Pedants

[Frenchw1fe]

Do some people really browse Mumsnet with the purpose of commenting on the use of English language and add nothing of any use to the original topic.
I have read many threads where the OP is extremely put off by some of the ‘superior ‘ attitudes of those who may be academically intelligent but emotionally stilted if their first thought is to criticise language skills rather than offer advice on the problem.

Surely everyone in need of advice should feel able to post on mumsnet without worrying about a few grammar mistakes.
Please feel free to criticise any mistakes in my post at least you’ll be leaving some other poor person alone.

It's rude. It's bad etiquette to assume authority over those around you. When you correct someone in this way you assume that authority. It's not engaging in discussion on the proposed topic, it's saying to someone mid argument "dear you need to wipe your nose", and that's distracting and humiliating. If it "makes your teeth itch" learn to scratch more discreetly.

I am one of the pedants (ex-teacher, work in publishing). I don’t see why people can’t just learn to write, the rules are not that hard

You expect perfect grammar when a husband has cheated, the bailiff is at the door and someone is asking for advice on what to do right now using a 6 inch phone screen with no post editing facility.

Some people are NOT so educated, some people have learning difficulties, some people do not hold English as their first language.

Empathy holds more value than pointing out a mistake.

@AltheaVestr1t

That's a little narrow minded!

I run 🏃‍♀️ 5 days a week, it keeps me fit, slim, healthy and emotionally balanced. If someone is struggling with their weight/emotional well-being, I try not to think 'why don't you just learn to run/swim/cycle? It's not hard'

can I ask a question?
when I was small my dad told me a rhyme about brought and bought, I can't remember it. anyone know it?
also is there one about loose and lose?

I am one of the pedants (ex-teacher, work in publishing). I don’t see why people can’t just learn to write, the rules are not that hard!

Because not everyone is privileged to be educated with and/or have the capacity for that knowledge. Doesn't matter how much I help DH (with his CV etc) his dyslexia makes it harder for him to understand the 'rules'.

And like a PP said, this is a forum, not a legally binding contract that requires professional copywriting and proofreading.

Writing is primarily concerned with communication, and it's usually perfectly clear what an OP is saying even if they've said weather instead of whether or should of instead of should have.

If it "makes your teeth itch" learn to scratch more discreetly.

I love this!

I'm a writer and editor. SPAG are important, but I don't feel the need to correct random strangers on the internet. It's patronising and unnecessary, especially when the poster is clearly distressed or vulnerable.

I don't really understand the SPAG police.
It's a mess forum. People will type and make typos and make mistakes. Who cares?
The thing that really annoys me is when someone is using dialect and then someone inevitably shows up being the big I am saying "and I suppose someone will be along to tell us it's REGIONAL or DIALECT or something else when it's just wrong".
It winds me up because they think they're being so clever, but actually non standard grammar and regional variations are completely appropriate for informal chat.

Something has gone wrong when the response to a poster upset about cheating is to correct their use of their/they're / they're

I'm one of the 'it's not that hard, surely it's easier to get it right' brigade. Typos are fair enough, and people using a second language are fair enough too, but easy to spot. It's the people doing their and there wrong or using could of that make me cringe. After that I do find it hard to take much interest in what the poster has to say - especially if they proceed to slag off open-toed shoes at work or characters on clothes or whatever the mumsnet bugbear du jour is. It is the easiest thing in the world to do, surely. It's not rocket science, it's not arcane, petty rules that nobody can be expected to understand. It's the basic rules of your native language, drummed into you for over a decade at school and reinforced by every book or even magazine you ever read. I can't help but think they are doing it on purpose.

Message forum

I think it's really shitty to point out spelling and/or grammar mistakes. You're not copy editors for mumsnet. It's a casual forum and people write as they think, they don't draft and redraft as you would for a professional document.

If you can correct the post, you can clearly understand what was meant, so what's the bloody point?!

I copy edit as part of my job, but I don't give a shit if I make a mistake on an online forum.

