To think it's embarrassing how English has one of the easiest grammar systems, and yet so many people don't know the basic rules...

[Skyeboat]

I'm a linguist, and the languages I studied have very complex grammar rules compared to English. So much so that native speakers have to memorise verb tables, moods, cases etc. at primary school level, and even those who didn't study to a high level know the basic rules.
English is one of the simplest languages, and yet the amount of native English speakers I see making really obvious mistakes is just embarrassing.
Is the problem that we just don't teach grammar and syntax in school?
For example, I saw a FB post today selling "Teddy's" (as opposed to teddies). That's actually the most common mistake I see - people, even businesses, not knowing how to use apostrophes and form plurals. I'd understand if it was a complicated rule that required memorisation with a lot of exceptions, but it's soo basic. It takes about 10 minutes to learn then you're all set.
I went to a pretty average state school, and I remember they did teach us these things, but we weren't rigorously tested on them or required to repeat them regularly. So I do believe the problem is with a lack of focus on basic English from a young age.
Am I being unreasonable or is this really embarrassing that we have such a poor grasp of our own mother tongue?

English speakers is correct. English here is just an adjective and doesn't need a hyphen.

You only hyphenate in this instance when using two adjectives ie an "English-speaking boy".

The standards have become so low. Worse though is that people in general don't seem to care and are happy to let things slide even further. Why not try to improves ourselves for a change? Too many - generally younger teachers - in schools have a poor level of grammar. I'm not talking about the odd mistake that we all make occasionally but phrases or sentences that simply don't make sense.

How can, for example, "Me and her went shopping" possibly be correct? You wouldn't say "Me went shopping" or "Her went shopping". It really grinds my gears!

People who come to this country speaking English as a second or foreign language must get pretty confused. We have quite a few Ukrainians in my town and their command of English grammar is better than that of many British people who have grown up here, with all those years of education.

My Mum was a very well executed primary school teacher. When my DC’s we’re learning to read I commented that I didn’t remember many of the rules my DC we’re learning. She told me that much of it was taken out of the curriculum in the 70’s and 80’s, so we were never taught it in the first place.

This is said in a friendly way" it's utmost not upmost. I noticed you used upmost twice and thought you might appreciate this being pointed out. Sorry if I'm wrong and annoying 🙂

I think you should ask for you money back OP

Going to join in here... for me it's a really basic pronunciation rule, taught in primary school. It's that words beginning with a vowel like 'apple' with a definite article take the - pronounced thee - while for words beginning with a consonant like 'chair' the definite article becomes th. Not thee.
But increasingly these days I hear th' apple, th' egg and it sounds so, well, undereducated, for want of a better word. And it's actually harder to say th' apple than the apple which flows from one word to the next without an awkward break.
Are children not taught this basic pronunciation principle any longer?
I've always thought it was just our american cousins who say 'th' apple is on thee tree' (yes they get that wrong too) but it seems to be catching on here.
PS Similarly, the very tiresome 'can I get a...'
Yes, I can bore for England on this. Retired editor and grammarian.

OP you'll get hammered but you're right. It's not just grammar though, it's basic spelling and punctuation. I can't tell you how many firms I've seen offering "proffesional" services 😬.

And don't get me started on "we was".

I don't remember being taught a lot of grammar but I was encouraged to read a lot, which helps and English wasn't my dad's first language. Most people didn't realise that but his grammar was better than average and I learned through osmosis I guess.

I know how to spell and the basics but I don't know a participle from a hole in the ground.

I'm embarrassed for myself, I should know better and try harder especially when it comes to foreign languages on holiday.

😂😂😂

Again proving the rule 😂

Sometimes when I'm typing something, autocorrect will helpfully change it to 's instead of plural s. Sometimes I change it back but sometimes cba

I think bitching about other people's 'inferior' language skills is a dick move.

In the sense that I have a languages degree and I work as a translator and interpreter.

I would like to discuss the act of feeling embarrassed for mistakes made by someone else. It’s not a healthy reaction. Is that really what you are feeling, OP?

I'm sorry your mum was guillotined.

Same experience as @Seeline everything I learned about grammar came from being an avid reader. I wouldn’t be able to provide a definition for some of the grammatical terms that others have used on this thread.

Hey Moon,
This is exactly what I have alway expected my English friends/colleagues to do, correct me, otherwise I would have, would keep doing the same mistakes.
Taken in a friendly and caring way, of course 😎

I speak English and French. In my view English does not have one of the easiest grammar systems, some would argue that the errors in the OP's post demonstrate this. English has so many exceptions when compared with many other languages.

In addtion look at authors such as DH Lawrence who broke so many of the so called "rules".

Innit 😂?

Well, getting the plural of "teddy" wrong is not a grammar or syntax error. And as others have pointed out, there are loads of additional mistakes in your OP.

I'm sorry OP, you had a fair point in that yes, it's sad that we aren't teaching children better grammar, but you don't get to complain when your OP is riddled with mistakes and a lack of understanding of the problem.

🤣

I assume, much like the "aibu or are... British children / toddlers / food / school / men etc etc inferior to every other group of children/ toddlers / food etc etc" threads that no, yanbu, British anything is simply awful and everyone and everything everywhere else is better

I just don't think it's important. There are many reasons why people make mistakes or don't know the rules.

Add in local dialects that often make their way into the written word. It makes it very interesting.

As long as it's understood, I don't see the angst about it.

Grammar is very much still taught at primary level in detail. It is not revisited as much as it should be at secondary level.

The main issue is that too many teenagers do not read for pleasure due to smart phones and social media etc. Reading often, is the best way to learn and remember spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Perhaps you suffer from the ‘curse of knowledge.’ You find acquiring languages easy, therefore think everyone finds it easy.

I also was always under the impression that English is a difficult language in many ways because it is not consistent. I remember learning latin and it was all perfectly clear and, mostly, consistent when changing tense etc. The rules were the rules.

Funny, I was always under the impression that English was one of the most complicated languages. Along with Dutch.

Plus all those darn phrasal verbs.

I live abroad and in order to learn the language I literally had to relearn English - regarding how it is structured.

I think what is missing in UK English language education is the grammar part.

I do think it is why native English speakers' struggles to learn an additional language.