Pushy Spelling/Grammar People
SwashBlogger
Posts: 395 Member
in Chit-Chat
Does it tick you off when someone corrects your spelling and or structure in an online forum? Or, do you EVER see it as helpful? What do you think motivates a "grammar police"?
I don't even get the urge when the entire post is barely English. But, occasionally, an otherwise intelligent and well-stated post makes me wonder if the writer would like to have the error pointed out. I know I would.
I don't even get the urge when the entire post is barely English. But, occasionally, an otherwise intelligent and well-stated post makes me wonder if the writer would like to have the error pointed out. I know I would.
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I won't correct another person on their post if I don't know them personally even on a well written post. Most of the time if the post is that intelligent and well thought out - they will read their post again and edit it before anyone ever gets to it.
My sister-in-law loves to send me text messages with things like: How r u doin 2daz? Cuz I wuz going to b lik by ur house in a few and didn't want no dogs coming out and barking over their.
:grumble: :explode: She does it just to make me cringe...LoL
Yes, I am a grammar freak. I admit it (isn't that the first step).
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if you use than instead of then, were instead we're and your instead of you're you deserve to be corrected no matter how well written the post is and no matter who you are
text speak is ok between people and is cool to cut down the amount of typing/swiping and everything you have written whilst not correctly spelled does appear to be correct word usage except for "their" when they meant "there" for which they should be corrected.
Language has to change and evolve over time and does need to keep up with the times and its usage, so writing things in text speak is acceptable from this view, but again this doesn't mean that you can use the wrong word just because of the way you speak, things like the above (than/then etc) aren't really acceptable within this evolution, saying UR/ur instead of your when wanting to say your correctly whilst infuriating to some is acceptable.
Hope that makes sense0 -
I bugs me when people correct my spelling or grammar. I am a good speller and I know how to write. However, my iphone keys are very close together and sometimes mistakes happen. If i noticed, I would have corrected it myself, I dont need it pointed out. Likewise, when I am reading a post, if I can read it and understand it, then there is no need to correct it. So what if someone confuses their/there/they're - it doesnt affect me or my happiness so why bother??!0
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I bugs me when people correct my spelling or grammar. I am a good speller and I know how to write. However, my iphone keys are very close together and sometimes mistakes happen. If i noticed, I would have corrected it myself, I dont need it pointed out. Likewise, when I am reading a post, if I can read it and understand it, then there is no need to correct it. So what if someone confuses their/there/they're - it doesnt affect me or my happiness so why bother??!
In all seriousness, I personally don't mind being corrected, but I don't point out the mistakes other people make. Too many people are too sensitive to any form of criticism nowadays, and it's all too easy for someone to misinterpret a correction as a personal affront.0 -
Rightly or wrongly, I am a sticker for spelling and grammar even though I rarely point it out.
I tend to ignore obvious typo errors (we all get caught out on that one from time to time) but I am not a fan of text speak. I agree with the above poster that language needs to evolve but a lot of people use that reasoning to mask laziness. A bugbear of mine is people inserting “lol” into sentences that clearly don’t need it.
Although to be fair, I post on other messageboards and the standard of spelling and grammar are far better on here than others.0 -
I don't correct people online, but I can never work out how - apart from typos - it is easier to have two different ways of typing (for when you need to be correct and for when you're being casual). Why don't people just type correctly all the time? Surely it is a habit?
I have to say, bad grammar, spelling, lack of capitals and sentence structure etc. will make me not bother responding to a post. I won't call them out, but I won't engage.0 -
An obvious typo is OK, everyone makes mistakes. But if you clearly do not know the correct spelling or usage of a word I will correct to educate. On forums, at work in memos and emails, if I see it in print, etc.
Text and IM are exceptions. In IM at work we are generally typing so fast to solve a critical problem quickly that the only thing that matters is that the other person understood what you meant, as every other word is usually a typo.0 -
is this Irony? ;-)I am a good speller and I know how to write.0 -
Bad spelling and/or bad grammar in a post makes me stop reading. A line or two is fine, but if you're going to post on a public forum make sure it's readable by those who are not native English speakers! I hate to see bad use of the language by native English speakers, what were they even taught at school? I'll only accept text speak in a text message or instant messenger, otherwise use the real words, we all have predictive text on our phones and tablets. Rant over.
