Grammers
So with @bengoshi's grammar thread back up I got to thinking again(dangerous, I know. I try not to) and I was wondering if people mind when they get their grammar/spelling/syntax corrected, In both native tongues and in secondary languages. Do you find it useful or completely hate it? I personally don't mind if people don't make a huge scene of it, as long as it actually matters or hinders understanding. The whole purpose of grammar is to enhance and speed understanding, so when someone marks the question completely wrong on a test corrects me because I didn't capitalize Canadia or some crap I can get kinda annoyed. especially when it knocks my gpa down half a percent But other than that, whatever. I can deal with it if I find it annoying, and it's usually not even that. But what about you?
Clarification for voters: I mean in general, any language, any platform. Not just English, not just on the forums.
Clarification for voters: I mean in general, any language, any platform. Not just English, not just on the forums.
- Grammers26 votes
- I *hate* it whenever someone corrects me. I usually know it's wrong anyway, and I don't need my time wasted.0.00%
- I find it annoying and I'd rather people didn't do it, but I'll live.7.69%
- I don't mind *too* much, but I won't endorse it.26.92%
- I am indifferent.15.38%
- I don't really find it annoying at all. I actually correct other people sometimes.30.77%
- I think grammar is *very* important to efficient communication, and am always sure everyone around me is able to speak properly.11.54%
- Lol kitteh!7.69%
Post edited by meagloth on
6
Comments
Of course I think that the Internet with better Grammar is appealing. So I feel really ashamed when I re-read my post and find something like "more funnier" in them.
I adore when people type in really good, literature style, like, for e.g., @Lemernis and @Blackraven in their playthrough tales.
But in the same time I don't think that Grammar in the Internet is a necessity. It's so good we can all talk here, no matter what country we're from and no matter how good we in English. So, as long as we understand each other, I'm fine. And even when something is not clear, if there's a chance to get the idea in one way or another, so be it.
And about corrections: I don't mind them but I think people don't have to concentrate on mistakes in other's posts. It's always better to type on topic than go into "you said it wrong" mode.
English isn't my first language but being on the internet, playing games and reading in English I learned a lot and still spelling isn't my strong side and I use a wordbook to write the word I don't know how to, so I know I'm not perfect and that other people aren't either and one shouldn't hold that against them and understand that not everyone can write well or know the rules of grammar perfectly or even well, most of them I don't even remember lol.
As for capital latter at the beginning of a sentence a name I use it yeah but in my language there isn't something like that so when I'm talking with friends on skype or other places I just don't bother to use it, don't really see the point in it anyway.
I think that people that write on the forums and know that their english and spelling is bad are brave people because that the way to learn to write right, by using it and making themselves better even if they aren't thinking about it like that and when someone correct them on every turn it just make them feel that there english isn't just bad but supperrrrrrr bad, now I'm not saying that correction isn't good from time to time like in a repeat mistake for example it was ages ago but when I start writing in forum on the net I use to write "but" as "bat" because that how it sound but english is english and one doesn't write like it sound so someone saw it and told m to "stop write bat and that it is written as but" so it was ok cos I learn from it, but too many correction can get on the nerves (like some of the dwarf ingame like to say
I think the issue I personally have with my grammar is that I am often thinking of several different things at once. Occasionally, I can end up smashing two sentences together without even knowing it. Alternatively, I can end up having a sentence made up of redundant or repetitive words, such as "I am going will go to the store." This is where I have been thinking about two things ('I am going' and 'I will go'), doing something else, and all the while not realising that I've taken the two forms and put them together. It is not right, and it is important that it does not happen. Trying to understand a sentence like that is simply confusing, even to me if I re-read it. I would hope others correct me when I make such errors, that is assuming I didn't spot it and correct it before anyone opens their mouth. :-)
(Also, capitalisation is to show importance. Are you saying that Canadia isn't important? Huh?!)
Capitalisation is especially when it comes to the internet, with its acronyms and lack of punctuation. 'ill' is another word for feeling 'sick', 'im' is the lowercase form of 'Instant Messaging'. If at least punctuation is used, 'i'll' becomes 'I will' and 'i'm' becomes 'I am'.
