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Grammar, Typos, Whatnot on the blogs.
Their, Thier, or There? I doubt there's a person on here that hasn't made on or more of those mistakes and if they say they never have, well then, we'll have to add prevarication to one of our many deadly blog sins. Lots of things bug me, but not to the point that I make an issue over them. One is the misuse of me and I. Even newscasters do it and, since it's a family pet peeve, we've been know to all correct them at the same time. Another is using "mute" when they mean "moot." Sometimes, when a person is particularly obnoxious I'll snidely bring up a grammatical error they made. But, on the whole, I grit my teeth and ignore it. In my upbringing, it was considered impolite to correct peoples speech, although that doesn't stop some other people. On blogs it's easy to get careless or slip up typing. Too fast, too quick in the keyboard. Those are just typos and we all have done that. We have a fairly good spell check available and it just takes a second to see if we've made any typos or misspellings. Not everyone is a good speller or good at composition so it doesn't hurt us to recognize those who are a little lacking in those areas and who is jut being lazy or careless. With me, I tend to go too fast and get dyslexic. In any case, the blog won't succeed or fail based on our grammar, spelling, or proficiency on the keyboard so a little more tolerance and a little less criticism really is in order here. People I know for a fact are extremely bright make mistakes and my guess is that it's just not that important that they correct those mistakes before hitting the submit button. While it's not earthshaking, it is a fact that people perceive you by the way you present yourself. Now..I'm fair game having put my two cents worth out there. Take your best shots at my post regarding the above mentioned points. AND, share your pet peeves with the rest of us. 52 comments from 22 users
posted by
NancyII
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:16 AM
posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:25 AM
I am guilty of typing too fast and not reading what I have wrote before I send it, then I go back and read it, and try to change it before someone catches on. I'm human I make mistakes. LOL When I am writing a bulletin/blog/post whatever you want to call it, I do tend to send it through spell check first though.... I do tend to get lazy on comments though. But when I'm slacking I can always count on the Grammar Police to come and save me. OB- you are known for correcting Grammar, but that is how I know you, and I have only seen you slip once, for some reason when you correct me it doesnt bother me.. but everyone else seems to do it in rude/snickering type of way. I too have been guilty of being the Grammar Police but typically when I do it, it is because the person truly has horribe grammar... and seem to think that they are the smartest person on this planet :-) posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Well..I have a lot! lol! The spelling, grammar thing on line doesn't bother me at all. I can read right through it and never notice. Hell, I probably do it myself all the time. It really is no big deal. My biggest pet peeve ever is over reactors! A certain person related to my husband is a fake, a**, over reactor and he stinks! If anyone around me at any time overreacts to anything I immediately leave. I wont discuss anything with them ever. In my opinion, no matter what happens, it CAN be handled calmly. :-) posted by
sagefever
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Good one Nancy~ I have been corrected many times and for the most part appreciate it. Once it was done in a mean spirited manner on a very personal post,by who I have forgotten. If I "correct " a person it is because folks are judged by how they write here and I try to be nice about it. When I look back on my first blogs~ the ones written in deep grief~ it's a wonder anybody could read them...it is embarrassing now. Spell check is your friend,easy to use but it won't catch their or there.For the most part I can figure out what a person is saying and I have made plenty of my own mistakes. So I am sorry if I corrected anyone out there and made them feel bad. P.S. Which is the right use of me and I ? lol
posted by
gube
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:38 AM
I try and use spell check before I post my comment. When it comes to those tricky words like were or where and so on I try my best but I was stoned all through high school so I didn't really pay much attention..........sorry !!! posted by
RoyTullis
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I noticed my spell check is not working. Don't know why. Is there someway to turn it on and off? Assistance from anyone would be appreciated. posted by
blognroll
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I've been guilty of both making grammatical errors (and the like) and correcting others when they do so. I'm a bona fide hypocrite, but, I hope, an honest one. What you have to say is the car. How you say it is the shine of the body. When a person gets too hung up on the shine, the person can often miss out on a great car, and he/she can miss out on some great rides. How nitpicky (I think I spelled that wrong) you get all depends on how severe your toilet training was :). posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:56 AM
For fun :0) Can you read this?? Olny srmat poelpe can! ? I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! posted by
dgrealish
on Jun 5, 2008 at 10:58 AM
While I realize I'm not perfect, there are a few grammatical errors that drive me nuts. The one I hear everyday is "these ones". When I was in Jr. High, we had an English teacher who told us we wouldn't have grammar, sentence structure etc, again until college and he felt it was his job to make sure we were ready. Heck Nancy, he was probably your English teacher as well. Mr. Yeager. God Bless him, he'd be spinning in his grave if he heard kids talk these days. Spam code: SHY CA, they got the wrong girl this time. posted by
blognroll
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:01 AM
I have a sister-in-law that says, "That's mine's." That one always drives me a little nuts. I seen, instead of I saw, is another one. posted by
randomfactor
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:02 AM
posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:03 AM
posted by
jadedcynic
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Shrimps...like fingernails on chalkboard to my ears. posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:18 AM
posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:20 AM
posted by
jadedcynic
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Shrimp..not shrimps..ie "We're going to Red Lobster for a shrimps dinner."
posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:23 AM
posted by
randomfactor
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:23 AM
posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:25 AM
posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:26 AM
posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Roy, you've probably got a pop-up blocker enabled. When you click the ABC button, do you get a little bar at the top of your window? posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:31 AM
posted by
randomfactor
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:34 AM
posted by
jfrancais
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:37 AM
I hate when people refer to license in the plural. Example: Do you have your license? No, I need to go get them! posted by
dgrealish
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:39 AM
posted by
jfrancais
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I actually learn something new on occasion when people correct me. My English is not the best. I grew up speaking a hybrid ebonics/english combined with a little Spanish flavor thanks to the neighborhood. posted by
CatherineBaker
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I never use spell check. I probably should. Other people's misprints don't bother me. In fact, not a lot bothers me. However, I AM a brat, and if someone particularly spelling- or grammar-challenged (or point-challenged) writes something I don't like, I call them on it. Pet peeve: Liberry (Library) posted by
jfrancais
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I actually learn something new on occasion when people correct me. My English is not the best. I grew up speaking a hybrid ebonics/english combined with a little Spanish flavor thanks to the neighborhood. posted by
jfrancais
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:50 AM
My spam code (wycum) reminded me of this one: Why come?
posted by
dgrealish
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:54 AM
posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 11:56 AM
posted by
LiveLoveLaugh
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:01 PM
posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Grammer is just history. It's actually fascinating to look at the rules and how the rules change and how particular dialects will drop a rule and what other changes that leads to. In 400 years, we've gone from Shakespeare to today. posted by
TomW
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Sorry, Tiffani. Here's a favorite from an old linguistics teacher of mine: Mary had a little lamb and boy was it delicious. [edit] As soon as I posted this, I thought I should add a caveat that linguistics people are not known for being particularly funny.
posted by
NancyII
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Tom, actually I forgot about they're. I'm guilty of constantly typing in thier instead of their but that's my fingers going before brain is in gear. Thanks for the addition to the list. I was poking fun at myself with that one. RF..comma should be between well and then? Hmmm...that was the third line. Ahhh I see it. I used that instead of who? Deb..in my day at Fruitvale we didn't have Jr High..it was all elementary. Mr. Yeager was the boys gym teacher as well as 7th grade. I had Mrs' McCarson for 7th and Mr Davis for 8th. Roy, spell check won't work for me unless I disable popups. That's a VERY inconvenient feature as I'm always forgetting to turn it back on and get the blasted things. The most embarrassing is when I chidingly correct someone and make a mistake in doing so. You can bet I'll get caught EVERY time. posted by
citybeat
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:11 PM
I don't mind occasional typos. They happen. But when someone consistently gets you're/your wrong, yes, that does lower my opinion of their opinions. It won't tip the balance if the mispeller is making a really compelling point while his perfect-spelling opponent is murdering logic. But it does raise the bar a little bit for the poor speller. Also, I have a personal hatred for "comprised of." And using the word "feel" to describe anything other than sensation or emotion, as in "But she feels the rule allows the quiet zone." That's not a feeling, that's a thought. Or an opinion. posted by
NancyII
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Rule of thumb on the I and Me thing is drop the other person or persons and see if it makes sense. "Joey and me are going to the store." "Me is going to the store." Works the same when you want to use I instead of me. Most feel it makes them sound better but..... (brain dead for an example at the moment but it will come) Another pet peeve is the latest totally acceptable "anyways. Ick..drives me nuts. When did it become plural? Or possessive? posted by
ChicoEsquela
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:16 PM
