A Pet Peeve

[twin1954]

I am amazed at the atrocious grammar and spelling that is used on this forum by so-called educated people. I know that many use their phones and it puts words in that are not correct. But it is a simple matter to correct it before you post. I am not the greatest speller and I rely on a spelling dictionary a lot but I do my best to use proper grammar and spelling. One of the first things folks use, without even being conscience of it, to gauge intelligence is grammar and spelling. If you actually want people to take notice of what you say say it correctly.

For those who are taking the Greek or Hebrew be aware that you will never grasp either of these languages until you have grasped English. (For those whose first language is English.)

 

[standingtall]

If you're going to complain about spelling and grammar, you really should spell the word "peeve" correctly. LOL.

But yes, I definitely agree with your premise!

 

[twin1954]

If you're going to complain about spelling and grammar, you really should spell the word "peeve" correctly. LOL.

But yes, I definitely agree with your premise!

I said that I wasn't the greatest of spellers. I missed it because I didn't check the title as I did the rest of my post before I posted. Lesson learned. Thanks.

 

[twin1954]

I corrected my own spelling mistake in the first post but I cannot correct the title shown on the forum.

 

[Avid]

... atrocious grammar and spelling that is used on this forum by so-called educated people...

I agree. Tolerance is important, but a blatant carelessness indicates a lack of seriousness. We can overlook a few little typo's, but some people are not taking any time to check anything. Some are excused if English is not their first language, but that is not the case you were mentioning here.

My spelling was "attacked" very early on by some who did not care that it was after midnight when I posted. These are the same ones who later did much worse themselves! I did not point it out, as the point was that we understand each other, and not that we attack each other.

If more care is used, there would be less need for this type of tolerance, and less unnecessary confusion when the point is not clearly made because of poor spelling and grammar.

.

 

[JM]

...a blatant carelessness indicates a lack of seriousness.

Honestly, that's me...most of the time. It's hard to take the forum seriously after being a poster for a few years.

jm

 

[twin1954]

Honestly, that's me...most of the time. It's hard to take the forum seriously after being a poster for a few years.

jm

1Pet.4:8

 

[standingtall]

Tolerance is important, but a blatant carelessness indicates a lack of seriousness.

I think in some cases, there are folks that truly do not know how to write correctly. What's really crazy is that these same folks often try to pass themselves off as academically "educated". I don't take them seriously.

I don't know, maybe academic standards are so low now that anyone can pass a high school or collegiate level English class without knowing the first thing about spelling or how to write.

 

[twin1954]

I tend to overuse commas. I struggle with proper punctuation.

Would it be helpful to list some of the most common mistakes in grammar and spelling?

Such as:
There or their.
Where or were.
No or know.
They or them.
Seen or saw.
Who or whom.

Does anyone care to add to the list?

 

[Avid]

I think in some cases, there are folks that truly do not know how to write correctly. What's really crazy is that these same folks often try to pass themselves off as academically "educated". I don't take them seriously.

I don't know, maybe academic standards are so low now that anyone can pass a high school or collegiate level English class without knowing the first thing about spelling or how to write.

This speaks of the poor quality of education, and a lack of emphasis on fundamental and basic learning. Communication skills of all types (especially these) are a problem.

Many years ago, I was in school, and was told how penmanship and other basic skills had diminished to where the teen of my parents generation could write better than the well educated adult from my generation. We never had that much pressure to do so well. I just think that has gotten really bad these days. I hear many people say they are not even taught to write or even read cursive any longer.

 

[Bluelion]

I am amazed at the atrocious grammar and spelling that is used on this forum by so-called educated people. I know that many use their phones and it puts words in that are not correct. But it is a simple matter to correct it before you post. I am not the greatest speller and I rely on a spelling dictionary a lot but I do my best to use proper grammar and spelling. One of the first things folks use, without even being conscience of it, to gauge intelligence is grammar and spelling. If you actually want people to take notice of what you say say it correctly.

For those who are taking the Greek or Hebrew be aware that you will never grasp either of these languages until you have grasped English. (For those whose first language is English.)

Well that's a poor gauge for intelligence. Most people write like they speak in forums. Do you hear some one speak perfect English just in causal conversation? Most people don't write like their writing a college paper on a forum. Just because a person chooses not to write formal does not mean they do not know how to. Kind of like you do not wear a tux out for a casual dinner, and you don wear a suit to go work in the field. There is a time and place for everything.

I find it annoying that people post about how much it bothers them that people do not write formula. I think it is a issue that person has, and what they feel about themselves and not others.

Its like people making fun of the way southerns talk, they think they are dumb because of their speech. It just shows the person making such judgement does so on very shallow terms. Have you ever taken an IQ test? Grammar is a very small part, the biggest would be Math.

And then there are just people who are bad at writing. Many very smart people fit into this group.

 

[Dylan Michael]

We can overlook a few little typo's,

Apostrophes are not used to make plurals.
-10 ponts.

 

[Avid]

Originally Posted by Avid

We can overlook a few little typo's,
​

Apostrophes are not used to make plurals.
-10 ponts.

