Correcting people's grammar - acceptable?

Filey

I can't help it but I am usually very aware of bad spelling and grammar. As a rule I never say anything, point it out, or correct it. We are all different. We all make mistakes.

However it really really makes me very annoyed indeed when people whose trade/profession is with words, and who are supposed to be well educated in communication skills, such as journalists in the Daily Mail and other publications, make major grammar and spelling errors.

No excuse there!

lisa110rry

I agree with Filey.

NotBothered

Filey wrote: »

I can't help it but I am usually very aware of bad spelling and grammar. As a rule I never say anything, point it out, or correct it. We are all different. We all make mistakes.

However it really really makes me very annoyed indeed when people whose trade/profession is with words, and who are supposed to be well educated in communication skills, such as journalists in the Daily Mail and other publications, make major grammar and spelling errors.

No excuse there!

In principal you are absolutely correct. I am an Administrator/Secretary and spelling is really quite important. I used to be awesome at it. Should I now be fired because circumstances sometimes leave me a little lacking in that (and many other) departments now?

I appreciate that my sort of circumstances are in the minority but please try to imagine what it is like to lose such a skill for no reason? When I was first diagnosed i imagined that ending up in a wheelchair was the worst thing that could ever happen to me! Oh if only that was true. I'd gladly go and sit in one now if the numbness in my hands would go away (making it difficult AND painful to type and hold a pen)

And please don't imagine that this is a "Woe is Me" post. It isnt. I do very well despite my illness. I drive, I work full time, I run and I skydive regularly but the future is uncertain and really quite scary.

Now add the thought that I am now sometimes !!!! at my job does nothing to help! Again - thanks to my work colleagues I feel reassured that THEY at least have some understanding and tolerance to my situation and don't make me feel worse by calling me stupid, lazy or uneducated.

Petra_70

athensgeorgia wrote: »

I didn't specify posters I said people. I dislike people who misspell. It doesn't matter if the error was made on an internet forum, a personal email or letter from a company, electronically there should be no reason for misspelling anything. I can understand errors happening when something is handwritten but even that can be proofread with the help of a dictionary.

A small minority of individuals suffering from an illness does not excuse the population as a whole who misspell. Correct spelling should be encouraged when a child is still at school, and surely any illnesses will be picked up there with proper monitoring, anybody who doesn't suffer this 'illness' should have the encouragement and education to spell correctly.

I have always encouraged my own children to correct spelling mistakes and it's now turned into a 'family game' of who can spot the misspelt word, not only in their school work but in every day life. We also have the apostrophe game which my husband dislikes as the children are so good at it he never wins.

As I previously said I don't correct a person's mistakes but do cringe to myself. I wouldn't have enough time in the day to correct every mistake I saw on a daily basis.

And yes I do still dislike poor spelling. Everyone has a bugbear, nobody likes everything and incorrect spelling is mine.

I agree with the majority here. Your comments are unbelievable! Are you actually serious?!

The thing that bugs me about some of the 'grammar police' is how they seem to think they are BETTER than people who are not great at grammar and spelling. You sound like one of those people.

Pollycat wrote: »

WOW!
Just WOW!
So there are no illnesses that develop once someone is an adult?
Any illness will be picked up at school and be properly monitored?

That's great to know that if I didn't have dementia at school, I won't get it.

It's clear that you didn't bother to take my advice and read post #267 (I originally said #268 but a post must have been removed since then) because if you had you would know that some people who may have taken pride in their use of the correct English and Grammar are - as a result of illness developed in adulthood - struggling now.

:T

NotBothered wrote: »

I dislike people with low tolerance!

I used to be just like you - then an incurable disease walked into my life without invitation! Here's hoping that you suffer a similar fate. Ooops - did I accidentally miss a word there? Must be the MS!

Harsh. LOL. :rotfl: I gather the word you missed out was DON'T (ie 'I hope you DON'T suffer a similar fate!)

Mupette wrote: »

well which is it to be people who misspell or individuals?

Suggest you get off this forum and read about grown up illnesses.

you know absolutely nothing, your/you're/ (who cares) spouting from your backside.

And when you've done reading I'll be here waiting for an apology.

:T

missbiggles1

lisa110rry wrote: »

On the subject of grammar, one of my work tasks which as far as I know is unique, at least I don't know any other company this happens in, is to review every document the company produces for Adjudication, Arbitration, etc. I review the grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting before it leaves the premises. On the other hand, I would never correct someone on a forum as we all have important skills. What others can do, I cannot and vice versa. Who is to say that my skills are greater than, for example, a Construction Manager?

Well, I'd expect your English skills to be greater than the Construction Manager's, just as I'd expect her skills in construction to be greater than yours. It doesn't make either of you better than the other but I don't see any need to downplay your own skills in that way.

NotBothered

Petra_70 wrote: »

Harsh. LOL. :rotfl: I gather the word you missed out was DON'T (ie 'I hope you DON'T suffer a similar fate!)

:T

Looking closely, i do believe that was the word I missed! I'd go back and edit it but I don't want to. :j

Pollycat

I read a post and look past the odd misspelled word or missing/misplaced apostrophe.

I read a post based on the subject matter - be it a request for advice, support, a rant (which by its very nature will often have more mistakes than other posts) or just a subect that I feel I may want to comment on.

Imho, if anyone feels another poster has shown themselves up because they've made a mistake, that reflects more on that person than the person who made the mistake in the first place.

lisa110rry

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Well, I'd expect your English skills to be greater than the Construction Manager's, just as I'd expect her skills in construction to be greater than yours. It doesn't make either of you better than the other but I don't see any need to downplay your own skills in that way.

I chose a Construction Manager for the example on purpose because I've actually had this conversation with a male one of the species, lol, and after we had the conversation he understood that I admired (professionally) and rated him for what he could do, and he could come to me to gloss his reports any time he liked. Before that he had seemed to resent me in some way, possibly because I continually spurned his advances!

I wasn't downplaying my skills though, I was saying that everyone has special skills and all are equally important. Knowing my subjunctive from my conditional isn't going to build a bridge, lol!

athensgeorgia

Mupette wrote: »

And when you've done reading I'll be here waiting for an apology.

You'll be waiting a long time. I will not apologise for having an opinion like I wouldn't expect anyone else to apologise for theirs. Just because I don't agree with that opinion, or mine isn't agreed with, does not make it wrong.

Am I not allowed to dislike people who can't spell? Does that mean those people who don't like the things I do like are wrong? I might say I dislike people who can't spell, but I also dislike people who are homophobic, racist or cruel to animals, am I wrong for that too? Do I have to like everyone?

lazer

People correcting my grammar, spelling or pronunciation really bugs me.


My husband is a major culprit of this. My family always pronounced an Irish county wrong - Monaghan


They pronounced if mon-ag-an, whereas the g is effectively silent and it should be pronounced Mon-a-han. It is the same with various other towns with a gh - Drogheda, Maghera etc. I know I am saying them wrong, I have said them wrong for 30 years, I actually try to say them properly now, but generally don't and hate being corrected when I am saying something, although I do wish someone had corrected me years ago!


I also used a lot of local dialect and hate it when people correct it.


Anyone that lives in Ireland, will know we pronounce a lot of things differently, but a lot of it is due to using a mix of irish and English.


Eg: a cup of tae (tay), so corrections on this annoy me too