Grammar/spelling type rant...

[skylarsmammy]

Yes, it's Facebook related and I know I should deactivate the bloody thing as it winds me up. Today an old friend posted about how she has just started her new job as a primary school teacher. Lots of people wishing good luck etc...someone asked which school she had been placed in and a conversation ensued in which the newly qualified friend used the word 'their' when it should have been 'there'. I am gnawing my hand off to stop myself pointing out the mistake. She's a FUCKING teacher. Of PRIMARY aged kids. AIBU? If teachers can't spell what hope do we have?

Oh...I'm also an editor!

Sorry superBof, I can't agree with blaming autocorrect. You say that you have to ignore the recommendations and misspell/mistype your sentence not just once, but several times in order for it to "default'

I believe that a professional or at the very least (!) someone earning their living by teaching the rules of grammar an english teacher ? should not make such basic mistakes. At least, they should not make them so many times that the default or correct setting is overruled.

Thanks, I know the difference, but I'm not in the UK, I edit through American English, and my smartphone wanted to use that version. My point is same as above: sometimes crap just comes out when you're relaxing on the internet. It's no reflection on whether you're good at your day job. Sometimes you're just human. Badly-written school reports, on the other hand, are an understandable worry.

If apostrophes aren't enabled for nicknames, and the OP cares very much about grammar, she could have picked one that didn't land her in this pickle...

Perhaps you're right, but I frequently have to reset my keyboard after something bizarre I can't imagine I've typed more than once persists in popping up. It gives me The Rage .

But 'their' and 'there' are both correct forms of a word, purple, so that doesn't make sense, surely?

I don't know, as I don't have an Ipad. But I know my phone 'corrects' to from one completely legit word to another completely legit word all the time - it's incredibly annoying.

And before NC corrects me again, I'm aware that there was a potential dangling modifier in my last post. It's Friday night, I'm very tired, and I won't be retracting any further mistakes. It's a dull game.

Curtsey but she's "relaxing on the internet" as you say...so it shouldn't matter.

Nope, she was judgy about someone else's SPAG while making errors, so she gets to have her errors picked apart by people who simultaneously maintain the position that it's Not The Done Thing to criticize someone on the internet for their SPAG. It's a rule, look it up in MN Guidelines.

Their their OP, calm down

It doesn't matter to me, because I didn't start the rant about bad grammar on the internet. It does seem a curious choice for the OP though.

Haha LRD, I'm so glad there's a rule for that!

Skylars - it irritates me too! I have a friend who confuses they're/their/there, weather/whether, his/he's, your/you're, to/too, and of/off.

I think if someone is a teacher, then they really ought to know the difference. I can sort of get the notion of fingers overriding brain to an extent, with regard to mistyping, but that just reinforces the need to check before hitting send/post (I suppose I'm more referring to emails here).

In the case of my friend, she often doesn't think through what she means - e.g - she'll put 'there' when she means 'belonging to them'. I was taught at school that THERE was HERE with a T (instead of an X to mark the spot), whereas THEIR had their eye (I) in it.

I have actually hidden posts from two people on FB because I find myself cringing when I try to read what they're trying to say.

Please excuse my ignorance, but does SPAG stand for spelling and grammar? If it does, does spag bol mean spelling and grammar bollocks?

And I say that as a self-confessed SPAG pedant.

I would also like to draw your attention to the OP's post at 18.25: I think teachers with poor spelling skills is a fair bit more important issue than some of the drivel on here. Great grammar for a teacher.

I love 'spag bol'.

I could just go onto the other absurdly long SPAG thread and type that, instead of wearily typing out yet another 'stop knocking teachers and making life tough for dyslexics, ta very much, and repeat ad infinitum'.

But shouldn't it be, 'IShallPractiseMyCurtsey'?

In British English, yeah it should, you're absolutely right
In American English, it doesn't matter.

Damn colonials...

I can never remember which way round practice/practise go. Some kind MNer told me a very clever way to remember, and I thought 'oh, wow, that's neat' and totally forgot it again.

I always use advice/advise as they are pronounced differently to help me remember.

Surely you realise 'tis a dangerous endeavour to correct another's spelling or grammar NCfornow?

I can't imagine 'tis that much fun.

I learn new things about grammar and usage almost every week. It's a fascinating area of study. Better to approach it in a humble frame of mind tbh, you risk making a wally of yourself otherwise.

For any interested nerds or observers: the late, great David Foster Wallace has a brilliant essay, 'Authority and American Usage', in his collection Consider the Lobster. It's a really knotty read but very rewarding. Not just for colonials!

This again!

In the last few months I have seen errors on websites, the BBC, in books and on my child's baby gro just this morning ("best friend's" :/) but if a teacher makes an error? Burn the witch!

I'm as pedantic as the next person but typos, errors and mistakes happen!