To get annoyed when mnetters put "of" instead of "have"

[Doobies]

I see it more and more often in aibu.

"to of eaten this"

"to of gone out today"

To give a couple of examples.

Why is it so much more socially acceptable to use language wrongly on this thread? I detect much chippiness.

There is an obvious difference between typos and the ignorance displayed by the sort of error described in the OP.

If you cannot tell the difference, then your language skills are most likely not up to scratch.

So many people blame inadequacies of schooling for inability to spell. I think it is more symptomatic of how people are reading less and less. I don't remember needing to learn how to spell (beyond vague memories of spelling tests). But a lot of reading - which is accessible to all - is enough to do the job.

YANBU. It's extremely annoying. It's not a typo at all. It is the wrong word.

Leonie, "let's" is not a possessive in this case. It's a contraction of "let us", which is why it has an apostrophe.

OH hang on...

I don't think it is rude to be a bit annoyed at poor grammar. However I think it is unnecessary to correct people on MN. I think you can be irritated by poor grammar without offending anyone else.

I seethe inwardly when XMIL 'corrects' my dd's grammar because tells dd the wrong thing. e.g. my dd says 'I had my photo taken' and Granny says 'now, now you mean tooked' I have the urge to scream no she doesn't!

Let's is a contraction of let us and should have an apostrophe.
I

I think if you are going to get all pedantic on MN ...you should at least make sure your own posts are typed correctly

Leonie - please tell me you didn't complain to the school about the 'let's' thing. That would have been very embarrasing.

Oh and blueshoes - I can't spell. I am an avid reader. I put my poor spelling down to laziness mainly but I read so fast I don't read individual words so I'm not sure how the reading would help my spelling.

I do love it when those who think they are superior and put down others make mistakes, especially when they aren't typos - but the main point.

Cote - yes, I do expect you to remember this exchange & my posting name in the years to come, in the same way you expect people to remember the correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.

I agree usualsuspect! I have fallen foul of that myself. I was being very smug on a thread about spelling and made an absolutely ridiculous mistake myself (intellagent!).

I burned with shame! I also have a tendency to overuse exclamation marks on MN - something I would never do in RL.

Chipping why do you insist on perceiving it in terms of "feeling superior" and "putting down?"

Amijee and Animation, that was a TYPO FFS, I still use correct grammar so am not stupid like you two as I am able to spot the difference. I am breast feeding and typing with one hand, typing errors are excusable, being thick isn't.

Well Chipping maybe you are justified in some cases...

Katisha - because it is?

I have a very good friend who is bright, intelligent, caring etc who no longer posts on here after one too many digs at her grammar/spelling.

Pedants corner is the place for those who need to feel superior to hang out, not on the main boards making other people feel uncomfortable about posting and eventually leaving.

Katisha - you should really look at your own grammar & punctuation before commenting about others.

Chipping - I'm sorry to break this to you, but you (or any other faceless stranger on the internet) are not as important as the ability to express oneself in a correct and articulate manner, and this little exchange is not as memorable as many years of lessons, tests, and essays.

In short, don't expect me to remember that you have an aversion to being corrected and would rather hang onto your ignorance than learn and correct it.

You have to admit that it is a strange attitude towards life. Would you appreciate being corrected if you thought the earth is flat? Or are these illusions of perfection and fear of being corrected limited to the English language only?

"There is an obvious difference between typos and the ignorance displayed by the sort of error described in the OP."

Precisely.

YANBU - if I was unknowingly making basic grammatical errors (as opposed to typos) I'd prefer to know.

Okay maybe on MN being judged for it is irrelevant, and you can say a 'get a life, you saddo pedant'. But you can't say that to someone who is assessing your job application and putting it in the reject pile because they think your grammar and spelling is shit.

DH is a head hunter. You are right, that happens all the time.

I was corrected yesterday on discrete/discreet. I'd never really thought about it but now it's been pointed out, I'd never do it again. It's saved me the risk of making a mistake where it might matter.