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Spelling and grammar
- Thread starter MattG
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correct spelling and proper grammar have their place, especially in academia. what bothers me a lot is how people get all hissy fitty about it in the forums. drives me nuts. 
Some time ago I started just skipping over posts where the spelling and grammar are below a certain level of badness. I don't expect perfection by any means, but at some point it's just not worth the bother to try to decipher such posts. So if you want me to ignore you, just write "could of" and other such abominations.
Perhaps some people get "hissy" about it because other people sometimes treat forums as text messages, which they aren't. If somebody isn't going to put any effort into expressing his thoughts, why should I put in any effort to try to understand them?
--Eric
Perhaps some people get "hissy" about it because other people sometimes treat forums as text messages, which they aren't. If somebody isn't going to put any effort into expressing his thoughts, why should I put in any effort to try to understand them?
--Eric
Now, that's one thing that I can never get right! In fact, that's probably because I don't ever recall learning it in the first place.
I loves me some MR. But sum of the peeps in dis thread is just crazy. Me and my BFF is LOLing at how crazy sum of you is bout dis "country grammer"
Some time ago I started just skipping over posts where the spelling and grammar are below a certain level of badness. I don't expect perfection by any means, but at some point it's just not worth the bother to try to decipher such posts. So if you want me to ignore you, just write "could of" and other such abominations.
Perhaps some people get "hissy" about it because other people sometimes treat forums as text messages, which they aren't. If somebody isn't going to put any effort into expressing his thoughts, why should I put in any effort to try to understand them?
--Eric
There was one thread started and the original post was so difficult to read that I ended up quoting it and trying to correct it, just to see if that's what the person meant to say.
I really couldn't imagine how he got through school with such poor knowledge of English. I know the area somewhat and the schools aren't the greatest but they couldn't be that bad. Then again, some teachers just pass students in order to get rid of them but that's tougher lately, right?
correct spelling and proper grammar have their place, especially in academia. what bothers me a lot is how people get all hissy fitty about it in the forums. drives me nuts.
People who don't use CAPS are lazy people.
People who don't use CAPS are lazy people.
SO IF I WRITE IN ALL-CAPS, THAT MUST BE THE OPPOSITE OF LAZY, RIGHT? AWESOME!
--ERIC
I try not to automatically assume that English is the writer's native language. They might be struggling for good reason. Sadly this does not seem to account for more than a small percentage of the nightmarish grammar and spelling we see here every day. In fact many non-native English speakers seem to put more care into their English language communications than many native speakers.
I always laugh when I see posts starting out, "I am sorry for my English, but it's not my first language," because 95% of the time, it's far better than most native English speakers can do, apparently....
--Eric
I don't normally assume that it's their native language, but in this case, the assumption was a good one, though I won't go into the reasons why.
That's usually true. I know people in Malaysia who are better at English than many people born in the U.S.A.
i think all the grammeristas need to relax because it shouldnt really matter to any of us here how people write as long as we can understand them because we just come here for fun and to share stuff and its not like we are theyre bosses and depend on theyre writing skill but im sure the people who dont write so good know that they dont right so good and just keep on because its not effecting them negatively so lets all just get along and be friends
A good example of the kind of post I skip over these days.
That's as far as I read...I have no idea what you said after that. Language is the tool you use to express yourself, and if you can't be bothered making any attempt to use it properly so as to make yourself comprehensible, I can't be bothered to read it....--Eric
No, do it! Don't hold yourself back! The only way people will learn is if their mistakes are ridiculed in a public forum!
Ha, I do the same thing, but my 13 year old niece has informed me that I am a TOTAL geek for using capitalization and punctuation in text messaging. It's just not done.
My biggest grammar/spelling pet peeve right now (it changes constantly) is people who use 'apostrope s' for plural, such as "dog's for sale." It leaves me wondering if they just can't spell or if they are really selling off the dog's possessions.
And that's the sort of attitude that leads to a general decline of the written and language. Good grammar and spelling aren't special things that we reserve for just work and school, to be cast off like itchy church clothes when we are in a casual setting. Correct spelling and good grammar are part of maintaining a cohesive language that everyone can understand.
Thanks Blue, I was going to post this myself after finding this thread but didn't have the image here at work. I've used it so many times though I suppose I could have just searched the Forums for my previous posts and cut & pasted it.
Nonetheless, being a bastard, I love pointing out people's spelling and grammar errors.And, being a bastard, I enjoy it even more when I knowingly make errors myself, just to tick people off even further! The only thing better than a bastard is a hypocritical bastard!
Starting that sentence with "And" for instance is a perfect example...
Exactly.
I hope I was being clear, I wasn't picking on your assumption. We often know when we're dealing with a native English speaker who either doesn't know or doesn't care (or doesn't care that he doesn't know). Even when I'm sure the writer is a native English speaker, I only infrequently point out their mistakes. Like others here, I generally just skip over posts where the grammar and spelling makes them difficult to comprehend.
For those who think paying attention to grammar and spelling in a written forum doesn't matter, just consider how much patience you have listening to a speaker who mumbles or says "um, ah" or "like, you know" every other word. No matter what method of communications is being used, presentation is important.
But maybe they know not to split an infinitive...
Pet peeve of mine. There is no such thing as a split infinitive in English. Foisting psuedo-Latin grammar on a Germanic language is nonsense.
The word "to" is a particle. It is not part of the infinitive and disappears after modal verbs.
Perhaps a few here suffer from knowitallism?
For God's sake, Kamera RAWr, it's knowitallhood, not knowitallism.
