October 27, 200916 yr Interesting that this thread is here today. I was just reading some other posts in another forum and had trouble reading it. The word "their" was spelled "there" several times in the same post. I felt like I was tripping along. I had to get quit reading. It was making me dizzy! I think most people aren't asking for perfection, but just make an attempt to look somewhat edumacated.
October 27, 200916 yr I am guilty of a few mishaps on here all the time. Mine are mostly having letters in the wrong spot in a word b/c my right hand gets to a letter faster than my left hand while I'm typing. I try to go back over the post before I sned it but sometimes I forget.
October 27, 200916 yr Author I started this thread because of course I see it on here but I also see it in the workplace. If you have to do any writing to anyone for any reason you must know the basics of spelling and grammar. All too often I get emails/quotes/presentations that are filled with some of the things I mentioned in the first post. If you are trying to impress someone or persuade someone you can't have 4th grade mistakes. If you are a teacher and a parent sees these rudimentary rules broken you will lose some respect from those folks. Is it too much to ask that a teacher know how to make a noun plural? Is it too much to ask that someone with 16 years of education who is trying to sell a CRM package to your company know the difference between "their," "they're," and "there?" The problem is that many folks think they do not make mistakes. "Others" do. Not true.
October 27, 200916 yr I started this thread because of course I see it on here but I also see it in the workplace. If you have to do any writing to anyone for any reason you must know the basics of spelling and grammar. All too often I get emails/quotes/presentations that are filled with some of the things I mentioned in the first post. If you are trying to impress someone or persuade someone you can't have 4th grade mistakes. If you are a teacher and a parent sees these rudimentary rules broken you will lose some respect from those folks. Is it too much to ask that a teacher know how to make a noun plural? Is it too much to ask that someone with 16 years of education who is trying to sell a CRM package to your company know the difference between "their," "they're," and "there?" The problem is that many folks think they do not make mistakes. "Others" do. Not true. Amen brother! :thumb: I'm guilty of the occasional "there/their/they're" or "your/you're" mix-up, but I try to go over everything I write -- sometimes, to the point of obsession -- to make sure it's as correct as possible. Shoot, I even use proper grammar, capitals and punctuation in text messages...which probably drives people nuts. To me, writing poorly is like going out without your hair combed or teeth brushed. Your words --and how you use them -- reflect back on you as a person, whether you like it or not. The occasional error is one thing, but a total disregard for basic writing skills makes a very negative statement about a person. (This is the kind of post that makes you totally paranoid. You just know you made a goof in there somewhere.)
October 27, 200916 yr Amen brother! :thumb: I'm guilty of the occasional "there/their/they're" or "your/you're" mix-up, but I try to go over everything I write -- sometimes, to the point of obsession -- to make sure it's as correct as possible. Shoot, I even use proper grammar, capitals and punctuation in text messages...which probably drives people nuts. To me, writing poorly is like going out without your hair combed or teeth brushed. Your words --and how you use them -- reflect back on you as a person, whether you like it or not. The occasional error is one thing, but a total disregard for basic writing skills makes a very negative statement about a person. I had a Blackjack with a full keyboard, and then I upgraded to a newer LG phone that did not have the full keyboard... Within a few days, I was switching back to the Blackjack. Those phones seem to discourage proper grammar, or at least good punctuation. I had to go through 3 pages of symbols to even get to a comma. I thought I was going to lose my mind! By the way, I also feel like I probably use too many commas. If I have a question about whether or not one should be included, I usually include it anyways... So I tend to overdo it, and I know that. But I work with a guy who will include them multiple times in every sentence he types when they are COMPLETELY unnecessary, and it drives me crazy. He also uses question marks to end statement sentences very often, and confuses the heck out of everyone. I'm trying to use the comma slightly less, as a result. I don't want to be "That Guy."
