To think so many posts have poor English?

[poordiction]

What's happened to people posting properly? Poor language, missing words, bad punctuation

It's not your grammar causing that

I'll admit to laughing inside when someone posts a righteously indignant post and uses "big words" incorrectly.

I do enjoy a nice eggcorn though: someone on a local forum asked if anyone had any spare frogs born for their pond.

And then there are posts that are genuinely impossible to comprehend, so the "as long as you understand it doesn't matter" argument just don't (sic) fly.

Whether it matters or not is personal opinion. You think it doesn't matter and isn't important whereas I think it does matter.
I once worked with a Hungarian woman who spoke good English yet specifically asked all her colleagues to correct her every single time she said something which was wrong, because she wanted to be able to speak better English and thought it was important to do so.

I think it’s very sad that someone would care if some random person on the internet, whom they will never meet, judges them as thick and uneducated. I got into my thirties and simply stopped giving a shit what people thought of me, much less complete strangers. It’s so liberating, you should try it.

A great attitude to take at work. This isn’t work.

Who cares? My grammar and punctuation is most likely shocking as I never proof read and I post from my phone.

There is a huge difference between someone wanting to learn and be corrected, and someone who just wants to be heard.

I once worked with a Hungarian woman who spoke good English yet specifically asked all her colleagues to correct her every single time she said something which was wrong, because she wanted to be able to speak better English and thought it was important to do so.

as I did when living in a foreign country learning the language. Inviting people to help you improves is very different to posters calling people 'thick' because their English isn't perfect on a public forum.

I am loving that this thread is showing up many of the judgmental posters whose English isn't as good as they think it is.

I am actually clever as can be shown by my many academic and professional qualifications.

But I thought your point was that you wouldn't need to state that you are clever or have lots of qualifications, since decent grammar and writing ability indicate this anyway?

We have no idea who you are, anonymous poster, so I'm not sure why you would need to convince any of us that you are sufficiently qualified to post on MN - just provide copies of your transcripts to MNHQ and be done with it.

But I thought your point was that you wouldn't need to state that you are clever or have lots of qualifications, since decent grammar and writing ability indicate this anyway?

I think the poster felt the need as their English wasn't that great, as it turned out.

I hate it when people assume I'm not intelligent because of my writing. I have been slated on this site before for poor spelling/grammar. It's a horrible thing to do to others, like bullying.

Why become I'm actually a very intelligent person. I'm also highly dyslexic, I often don't come across well when writing. Typing on my phone is worse because it autocorrects the wrong word and I can't see that. Then if I've spelt something wrong previously, it bloody remembers that wrong spelling and again I can't see that. Also if I'm upset it makes my dyslexia worse.

Those who judge people on a public forum unless it is totally incomprehensible are just being picky.

I'm a pedant (and I don't have my glasses on) but I never correct anyone because I I know I'll fuck it up in the post.

Glass house and alll that op.

Yes, but it's for pedants, not supercilious arseholes. 😂

@MigGirl please rest assured, it says a lot more about them than it does about you x

I think it's really arrogant to assume that your excellent spelling and grammar trumps every other kind of intelligence. People can be intelligent in many different ways and still not able to spell or use correct grammar.

It makes me cringe when people on here smugly state they will assume someone is thick if they don't have good spag. Nobody gives a shit - really. Nobody is going to change their spag because some snobby twat on Mumsnet will think they are thick if they use the wrong 'cue'.

To be honest, I think a lot of it is autocorrect going a bit crazy, I often read back posts I’ve written to find a load of grammatical errors have popped up between me writing and posting

@poordiction

you may well ask yourself! Stones & glass houses.

this site is for everyone. Those with perfect SPAG & all others, including those of us with incredibly naughty iPhones..

I don't proof read. It's a chat site, not an examination.

Ive given up stressing about my posts because my phone has a mind of its own & I swear it changes after I post send.

i don't know why it deletes words that I know were there before I hit send.

i had hoped a new phone would fix at least part of the problem, but my iPhone 15 is as bad as my iPhone 6.

My English is not that good and I'm a bit lazy when I type so my posts often have mistakes in them. I'm not fussed if people think I'm not well educated and a bit 'thick' although it seems a very limited way to judge someone intelligence.

For all anyone knows I might be a brilliant mathematician or musician or engineer. Or even all three 😶

Bet you're not though.

Does Muphry mean nothing to you? Did he die in vain?

I’m a pedant (and I don’t have my glasses on)

Love it! I think that’s the intellectual’s version of:

‘We're the Sweeney, and we've haven't had any dinner’
😂

I’d just like to stick my hand up as a literate person who isn’t laughing at anyone and I don’t think people are a bit thick.

People may not have had much education, may have learning difficulties, may be writing in a second language or maybe they are just stressed. People who lack spelling/grammer skills can still be very intelligent.

It’s hard work to type on a tiny phone keyboard and autocorrect haunts my every word. English is not my first language. I spot errors everywhere, but often spot them in my own posts after I submit. Shit happens - both typo and ignorance. No need to be so smug, even if you are some God of Grammar. The message is the meaning.

This is the post that made me start this thread.

I have been firmly reprimanded for not being nice enough, so will go to the naughty corner.

And just for the person up post, it's 'know'

I once worked with a Hungarian woman who spoke good English yet specifically asked all her colleagues to correct her every single time she said something which was wrong, because she wanted to be able to speak better English and thought it was important to do so.

There is a big difference between how it feels to be corrected on your use of a foreign language and your own native language though. Being able to speak a foreign language (especially as a native English speaker) is generally regarded as an impressive skill, and making a few mistakes is normal and natural. However, there is real shame attached to making mistakes in your own language, partly thanks to people like some of the posters on this thread.