What Gives You the Right?
- Thread starter OLDPHART
- Start date
I've probably made several errors in this post and if somebody tells me so in a polite manner than I'll attempt to assimilate that knowledge rather than getting my panties in a twist because somebody who knows better decided to tell me I'm wrong, but hey, if you feel comfortable in your ignorance, carry on.
Let's being honest here, such corrections on the forum are rarely ever polite. And I mean verging on never.
Soldato
To be honest, if you feel belittled by somebody pointing out your failure to grasp the english language in it's written form and further take offence at it being pointed out (with the caveat that it does depend on how it's worded) then you have issues and it's your problem, not the person who is attempting to show you correct useage.
Exactly, it depends on how it is worded, don't criticise, teach, although sadly most tend to veer towards criticism as a failed teaching method rather than politeness, patience, and understanding, criticism is often for their own self esteem, politeness is often geared towards helping people and creates a less volatile environment when correcting someone, but as Nitefly points out, sadly people are very rarely polite about it.
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Soldato
It all comes down to brain cycles, it takes more brain cycles to decipher someone's terrible English than it does to read perfectly¹ written English. People do not like it when they have to do extra work because others feel they can not or do not have to.
Imagine if you worked with an idiot at your workplace who did the same amount of work you did but finished it badly and you had to correct all of his mistakes. You would most certainly not be happy.
Just playing devil's advocate here.²
¹ Or at least a GCSE level of understanding.
² I do not claim to type perfect, error free English.
Imagine if you worked with an idiot at your workplace who did the same amount of work you did but finished it badly and you had to correct all of his mistakes. You would most certainly not be happy.
Just playing devil's advocate here.²
¹ Or at least a GCSE level of understanding.
² I do not claim to type perfect, error free English.
Man of Honour
Since you are asking for a correction the first time you wrote "it's" the correct option is without the apostrophe as "its" is by itself possessive (which is what you are trying to show) so all you need know is the one form there. Apostrophes can of course denote possession of items e.g. Dave's bike or a contraction as you've used above for "...how it's worded" but not in the extant case. If you are unsure then just do a quick test in your head, would you replace "it's" with "it has", "it was" or "it is"? If not then you don't need the apostrophe.
For "usage" you drop the "e" in the middle. Hope you don't mind the above but it might help.
Soldato
I don't mind too much, the one that really makes my skin crawl is when people put "should have" instead of "should have" that one nips my nipples a bit.
From listening to my kids I have noticed that the general way they talk is just so different, they often say "what" instead of "that"....that drives me mad
For instance "that was the day what we went to the beach" rather than "that was the day we went to the beach/that was the day that we went to the beach". Watching F1 last year drove me around the twist as Mr Blundell kept saying what instead of that.......& he is on TV.
I don't think anyone on here has perfect spelling or grammar, as long as it is readable then carry on.
From listening to my kids I have noticed that the general way they talk is just so different, they often say "what" instead of "that"....that drives me mad
For instance "that was the day what we went to the beach" rather than "that was the day we went to the beach/that was the day that we went to the beach". Watching F1 last year drove me around the twist as Mr Blundell kept saying what instead of that.......& he is on TV.
I don't think anyone on here has perfect spelling or grammar, as long as it is readable then carry on.
Brain Cycles!!!, are you on drugs. I dont think that you are going to run out of brain cycles because someone mis-spelt poppycock.
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Oct 2007
- Posts
- 3,831
Yep, completely agree. Correcting someone's English in itself is perfectly acceptable providing you do it in a friendly manner. However, a lot of people do not and this is the reason why the person who is being corrected will take offence to it. Not because someone had pointed out their mistakes but because of the way that person had pointed it out.
Soldato
OMG my Brain cycles !!, can I has them back please !!
No, once they're gone, they're gone. Brain Cycles are a very limited resource and a major cause of climate change.
Since you are asking for a correction the first time you wrote "it's" the correct option is without the apostrophe as "its" is by itself possessive (which is what you are trying to show) so all you need know is the one form there. Apostrophes can of course denote possession of items e.g. Dave's bike or a contraction as you've used above for "...how it's worded" but not in the extant case. If you are unsure then just do a quick test in your head, would you replace "it's" with "it has", "it was" or "it is"? If not then you don't need the apostrophe.
For "usage" you drop the "e" in the middle. Hope you don't mind the above but it might help.
I don't mind at all, the first "it's" was an oversight, typed without thinking as I suspect many are, as for my spelling, that's another one I'll try to remember
My grasp of written english and spelling has improved considerably since I started using internet forums but I still have a lot of learning to do
Soldato
To the OP, excellent post. I'm heavily involved with another forum and constantly see and get asked to sort out spelling and grammar - totally agree with what you said, as long as you can understand what the person is saying then so what!
My only gripes on the whole spelling/grammar subject would be:-
- text speak (i 1nt 2 kno wot d bst gfx crd iz 4 mi PC)
- all in capitals
- no full stops
Too many of these about on most forums, certainly plenty on here:-
My only gripes on the whole spelling/grammar subject would be:-
- text speak (i 1nt 2 kno wot d bst gfx crd iz 4 mi PC)
- all in capitals
- no full stops
Too many of these about on most forums, certainly plenty on here:-
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 May 2005
- Posts
- 12,631
I believe I can sum up peoples feelings with the:
Someoen makes a typo like that, it is silly to correct it.
People complain because a massive wall of text beats them on the head w!th 1t wr0t3 l!k3 th15, it makes everyone annoyed.
Someoen makes a typo like that, it is silly to correct it.
People complain because a massive wall of text beats them on the head w!th 1t wr0t3 l!k3 th15, it makes everyone annoyed.
Caporegime
Man of Honour
My biggest hate is people who type ect instead of etc.
Funnily enough the OP got them all right.
Funnily enough the OP got them all right.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
i think the easier point to win is that language is a tool of communication.
if both parties understand the message conveyed, the spelling/grammar etc is not important.
it also means that the bigger frustration is one party trying to communicate exactly what he/she means with the other party. Of course this is always impossible.
Grammar nazis should become meaning nazis: "is that what you REALLY meant?"
if both parties understand the message conveyed, the spelling/grammar etc is not important.
it also means that the bigger frustration is one party trying to communicate exactly what he/she means with the other party. Of course this is always impossible.
Grammar nazis should become meaning nazis: "is that what you REALLY meant?"