Grammar and spelling (both irrelevant derailing and pedantic threads)

[TheEntertainerr]

Just read a couple of threads and need to rant.

1. There is no need to pull other posters up on spelling and grammar. It's irrelevant and derails the thread. If you disagree with a poster, it's okay to disagree with them. Disagree and state your point of view. If you understand what they're getting at, there is no need to pick them up on spelling/grammar. The motives are clear, you've taken a dislike/disagree and trying to score a petty point, in order to validate your belief that you're better/superior. Don't! You don't appear more intelligent/educated/knowledgeable. Just someone who is either incapable of disagreeing or effectively countering an argument.

2. Threads about poor grammar and spelling. Okay, some particular mistakes may really irritate people. I get it. Vent it, but quit while you're ahead. Don't cast aspersions - people being under-educated - based on one particular mistake. By all means, do so if you're that confident with your own ability and that your posts will hold up against the same level of scrutiny. Ironically, they often don't.

Rant over.

Why would you bother? Would it make you feel superior? Would it make you feel better? If so, why?

You've missed my point. I said clearly in my post that I don't, and I explained why. However, you alluded to people who do correct SPaG doing so because it makes them feel more intelligent, and you've suggested in your more recent post that it might be to make me feel superior or make me feel better. I referred to the point that people tend to use 'myself' because they think it makes them sound more intelligent, more superior. My position would be that people shouldn't correct SPaG to make themselves feel superior, but nor should they adopt a word to make themselves feel superior.

I think it's fine on threads about poor SPAG.

And everyone should be picked up on 'could of/should of' because that is just offensive.

If they lack education, shouldn't they be pleased to be getting some? Free of charge too. I like learning new stuff, to fill in the gaps in my knowledge

It's not always this. For example, I know the difference between their and there but occasionally find myself typing the wrong one if I'm in a hurry. I only notice after I've hit send and then thought, DAMN!

Nanny, what do you mean by "proper" English? Why have you given "language" a capital letter?

tentative3

Why would you point it out to them then? Or ask if it was fair game. Surely that would make you just as bad?

I am not even native English speaker and could of always makes me shrug a bit.

Could be because you're not a native speaker that the error stands out for you. You learnt English by studying it (I assume?) rather than listening to it as you grow up. So you probably haven't mixed up the sound of "of" and "have"?

I saw a thread once where the OP had used "gray". And then lots of the following responses did as well. I asked why (in a kind of bemused/curious way) and was told by one poster that it'd be rude to point it out to the OP and the polite thing to do was to use "gray" as well. That has to be the most English thing I've ever heard. 😁 The OP, of course, turned out to be American.

@SwedishEdith
Firstly that gray thing is amazaning and hilarious and Veru British Problems should have that in their book😂

I agree. It's possible that it's because I learned English mainly by reading and writing when at school, but wouldn't everyone in UK have the lessons when they learn these things in writing too? Or reading? Even if you read just news or even just cosmo you can still see it. I get it's different but I remember having proper grammar lessons on our native language too so I am curious whether that's not a standard in UK?

Amazaning. Nice😂🙄

I learned more about grammar when I started to learn French at school. My grammar knowledge is sketchy and picked up from reading and being interested in it. If you don't read much, you may not really notice. Or care.

Drogosnextwife I asked a question, after you suggested that people correct SPaG to make themselves look intelligent and implied that they therefore shouldn't do it. Is it fair game to assume that people misuse 'myself' because they want to make themselves look intelligent? I think you're reading into this something that isn't there. I'm not waging a one woman war on people using 'myself'. I doubt you're waging a one woman war on people correcting SPaG. I do think that people shouldn't use 'myself' when they want to sound intelligent.

I find it quite depressing. I work with children/young people with communication and literacy difficulties and despair that the world is full of people who get irrationally enraged by such things.

And it's unnecessary

Ah, thanks. Being dyslexic myself these things sometimes slip by me. I'm very grateful for the correction, and I'm sure it gave you a bit of excitement having a spelling error to correct

No worries, don't beat yourself up over it. Necessary - one c and 2 s. The way to remember it is it is necessary for a shirt to have one Collar but two Sleeves.

Now you may think I'm a stuck up twat, but you'll remember 1 collar, 2 sleeves, 1c 2s, and you'll never spell it incorrectly again.

I was told 1 coffee 2 suggars 😁 actually have to say it out loud sometimes

Disagree, OP. Typos, fine. Not knowing the difference between their, there and they're or your and you're is ridiculous. Same for could of and should of. You learn that at primary school for heaven's sake. We really should be able to use our own language properly.

Oh I love those little sayings Life, I find them helpful. Ones I like include 'Separate into parts' and 'You lose weight to make your boots loose'. It's nice to see someone being generally helpful on this topic, makes a change from the usual sneering.

Lifecraft

Brilliant, thanks again 🙄

Oh I love those little sayings Life

Buy - Bought
BRing- BRought

A Bactrian camel has 2 humps, like a B on it's side.
A Dromerdary camel has 1 hump, like a D on its side

Eh, no. People on here don't do it out of the goodness of their heart, they do it to embarrass and belittle.

Really? I don’t believe that to be true for many corrections I’ve seen on here.

If mistakes are never pointed out then how will people learn?

Precisely. I think it’s fine to point out errors. I’d far rather someone told me were I making mistakes.

I get very annoyed at a friend’s DH who writes the most awful trash on FB (tagging his DW so difficult to block him) and uses commas without a space after them. Drives me a bit nuts. He went to a good school, he is intelligent, but doesn’t understand spacing. I really want to tell him. 😳 This is the man who ordered a brandy in the Toby Carvery like he was Lord of the manor. I dunno how I kept a straight face!

So tell him 🤷

I mean if you think it's ok to point out people's mistakes, why not?

I have seen CVs where one had NO punctuation at all in the personal profile, another had a LOT of typos(? I hope) and another with not a single capital letter on it and yous insteade of use twice. I could go on and on....
On the other hand, most CVs from foreigners had 2 common sins. Odd syntax (I suffer witb that as well) and obvious use of translate app or thesaurus for certain words. Otherwise they we spotless.
Maybe parents here should put presurre on school system to teach grammar properly? I don't know if that's possible, but I would feel really frustrated if non natives knew basics better than my own child.
Not attacking anyone, just wonder what's up with that.

Not quite sure who made you the boss.

If you are communicating in the written word, it's really important to get it right. The nuts and bolts of our English language DO matter! I'm so disappointed that correct SPAG is dumbed down. If people have an error pointed out to them, why not accept with good grace? There is a correct way to use language and it should be a standard to aim for, instead of being defensive about using it badly.

I am always amazed, though, at people who write a sentence like:

“My neighbours annoy me - their always arguing all hours of the day and night and park there car halfway over my driveway”.

Honest to god, where were you in English lessons? I openly admit to being a huge selling and grammar pedant, though.

Hahaha that’s karma, right there.

• spelling and grammar.