Wednesday, January 10, 2007

More Grammatical Ranting

I actually posted this where it's a debate on whether or not using proper grammar is important! I'm just pasting what I wrote here because it feels like it should be a blog post heh heh.

"I'm really not the grammar police unless you're my husband, children, or someone I know extremely well. There have been a few times online where something was so outrageously incorrect that I had to say something, but I always make sure there's some humor behind it. I try not to be insulting, although of course some people take a correction as criticism.

If I write or say something incorrectly, I expect to be called on it. I don't get all pi$$y because I'd rather know the correct way rather than continue to be misinformed. Typos happen to everyone, and not everyone catches them. I don't have issues with occasional typos. But when it's clear that no thought was put into the written words, which is how we communicate online, it's rather disrespectful. Lazy grammar is disrespectful, plain and simple.

If you understand the language and made it through high school, you (general you) should at least have the basics of the English language and its grammar. I've seen people who speak and write English as their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th language and still do it better than a native English speaker. That's sad.

Not only is it respectful to write and speak correctly, but it does make you (general you) appear uneducated when there are multiple, repeated grammatical mistakes, especially when they break rules that are basic and learned in elementary school. My first grader, who reads at a third grade or higher level, uses excellent grammar. She asks how to spell something if she's not sure of the spelling. She asks the proper way to structure a sentence. She's also been known to correct me and her father when we've used improper grammar. Good for her.

Misspelling simple, commonly used words is actually scary when people try to justify it. How much extra time does it take to write the word properly and use spellcheck if you honestly don't know how to spell something? Spelling words phonetically is something small children do, it's not something supposedly educated adults should be doing. Saying you're a "bad speller" is just an excuse to me. If you know you have a tendency to have trouble spelling words correctly, then out of courtesy to people who have to read what you write, crack open a dictionary or go to dictionary.com. Use spell check.

The fact is, using language and grammar the best you're able per your education is respectful and yes, it's important. With a little practice and effort, it's no more difficult than writing lazily. In fact, I find it very difficult to dumb down my written language and purposefully write incorrectly. Your writing and your speech tell people a lot about you. If you go to an interview and you bring your resume, full of grammatical errors and blatant spelling mistakes, are you going to expect the employer to weigh your resume equally against someone whose resume is immaculate? If you're working on a project for work and have to send memos and regular e-mails out to other people, especially clients, how seriously is anyone going to take your work or your word?

Just a thought or three. It really surprises me to read that some people actually think proper grammar isn't important or that "most people" don't even use proper grammar. I just don't even know how to respond to that. "

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just have to say I am completely guilty of being "lazy" online and not going back and correcting myself when something is typed wrong. I'm also guilt of using "prolly" as if it's a real word ;). However, in "real life" I guess you could call it, I'm very particular about spelling and grammar. the internet tends to make people lazy, and it does tend to make people look uneducated.

Anonymous said...

SEE I didn't even go back and check that, when your whole blog is ranting about proper english! LOL! Sorry for my typo's :(

♛Qu€€n♛J€§§¡¢a♛™ said...

LOL you are too funny! Everyone makes typos. It's the truly lazy people who just can't be bothered to spell anything right. The internet has definitely made people lazier. What really bothers me most is when supposed adults type like they're 12 year old AOL'ers.