Topic: Are spelling, punctuation, and grammar dead??

[BLACKDOG]

Seems to be the case.  I can't help but notice spelling, punctuation, and grammar are going by the wayside in todays society.  I've seen the lack of the above in everything from text messages to news publications and news broadcasts.  Do people no longer take pride in their ability to write/type legibly?  I can understand a mistake or two here and there, God knows we're all guilty of it (including myself) but come on people! 

.  This is a period.  It is your friend, use it!  Anytime you make a simple statement, that you would normally say in a full breath, use this mark. 

,  This is a comma.  Use it if your statement would require more than one breath to say.  Then end the statement in a period. 

u  Is not an acceptable substitute for "you."  This and other text message slang is an idiotic butchering of the English language.  Lol, rofl, txt, etc. Should not be acceptable at all, let alone anywhere besides a phone screen. (and to use the smileys on this board .

your and you're are not the same thing.  your is possessive, like "This is your Toyota."  You're indicates a state of being, like "you're going to pay for that" or "you're here."

If you use i by itself, it is ALWAYS capitalized. 

Always start a sentence with a capital. 

Paragraphs are your friend, please use them.  When you change subjects, or your eyes simply start to cross from trying to figure out what line you're supposed to be reading, its time to hit enter twice, and continue typing.


I really don't care if you take offense to this or not.  I really don't care if you "don't have to type right because its not important,"  or "I'm not in school right now," or "I'm not at work right now."  Poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation makes you appear lazy, ignorant, stupid, or all of the above, regardless of background, education, or intent.


 



I feel better now. 

[Rocksurfer]

It's called texting, it's ruining the English language.

[Duffil]

We have WAY too many threads on this subject. Please search next time.

I, too, am aware of this travesty.  IMO there is nothing that can be done, short of stressing this more in schools at lower grades.

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

We have WAY too many threads on this subject. Please search next time.

I, too, am aware of this travesty.  IMO there is nothing that can be done, short of stressing this more in schools at lower grades.

what?!?!  search?  whats that? 




I'm not sure there can be too many threads on this subject.  especially in CCC. 

[jimbo74]

SHO NUFF

[Wermz84]

Your not the only one.  Ive noticed this to, it drives me nuts.   Schools aren't teaching anymore, society is dumbing things down.  

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

Your not the only one.  Ive noticed this to, it drives me nuts.   Schools aren't teaching anymore, society is dumbing things down.  

 

I remember getting back short little essays and stuff written when I was in 2nd grade or so that were just covered in red ink.  Are teachers allowed to even use red ink anymore? 

[WHITE_TRASH]

Don't think your the only one that has noticed the sorry excuse that passes for spelling and punctuation these days... 

[Wermz84]

No, because they're not supposed to tell the children they were wrong. That could hurt their feelings.     They just seem to get shuffled through.


I use to get that same red ink.  

[Rocksurfer]

No, because they're not supposed to tell the children they were wrong. That could hurt their feelings.     They just seem to get shuffled through.


I use to get that same red ink.  

Just lower the standard and that will fix the lower scores.

[Duffil]

Just lower the standard and that will fix the lower scores.

sometimes you have to lower your standards to bring up your averages.

or at least that's what a buddy of mine says.

[Wermz84]

sometimes you have to lower your standards to bring up your averages.

or at least that's what a buddy of mine says.

I'm sure your buddy is not talking about school test scores.   

[iNfErNaL]

 

I remember getting back short little essays and stuff written when I was in 2nd grade or so that were just covered in red ink.  Are teachers allowed to even use red ink anymore? 

No,they text it to the kids    , LOL .... "da s-a u rote was good ur improving quite a bit good job"   

[Prismo]

 

[kneedownnate]

How funny jason, I have been contemplating starting a thread about to and too since so few people seem to understand which one to use    Guess it's time to bring out an old friend again...

[abnormaltoy]

Your not the only one.  Ive noticed this to, it drives me nuts.   Schools aren't teaching anymore, society is dumbing things down.  

Don't think your the only one that has noticed the sorry excuse that passes for spelling and punctuation these days... 

As side note...

Your is the possessive form of you.

You're is a contraction of "you are". You're should be used any time you might otherwise use the words...you are.

So...you're not using the correct to explain your situation.

[Wermz84]

As side note...

Your is the possessive form of you.

You're is a contraction of "you are". You're should be used any time you might otherwise use the words...you are.

So...you're not using the correct to explain your situation.

Well Crap!

I know I pressed the apostrophe button last night.   Damn this is what happens when I type to fast.   Thank you O great Curmudgeon   

[Wermz84]

That is funny Nate   

[abnormaltoy]

 Thank you O great Curmudgeon   

I think pecker-head might well suffice today!

[Wermz84]

I think pecker-head might well suffice today!

[JanMarie13]

...Damn this is what happens when I type to fast.

Before anyone else you, I will lovingly point out that in this case, it should be "too."  

