Please folks, let's use our grammar correctly: we graduate FROM high school, college or whatever. We don't "graduate

[CTyankee]

high school" or college.

If I am wrong, I apologize. However, I will never say I graduated college or high school, without the "from."

I accept my being called an "old fogey." I guess I am...

[bucolic_frolic]

1. How do you know?

Are you an expert, or a word scientist?

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. Is a retired newspaper editor 'expert' enough for you?

It's "They graduated from" and "They're a graduate of."

[CTyankee]

11. Yes, that is correct.

[drmeow]

2. Dropping "from"

is considered acceptable informal and colloquial usage but is rejected in formal writing.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Ever heard anything about 'slang' and its usage in the American English language? The point either way, correct or not,

is being made still.

[Oeditpus Rex]

21. 'They graduated high school' isn't slang

It's a mistake, just as "I fixed car" or "They hit ball."

[DFW]

47. Or:

“Look, Boris! Is moose and squirrel!”

Slavic languages don’t have articles. It used to be one of the easiest ways to spot Russian trolls on English language boards. Since it is an alien concept to them, many native speakers have difficulty mastering western European languages (such as English) because they don’t know when to use them and when not to.

Conversely, i get a laugh when PC posters tell me never to say “the Ukraine,” because that is the old Russian colonial way of saying it. Since Russian is a Slavic language, it doesn’t even have a word “the,” and it never did.

[Oeditpus Rex]

60. Excellent example

Boris and Natasha's accents were half half the hilarity. God, that was a funny cartoon!

[CTyankee]

4. Here, folks...

https://www.quora.com/Which-is-correct-graduate-high-school-or-graduate-from-high-school

[bucolic_frolic]

7. The language becomes sterile and rigid if you can't say it the way it's understood

Language has always evolved. Words go in and out of fashion, contractions make the spoken word more efficient. The British are notorious for mastering their own language. Is there a popular contraction for the word "sunglasses" in use in the US? No. But the British understand. They wear their "sunnies". I have no idea if it's in the dictionary, but everyone knows what they mean.

[CTyankee]

12. Not if they don't make sense. Saying "I graduated high school" doesn't make sense.

Nobody graduates high school. High school doesn't need graduating. You do. And if you don't, you don't get a high school degree. The school confers the degree upon you, certifying that you have fulfilled your academic requirements to receive the degree.

Why is this so hard for folks to understand?

[LearnedHand]

27. I fully understand what someone means when they say they graduated college or high school

It doesn’t excruciatingly conform to formal grammar, but the meaning is unmistakable.

[oberle]

32. Yeah, the meaning is

the speaker is of less intelligence.

[LearnedHand]

39. Language changes all the time and is culturally influenced

That doesn’t mean people using new forms are less intelligent. I think it’s way better to celebrate the fluidity and creativity of language and the changes languages undergo. I lived deep in Appalachia for quite a while and was exposed to language constructs that were well outside the bounds of “proper” English. But these people were not unintelligent and the rhythms of that dialect still sound like music I could never make.

[Oeditpus Rex]

66. 'Language evolves' primarily in two ways

• Through slang, which occasionally becomes in such common use as to be accepted. (Example: "cool." )

• Through mistakes, which also occasionally become in such common use as to be accepted. (Example: "I graduated high school." ) But, they're still mistakes.

[CTyankee]

45. Not at all. What gave you that idea?

[CrispyQ]

105. I understand too, but the first question I want to ask them is, "Did you pass English?"

[WheelWalker]

35. I graduated college sounds to me like I passed gas

[CrispyQ]

106. DUzy!

Everyone who reads this will remember that.

[Oeditpus Rex]

22. 'Sunnies' is slang, just as our 'shades' is slang

Y'know, because the future's so bright.

I just wrote "y'know," which is obvious slang for "you know." The former is not an evolution of the latter, but just a shortened, somewhat lazy form of it, emulating the way people often say it in casual conversation. If it were an evolution, we'd no longer say "you know."

[Harker]

6. My Pyrex measuring cup is graduated.

[CTyankee]

14. Indeed it is. It has markings on it that tell you the measurement of what you are putting into a dish you are making.

[58Sunliner]

91. And it still doesn't have a degree.

[Harker]

92. True, but my thermometer does.

[anciano]

8. IMO, it's a sign of the times ....

modern society has become more informal not only with grammatical structure, but in other areas of daily life as well.

[GreenWave]

9. The simpler we explain things, the easier it is to brainwash us.

[Harker]

10. ...

