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Sorry for the typos, I'm typing from a touchscreen phone and it's a pain to edit on. I'm not actually typing, I'm using an typing app called swype is used by gliding an index finger across letters on a screen in order to spell. Have fun remaining single because someone can't spell or use grammar improperly.
People who cannot master the basics are usually dumb in other ways, in my humble opinion.
Years ago farmers took their kids out of school to work on the farm. People in cities needed income and sent the kids to work as soon as possible. There was a reason why people were not well educated, and those who went through those hardships really appreciated an education and tried to get their own children to do well in school and helped them to go on to college so they would have a better life.
There is hardly any excuse for people to not graduate high school these days. By graduating, I mean to a standard in which they can read and write basic English and do math and some algebra probably. My standard is someone who has average intelligence who pays attention in class, etc.
Most people who cannot speak well, and I'm not lambasting the infrequent error here and there, in these days must have some problem; maybe attention deficit disorder, or maybe they are just dumb.
Have you seen some of the characters on Judge Judy? Some say they are going to college and you (and she) wonder how they ever qualified.
We are not expecting the level of mastery required for a thesis for a professional degree here, just that of a simple high school composition, and perhaps not even that.
It's not too much to ask for.
Frankly, in my youth I dated some guys who did not speak that well, but I would never marry them.
Last edited by goldengrain; 03-26-2013 at 05:10 PM..
Anyone who wants to complain about other people's grammar mistakes had better have a virtually foolproof command of English grammar himself.
I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that. I've dated men and had an ongoing thing with them in that we'd help each other to speak and write better. My husband and I do this frequently, as well. We never considered it a kind of oneupmanship, but an attempt at trying to improve. Of course, it sometimes becomes a game, a joke.
I don't think people who correct others need to feel perfect. I just think some people do try to do better in all aspects of their lives and realize that they can always improve themselves. Some people graduate high school and probably go downhill from there. Some are on a constant mission of improvement.
I really don't take it as an insult and am surprised that others do. It's like when I have handed a cashier too much money and she calls me back as I am leaving to give me change. So, I made a mistake and someone was good enough to help me. I'm grateful, even.
I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that. I've dated men and had an ongoing thing with them in that we'd help each other to speak and write better. My husband and I do this frequently, as well. We never considered it a kind of oneupmanship, but an attempt at trying to improve. Of course, it sometimes becomes a game, a joke.
I don't think people who correct others need to feel perfect. I just think some people do try to do better in all aspects of their lives and realize that they can always improve themselves. Some people graduate high school and probably go downhill from there. Some are on a constant mission of improvement.
I really don't take it as an insult and am surprised that others do. It's like when I have handed a cashier too much money and she calls me back as I am leaving to give me change. So, I made a mistake and someone was good enough to help me. I'm grateful, even.
I agree!
Missing a punctuation mark here or there is fine as long as it isn't consistent.
Constantly misusing contractions is quite annoying as well as using the wrong two/to/too or are/our/hour etc..
There is a difference between casual writing and flat out being illiterate! ...And it's OBVIOUS.
I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that. I've dated men and had an ongoing thing with them in that we'd help each other to speak and write better. My husband and I do this frequently, as well. We never considered it a kind of oneupmanship, but an attempt at trying to improve. Of course, it sometimes becomes a game, a joke.
I don't think people who correct others need to feel perfect. I just think some people do try to do better in all aspects of their lives and realize that they can always improve themselves. Some people graduate high school and probably go downhill from there. Some are on a constant mission of improvement.
I really don't take it as an insult and am surprised that others do. It's like when I have handed a cashier too much money and she calls me back as I am leaving to give me change. So, I made a mistake and someone was good enough to help me. I'm grateful, even.
Exactly
People who are sloppy about spelling and grammar and who aren't interested in learning are probably sloppy about a lot of other things in life, too.
I mean, is it really THAT hard to learn the differences between simple words such as: loose/lose, then/than, weather/whether, your/you're, their/they're/there, etc? This is stuff people should've (not 'should of') mastered by 6th grade at the latest.
The last girl I replied to online was a 5th grade teacher. I thought, "cool, she'll have good grammar."
I have so so spelling. It's my worst subject. But I can not take bad grammar, particularly when people say "says", instead of "said", for past tense.
I have to de-nerd my replies. I really wanted to talk about my assessment of the okc algorithms, but I controlled myself and didn't put the word algorithm in my reply.
The last girl I replied to online was a 5th grade teacher. I thought, "cool, she'll have good grammar."
My mother-in-law, who has her M.Ed, has a plaque on her wall that she made herself. She was proud of one of her children's progress (this was long ago) and typed up a certificate that complimented her son on his "excellent grammer." No, I am not kidding.
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Yes, it does make a difference. I expect someone of reasonable intelligence who is reasonably interesting to be able to communicate properly and not totally bore me. 'Hey babe, how r u' makes me think of one of those fake dating profiles. Especially when there's some busty 19 yo looker on the profile pic.
My mother-in-law, who has her M.Ed, has a plaque on her wall that she made herself. She was proud of one of her children's progress (this was long ago) and typed up a certificate that complimented her son on his "excellent grammer." No, I am not kidding.
Well, at least she was trying, which is better than some parents who don't give a hoot about the impression their children make to the rest of the world. It's not just that, either. If a person becomes engaged in his native language he is also likely to read more. Reading breaks you out of your own little world. It opens you up more to the experiences of others. It helps you to see your own life in perspective.
I think so much depends on the home. Neither of my parents finished high school. My father did not finish grammar school. They read to me when I was a tyke. They bought books for me as little gifts frequently. They told me that the teacher was almost always right and that I should always do my very best in school. They had no way of knowing how far they could have gotten in life had their educational level been different, but they encouraged me to find out. They loved me.
What can the attitude of parents be today when the children do so poorly?
If poor command of the language reflects an uncaring (to some degree) family, it only bolsters the fact that these people would probably make lousy spouses who had such lousy role models.
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