Correcting people's grammar - acceptable?

maman

There's a massive difference between regional accents and sloppy speech. It's perfectly possible to be brought up to use the wrong vocabulary but that doesn't make it regional just perpetuating errors.

LittleMax

maman wrote: »

There's a massive difference between regional accents and sloppy speech. It's perfectly possible to be brought up to use the wrong vocabulary but that doesn't make it regional just perpetuating errors.

But if significant numbers of people are perpetuating the same errors then it becomes accepted usage and the language evolves.

At Christmas someone asked for a slither of cake, and someone else asked isn't it sliver, I always use sliver? There was then a bit of a debate and comments about snakes slithering until finally we googled it and found that slither is now in the OED as informal for sliver. So both are acceptable. Give it another generation of slither of cake being published on menus and slither will become the norm and sliver will be classified as an old fashioned term for slither. Finally sliver will disappear from use altogther.

pollypenny

Lily-Rose wrote: »

Hmmmmm, I also wonder if all the claims that people on this forum make about their life, (and the career they supposedly have,) are actually true.

But maybe that's just me being cynical.

Well, I'm not sending you my CV to prove my credentials.

pollypenny

LittleMax wrote: »

But if significant numbers of people are perpetuating the same errors then it becomes accepted usage and the language evolves.

At Christmas someone asked for a slither of cake, and someone else asked isn't it sliver, I always use sliver? There was then a bit of a debate and comments about snakes slithering until finally we googled it and found that slither is now in the OED as informal for sliver. So both are acceptable. Give it another generation of slither of cake being published on menus and slither will become the norm and sliver will be classified as an old fashioned term for slither. Finally sliver will disappear from use altogther.

Ugh! The thought of 'slither', a verb of slow, sneaky movement, as acceptable for something to eat is horrible.


BTW: I say 'day-bris', too. Its origin is French with an acute accent on the 'e'!

missbiggles1

Pollycat wrote: »

Well, there you go, missbiggles1 - you're obviously not as perfect as you think you are. :rotfl:

I never claim to be perfect - I just admit when I'm wrong, which is why I edited my post.:D

missbiggles1

hollydays wrote: »

Don't you mean " people who use the wrong word ARE " not "is"? :money:
Just teasing.

I think you're right - I was thinking that "problem" was the subject, which it isn't.:o

LittleMax

pollypenny wrote: »

Well, I'm not sending you my CV to prove my credentials.

I might give that a try - if all these pedants give their suggestions as to how it could be improved, I might have success getting a job

Domayne

I think it's acceptable to correct bad grammar.
But I also think it's acceptable for the person to tell you to get stuffed.
Personally I don't really mind the common mistakes like - their, they're, there - to, too, two etc because let's get real, We are just talking on a forum, Not writing an English exam and as long as I get your meaning, It's fine.
But it REALLY annoys me when ppl tlk lyk dis innit.
Too much work trying to decode the meaning.

System

My grammar is pretty poor! Sometimes i know i should put capital letters or apostrophes but i'm not a journalist and i'm not posting on anything that requires me to be perfect with my grammar. If someone corrects me i dont mind because its just a weak attempt at picking faults in someone and really it says more about them than it does about me

Mistral001

To answer the question posed by the OP, in my opinion it is not acceptable. In fact I think it is just plain rude.