Hey, that is me!Sixchan said:
I think I am going back to my old sig, 'I should proof read before posting'.
DoN't sEe It aNymORe bUT tHis Use tO bUG tHe HEll oUt oF mE!
Merged spelling/grammar threads
- Thread starter Wisdom Penalty
- Start date
I think I am going back to my old sig, 'I should proof read before posting'.
DoN't sEe It aNymORe bUT tHis Use tO bUG tHe HEll oUt oF mE!
Lazybones
Adventurer
Nice posts... glad to see I'm not the only one.
Seriously, I would grade papers and sometimes make 50 marks on a single page of double-spaced text. Often the ESL papers were better than those from the students who'd spent their entire lives here.
It's also starting to emerge in the business world. Some time ago I went into my local bank and saw a banner ad (professionally printed, I assume that they made a lot of these) for a loan program that had BOTH an it's/its error AND an apostrophe after a non-possessive plural.
I mean, it was Washington Mutual, but come on!
The down side is that work has gotten out at work that I'm one of those "grammar people" and now I find myself proofreading most of the major documents that we produce in my office...
Seriously, I would grade papers and sometimes make 50 marks on a single page of double-spaced text. Often the ESL papers were better than those from the students who'd spent their entire lives here.
It's also starting to emerge in the business world. Some time ago I went into my local bank and saw a banner ad (professionally printed, I assume that they made a lot of these) for a loan program that had BOTH an it's/its error AND an apostrophe after a non-possessive plural.
I mean, it was Washington Mutual, but come on!
The down side is that work has gotten out at work that I'm one of those "grammar people" and now I find myself proofreading most of the major documents that we produce in my office...
PowerWordDumb
First Post
I feel your pain, Lazybones. I work for a major Canadian bank, and while all the promotional material which comes from corporate is flawlessly error-checked, the individual regional managers and branches have broad leeway to run their own promotions and campaigns as they see fit, so it's not uncommon to walk into a branch and see flawless corporate banners, and directly beneath them a locally-produced banner with many of the same words as the banner above, but spelled differently, or with grammatical constructions that would make an english teacher blush. One might not notice (well okay, I would) if it were only the local banners, but placing them directly beside a flawless example of the language just points out in very clear detail the kind of attention to detail you can expect from the business you've just entered. If they can't even speak and write english, how are they going to deal with the complexities of managing your mortgage?
It's one thing for people to be shaky in a foreign language. We all can understand that and give people the benefit of the doubt - but when exactly did it become acceptable for people to be completely incapable of forming a clear statement in their own native language?
What's next, are expressive grunts and whistles going to replace language entirely, since it's just too hard for people to speak and write their own language?
I make mistakes too, as is evident by a prior post. But at least I have the good graces to be horrified and embarrassed by my errors, and I try to avoid repeating them. It's common now for people to take offense at being corrected, as if it were their inherent right to be perceived as an idiot.
It's one thing for people to be shaky in a foreign language. We all can understand that and give people the benefit of the doubt - but when exactly did it become acceptable for people to be completely incapable of forming a clear statement in their own native language?
What's next, are expressive grunts and whistles going to replace language entirely, since it's just too hard for people to speak and write their own language?
I make mistakes too, as is evident by a prior post. But at least I have the good graces to be horrified and embarrassed by my errors, and I try to avoid repeating them. It's common now for people to take offense at being corrected, as if it were their inherent right to be perceived as an idiot.
PowerWordDumb
First Post
Bah - the General forum isn't moving much, so I'll keep adding thoughts here.
It's ridiculous the number of people who think the world is spelled 'rediculous'. You'd think all the clues they need are in the word's pronunciation. Come on, don't they even know how it's pronounced? The root word is ridicule, and you sure don't pronounce that 'ree-dic-yule", so I don't see how people get "ree-dic-you-luss", unless they're from texas or something.
It's ridiculous the number of people who think the world is spelled 'rediculous'. You'd think all the clues they need are in the word's pronunciation. Come on, don't they even know how it's pronounced? The root word is ridicule, and you sure don't pronounce that 'ree-dic-yule", so I don't see how people get "ree-dic-you-luss", unless they're from texas or something.
WanderingMonster
First Post
I don't have a particular spelling/grammar issue that bugs me.* For me, it's the use of the word "pedantic". I find that people who accuse other people of being pedantic are severly anemic, and self-medicating with some much need irony. "Pedantic" reeks of superiority (I guess that's why it's used so much in flamewars). I better stop before I get stomped by an Irony Golem.
* Actually, should of/should HAVE bugs me. Should of ever replace have? You should HAVE learned that in school!
* Actually, should of/should HAVE bugs me. Should of ever replace have? You should HAVE learned that in school!
WanderingMonster
First Post
PowerWordDumb said:
Duh.
Re-dic'u-luos(v.) 1. to diculous again.
PowerWordDumb
First Post
Dinkeldog said:My favorite pet peeve is the subjunctive mood. If only people were to use this correctly, the world would be a better place.
I don't even know what that is, so I'm probably using it wrong.
It wouldn't be the only thing, that's for sure. I have a nasty habit of writing run-on sentences, and I rely on passive phrasing far too much. At least I recognize these issues and try to work on them. That keeps me from feeling hypocritical as I'm gleefully picking apart the errors that other people make.