OUCH !!!

BTW, the Apostrophe is used to replace the missing characters in a CONTRACTION. Usually, it is one or two, as in Don't, or You're. In this case, it is part of TWO WORDS. The proper FULL term is "TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS." The Apostrophe represents everything except the first four characters, and last one character.

Like the person making the OP, I, too, make too much use of COMMAS. Shall we address that next?

.

 

[standingtall]

BTW, the Apostrophe is used to replace the missing characters in a CONTRACTION. Usually, it is one or two, as in Don't, or You're. In this case, it is part of TWO WORDS. The proper FULL term is "TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS." The Apostrophe represents everything except the first four characters, and last one character.

As a separate issue, why are you here in the Baptist forum, attempting to correct our posts?

.

The plural of "typo" is "typos" not "typo's". There is no such contraction as "typo's".

Typo - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Typo | Define Typo at Dictionary.com
typo - Wiktionary

The Catholic was right...

-signed, A Baptist

 

[Avid]

... Most people write like they speak in forums...

This is a good point. The problem comes when many of those same people give us a hard time for typo's or misspelling, because we write late at night, or while trying to make a quick reply.

It is better for us to be tolerant of typo's, spelling, grammar, etc., but the OP was not the first to make an issue of these things

Its like people making fun of the way southerns talk, they think they are dumb because of their speech...

Had a lot of discussion about this many years ago at work (hundreds of miles from where I now live,) and the Northerners who made an issue of it had to recognize that their opinion was based in a prejudice and not in reality.

I have since "put-on" an accent that is not totally natural for me, but that I grew up with (OOPS -bad grammar!) I have documentation that uneducated slaves in the South 150 years ago spoke with more intelligence (on occasion) than common people in the North.

As a side note, Winston Churchill once said that, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is a grammatical error up with which I will not put!"

And then there are just people who are bad at writing. Many very smart people fit into this group.

You are right about that. Examples abound. Problem is that some of us (smart, or that just have something good to say,) are minimized because of a little carelessness in a post, but the same people who trade in that commodity are worse offenders.

We were asked for lists, but a different list may include things that are typically categorized as an oversight. This could include:

• "Fat Fingers" that hit the key next to the intended one (clumsiness)
• Non-typists typing at a reasonable rate (myself - 30 WPM max.)
• Carlessness in spelling causing the context errors like There, Their & They're

Much of this can be push off as being in a hurry, or typing when tired or sleepy!

Hey, I try to overcome my own problems, and do take them seriously. I get a LOT of complaints, but have not dished-out the complaints the way they come at me. That does not mean I do not recognize most of these. It just means we need to be tolerant the way it was explained by Bluelion.

.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Does anyone know of a forum specifically for discussing the English language? Not ESL. I've found a few of those.

 

[Avid]

The Catholic was right...

-signed, A Baptist

Just so you will know, some things that were WRONG 50 years ago, or 100 years ago, are considered RIGHT today, and things that were RIGHT or REQUIRED then are considered UNNECESSARY or INCORRECT today. Some of those people pointing-out their perception of these "mistakes" are much less tolerant of those old styles than they are of the atrocious examples of errors that abound today!

Does it bother you that people make little mistakes in spelling, or use what you consider archaic spellings? Except for this thread that is on the subject, do you complain about the way others communicate on the boards?

How do you feel about your own "mistakes," or do you catch every one of them?

.

 

[USCGrad90]

I notice errors from time to time - even in my own posts, but I tend to attribute this to a few things:
- Electronic communication and social media have affected the way in which we communicate the written word.
- We rely on spelling and grammar check software to correct our mistakes, which is less a function of intelligence as it is training.
I have learned to ignore these errors, because in a forum, it is less about the qualifications as a writer as it is the intent and emotion behind your post.
If you published a blog, online column or website, technical paper, or were a news reporter or some other formal writer, I would agree that holding your skills more accountable is justified - but here I am content to let small issues slide.

Here are some of the commonly misused words I have seen:
Accept, Except
Affect, Effect
Allusion, Illusion
Capital, Capitol
Climactic, Climatic
Elicit, Illicit
Emigrate from, Immigrate to
Principle, Principal
Than, Then
There, Their, They're
To, Too, Two
Your, You're

 

[standingtall]

How do you feel about your own mistakes, or do you catch every one of them?

Generally, I admit my mistake in those areas and don't try to whip up an excuse, or try to shift the focus off my error onto a perfectly innocent party.

 

[Avid]

Does anyone know of a forum specifically for discussing the English language?

It seems this is the best place for that.

Are you bothered that some older people use OLD ways rather than accept every corruption of our language that comes down the pike?

The FIRST English dictionary was written with the express purposed of preserving the language of the Bible. At that time, it would be the Geneva Bible or the Authorized King James Version.

We find that a totally different meaning is perceived by those who have no connection to the old use of our language. I see this reflected in sermons preached. Some old sermons I know of are very careful to be precise in the language so as NOT to lose the meaning of God's word.