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I know this is off topic, but right out of the gate, this really irks me... Re >> "Software companies have a problem. There’s not enough candidates that can co

I know this is off topic, but right out of the gate, this really irks me... Re >> "Software companies have a problem. There’s not enough candidates that can code C++. " Should be written "There're not enough candidates who can code C++."

draw_down 4y ago
richardwhiuk 4y ago
"There're" is technically correct - but deeply non-standard usage. "There's not enough" is used much more in practice, and given language is defined by usage, it's not wrong.
- Eupraxias 4y ago
  Isn't this just a matter of plurality? e.g.s: "There is not enough talent" "There are not enough talented developers" "There's" is not correct when used to refer to multiple things.
  - daveslash 4y ago
    Growing up, my family was always correcting my grammar. (e.g. "I have a friend at school that.." and my mom would immediately interrupt with "You have a friend who"). I still screw up all the time, but many of these little things like this catch my eye. In every-day speak or in internet comments (Including here on HN), it doesn't bother me at all when the wrong form is used. Casual speak is casual. When I see it in an article, I assume that the author is ostensibly a writing professional; that's when the misuse really irks me. Doubly-so when it's in the opening statements. First impressions and all that....
    - Eupraxias 4y ago
      Hear hear - we are alike. My comment was basically yours, aimed at another person who was correcting someone, with incorrect information. That said, I had parents like that too, _and_ I did a comp-lit degree, so I'm basically hopeless.
  - richardwhiuk 4y ago
    In usage, and even in formal documentation, I'd expect "There're" to be way less common than "There's" even when there's a plural involved. I'd expect most people to either avoid the awkward contraction (probably most likely) or handle the plurality "incorrectly".

draw_down 4y ago

richardwhiuk 4y ago

"There're" is technically correct - but deeply non-standard usage. "There's not enough" is used much more in practice, and given language is defined by usage, it's not wrong.

Eupraxias 4y ago
Isn't this just a matter of plurality? e.g.s: "There is not enough talent" "There are not enough talented developers" "There's" is not correct when used to refer to multiple things.
- daveslash 4y ago
  Growing up, my family was always correcting my grammar. (e.g. "I have a friend at school that.." and my mom would immediately interrupt with "You have a friend who"). I still screw up all the time, but many of these little things like this catch my eye. In every-day speak or in internet comments (Including here on HN), it doesn't bother me at all when the wrong form is used. Casual speak is casual. When I see it in an article, I assume that the author is ostensibly a writing professional; that's when the misuse really irks me. Doubly-so when it's in the opening statements. First impressions and all that....
  - Eupraxias 4y ago
    Hear hear - we are alike. My comment was basically yours, aimed at another person who was correcting someone, with incorrect information. That said, I had parents like that too, _and_ I did a comp-lit degree, so I'm basically hopeless.
- richardwhiuk 4y ago
  In usage, and even in formal documentation, I'd expect "There're" to be way less common than "There's" even when there's a plural involved. I'd expect most people to either avoid the awkward contraction (probably most likely) or handle the plurality "incorrectly".