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I read well over a hundred books in my high school career (mostly as a junior and a senior); from Louis L'Amour to Dostoyevsky and I was still a bad writer and scored low in reading comprehension skills. Then again, I always found those reading comprehension tests to be riddled with bombastic and circuitous language that never appealed to me. If you want to make a point, then why not cut chase?
Plus, reading Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and other classical writers was not a good way to acquire skills in grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and other accoutrements of language. These writers could take a simple sentence and turn it into page or at least a paragraph.
Perhaps some people can absorb good writing through reading, but I had to achieve it through brute force - writing, writing, writing. Then again, different people learn differently.
Ramble on all about all the improper uses of grammar rather than recognizing that the English language is wrought with grammatical peculiarities that don't make much sense - knock yourself out via a self-aggrandizing behavior rather than showing a hint of humility that the English language often lacks rhyme and reason.
You're right that one need not engage in classical literature to gain at least a basic knowledge of grammar, syntax, etc. However, it helps immeasurably to read. I was a teacher for many years, and found that those children that did a lot of reading outperformed children that didn't. It was easy for me to tell those kids that enjoyed reading, from those that hated it and didn't.
As for writing, you're right, it's not easy. I was a math teacher, so writing doesn't come easily to me, and I'm not a good writer. That said, reading does help one to gain at least a rudimentary knowledge of English. Simply saying that English is far too complex for anyone to master, and excusing folks for even the most elementary use of English, is an absolutely cop-out.
This surprised me, Merlot. I've read several of your posts and would not have guessed that English was your second language. Well done.
Way off topic. I just saw a piece on that school girl that was shot by the Taliban...Oh My Lord. She spoke English so well I freaked out.... 12 years old[when she was shot] and have such a command on what I assume is not her native language. Her message wasn't shabby either.
I've read a lot of threads on CD by and about people either looking for a job (unemployed) or people looking for a better job. Many of these people, if their writing examples on CD are any indication, have only a very basic understanding of English. For example, when mentioning money, the put the dollar sign on the right instead of the left. They have paragraphs that are just one long sentence. They can't spell. They don't know when to capitalize. Etc.... I get the idea that a lot of these people are very young (late teens, early 20s). Some might not be native English speakers. I should say this isn't a new issue. I was in a hiring position years ago and have had people fill out applications who couldn't spell the word "school". But are people this dense? Don't they realize some basic skills are required?
I'm dyslexic
My grammar and spelling can be atrocious. In fact, I just misspelled grammar but will fix it with spell-check (apparently misspelled spell check, along with misspelled).
I've been faulted for it, and some employers are nastier about it than others. Yet thanks to a couple tricks (spell check, a co-worker that double checks presentations) i'm doing pretty good and making top 5% (according to Wikipedia household average income) and my wife isn't even working!
1) always use spell-check
2) ask for help when needed
3) resume must be perfect. . .but how hard is that?
Or even worse, 'sign's for sell'. Or 'How much did you sale this weekend'.
Yeah, you don't want to get me started. ***** slaps all around.
LOL! Yesss!
There's so much to pick from as pet peeves!
Its and it's, your and you're, then and than, their and there, lose and loose, should have went, could of, pluralizing by using apostrophes, and much more.
I have a disorder of the brain that has yet to be "mapped". I have the dis-ablity to remember some mathematical equations and grammerical rules.
My father would practice the times-tables with me for hours. The information stuck at the moment, but a day or two later if dad asked "what is 8x7?"... I froze and drew a blank. Even right this moment it doesn't jump out to me.
I retrired from being a mechanical designer. I guess I wrote the word lenght a thousand times. I meant length, but I automatically wrote the previous. It was embarrassing when the Design manager or checker gave me back a drawing with this type of error marked in red.
I keep google open in a second tab as my spell check. I'm embarrassed to say how many times I used that tab just on this post.
I have a disorder of the brain that has yet to be "mapped". I have the dis-ablity to remember some mathematical equations and grammerical rules.
My father would practice the times-tables with me for hours. The information stuck at the moment, but a day or two later if dad asked "what is 8x7?"... I froze and drew a blank. Even right this moment it doesn't jump out to me.
I retrired from being a mechanical designer. I guess I wrote the word lenght a thousand times. I meant length, but I automatically wrote the previous. It was embarrassing when the Design manager or checker gave me back a drawing with this type of error marked in red.
I keep google open in a second tab as my spell check. I'm embarrassed to say how many times I used that tab just on this post.
Chimuel, we're not talking about you. I'm sorry about the disability. Disability is a far cry from actual illiteracy in which someone just doesn't care. You care.
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