Where you are preceding an adjective and meaning excessively, or in the case of it meaning "also," you go ahead and add the extra "o," i.e. you are too cute; I want to be cute too!  

[Wermz84]

   I cannot win today.   


I know this, I swear.  I just type really fast.    and you are too cute. 

[79coyotefrg]

[JanMarie13]

   I cannot win today.   

I know this, I swear.  I just type really fast.    and you are too cute. 

haha 

Seriously though...I would never bust on anybody for spelling or punctuation, and I most definitely don't feel it makes people look stupid.  I've said it before but it bears repeating--I know plenty of very hard-working productive members of society who just AREN'T good with spelling and punctuation.  It isn't their bag and never was, even though they give it a damn good shot and stress over whether or not things are correct.  And they're about half afraid to post on forums like this for fear of "looking stupid."  Now that makes me sad.  These people are very sharp, and are highly respected in their line of work, which doesn't happen to require a college degree or much writing.

I know the kind of people BD means are probably ones who he knows damn well are educated people who know better, but are just lazy.  Or maybe 17-yr-old kids who are too used to texting and just don't care.  But there ARE people out there who don't fit into those categories and just simply aren't that great at it.  And we shouldn't make them feel like they aren't good enough to "speak."

[*FFC*]

Jason, you're so right! I can't believe some of the writings I see in my COLLEGE classes.  I'm taking 2 English classes right now, and the majority of the responses I can't even read! And these students are PASSING the ENGLISH class using run on sentences, lack of punctuation, grammar and spelling!

It is kind of frustrating to me, since the teacher says that mechanics are important in completing an assignment, then I see responses to some of our assignments that make NO SENSE whatsoever.  I'm wondering if I write like them (a bunch of nothing basically) if I'll pass the class too I think it'll take more effort to write without the above than it is to write WITH it

[kneedownnate]

Jason - It seems your thread title should read like this instead, at least if using the proper punctuation: 

Are spelling, punctuation and grammar dead??

It's been a looong time since I was in school, and even longer since I remember actually learning anything, but I seem to remember being told you don't need the last comma that most people ad in a sentence just before the word and.  Like if you were to say "I like green, red and blue"  instead of saying "I like green, red, and blue"

[Wermz84]

I was taught in school that you did need that comma before the word and.   

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

haha 

Seriously though...I would never bust on anybody for spelling or punctuation, and I most definitely don't feel it makes people look stupid.  I've said it before but it bears repeating--I know plenty of very hard-working productive members of society who just AREN'T good with spelling and punctuation.  It isn't their bag and never was, even though they give it a damn good shot and stress over whether or not things are correct.  And they're about half afraid to post on forums like this for fear of "looking stupid."  Now that makes me sad.  These people are very sharp, and are highly respected in their line of work, which doesn't happen to require a college degree or much writing.

I know the kind of people BD means are probably ones who he knows damn well are educated people who know better, but are just lazy.  Or maybe 17-yr-old kids who are too used to texting and just don't care.  But there ARE people out there who don't fit into those categories and just simply aren't that great at it.  And we shouldn't make them feel like they aren't good enough to "speak."

You are exactly right!  My grandfather is one who doesn't have the best grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation.  However, it is clear to see by reading what he writes/types, that he is trying to the best of his ability, which I don't fault at all.  Its not even so much the spelling, but the abuse of the english language (text talk) which the people in your first paragraph rarely or ever use, or the complete lack of sentence structure, (capitalization, periods, commas, and paragraph form.)  In my experience, even the people who aren't well educated understand those basics for the most part.

It is the people that type like this lol and don't ever stop to take a breath or even consider whether u can even read what they are riting not understanding that you're comprehension is partially based on sentence structure but that doesn't really matter because if u think its a big deal then u r old fashioned because thats not the way the real world works because every1 is doing it these days just like every1 is putting duels in there trucks along with upgraded breaks n e ways i dont think its any big deal to rite right because it doesnt matter anywayz  thats what spell check is for anywayz right? lolz  

I was taught in school that you did need that comma before the word and.  

That is also what I was taught.    I've got the red marks on my papers to prove it!  (well, not anymore)

[*FFC*]

Jason - It seems your thread title should read like this instead, at least if using the proper punctuation: 

Are spelling, punctuation and grammar dead??

It's been a looong time since I was in school, and even longer since I remember actually learning anything, but I seem to remember being told you don't need the last comma that most people ad in a sentence just before the word and.  Like if you were to say "I like green, red and blue"  instead of saying "I like green, red, and blue"

That's what it says, or am I missing something?

[kneedownnate]

I very well could be wrong, and as I said it's been a long time.  Even if I'm wrong... it just looks cleaner to me.  If you write like you speak, a comma being a pause, I don't pause in speach near as long before and as I do when implying a comma    You also need to remember I'm a hick who grew up in a small town, so we ain't got yo high falootin (how the hell do you spell falootin) book learnin