to tell you it is downright and not "damn right"?!

[Needanewhat]

As in, "she was being downright rude" NOT "she was being damn right rude".

I see this one all the time on Facebook groups at the moment and it's silently doing my head in. Why?!

Payed is the one I keep seeing.

Also he's instead of his. I need to find he's coat.

There is a woman at work, ever so often she sends Email invitations:

“ Hi Temp, please may you do .. whatever”

Does this fill me with downright murderous rage?
Damn right it does!

I do find it amusing that people think people like me should self reflect on why we find poor written language jarring, as if there is something wrong with us that needs to be corrected.

It pretty much encapsulates the upside down world we live in now, where the one who notices what’s wrong Is seen to be the one who Has the problem.

It also smacks of privilege when people do the whole ‘don’t judge’ thing, as if the poor unfortunates aren’t capable of learning any better. I’d say that that attitude is the one that enjoys feeling superior. The rest of us would like to see standards of literacy improve.

@Blowingagale

I’ve never heard most of these mistakes. There is a section for pedantry on MN.

Yes I could scroll by the thread but I often comment because I find this type of sneering quite offensive.

Do you equally police all the posts criticising other people's childrearing, housekeeping, hygiene, driving, work management etc?

I get that directly pointing out grammar or spelling errors on a post may be considered rude, but surely when the post is specifically about the misuse of English, then it’s perfectly acceptable for posters to comment and state which phrases / spellings annoy them.

It also smacks of privilege when people do the whole ‘don’t judge’ thing, as if the poor unfortunates aren’t capable of learning any better

TBH some of the worst writing I've seen of late has come from pretty well educated (recent) university graduates.

I'm just saying it isn't correct when people are using it in place of downright.

It’s ‘down right’, not ‘downright’.

I see a lot of job applications and am always shocked by the general standard of writing in them

It’s ‘I’m shocked’ not ‘am shocked’.

Everyone makes mistakes, OP.

Never seen it. Makes no sense either, I’d have a terrible urge to correct it...

Oh yes, I knew someone would be in to pull me up on my own writing

My dictionary says it is "downright", not down right. Like "outright".

It isn't bad spelling I object to particularly so much as bad sentence structure and incorrect use of phrases.

And no I don't get "angry" over it. But I do think that when people don't read books it shows.

When you say "bad sentence structure" do you mean starting sentences with things like "and" and "but"?

@Cassilis

I'm just saying it isn't correct when people are using it in place of downright.

It’s ‘down right’, not ‘downright’.

I see a lot of job applications and am always shocked by the general standard of writing in them

It’s ‘I’m shocked’ not ‘am shocked’.

Everyone makes mistakes, OP.

I don't understand this post - are you deliberately posting it wrongly to make some kind of point?

The sentence started with I, it's fine not to use it again

Downright is one word, have a look in your dictionary

I've never corrected anyone's grammar or spelling directly in my life!

I've just started a thread on something that vaguely annoys me, as multiple people do on here every day.

I agree his/he's is another one.

Also "we're see" instead of "we'll see".

The real question on all these threads is - does it matter? Answer: no.

Well, yes, it does. This is primarily a parenting forum. We live in an age where there is major focus on correct spelling and grammar, to the extent that it will affect the level of qualifications our children achieve if they don't get these right. There are also various careers where you simply won't get past the first stage if you write badly. We need to encourage our children to write properly and to set them the right example: we do them no favours by suggesting none of it matters.

I've never heard this, will have to see if people say it now!

When you say "bad sentence structure" do you mean starting sentences with things like "and" and "but"

In a colloquial writing context, there is absolutely nothing wrong with either of those. I wouldn't write that way in a cover letter or an essay.

www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-to-not-begin-sentences-with

There you go.

@Cassilis

I'm just saying it isn't correct when people are using it in place of downright.

It’s ‘down right’, not ‘downright’.

I see a lot of job applications and am always shocked by the general standard of writing in them

It’s ‘I’m shocked’ not ‘am shocked’.

Everyone makes mistakes, OP.

In both those examples, I'm afraid it is you who has made mistakes, @Cassilis.

@Packitupwillya

I have started attending a local book club. A young woman recently joined. She posted on the facebook group that she loves to read, she reads all the time, she’s read soo many books etc. Then she wrote ‘could of.’

One does wonder what she’s reading if she’s not yet noticed that it’s ‘could have.’

I also saw a facebook post somebody had shared the other day about a woman who is now receiving potentially life saving treatment for a condition that was picked up through a routine screening apt she’d been putting off. All very important stuff, encouraging women to go for this particular type of screening, until she wrote, ‘I wouldn’t of known if I hadn’t of went.’ I just couldn’t go on after that.

I’m aware it doesn’t say anything good about me that I cringe at people’s incorrect use of language, and yes, I probably judge people on how they write, but I just can’t help it. Somebody who reads a lot should not be using ‘could of.’

That's quite a judgement though. I read a lot, the great classics and cheesy modern, I try to spot any mistakes when I type but sometimes they are missed. It can be a slip of the tongue, so to speak.

We live in an age where there is major focus on correct spelling and grammar, to the extent that it will affect the level of qualifications our children achieve if they don't get these right.

Not sure I agree with that judging by the poor quality job applications I receive from recent graduates.

Again, it isn't so much the spelling as the general sentence structure. To me it is really obvious when someone reads a lot - it shows in their writing.

To all the people criticising the criticising - it matters because the errors are cropping up more and more in 'official' pleaded. This reinforces them. I've seen errors of this type on cmpanies official Twitter accounts, product descriptions on Amazon, signs and posters, product packaging, catalogues etc.

Someone mentioned the gatekeeping of traditional publishing (editors, proofreads etc.) - I think that some people assume that all official correspondence has something similar. It doesn't.

@SoupDragon

It isn't bad spelling I object to particularly so much as bad sentence structure and incorrect use of phrases.

And no I don't get "angry" over it. But I do think that when people don't read books it shows.

When you say "bad sentence structure" do you mean starting sentences with things like "and" and "but"?

Soupdragon - “and” and “but” are co-ordinating conjunctions, and it’s okay to start a sentence with any of the co-ordinating conjunctions, where necessary and appropriate.

Ha - pleaded should be places. Please ignore my missing 'o'. Autocorrect and phone typing also has a lot to answer for!

I think it is obvious when autocorrect is responsible (or when a word is missing etc).

I have first in English lit from a top uni (yes I just said uni to irk the fuck out of spag pedants) and I wouldn’t get worked up about this. I save my spag for when it matters.

Get a life.

Its very funny when the grammar police make errors when explaining things to others. It’s quite satisfying. 😇