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.

There are certain Spag errors that make me cringe ("could of" being one) but I'd never correct them on someone else's behalf because I know I type fast and litter my own posts with errors too. I also can't stand it when posters pick up other posters on using the "wrong" colloquialisms that they had no problem understanding (e.g. using "mom" instead of "mum"). It's just so small minded and petty.

I’ve seen “lend” instead of “borrow” described as a colloquialism.

It’s not though. It’s just wrong. Or even if it is, it’s still wrong.

Same with “brought” instead of “bought”. It’s honestly not that difficult to know the difference, surely?

Typos are different, I think.

And using “your” instead of “you’re” because it can happen by accident.

Basically, some are more forgivable than others!

@IvanaPee

But that wasn't what I was talking about. I was talking about genuine colloquialisms. Obviously lend instead of borrow is incorrect but unless you have issues with reading comprehension you can probably understand what is being described and you won't achieve anything by pointing it out. When people do point it out they're usually trying to make themselves feel good at another person's mistake.

Yes some people have better written English than others but you'd have to be an incredibly crass individual to point it out to them in a public forum.

I don’t disagree with you. And I’ve said I wouldn’t do it but sometimes I itch to! 😬

People really need to stop being so bloody horrible and mind their own business. If someone’s SPAG annoys you, move on.

You don’t know anyone else’s background or educational issues.

All you do is make people scared to post. Think on that before you comment. Then DON’T.

@missmouse101
"How can I sleep with him across the road?"
Sorry but that is just a misleading sentence with or without a comma or more context.

But as often happens I imagine the trolls pedants on MN jumped on it for a lot bit of fun.

NoSauce They're just basic typos aren't they? So easily done, especially when using a small screen. Not worth worrying about

I think it’s pretty significant that some posters think a lot is one word tbf.

Good readers can read well-written English very quickly. Once the author starts littering their work with the wrong words, poor punctuation and badly constructed sentences the reader has to slow down and waste time trying to decipher what the author probably meant. I think it's basically discourteous to the reader.

I agree that it does not matter so much in a chat forum, but it really DOES matter in books, newspapers etc. The general standard of written English is declining, and I find that a bit sad.

In the past a lot of news organizations used to check everything before it went out to print, but these days a lot of articles are going out on the internet as soon as possible, so there isn’t time to check everything. I’ve noticed spelling and grammar mistakes even in BBC news articles, which would never have happened in the past.