[hamsterjill]

13. That doesn't bother me, but when I hear

Last edited Tue Aug 12, 2025, 06:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Someone say "I seen", it immediately lets me know that the person saying it is a rabid Trumper. That phrase, to me, is the epitome of stupid. It is followed closely by "a" apple!!!!

[Harker]

15. Not necessarily...

You would be making an error in my wife's case. She was brought up by her German parents, who speak excellent German, but poor English. Her sentence structure and vocabulary choices are odd sometimes, but she's no Trumpskyite!

[hamsterjill]

17. Are you in red-neck, rabid ass Trump Texas?

Because I guarantee you that grammar mistake completely, utterly and totally IS a sign of a Trumper down here. It signifies their lack of education. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I haven't come across one down here yet. Not one.

If you do happen to be in Texas, then you have my sympathy because I am certain that your poor wife is already experiencing ugly looks and judgment over her speech being "different". Hopefully, you are in another state where her differences are more accepted.

[Harker]

18. No, we're in upstate New York, and she gets along beautifully.

My beloved first wife was born in Juarez and grew up in El Paso. Her English was a little eccentric, too. We lived in Colorado, and she was adamant that I never go to Texas under any circumstances.

My favorite was "drug" for "dragged."

[hamsterjill]

19. I'm glad you are in a good situation.

Peace.

[Harker]

20. And to you!

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. 'I seen' is a sign of a lack of education

or poor education. That's more common to Southerners and right-wingers, especially older ones. But it's hardly exclusive to them.

(I've known three supposedly educated people who pronounced "pictures" as "pitchers." All of them were photographers. Go figure.)

[hamsterjill]

30. How about "jury"

When they mean jewelry?!!! LOL

There are many of these, and you're right that many are mainly regional. But the "I seen" is my personal fingernails-on-a-chalkboard thing.

Have a great evening!

[3catwoman3]

82. Or "joolery."

or "mear" for mirror. And real estate agents who say "ree-lah-tor."

[hamsterjill]

85. You think like I do!!!!

I had to laugh! Thanks.

[DFW]

48. I went to college in West Philadelphia.

Most of the locals talked like that. It was dialectal, not a measure of their IQ. “Eubonics” wasn’t a standard term yet.

[Oeditpus Rex]

59. Is it 'eubonics' or 'ebonics'?

I think "ebonics," but it's been so long since I heard the term that I'm not sure.

[womanofthehills]

34. My granddaughter always spoke good English

One day she came home from school saying “I seen”. Her classmates were saying it so she picked it up. You hear that a lot here in NM from kids who grew up with parents who were not born here.

[surrealAmerican]

16. I came across a paperback edition of Strunk and White ...

... in one of those little free libraries the other day.

Maybe I should have picked it up, because either way sounds good to me.

[BootinUp]

23. Its a freakin' internet forum, not a postgraduate thesis. nt

[Oeditpus Rex]

25. Ah, that old excuse

Wall, sense it's jist a freekin innernets form, than lets not wurry bout stoopid gramer n stuf.

[underpants]

26. Hold it. What have I been doing here for 23 years ?

Fuck!

[LearnedHand]

28. Your comment reminds me of my all-time favorite protest sign

“Two months [at that time] into this administration and I’m using ‘fuck’ like it’s a comma.”

[CTyankee]

36. I learned how to communicate in English long before grad school.

[BootinUp]

38. Congratulations!

[CTyankee]

75. thank you!

[erronis]

29. If you can't speak in the original Indo-European dialect then you are uneducated.

Just like the people in Appalachia who learned English from the Elizabethans. Downright unedjikated but exactly correct for their time and location.

Snobbery is a poor substitute for understanding and adapting to change.

[Oeditpus Rex]

31. 'Snobbery'

[CTyankee]

37. "graduate high school" doesn't even make sense. And we are here to make sense. Or at least I thought we were.

Since when was it "snobbery" to communicate within the rules of English grammar?

[CTyankee]

40. What is snobbish about making English clear when you speak or write it?

which is clearer to you: "I graduated high school in 1960"" or "I graduated from high school in 1960"?

[Oeditpus Rex]

41. When I was a newspaper copy editor

I guess my job title should've been "Snob," or Grammar Nazi" or something like that.

Trouble is, you can't have your eyes fixed on a monitor with your nose in the air.

[CTyankee]

42. Yeah, I'm kinda sorry I even mentioned it.

I see I have allies here and that's good.

[Orrex]

33. Doesn't bother me so much

I know and use the formal construction, but it's not as though I don't understand what another speaker is saying when they drop the "from."