posted by
NancyII
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:17 PM
City..typos are pretty easy to spot, especially if it's someone you know knows better. It's fun to rib them since they sometimes have a tendency to be a tad smug. Now fess up. How many of you used speel chk when they posted here? :-) posted by
sagefever
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:19 PM
posted by
msjenny
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:19 PM
for me i just read i dont care if its correct or not,,,i am just interested in what everyone has to say, posted by
dgrealish
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:27 PM
It's a rare occasion I don't use it. Spelling is a talent, and poor spelling isn't a sign of ignorance. When I was younger, I was a strong speller. Not so much anymore. posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:28 PM
I use spell check on some of my posts because like Tiffany said, I type as I think and don't always get it right. And if I ever have to spell the word -probably- I must go to spell check. I can NEVER remember how to spell that word. Also our computer is in the family room and with the hubby's blaring TV, 8 year old talking and playing loud as she can, 9 birds chirping and dogs playing it's hard to concentrate. Putting my thoughts down and getting the spelling right is a good thing. Grammar eh not so much a care of mine :0)
posted by
Tiffanilynn
on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:38 PM
posted by
maybelline
on Jun 5, 2008 at 01:06 PM
So many to list. The misuse or non use or improper use of the word "too". That one really pinches; but none of these little annoyances have much meaning. posted by
robinislost
on Jun 5, 2008 at 01:56 PM
Hello, all. Robin has returned to post a comment! Great post, Nancy. I love it! I never use spell check when I'm posting on the blogs. One of the reasons I don't use it is because it's not very trustworthy as far as correcting your grammar -- and sometimes the spelling, too. The other reason is because I actually can't get it to work on Bakersfield.com anymore for some reason. The box will open when I click on it, but nothing ever shows in the window. I don't really care about it, though. I'm not going to use it anyway. I keep a dictionary next to the computer and another one next to my bed, so I always have my personal "spell check" next to me when I need it. I just used it to make sure "trustworthy" is one word. I usually use my dictionary at least once every day. Here's one that bugs me sometimes. "Every day" and "everyday" are two different things. Go look them up in the dictionary. Everything that isn't right bothers me, but I usually don't say anything. I corrected OldBlue once because I know that he's been known to correct other people. I'm normally only caught nit-picking people who have a tendency to correct other people. Most of the time I leave my copy editing skills in the classroom. I love being a copy editor. Now, before you start correcting me, I just want to make it clear that I do not think I'm perfect! So there. Nancy, I have that same problem sometimes. If I correct someone else, I'm likely to be caught making a mistake of my own. I do have to say, though, that most of the mistakes (things that may be seen as misspellings or errors) I make are just typos, because I type very quickly and sometimes things get jumbled. I'd love to keep chatting, but I have return my textbooks to Taft. Sigh. I'll be back later! posted by
bakonative
on Jun 5, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Separately, one word I have a hard time with. I believe I'm fairly good at the their, they're, there and to, two, too. I don't really mind the other bloggers spelling errors, except when they are excessive. Hummmm, bloggers came up as misspelled in the spell checker..... posted by
bakonative
on Jun 5, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Oh, and wheelbarrow. I always thought it was spelled and pronounced wheelbarrel. Right now, I don't even know for sure which one is right, but I think it's wheelbarrow?!?! posted by
Shwaine
on Jun 5, 2008 at 07:45 PM
Like Robin, I also keep a dictionary at my desk. I also tend to read over my comments before hitting Submit. My biggest problems are getting the wrong tense (I'll think "needs" and write "need") and using the wrong word out of the word groups choose/chose and lose/loose. I practically drove myself nuts trying to find all such errors in my dissertation because, not only do I make those mistakes when writing, I don't tend to catch them when proofreading my own work. I'm sure I missed a few. posted by
NancyII
on Jun 7, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Bako...Wheelbarrow is correct. Shwaine..no matter how much I proof a comment, I STILL make mistakes. It's very frustrating that just as I hit "submit" I see the error. :-) Our readers recommend: |