Answering your question: no I don't correct people, I just leave. However, I wouldn't mind if someone corrected my post if it was wrong.0 -
I bugs me when people correct my spelling or grammar. I am a good speller and I know how to write. However, my iphone keys are very close together and sometimes mistakes happen. If i noticed, I would have corrected it myself, I dont need it pointed out. Likewise, when I am reading a post, if I can read it and understand it, then there is no need to correct it. So what if someone confuses their/there/they're - it doesnt affect me or my happiness so why bother??!
In all seriousness, I personally don't mind being corrected, but I don't point out the mistakes other people make. Too many people are too sensitive to any form of criticism nowadays, and it's all too easy for someone to misinterpret a correction as a personal affront.
I absolutely take it personally when I have written something that is important to me. I do it on FB, something bothers me enough to write a status update about. Its important to me and I want to get my point across. I post and wait for responses only for a response to come back with*their0 -
Amen, brother. Than/then is my pet hate and so many people seem to get it wrong, it boggles my mind. The other one, especially on MFP, that drives me up the wall is the number of people who want to "loose" weight. I even thought, jokingly, of starting a group for people who know how to spell "lose". I don't bother to point it out though, because I would spend all day just pissing people off. That's a losing (not loosing) battle. Sigh.0
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if you use than instead of then, were instead we're and your instead of you're you deserve to be corrected no matter how well written the post is and no matter who you are
why? Mostly when people do that it's a typo, it's not that they don't know the difference. I'm dyslexic and process written language through phonics. I sometimes type the wrong word because it has the same sound. I rely on a spell checker to tell me if I spell words wrong (my visual memory for words is poor, so I don't always spot typos) - but spell checkers, at least the browser ones, don't pick up on these because they're actual words. I know the difference between them, but sometimes type the wrong one. Not were or we're though... because they're pronounced differently. but if someone was typing we're quickly it's kind of easy to miss typing the apostrophe
My issue really is the assumption that because someone types the wrong one, they don't know the difference. I don't think that's the case most of the time. Unless someone's consistently using the wrong one, then maybe they don't know the difference.0 -
Funny thing is most self confessed grammar freaks are really just freaks about a few basic rules.
I rarely see people correcting split infinitives or hanging prepositions, or other more advanced/controversial rules. I rarely see someone point out an incorrectly used semicolon.
I conclude that they are not grammar freaks. Merely people who want to discredit an argument by criticizing grammar and/or get off on feeling superior to others.0 -
Funny thing is most self confessed grammar freaks are really just freaks about a few basic rules.
I rarely see people correcting split infinitives or hanging prepositions, or other more advanced/controversial rules. I rarely see someone point out an incorrectly used semicolon.
I conclude that they are not grammar freaks. Merely people who want to discredit an argument by criticizing grammar and/or get off on feeling superior to others.
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If I chose to correct the spelling or grammar of people online, I would have little time left for anything else. Just notating misuses of "to / two / too" and "there / they're / their" would be a full time job! Unless the poster is claiming superiority of some sort, (in which case pointing out errors is just fun) then I generally ignore it.0
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I don't correct stuff usually. I do, however, judge people based upon the way they write.
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is this Irony? ;-)I am a good speller and I know how to write.
:laugh: I was thinking the same thing!0 -
I don't correct stuff usually. I do, however, judge people based upon the way they write.
^^ QFT. If the message is important enough that you really want people to take it seriously, then you should probably spend a bit more time on it's presentation. It can make the difference between "Have you eaten, grandpa?" and "Have you eaten grandpa?"0 -
I don't correct stuff usually. I do, however, judge people based upon the way they write.
^That.
And I judge them based upon the way they look too.0 -
I create a lot of typos and grammar errors in the forums. I do it on purpose so others can feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
It’s my mission. I have always liked helping others, especially those who feel a void in their life.