[Phentex]

63. I've always been fascinated by Du's reaction to some people

You've been here a long time. I remember when the misuse of a word or lack of punctuation could get someone reamed. Flamed. Just about spat on.

Then someone else would come on and post in a stream of conscious style of writing with no punctuation, blatant misuse of words (let alone spelling) and BOOM - they are suddenly a DU favorite and everyone can't wait to read more.

[Orrex]

72. I believe I know exactly the stream-of-consciousness poster you're describing

They’re not gone from DU, I believe, but they never failed to post a slurry of catchphrases and buzzwords that somehow earned them swooning adoration from a dedicated fan base.

[Phentex]

89. Well the grammar improved

Miraculously

[LogDog75]

43. Most people aren't grammarians

and use of informal English in everyday conversations is the norm. As long as the person(s) they’re communicating to understand them, then what’s the problem?

This topic reminds me of a story, actually a parable, I once heard.

yYears ago. In a business that sold desks, one of the salesmen was reading a letter out loud to the rest of the sales team from a poorly educated salesman’s, Jim. Part of the letter went something like this.

‘I spake with Mr.X about our desks. He were very interested in buying 50 from us. I selled him 75 desks!. I come back to the office on Friday.”

Everybody started laughing and then the manager came our and asked what was so funny. The salesman gave him the letter and told him how poorly Jim wrote and spoke. The manager read the letter wrote something on the letter, and posted it on the bulletin board. What he wrote was”

“Maybe if we concentrate on our job rather than on the way someone writes we’d sell more desks like Jim did.”

The point of the story is effective communications occurs when people understand each other.

[CTyankee]

44. Plenty of people agree with my phrasing. It is not obsolete.

We're not talking about Shakespeare's English, or the KJV of the Bible (altho it is very lovely and I like it a lot). The rule I posted above is current, in effect today, and taught today in schools. We all know the correct way. I say we use what we were taught. What is wrong with that?

[Donkees]

46. ''we talk as we think, not think precisely, edit it in our minds, and then talk''

"Trying to perfectly refine every sentence before uttering it would overwhelm our working memory, making fluent conversation difficult"

[58Sunliner]

49. I think it's just lazy.

[CTyankee]

51. This is how languages evolve, I guess. But I am fascinated by how it comes apart and you have a good point.

Misuse because of laziness...

[debm55]

88. Then you are wrong. I am one of those posters who read lips, and went to a school pathologist. I have a BS from Penn

State University, a MS from Pitt, another MS from Carlow College and 2 classes away from a PhD from Ohio State..And I taught for 44 years.

[58Sunliner]

90. I understand, but I think you are a minority in this case.JMO.

I remember getting help for a speech impediment and stuttering as a child. Written communication is distinctly different from oral.
Have a great day!

[malthaussen]

50. Good idea. And while we're at it, let's start going to the prom again...

... instead of "Going to Prom."

-- Mal

[ret5hd]

52. don't even get me started...

what about those people that say things like “i’m in hospital” ?

damn brits.

[CTyankee]

53. Never heard that one. Uh-oh...

[Oeditpus Rex]

99. 'I'm in hospital' is wrong, but

"going to school" is correct?

Conversely, "going to the school" is weird, and "I'm in the hospital" is correct?

I'm a confused.

[DFW]

55. Don't forget--there is another political party in the USA with their own language, grammar and set of rules

As a brief assist in spotting Republicans who post, I offer a condensed selection of the rules for writing Republicanese:

EXCERPTS FROM THE OFFICIAL DICTIONARY OF REPUBLICANESE

In Republicanese, many words that sound alike may be spelled differently at random. A few prominent examples:

In Republicanese, the following words may be spelled at random using any of the three ways given:

A.) Two, Too, To
B.) Their, They're, There
c.) Your, Yore, You're

The Republicanese version of Robin Hood therefore starts with "In days of you're...."

The only rule is that the correct use of them as in English is never permitted twice in a row.

Words with single letters that change meaning when that letter is doubled must never be used in correct English context. The classic example is “lose” vs. “loose.” In Republicanese, if you do not win an election, then you “loose” that election. Conversely, if your (Republicanese: you’re) belt is too tight, you need it more “lose” in order to be comfortable. Another example would be the Republicanese, “I met Donald Trump, and he was rudder than I imagined,” vs. “I grabbed the ruder and was able to steer the boat to shore.”

In English, the contraction for "it is" is written "it's." To show possession referring to something previously mentioned, one writes "its." In Republicanese, it is the other way around. Example:
English: “It's impractical for a building to have its solar panels in the basement.”
Republicanese: “Its impractical for a building to have it's solar panels in the basement.”


