Grammar issues
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,057
WTBH, two of my favorite people in the world are my junior high English teacher (from a bazillion years ago) and his wife. When they were dating in the 70s, she would write him letters while he was away at college. He would proofread them with a red pen and send them back. Nearly 40 years later, they have 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and their family has made the world a much happier place. They are the salt of the earth. Her writing skills still leave a lot to be desired. He still corrects her, and she still laughs it off and doesn't care one bit. I'm so glad he decided to stick with her back in the 70s, in spite of her poor grammar/spelling/punctuation skills!
I'd hate to see you reject a gem of a guy somewhere down the road just because he can't spell!
I'd hate to see you reject a gem of a guy somewhere down the road just because he can't spell!
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,443
Originally Posted by HealingWillCome 
WTBH, two of my favorite people in the world are my junior high English teacher (from a bazillion years ago) and his wife. When they were dating in the 70s, she would write him letters while he was away at college. He would proofread them with a red pen and send them back. Nearly 40 years later, they have 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and their family has made the world a much happier place. They are the salt of the earth. Her writing skills still leave a lot to be desired. He still corrects her, and she still laughs it off and doesn't care one bit. I'm so glad he decided to stick with her back in the 70s, in spite of her poor grammar/spelling/punctuation skills! I'd hate to see you reject a gem of a guy somewhere down the road just because he can't spell!
Recovering ostrich
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tampa Bay, Florida
Posts: 2,551
Spelling and grammar don't count in text or instant message. 
FWIW, I was going to be a Spanish teacher and sit near someone at work and cringe every time she gets on the phone in Spanish. Oy vey.
Sent from my iPhone using SoberRecovery
FWIW, I was going to be a Spanish teacher and sit near someone at work and cringe every time she gets on the phone in Spanish. Oy vey.
Sent from my iPhone using SoberRecovery
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Powerless ... and free
Posts: 201
Grammatical mistakes can drive me up a wall if I see them at work or hear them consistently (e.g., "Sleep good tonight.").
On SR, I don't even notice grammar. I read heartfelt shares and pain and triumph and discovery. You guys are collectively the best writers I have ever read, and it's all in the beauty and honesty of your words and how it relates to my own path.
On a different topic - [Originally Posted by lillamy "And horse ovaries (hors d'oeuvres)"] - I snortled when reading that. I was fresh out of college and had to call some people and read from a script describing a "dinner with hors d'oeuvres." They all got messages on their answering machines about "dinner with horse doo-vers." When I'm rolling my eyes at a txt msg or other gram-mayhem, it helps to remember my own little foh-pah.
On SR, I don't even notice grammar. I read heartfelt shares and pain and triumph and discovery. You guys are collectively the best writers I have ever read, and it's all in the beauty and honesty of your words and how it relates to my own path.
On a different topic - [Originally Posted by lillamy "And horse ovaries (hors d'oeuvres)"] - I snortled when reading that. I was fresh out of college and had to call some people and read from a script describing a "dinner with hors d'oeuvres." They all got messages on their answering machines about "dinner with horse doo-vers." When I'm rolling my eyes at a txt msg or other gram-mayhem, it helps to remember my own little foh-pah.
hopping for freedom
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 847
I get it. It's something I notice almost every day. The worst is when people say things like "I literally died and went to heaven". Arg. If you are an English teacher, by all means do your job and teach English as it is meant to be written. I wouldn't lose sleep over it though.
I like to think about how the English language has evolved over the centuries and realize that what we consider correct in 2014 has not always been considered correct. Imagine people from the 1800s reading this thread. I grew up in England and had to come to terms with US spelling which never made a whole lot of sense to me. Why change the spelling of words? Now I live in Canada, which seems to be stuck in the middle, slowly transitioning from English to American thanks to the internet.
We can follow the rules but there will always be those that are unaware of them or purposely ignore them. New words come in, new spellings, new meanings. I think what matters most is the clarity and quality of the message. I know what people mean when they say "I literally died and went to heaven" so why should I care? Besides, I can't even be bothered to use correct punctuation any more. Or should I say anymore?
As for the dad, I suspect that if you really liked him, you wouldn't care if he could spell.
I like to think about how the English language has evolved over the centuries and realize that what we consider correct in 2014 has not always been considered correct. Imagine people from the 1800s reading this thread. I grew up in England and had to come to terms with US spelling which never made a whole lot of sense to me. Why change the spelling of words? Now I live in Canada, which seems to be stuck in the middle, slowly transitioning from English to American thanks to the internet.
We can follow the rules but there will always be those that are unaware of them or purposely ignore them. New words come in, new spellings, new meanings. I think what matters most is the clarity and quality of the message. I know what people mean when they say "I literally died and went to heaven" so why should I care? Besides, I can't even be bothered to use correct punctuation any more. Or should I say anymore?
As for the dad, I suspect that if you really liked him, you wouldn't care if he could spell.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: atlanta, ga
Posts: 3,581
My brother once broke up with a lovely girl because she had a fungus on a toenail. Im not kidding. He did not get married until he was 40 and cycled through girlfriends because all of them had "something" wrong with them that got on his nerves LOL.
As a makeup artist I am asked often if I notice or critique other people's makeup - that I must cringe and so forth all the time. I don't actually. I don't' care.
Having dated enough losers to fill a school cafeteria, and at one time being far more into the superficiality of men - good looking, what do they drive, what do they do, how much money do they make, how articulate are they etc….I think I can speak well on this subject. Those little pet peeves are so unimportant to character. RAH hair sprays his hair. Its dated, I don't like it, it would look better if he didn't, and he won't stop. Oh well. I proudly go anywhere with him. He is faithful, and loves me to pieces.
