Busses or Buses??

[Tinijocaro]

DS 11, got a word wrong on a spelling test. He spelled it "buses" and the teacher wrote in "busses" as the correct spelling. I know that you can spell it either way and be correct. Would you email her to let her know that either way is correct, to get your son an extra point an a spelling test or would you let it go. The teacher is someone I know from the neighborhood I grew up in, and she and I used to double date before we were married.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I'd probably give her a ring. The kid should get credit, and since she's teaching spelling, she ought to know.

There is a chance, though, that she told the kids both spellings were OK, but they were going to use this spelling for the test.

 

[famofsix]

I think I would have DS research it and tell the teacher something along the lines of "you're right in how you spelled busses but I thought I saw it buses somewhere so I decided to find out. Look, it can be spelled both ways"

 

[I'mNoPrince]

If it was spelled that way on a study list it doesn't matter if right or wrong.

If no list then yes I would shoot an E-Mail or like other have said have DS ask for an explanation.

 

[Hedy]

I'd have DS say something (dictionary?). If you e-mail the teacher over this, he's going to get a repuation.

 

[Captain Brain]

I had the exact same problem last year in English. The word was judgment. You can spell it either Judgement ot Judgment. I spelled it the latter and got it wrong. After I asked about it and looked it up in the dictionary, I got the extra point.

 

[daisyduck123]

Hmmm....teacher here....the only way I have ever spelled it is "buses".

 

[grlpwrd]

I think I would let your son handle it... it's a learning experience. Of course, it depends on what the instructions were, such as if she specifically wanted it spelled that way or it was from a list of words with -ss- in them.

My 11yo dd had a math problem that ended up to be correct. I checked and rechecked it with her which drove me crazy. lol My dd ended up going into class the next day and asked to consult with her teacher privately. She ended up getting it right after all.

 

[flipturngirl]

Do not handle it! Have your DS handle it. You do not want to get the reputation of being the parent who calls on every mistake. Sometimes a point is just a point but then again it can give you the result of having an A or B a B or C a C or D...

 

[dementia412]

... or you might find that the old friend is one of "those" teachers... the ones who are NEVER wrong no matter how wrong they are. I had a history teacher once who told me flat out that I was wrong, and would not budge in the slightest. I wondered for years if I had been wrong until I read a book by Russel Means and he used the same name for Little Big Horn my mother had told me all those years ago. I'd love to go shove the book in that teacher's face! There are people, teachers included, who simply can not take criticism or correction, especially from a kid.

btw I've never seen the word busses... that looks stupid. I've run into many situations where a "rule" turns out to be a bunch of bull. One that still bugs me.. is it "red, white, and blue" or "red, white and blue" I was told to do it different ways in different classes, and was finally told in linguistics that there is no such rule.... it doesn't matter. Math is so much simplier, 2 plus 2 is four... it isn't 3 some of the time.

 

[MandM3]

My Oxford English says buses (or US busses)

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Have your son go on www.m-w.com. They list both spellings as plural.
But again, if the teacher gave him a list...

 

[Hannathy]

At 11 there is no way you should be handling something as minor as a spelling test! He needs to learn to stand up for himself and deal with problems and this is great practice. High School is right around the corner. My 7 yr old had a word marked wrong that was right on a test this year and I made him go in and bring it up to the teacher. She apologized and marked it right But he learned a more important lesson and gained confidence for when it is important than a single point on his spelling grade. I could have easily sent a note but he needed to practice dealing with a problem. Parents need to back off and let kids learn some independence with these minor "problems".

 

[Tinijocaro]

Well, I already know that both spellings are correct, although one is more common (buses). I'll have ds mention it to her tomorrow. I went over this with dh last year when he was putting together a letter for the band trip- he spelled it 'busses' and I challenged him on it. He was right- it can go either way. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Was a spelling list distributed? If so, how was it spelled on that list? That would make my decision. If it was spelled busses on the list I would assume that's the spelling the teacher would want on the test. Let us know how it works out.

 

[barbeml]

Are we talking vehicles (buses) or kisses (busses)?

 

[CheshireVal]

If two correct spellings of a word exist, I don't think teachers should arbitrarily dictate which one is most appropriate. In my writing classes, I'll tell the kids that certain spellings are more common here in the US, but I'm certainly not going to tell them they're wrong if they spell, for instance, grey instead of gray.

 

[punkin712]

Are we talking vehicles (buses) or kisses (busses)?

That's exactly what I was thinking! I see this word spelled incorrectly pretty frequently and it drives me nuts. Another one on my pet peeves list is "loose/loosing" instead of "lose/losing".

 

[sue Z]

being around buses all my life. Ihave never spelled it busses, I have always spelled it buses.

 

[sweetspicy]

Sigh. You're making me break out The Associated Press Stylebook while I'm at work??

OK, newspaper style says it's: bus, buses and busing for vehicles; buss, busses and bussing for kisses.

And Merriam-Webster Dictionary's Web site says that too.