In Republicanese, idiomatic expressions that use words that are homonyms with animals in English must use the spelling that denotes the animal.
Three examples:
In English, when someone wins a race by a very small margin, one can say, “He won the race by a hair.” In Republicanese, one writes, “He won the race by a hare.”
In English, someone fleeing the law can be said to be on “on the lam.” In Republicanese, that is spelled “on the lamb.”
In English, when one starts to lose their voice after shouting for an extended time, one says, “he shouted himself hoarse.” In Republicanese, one writes, “He shouted himself horse.”


In Republicanese, an apostrophe is used to form a plural, whereas this is never correct in English. But it must be done at random, never systematically. For example, Bill and Hillary are "the Clinton's," but Bill, Chelsea and Hillary are "the Clintons." The other way around is also correct. In Republicanese, either form is correct as long as it is not spelled the same way twice in a row.
Example:
In English, one writes "The Clintons like dogs."
In Republicanese, this can be written as "The Clinton's like dogs," or "The Clintons like dog's" or "The Clinton's like dog's." The only version that would be incorrect in Republicanese would be to use no apostrophe at all. Only English is written that way.

In Republicanese, pronouns that are direct or indirect objects must never be used as in English when combined with another proper name, proper noun, or pronoun.
Example: in English, one says, e.g., “John went to dinner with me,” and not “John went to dinner with I.” Therefore, in English, one also says, “John went to dinner with my wife and me.” In Republicanese, while it is also correct to say, “John went to dinner with me,” it is only correct to say “John went to dinner with my wife and I.”

[RazorbackExpat]

56. People are turming the English language on its head

From what I've seen on the Internet, almost no one today knows how to correctly use there/their/they're, we're/were, your/you're, women/woman, is/are, was/were, simple past/past participle, pronouns, past perfect vs. simple past, etc, etc, etc.

[CTyankee]

57. Ya see! It's that old slippery slope thing! I toldja so....

[RazorbackExpat]

58. Huh?

[CTyankee]

62. One thing goes, then another and so on.

I'm not too clear today it seems...

[RazorbackExpat]

113. Things are really weird these days

I'm a 60s kid. Things were pretty straightforward back then, as far as I can tell. But now, who knows?

[rsdsharp]

61. When did we drop "to be?"

I hear people say something “needs changed,” instead of “needs TO BE changed.”

It makes me gnash my teeth.

[Oeditpus Rex]

64. Or "not 'to be'"

for that matter.

As in "Something neds not fixed."

_{Yeah, I've never heard that, either. Just felt like making a Shakespearean pun.}

[Harker]

65. It was common for me to hear that during the couple years I lived in western Pennsylvania.

I very rarely heard that usage during the prior fifty in Coloado.

Apply it to Hamlet's soliloquy, and it results in, "or not."

[CTyankee]

68. I agree with you. OR you could say "needs to be changed" or in some cases "needs changing."

[beaglelover]

95. Me too. I think that's a mid west thing though.

[debm55]

96. It is.

[Iggo]

98. Or "to be graduated from" ?

[LogDog75]

67. Remember your audience

When you’re talking or writing to someone or a group, consider their education level and communicate the the language they’ll understand. For example, if you’re writing a legal document or a scientific paper then precise usage of language may be necessary to get your ideas across. For a general audience less precise language could do even if it’s not grammatically correct as long as they get and understand the message.

A great deal of our written and spoken language is colloquial and doesn’t necessarily follow the rules of proper grammar. Most people on message boards, like this one, use colloquial language and IMO we understand what is being said.

If we’re to exchange ideas and thoughts then let’s concentrate on the ideas and thoughts and not nitpick on the grammar.

[debm55]

69. Agree

[Mosby]

70. "Think different"

Apple ad campaign.

"He did that quick"

I don't like this new english.

[CTyankee]

71. Yeah, those are pretty bad. "Think different" is downright stupid.

what is wrong with "think differently"?

[Iggo]

73. Sounds good. I'm in.

[CTyankee]

74. Thanks, Iggo!

[underpants]

76. My Grammar didn't go to high school

The Depression made from hard times.

[CTyankee]

77. I don't know what you were trying to say in your post, but I wish you well.

[underpants]

78. Just trying to be jocular

[CTyankee]

79. Well, that you are!

Lovely to have this exchange with you, sir/madame. May you always be of good cheer!

[underpants]

80. Lemme check.

Yep, guy.

