Poor grammar

[Lincoln Imp]

I agree with this, There's far more important things in life to worry about than people's grammar.

True, but you could say the same about almost anything short of murder. And even the odd knifing isn't as bad as genocide.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with trying to do the best we can at what we do.

 

[fatbadger]

Bad spelling and grammer is an infection which is set in when the new age teaching said that it doesn't matter if you spell it wrong.

Claptrap. There have always been some people who can spell and get their grammar right, and those that can't. And teaching it well only increases the chances of people getting it right, it doesn't guarantee correct spelling and grammar.

Yes, there are things which are more important, but the ability to articulate well helps enormously with your ability to affect your world to your benefit. If there is one thing which is empowering, it is the ability to express yourself, and therefore to be taken seriously by the people to whom you write. I've worked with teachers improving literacy skills in adults with poor education, and the thing we learnt very quickly was that the way to help these people was to teach them how to write letters to the council, the police, social workers, social services and the like. Their well-written letters, taken seriously, led the council to deal with the longstanding problem with their heating in their council house, got the police to sort out the problem neighbours, got the social workers to understand their problems with their kids, got social services to give them what they were due. Literacy, including good spelling and good grammar matters; it leads to better lives.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Quite agree with both of the above, those who cant decipher poor spelling obviously struggle with problem solving, and possibly have a fairly low IQ themselves.

...but no one is being criticised for having a low IQ. If the three spelling or grammatical mistakes in your post were due to you having learning difficulties or being French or not quite having the hang of typing, then fine. If they were due to you not giving a stuff, then that's a shame.

 

[Uncle C]

Its all a matter of natural selection. If you cant spell or construct a sentence correctly then you wont get a decent, well paid, job.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Claptrap. There have always been some people who can spell and get their grammar right, and those that can't. And teaching it well only increases the chances of people getting it right, it doesn't guarantee correct spelling and grammar.

Yes, there are things which are more important, but the ability to articulate well helps enormously with your ability to affect your world to your benefit. If there is one thing which is empowering, it is the ability to express yourself, and therefore to be taken seriously by the people to whom you write. I've worked with teachers improving literacy skills in adults with poor education, and the thing we learnt very quickly was that the way to help these people was to teach them how to write letters to the council, the police, social workers, social services and the like. Their well-written letters, taken seriously, led the council to deal with the longstanding problem with their heating in their council house, got the police to sort out the problem neighbours, got the social workers to understand their problems with their kids, got social services to give them what they were due. Literacy, including good spelling and good grammar matters; it leads to better lives.

I have to say, to quantify my own statement, that I was referring to internet forums, not the 'real' world as such. Also, with the vast amount of people that use internet forums and the likes, you have to consider those that had poor educations by no fault of their own, those that may have had learning difficulties, and those that have such problems as dyslexia, and treat everyone on a level, whether or not their grammar is good, poor or indifferent. Remember for all those being pedantic about grammar and spelling, they could be having a go at one of those I mentioned in the previous sentence. All it takes is a little tolerance.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Its all a matter of natural selection. If you cant spell or construct a sentence correctly then you wont get a decent, well paid, job.

Patronising.

 

[Martinf]

Most of the time it doesn't bother me. However, I do get annoyed when people type 'were' when they mean we're and also 'loose' when they mean lose. OK. I'll admit it. I am Mr Picky.

 

[British Bulldog]

True, but you could say the same about almost anything short of murder. And even the odd knifing isn't as bad as genocide.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with trying to do the best we can at what we do.

I think there's a slight differance between a few spelling mistakes and someone being knifed.

 

[Nottseagull]

I think it's picky, elitist and pedantic to pick up on the smallest mistakes.

I also agree, unless of course someone makes an issue out of it.
(Apologies are due to Hitony!)

 

[essbee]

People don't seem to read anymore. And ***** Eastenders on tv don't help neither!

 

[Nottseagull]

I have to say, to qualify my own statement, that I was referring to internet forums, not the 'real' world as such. Also, with the vast amount of people that use internet forums and the likes, you have to consider those that had poor educations by no fault of their own...

In Britain, a poor education is no excuse for bad grammar, which is easily picked up by reading. As we have free public libraries, I have no sympathy for those who choose not to avail themselves of them.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

When I was at school the teachers would mark your homework , the marks were usually in red ink where you had made mistakes. If your homework was absolutely perfect it would be given an A but if there was any grammatical or spelling mistakes the highest marks were B or in my case a C.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

In Britain, a poor education is no excuse for bad grammar, which is easily picked up by reading. As we have free public libraries, I have no sympathy for those who choose not to avail themselves of them.

Shame you 'short quoted' me and forgot to add the learning difficulties I mentioned, instead preferring to put '...', or maybe that is of no importance or significance in your opinion?

 

[Seagull27]

For me, if a poster makes a few spelling/grammatical errors (which are probably down to fast typing more often than not) then it makes no difference to the validity of their point. If, however, they type like a Croydon chav speaks, then I tend to ignore them.

 

[Nottseagull]

When I was at school the teachers would mark your homework;, the marks were usually in red ink where you had made mistakes. If your homework was absolutely perfect it would be given an A, but if there waswere any grammatical or spelling mistakes the highest marks were B, or in my case a C.

Yet another 'C', Taylor.
See me!

 

[Commander]

Patronising.

But true.

 

[Icy Gull]

Sadly people who spell with an haitch instead of an aitch annoy me more than bad grammar or spelling.

It's on a par with licking your knife

 

[Nottseagull]

Sadly people who spell with an haitch instead of an aitch annoy me more than bad grammar or spelling.

You can only pronounce (or mispronounce) 'haitch', you can't really spell with it! But it is epidemic in my area.

Shame you 'short quoted' me and forgot to add the learning difficulties I mentioned, instead preferring to put '...', or maybe that is of no importance or significance in your opinion?

Err....possibly this was because I agreed with the rest of your post?

 

[Jonno]

oh you prescriptive bunch of segregationalist, fixed-code adherents

 

[Icy Gull]

You can only pronounce 'haitch', you can't really spell with it! But it is epidemic in my area.

True, I actually meant when people are giving you the spelling of something over the phone for example