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Pedants' corner

Being a stickler for good English doesn't mean you should comment on others' grammar and spelling uninvited

12 replies

DadDadDad · 29/04/2018 16:37

I've seen a couple of threads over the weekend, where a poster has made an unsolicited comment on the grammar or spelling of another poster, where it had no relevance to the topic. (One where it was the OP's title that contained potentially a grammar error depending on what dialect they use, and the first response pointed it out - here if you want to see it: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3235209-to-wonder-why-i-weren-t-orginally-invited?trending=1 ).

I think that is completely uncalled for and just gives pedants a bad name.

I try to be scrupulous in my own language and I am well aware of common errors. But while I may silently make a judgement when others make errors, I try not to even do that because we all make mistakes, and in fact I'm not convinced that errors correlate to laziness or lack of education - some people when typing fast in an informal setting just aren't that worried geting itall perfect as long as long as there meening is kleer.

In one thread, OP used "would of" and until another poster pointed it out, I confess I didn't even notice (life's too short to be focussing on these trivial mistakes). Update : I see that others criticised the latter poster and her post has now been deleted, so my view appears to coincide with the view of other MNetters and MNHQ (although some posters wrote in support of the "pedant" poster).

If I'm reading a newspaper article and see these kinds of errors, I'm not impressed, because they are professional writers with paid editors. But on MN Chat, who cares that much and is that much of an arse to draw attention to it publicly?

If the reader has been asked to proofread or it's an educational context, then fair enough, otherwise keep your pedantry to yourself or come on Pedants' Corner for a rant!

OP posts:
BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 29/04/2018 16:45

I agree. I have sometimes commented when the meaning is unclear because of poor English, eg a "let's eat Granny" vs "let's eat, Granny" type of situation, but otherwise there's no point in mentioning it.

I will admit to not bothering to read some threads if the style of the opening post annoys me, but I'm sure that's no great loss as my advice isn't usually all that useful.

DickensianHysteric · 29/04/2018 16:52

I agree - I was reading that thread earlier and the mistake barely registered, I would never have been so rude as to point it out in a reply.
Someone sent me a document at work last week and there was a typo repeated in several places. I had to sit on my hands to stop myself emailing back to point out the mistake. Nobody likes a smartarse!

DadDadDad · 29/04/2018 16:53

BlackAmericano - yes, it is tempting to say something when there are no paragraphs and / or lack of punctuation and the post is long, because it's just hard work to read. But the good thing about MN is that when someone is raising a serious issue, there are people who are prepared to wade through and offer helpful response - so I leave them to it!

OP posts:
DadDadDad · 07/05/2018 13:06

I just wrote "your" when I should have said "you're" on a post on AIBU. Blush

I'll need to do penance with 5 hale Mary's and 10 hour Father's. Grin

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 07/05/2018 13:10

Was it unbareable?

DadDadDad · 07/05/2018 13:12

I just feel I could of done alot better.

OP posts:
iklboo · 07/05/2018 13:12

I wouldn't loose any sleep over it Wink

DadDadDad · 07/05/2018 13:14

Is this some kind of therapy for pedants, where we give ourselves permission to make errors?

OP posts:
ThenCameTheFools · 14/05/2018 18:49

Agree with you OP. And say it on every single thread of that kind where smug posters berate others for poor SPaG. Even more so when they say "Pedants' Corner is that way". I point out that having posted on PC for years under various names, we do NOT spend our time pointing at other people's errors and laughing. I have noticed over the past couple of months over here there has been a bit of a "fnar fnar guess what I saw on FB today" which is yawny (and mostly, I feel, apocryphal)

faithinthesound · 22/05/2018 04:35

I'm a primary school teacher and I'm forever being asked "Miss Faith, how do you spell..." and having to correct grammar in their speech and writing. It can be hard to turn it off, especially if I'm not thinking about it really hard! But I always try to remember, the world isn't my classroom (in that sense), and I do my very best not to correct adults unless they actively ask me to.

12Etudes · 22/05/2018 05:16

I know right, it’s 2018, I can’t believe people are still doing this. It’s basically become the equivalent of telling the world what a boring old arsehole you are.

EmpressOfSpartacus · 22/05/2018 05:36

I agree it's not on. Mostly. But in a thread a month or two ago someone was having a go at someone else for something like "bad spelling and grammer" and for that I make an exception Grin.

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