Geula-Related Recent Links

Sunday, June 21, 2009

I Before E Rule Canceled in England

Fox News via AP reports:
LONDON — It's a spelling mantra that generations of schoolchildren have learned — "i before e, except after c."

But new British government guidance tells teachers not to pass on the rule to students, because there are too many exceptions.

The "Support For Spelling" document, which is being sent to thousands of primary schools, says the rule "is not worth teaching" because it doesn't account for words like 'sufficient,' 'veil' and 'their.'

Jack Bovill of the Spelling Society, which advocates simplified spelling, said Saturday he agreed with the decision.

But supporters say the ditty has value because it is one of the few language rules that most people remember.

I wonder if they just decided to cancel the rule recently because of all the SHEIKS that recently popped up in England. :-)

4 Comments:

At Sun Jun 21, 09:45:00 AM 2009, Blogger Rafi (S) said...

correct me if I'm wrong but it covers all words where the "ie" is pronounced "ee". All the "ei" ones are pronounced differently. I thought that was pretty straightforward when I was taught that.

 
At Sun Jun 21, 12:27:00 PM 2009, Anonymous MAOZ said...

That's such a weird [wink, nudge] rule anyway.

 
At Sun Jun 21, 12:50:00 PM 2009, Blogger yaak said...

The way I heard it as a kid is:
I before E except after C
Or when pronounced "ay" as in "neighbor" and "weigh".

I guess "sufficient" and "weird" are still the exceptions.

 
At Mon Jun 22, 06:54:00 PM 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

neither financier seized either form of weird leisure. those are most of the exceptions.Brad

 

Post a Comment

<< Home