Now really you can understand what is i'm / im or i'll /ill from a sentence there is no really need for capital latter for it you just need to use ' for it if you wanna say "i'll go and see what happen", or "I sent him a im I hope he will answer to it soon", or "i'm ill i'll go when i'll feel better but for now i'll just im him that i'm not feeling well" :P
So, @ShadowHunter , you should definitely post if you want to say something no matter if there're mistakes in your phrases or not. The more comments from different people we have here, the better.
And besides, the more you post, the better your English becomes.
"My wife already corrects me everyday (in my native language), so please correct me before she can see what I wrote wrong!!"
If we're talking correcting others in public, such as on these forums, it's probably best not to correct other people, unless we know a particular person appreciates being corrected. Personally, I use the English language professionally and I like being good at what I do, so I would see your corrections as much appreciated 'free help' and would never be offended by it
I only correct people if they ask me to, since I know, from experience, that it isn't always appreciated. I also make allowances for people for whom English isn't a first language, since I know that they will always be better at English than I am at German.
But, being a native English speaker, and from a well educated background, I consider myself to be better than the average English speaker, though I'm not exactly Oxford professor level, obviously.
(i put a
It's also a sign of wanting quality and not being sloppy.
A good, grammatically correct and quality post or comment and one that is sloppy and filled with mistakes, can be the difference between having your post ignored, not taken seriously or getting good and helpful responses.
Also there's nothing more frustrating between seeing native speakers that make more mistakes than non-native ones.
Especially the "your/you're, their/they're/there, then/than" etc. It's not rocket science to figure out that you're means "you are".
I can forgive some mistakes here and there but I've seen posts with no grammar, no punctuation, no capitalization and no spacing.
Just a big, continuous, freaking wall of text that makes my eyes bleed.
Buts it's still sad when foreigners speak your language better than you do.
As for the "your/you're" thing (its/it's, and whose/who's, are the other ones), for some reason, many native English speakers seem under the impression that an apostrophe always indicates possession. And I won't even go into the whole "who/whom" thing!
By the by, this is a funny sketch related to grammar, and modern day speech:
(NOW who's being pedantic, jackjack?
I was merely…
Hush up, will you?
But I…
I said hush up you! I'll not ax you again!)
It's different when people deliberately bungle their English. Or fail to run a spellchecker when one is easily available in their web browsers.
I don't correct others but I do consider it a nuisance if somebody who should know better writes "4u" instead of "for you". I think it's common courtesy not to deliberately make your posts harder to read than absolutely necessary.
BUT!
Grammar is a fluid thing. Did you know that early grammatical rules stated that all nouns should begin with a capital?
A Sentence in a Book would look like this!
It was dropped because the type setters who changed the printing blocks on the early printing presses, got so hacked off with the rule (because capitals were bigger and required a different holder requiing realignment of the line, a very time consuming process) they stopped using it.
In turn, it was dropped from hand written texts as well.
At present the semi-colon is under threat as people just don't use it.
Rules are also being made. FOR INSTANCE WRITING IN CAPITALS HAS RECENTLY COME TO SIGNIFY SHOUTING! Remember when an exclamation mark was all that was warranted?
So grammatical rules come and go.
They are not fixed.
Grammar simply helps communication is clear through the written word.
hovever nadded nut is it as mostpeeple hove d broon ta wak thangs ut fur thomsolves
I type everything via a small tablet, and usually with one hand. And that hand sometimes is holding a lit cigar. So I make mistyping errors often. I like keyboards. Touchscreens are for children too silly to have learned basic touch typing.
New rules!
New rule 1: To avoid blocks of text you now must place a blank line every three sentences. A new paragraph is signified with three blank lines.
New rule 2: The last sentence of any text must end in an ellipse.
I wonder if they will catch on. I've always wanted to put my mark on the world of literacy! Yes.
I will become an honorary Doctor of English at Cambridge University! Knighted! Famous!...
Bugger...