I agree that should of instead of have is a little irritating but I would never comment on it to a person I don’t know who is asking for help.
As long as I can understand the post that’s all I need.
As I’m learning French I realise not only how poor some of my understanding of English grammar is but also how badly my spoken French is and how kind my neighbours are when I mangle their language. They correct me but in the politest possible way.

It is the easiest thing in the world to do, surely. It's not rocket science, it's not arcane, petty rules that nobody can be expected to understand. It's the basic rules of your native language, drummed into you for over a decade at school and reinforced by every book or even magazine you ever read.

And again there’s that privilege.

I am instinctively a grammar/spelling pedant and I loathe poor grammar when I come across it at work.

But MN chat boards are not the time or place for it. Particularly when someone is obviously poorly educated and distressed. It says more about the responders and their stealth snobbery than it does about the OP.

Just get over yourselves and save it for homework marking.

I'm an editor too but wouldn't dream of correcting someone when it was unsolicited. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and it's my experience that people who are pedants actually don't have as good a grasp of the English language as they think. Being a 'pedant' also seems to come with slavish adherence to 'rules' that aren't actually rules, such as never starting a sentence with 'And', the refusal to accept the singular 'they' and never splitting infinitives.

Perhaps some of those who say it’s not hard to get it right should be tested on their ability to understand concepts in physics.
I haven’t got a clue but my brother is a physicist and what he deals with everyday is gobbledygook to me.
However he had to take his GCSE in English twice before he passed.

I think the SPAG police should realise not everybody can manage to be perfect as posters may be dyslexic and have really tried hard to post something correctly so don't need a kicking, just a little help with their problem

I think SPAG are really important. The one's pointing it out are just keeping up the high MN standards, their quite right to do so and don't out themselves as rude at all.

Ones

I couldn't care less about someones SPAG as long as I can read it.
Paragraphs dont exist on the app I put them in post when typing but they disappear once posted which yes does make for some heavy reading.
Auto correct and a weird one that might be just my phone but sometimes I will write a perfectly acceptable word and my phone will auto correct it to another perfectly acceptable word except the sentence dont make sense, this is fine in itself but when I change it back my phone will decide that their word is better and use that. After 2/3 attempts to correct it I just give in and let my phone win and put the word it wants.

To be honest I think you should know basic SPAG and if you don’t you need to learn it. Knowledge of the English language is a necessity.

Yes, it’s only a chat forum, but those using “of” instead of “have” or mixing up such basics as brought/bought and loose/lose aren’t just doing it here, they are embarrassing themselves in other situations that are probably far more important eg. work.

I am a secret pedant - that’s a pedant who keeps her pedantics to herself because unless it’s relevant because I’m also, you know, not an inconsiderate, rude arsehole. I mean, what’s worse in the grand scheme of things? Bad grammar or being a dick by pointing out improper grammar when it’s not really relevant and trying to make someone inferior because of it?

Also, because my grammar goes out the window when I type fast it’s always easier to judge other’s writing than your own.

Yes, it’s only a chat forum, but those using “of” instead of “have” or mixing up such basics as brought/bought and loose/lose aren’t just doing it here, they are embarrassing themselves in other situations that are probably far more important eg. work

For work most people use programmes to spell check everything, or use an edit facility - something lacking on MN.

If you’re doing that on MN you’ve way too much time on your hands!

Poor SPaG isn’t an embarrassment. It can be indicative of any number of situations.

Unsolicited correcting, though, is terribly gauche.

English is a living language, whilst of instead of have is irritating to some of us in 30 years time it may be the norm.
Perhaps our ancestors that used thee and thou bemoaned the next generation for using you and your.
As for grammar good usage definitely helps with clarity but most native English speakers would understand a comment based on the context alone.

I'm a university lecturer. I often notice poor spelling and grammar on mumsnet. Do I care? No! Do I point it out? No!

I know that there are people who can do things I can't do and vice versa. It's what makes life beautiful.