Just one ole man's opinion.................0 -
I don't usually correct strangers, but I do sometimes correct friends. When a word is misspelled or confused with a similar word, it puts the burden of understanding on the reader instead of the writer. The popular defense is "you know what I meant, so what difference does it make?" The difference is one of courtesy and respecting my time and mental energy.
Too many people believe that what they MEAN to say or write is more important than what their audience actually reads or hears. If you are the one who seeks to be understood, it is your responsibility to make that happen, not your audience's.0 -
If someone is being condescending it is a simple (although rather petty) way to point out that they probably aren't as smart as they think they are. Otherwise, the Internet is informal and I ignore that stuff.0
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I rarely see people correcting split infinitives or hanging prepositions, or other more advanced/controversial rules. I rarely see someone point out an incorrectly used semicolon.
I wish I knew what all of those were :flowerforyou: I hate that my grammar is poor, I don't mind if I'm corrected. However, compared to some posts on here I'm a freakin grammar genius! I never correct people, for fear of it coming back to haunt me
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I suspect people critique the obvious things like "theirs" and "you're" because they are obvious. I don't think they are grammar Nazis out to wreak havoc on those with inferior literary skills. There are different levels of complexity in sentence structure and differentiating "your" and "you're" is ground level. People are correcting the most basic of mistakes because it is so simple that it should not be a mistake and honestly it may be to the benefit of some. If you are working in a job and you write "your" instead of "you're" repeatedly, it will cast a negative impression. By contrast, if you end a sentence with "at", most people aren't even going to bat an eye.
It comes down to the age old conundrum: If you are with a smelly person, do you tell them that they smell? On one hand you may hurt their feelings and that's not ideal. On the other hand, they may not even know they smell and so by telling them you will actually improve their life because they will take not and remedy the problem. That odorous stench may have been hindering their romantic life and possibly even professional life, since everyone avoids the smelly individual. Do you choose to be passive and polite or risk being rude with the chance of being helpful?0 -
Making a "stand" here
Lose / loose
Makes me foam at the mouth!0 -
My need to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation comes from my OCD. I don't tend to do it on online forums, although I have been known to click quote and type the reply. I generally junk the post before hitting submit. Mainly because I don't want to deal with the hate that comes from such a post. I don't do it to belittle the poster, but to educate. Yes, i appreciate the arrogance in that, which is why i junk the posts.
My real 'freak' thing is punctuation and I can spot errant apostophes miles away and in shops and pubs I have been known to point out the incorrect usage. Usually it falls out of my mouth without thinking, because seeing it really does set me on edge and will echo through my brain for excessive periods of time. My partner and I can (and have) spent many an hour debating the use of the oxford comma. Unfortunately, I had to concede he was correct.
Nor do I take text speak seriously.0 -
If I understand what they mean, I won't correct someone (usually) unless the word they're using means something different. I did recently correct someone who said "bromolated" when they meant "brominated," but their point was still valid. I just wanted others to be able to search for what the person was claiming and be able to find the information.
Regardless, it's pretty clear if someone's correcting you just to be an a*hole or if they're doing it because they want to help you learn something. Context is really important. Generally, a stranger correcting you online is the former.0 -
I don't correct stuff usually. I do, however, judge people based upon the way they write.
^That.
And I judge them based upon the way they look too.
And on the way they judge other people too.0 -
I'd just like to point out that we use different parts of the brain to develop sentence structure, grammar usage, and spelling. I know many excellent writers, who do it for a living, who are terrible spellers. I also know successful business people who appear quite bright but can't write a sentence to save their life. I think I write and spell well, but I don't always use the proper punctuation. But I think I'm wicked smaht, anyway.....
There are different types of intelligence, too. Someone who seems like a dimwit behind the keyboard could actually be the mastermind behind a complex identity theft scheme or a brilliant mechanic who can pull apart your car engine and put it back together easily. That type of intelligence is just as valuable as knowing how to spell or being the perfect, error-free typist.
Haters 'gon hate......or something to that effect (or is it affect)?0
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