And luckily he does know the difference between two/too/to. That's my pet peeve grammatically.
As a makeup artist I am asked often if I notice or critique other people's makeup - that I must cringe and so forth all the time. I don't actually. I don't' care.
Having dated enough losers to fill a school cafeteria, and at one time being far more into the superficiality of men - good looking, what do they drive, what do they do, how much money do they make, how articulate are they etc….I think I can speak well on this subject. Those little pet peeves are so unimportant to character. RAH hair sprays his hair. Its dated, I don't like it, it would look better if he didn't, and he won't stop. Oh well. I proudly go anywhere with him. He is faithful, and loves me to pieces.
And luckily he does know the difference between two/too/to. That's my pet peeve grammatically.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
Well, call me a nazi, too. I feel exactly the same way--it's like nails on a chalkboard for me to read certain ungrammatical writing.
We all have certain things that drive us nuts--things that someone else wouldn't even notice. And I think most of us have little quirks/habits that drive other people bonkers. I even know what some of mine are, and I'm not sure how much of my continuing to do those things is just passive-aggressiveness on my part, ya know?
I'm a word geek, too, and lots of my job involves highly-skilled writing. Other people don't have to meet my standards, but it's my choice whether to spend time with people whose habits irritate me. Right? (She said, defensively.)
Oh, and I just edited this post for punctuation.
We all have certain things that drive us nuts--things that someone else wouldn't even notice. And I think most of us have little quirks/habits that drive other people bonkers. I even know what some of mine are, and I'm not sure how much of my continuing to do those things is just passive-aggressiveness on my part, ya know?
I'm a word geek, too, and lots of my job involves highly-skilled writing. Other people don't have to meet my standards, but it's my choice whether to spend time with people whose habits irritate me. Right? (She said, defensively.)
Oh, and I just edited this post for punctuation.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: My mind wanders a lot, but I try to stay in the present.
Posts: 1,007
My name is Serious K., and I'm a commaholic.
I admit I'm powerless over commas,,,,,, that my grammar has become unmanageable.
I would also like to state here, publicly, that I do know the difference between to and too. Yes, I do know there's a mistake on one of my recent posts. I caught it after the edit window had closed. Although I am well versed in the difference between two, to, and too, and were, wear, and where, I mess them up constantly.
I guess I'm just too busy trying to figure out where I can stick more commas.
I admit I'm powerless over commas,,,,,, that my grammar has become unmanageable.
I would also like to state here, publicly, that I do know the difference between to and too. Yes, I do know there's a mistake on one of my recent posts. I caught it after the edit window had closed. Although I am well versed in the difference between two, to, and too, and were, wear, and where, I mess them up constantly.
I guess I'm just too busy trying to figure out where I can stick more commas.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 194
I am a member of the grammar police. I don't correct people, but it does go through me.
I have to admit that if a post is hard to read or doesn't contain punctuation or paragraphs, I do not read it. My mind cannot take it; too painful...Sad, huh? It truly does make me dizzy, and I hate that because sometimes people need helpful responses, but I just can't do it.
I have to admit that if a post is hard to read or doesn't contain punctuation or paragraphs, I do not read it. My mind cannot take it; too painful...Sad, huh? It truly does make me dizzy, and I hate that because sometimes people need helpful responses, but I just can't do it.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,118
There's something so reassuring about grammar rules--right? I love knowing the rules, because they're immutable. And I'm proud to say that I went to Catholic school for 12 years because the nuns beat those rules into you. I can still recite all of the prepositions in alphabetical order, in under 10 seconds.
So, I do agree with the OP--it drives me crazy when I read really glaring errors in mainstream media, which happens all the time now. I guess all the editors have retired. Or have become irrelevant. I recently read an article, on a mainstream online news source, where the author said she interviewed "Natasha Richardson's late husband, Liam Neeson." Wow--what a business expense that must have been--to heaven and back!
But as I get older, my spelling has declined. And I'm thinking, this kind of sucks, but what difference does it make. I'm far from perfect now--I shoot out emails and blog entries and they're riddled with errors.
I'm actually more upset that the future generations will probably have no idea how great Shakespeare is.
So, I do agree with the OP--it drives me crazy when I read really glaring errors in mainstream media, which happens all the time now. I guess all the editors have retired. Or have become irrelevant. I recently read an article, on a mainstream online news source, where the author said she interviewed "Natasha Richardson's late husband, Liam Neeson." Wow--what a business expense that must have been--to heaven and back!
But as I get older, my spelling has declined. And I'm thinking, this kind of sucks, but what difference does it make. I'm far from perfect now--I shoot out emails and blog entries and they're riddled with errors.
I'm actually more upset that the future generations will probably have no idea how great Shakespeare is.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: right here, right now
Posts: 6,516
Having dated enough losers to fill a school cafeteria, and at one time being far more into the superficiality of men - good looking, what do they drive, what do they do, how much money do they make, how articulate are they etc….I think I can speak well on this subject. Those little pet peeves are so unimportant to character. RAH hair sprays his hair. Its dated, I don't like it, it would look better if he didn't, and he won't stop. Oh well. I proudly go anywhere with him. He is faithful, and loves me to pieces.
I do think, though, that it's OK to have preferences. My sister could never have married a guy who can't build a garage or fix the plumbing. My best friend wouldn't have married a guy who didn't purchase his suits custom-made from a tailor. Neither one of them can spell worth a dang. My husband is not extremely handy and he hates suits -- but he spells like a god!
It's just different preferences.
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