What? All right 🙄 I’ll go talk to Denis in HR …AGAIN

[CTyankee]

81. Be of good cheer, Sir.

[DaBronx]

83. You are correct

[CTyankee]

84. Thank you, DaBronx!

[3catwoman3]

86. There is an odd (to me) speech habit in the greater Chicago area...

...that I noticed when we moved here in 1994.

People typically ask, "Do you want to come with," or, "Do you want to go with," when inviting you to accompany them somewhere. My brain always screams, "With me! Do you want to come with me!"

[CTyankee]

87. I've heard that but didn't know it was a Chicago thing. It's odd...

[Oeditpus Rex]

100. It's an everywhere thing

The first time I heard "come with" was in a late-'40s movie about "juvenile delinquents" in Flatbush, Brooklyn. (The actual line was "You're not coming with?" ) About 10 years later, I heard it from a Native American woman from, I believe, Arizona.

It's always sounded weird to me, like two-thirds of a prepositional phrase, which properly requires a noun.

[3catwoman3]

110. Interesting. I've lived in NY, TX, CO, MI and IL...

...and never heard it until we moved to IL.

It feels unfinished to me.

[Wounded Bear]

93. You are far too polite to be an effective grammar nazi...

[CTyankee]

94. Evidently, I have annoyed some folks here on DU.

I'll say no more.

Alas.

[debm55]

97. . What I do have problems with is some posters calling others, lazy, stupid,

Last edited Fri Aug 15, 2025, 05:48 PM - Edit history (2)

uneducated, not intelligent, and heaven forbid Republicans. The name calling by certain posters is what upset me the most.

[Oeditpus Rex]

102. Meh

Part of my erstwhile occupation was catching and correcting mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation, as well as all other matters of language construction. The reason? So people wouldn't be confused when they reapd the newspaper (and so the linguists reading it wouldn't think "These people write like crap. How can they be trusted to get the facts correct?" )

Bylined reporters were grateful when I fixed their errors. If they were annoyed, it was at themselves for making them in the first place.

Btw -- even editors need editors, or so goes the adage.

[some_of_us_are_sane]

108. But O.R. .... (and CTYankee)

This isn't a newspaper or a classroom.

This is the ONE forum designated for lighter fare, getting to know one another, RELAXING, telling jokes and (thankfully) NOT being judged. We're just here relaxing.

(There is a language and LINGUISTICS forum offered here but this AIN'T it.)

[Oeditpus Rex]

112. That reminds ne of a guy who was here

in my previous DU life. He was a newswriter for radio.

One night, someone commented on his sloppy writing here. He said something about saving his proper writing for his job and concluded with "If you want it good, pay my ass."

"Pay my ass," "It's only the Lounge" and "This isn't a graduate thesis" all strike me as excuses for not trying.

If there were an auto mechanic who saved hi most conscientious efforts for the new or expensive cars and half-assed it on the 20-year-old Chevies, what would you think of him?

Writing as well as I can, whether my own writing or editing someone else's, wasn't just my job, it was part of me. I can't understand not trying your best at anything.

(I fully realize there're people who, for whatever reason, aren't skilled at spelling, grammar or punctuation. Nobody's asking for the King's English, but just to give it their best and not make excuses. We all went to high school, yes?)

[some_of_us_are_sane]

114. Meh

[Scrivener7]

101. Things like "graduate high school" is indeed the slippery slope you describe, CTyankee.

Because now, EVERYWHERE these days, I am hearing people saying "your guys's" instead of "your."

People, if you're using that phrase, you just sound seriously dumb.

[3catwoman3]

111. That "guys's" (guyses? - not even sure how to spell this abomination) thing makes me cringe...

...every time I hear it. Even Rachel Maddow does it -

[ImNotGod]

103. I gadeated from trump univercity so you ainte got to wory about my gramer or speling. nt

[markodochartaigh]

104. From what I have seen

on the internet there seems to be a tendency among younger people to drop prepositions. I'm not talking about sentences where either usage seems appropriate; i.e. "The bird flew out of the window", vs. "The bird flew out the window". I see things like "He walked out the house." "He fell down the ground." I can't think of other examples, but I do find them irritating. These are people who speak English as a first, and probably only, language.
I sincerely wish that this was my chief irritation in life. And I'm pretty sure that it would not take two minutes on an Ivy League campus to find a dozen professors who would point out that this is perfectly acceptable English and dates to the time of Shakespeare.
I don't have the time or the energy to defend English.

[doc03]

107. The floggings will continue until your grammar improves. nt

[some_of_us_are_sane]

109. ROFLMAO!!!!!