapidly facing an environmental disaster of 100 percent ugliness unless we have some rain shortly.

The situation is so tragic that our Prime Minister has resorted to public appeals to us to pray for rain.  What a feckless God he must have if the PM reckons that we have to remind the thoughtless bugger to give us some rain.  What did we do to cause such a God to stop the rain in the first place.

I am content forr any non complaining tourists to come down and have a squiz at the joint but I care not for whingers and my comments had 100 percent nothing to do with U.S. people in general.  Just the moaners.

See ya mate

Stannum