October 27, 200916 yr I am with you on this one "Clyde". I will apologize, in advance, for all of my past and future errors. They happen, but I try to minimize them. My pet peeve is grammar......."I seen that"......"was you at the game"....... It does to me the same thing as running fingernails down a chalkboard. Makes me cringe.
October 27, 200916 yr It does to me the same thing as running fingernails down a chalkboard. Makes me cringe.Ditto. Admitted grammar snob, here!
October 27, 200916 yr Ditto. Admitted grammar snob, here! Which worked to my advantage when I needed some things proof-read in the past.
October 27, 200916 yr Ditto. Admitted grammar snob, here! Right there with ya, BF!:thumb: Raised by a mother with a Master's Degree in English along with several other postgraduate degrees, I'm pretty sure my baby talk was grammatically correct!
October 27, 200916 yr As a person who cringes when gross grammar negligence is apparent, I'd like to offer a few tips that I've used over the years that have helped me immensely. These are in no way to be considered fool-proof, but they do work most of the time. They've been offered by several English teachers and professors throughout my life: "I before E, except after C" Generally, use a comma where you would normally take a breath within a sentence. Ellipses: An ellipse is used to denote a pause between thoughts, or sometimes an alternative to the stricter rule of a parenthetical phrase. But the second use is not a recommended one. Many people use ellipses instead of commas, which is completely incorrect. Ending a sentence in a preposition seems to confuse people who aren't sure what a preposition is. A preposition is (generally speaking) anything Snoopy can do to his doghouse: in, on, above, beyond, etc. I deplore improper sentence structure as well. I mourn the fact that diagramming sentences is no longer a standard practice in elementary schools. I have no idea why spelling and most simple grammar mistakes occur, especially in e-mails and word documents. Dang it! It's so simple to run a spell and grammar check! I think that anyone who has problems with using correct verb tense in a sentence should spend 4 years studying French. That'll cure you. Probably one of the most astonishing thing I see isn't even something I can figure out. It's the complete and total making up of new words. For instance, deservant vs. deserving. And what is conversate? :idunno:
October 27, 200916 yr A preposition is (generally speaking) anything Snoopy can do to his doghouse: in, on, above, beyond, etc. That is so cool! That trick will definitely come in handy. :thumb:
October 27, 200916 yr That is so cool! That trick will definitely come in handy. :thumb: Actually, the rule of thumb on that one is "a preposition is anywhere a squirrel can go."
October 27, 200916 yr As a person who cringes when gross grammar negligence is apparent, I'd like to offer a few tips that I've used over the years that have helped me immensely. These are in no way to be considered fool-proof, but they do work most of the time. They've been offered by several English teachers and professors throughout my life: "I before E, except after C" Generally, use a comma where you would normally take a breath within a sentence. Ellipses: An ellipse is used to denote a pause between thoughts, or sometimes an alternative to the stricter rule of a parenthetical phrase. But the second use is not a recommended one. Many people use ellipses instead of commas, which is completely incorrect. Ending a sentence in a preposition seems to confuse people who aren't sure what a preposition is. A preposition is (generally speaking) anything Snoopy can do to his doghouse: in, on, above, beyond, etc. I deplore improper sentence structure as well. I mourn the fact that diagramming sentences is no longer a standard practice in elementary schools. I have no idea why spelling and most simple grammar mistakes occur, especially in e-mails and word documents. Dang it! It's so simple to run a spell and grammar check! I think that anyone who has problems with using correct verb tense in a sentence should spend 4 years studying French. That'll cure you. Probably one of the most astonishing thing I see isn't even something I can figure out. It's the complete and total making up of new words. For instance, deservant vs. deserving. And what is conversate? :idunno: That's where you lose me. I'm 96% of the belief that any word you can say is a word, because every word had to originate somewhere. It's just not made it to Webster yet. I'm sure Shakespeare caught flack for using the word "bedroom" once upon a time. :idunno: I'll leave the 4% open for words that are complete contradictions to what the person is actually trying to say (irregardless, for example). I'm not really sure how much I believe anything I just wrote, just so we all know.
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