Grammar Twats on social media

[Menstruatrawr]

You know the types who have to post that they’ve spotted an error, because they apparently have an innate need to do so.

E.g

OP: My mum is out of hospital, thanks everyone for the lovely wishes. She’s feeling quiet shaky but she’d love visitors if anyone’s free.

GT: Oh, I can’t let that QUITE slide by me, you know what I’m like. (Ignores previous posts of well wishing and offers of help completely in their crusade)

I have a cracked screen and small phone, as well as a disregard at times for editing when the meaning’s there. I’m not sending work emails with grocer’s apostrophes, but posting something light on fb I’m less fussed.

Invariably the GT doesn’t have an exceptional grasp of grammar themselves- they know you’re/ your but they wouldn’t pass a yr 6 SPAG test or explain a reflexive pronoun without google.

I don’t get it at all, I have the ability to be polite to people even if they have genuine difficulties with spelling and writing. I don’t get any satisfaction off point scoring typos, isn’t it just twattish behaviour? I’ve even seen horrible responses to vulnerable people on local groups on occasion. Between friends, especially when they’ve asked you to stop, it seems a recipe for being unfriended and disliked by people quickly and easily. Like saying ‘your hair looks shit today’ or something...

You're right that it's an unnecessary thing to do.

If someone posts something and you genuinely can't understand it, then it's fair enough to ask for clarification, but if someone says "I can't let that X slide by me" then they are the one with a problem, because normal people think "oh, look, minor typo there, probably that pesky autocorrect; fortunately, I've got enough intelligence to work out what word they actually meant, and it's more important to respond to the news about Y coming out of hospital."

Maybe I’m more wound up by ostentatious pedants than most 😁

I agree, I think if it's something that can be easily understood and it's a post about somthing sensitive, it's not needed.

To be fair, I think it's more for the correcter to feel smug and superior, a weird little show off move.

E.g Needs another full stop. :-)

There may be a case for commenting where meaning is genuinely unclear and that lack of clarity is actually a problem. I would also correct someone if they asked me to. Anything else is rude IMO.

Donquixote

Some right self important twats on here too.
Wouldn't even wish them on the real pedants in Pedants Corner.

I always think it's something Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons could get very very worked up about. You know the type.
As long as they aren't speaking in idiotic text language, I'm not fussed.

Yes it frustrates me when people our grammer nazi,s
They should keep there feelings to they’re Themelves

:)

But yes it does piss me off! English isn’t my 1st language. I’m sure I could correct them on many other aspects of life, but life is too short.

Oh yes- I forgot that one. English is my third language 🙄

@donquixotedelamancha what’s with the capital N?

@donquixotedelamancha what’s with the capital N?

:-)

Two spaces, not one. T'was a new sentence.

You know what, I'm measuring that gap and I'm not sure it is two spaces [hangs head in shame and weeps softly].

If it’s a new sentence, what’s the subject to go with the verb?

I agree, OP. Languages are my job, and I find poor grammar and spelling pretty annoying, but that's my problem. I will happily join in an 'argh!' thread that's actually about annoying mistakes, but correcting people's SPAG on unrelated threads is the height of rudeness.

As for people who do this and then make mistakes themselves... they deserve flaming with the largest of flame-throwers.

donquixote - I think MN strips out extra spaces so you may have typed two but one will be shown. I typed four of five spaces before this sentence as test, but I expect only one to show.

Result. Obviously, MN also removed the 'a' before 'test' in my previous post - no way did I make a mistake.

P.S. How is that the beginning of a new sentence, donquixote?

E.g needs another full stop.

You can't start a proper sentence with 'needs'.

Also, donquixote mis-punctuated 'twas.

Needs must when the devil drives.

People are thick. It drives me nuts but I’m too polite to correct them. I just judge them silently. Unless it’s DH, then he gets the full extent of my pedantic wrath.

@Squirreltamer, be careful. I used the term 'grammar nazi' here once and was almost burnt at the stake!

Needs must when the devil drives.

I believe that in that sentence 'Needs' is a noun (although I am not entirely sure what "needs must" actually means). I don't think you can start a sentence with 'Needs' as a verb, which what donquixote was claiming to do.

Don’s sentence had needs as a verb, and had no subject for it. That’s why it wasn’t a sentence/ couldn’t start with needs.

Something like:

Needs driven initiatives have the greatest impact.

is fine.

HildaZelda

I find saying “Grammer Nazi” gets an extra spicy response. Sorry “Spicey” mwhahaha.

Needs must when the devil drives.

Yep, fair enough, you can begin a sentence with 'needs' when it's being used as a plural noun, but not when it's being used as a verb. It needs a subject! I guess you could also do it in a question if you phrased it "Needs a coat, does she?", but not the way donquixote used it.