In "real life"

[snapppyd]

do people correct your grammar? Do you do it to other people?

I'm always a little taken aback when it happens here. I think of this as "water cooler" talk. People are just giving opinions, talking about what happens to be on their mind, gossiping about celebreties.

Why do some feel the need to break in with a spelling or grammar correction?
Is it really so important? Do we have to do a spell check every time we want to give a quick post?

I find it kind of mean spirited, like how they are typing is more important than what they are trying to say.

[jfoofj]

In real life... I correct my DS and DSS because I feel that is my responsibilty and I want them to learn the right way to speak, to write, etc. I might correct DH or a close family member or friend if I felt it was in their best interest, not to seem "superior", though. On a message board, never.... who cares.... it is a message board... if you choose to use proper grammar, great, if you choose to write all lower case, great, if u choose 2 b kewl, gr8. I don't really care. I just like reading what you write, or I wouldn't read it. If it bothers you, move on!

[Robinrs]

Any criticism can seem mean spirited when you're not face to face and cannot hear or see the meaning the speaker is trying to convey. That's one of the problems of being on a message board.

As for grammar and spelling errors, well, it bothers some people WAY more than others.

If you don't like mean spirited, you may be on the wrong board ... This place is KNOWN for that!

[Darsa]

I think that the only thing that I ever comment on regarding grammar on this board isn't really grammar at all. When someone posts on this board with NO punctuation, NO capitalization, NO attempt to spell or convey what they're trying to say coherently, all in one big block of typed rubbish, and expect people to wade through it and decipher it in order to give their opinions/thoughts/sympathy etc... THAT I have a problem with.

Heck, some of the spelling and grammar things I see here are a source of amusement for me!

[NeverlandClub23]

Originally Posted by Robinrs

If you don't like mean spirited, you may be on the wrong board ... This place is KNOWN for that!

I agree.

I don't correct anyone's grammar in posts nor do I correct people in real life but I'd be a rich lady if I had a quarter for every time I saw "I seen" on here . I'm not the Grammar Police but I personally do read my posts thoroughly before posting to make sure what I'm trying to say is as correct as possible.

Just let it roll off your back or put certain notorious 'grouchy' members (although I wouldn't say everyone who tries to correct grammar or spelling is 'grouchy' just some people on here take it as their personal mission to ruffle feathers) on ignore . I have learned to stay away from most threads that can be controversial and just read them. Those are the ones where it seems like it falls apart and people start looking for other things to criticize.

[brockash]

Originally Posted by jfoofj

In real life... I correct my DS and DSS because I feel that is my responsibilty and I want them to learn the right way to speak, to write, etc. I might correct DH or a close family member or friend if I felt it was in their best interest, not to seem "superior", though. On a message board, never.... who cares.... it is a message board... if you choose to use proper grammar, great, if you choose to write all lower case, great, if u choose 2 b kewl, gr8. I don't really care. I just like reading what you write, or I wouldn't read it. If it bothers you, move on!

I agree. I am constantly correcting my ds (7) and even dh sometimes, because it's just so aggravating, and I know half the reason ds continues to speak incorrectly is because he hears it from his dad. I just don't understand how it's so hard to speak correctly. Does, "he don't know nothing", really sound right to anyone? Or "he got nothing" Or "yesterday I seen" ect. I just don't understand why someone would speak this way. The only thing I can come up with, is because they think it makes them sound cool? I don't get it, but i don't want my kiddos speaking incorrectly, because it just makes them sound so uneducated and just plain dumb. I'm not going to lie, I do look "down" on ppl. that speak like that. It just automatically makes me think either they're very uneducated, or have poor priorities (as in, sounding "cool" is more important than sounding educated.) I also think the more ppl. speak like that, the more acceptable it gets, and then we would just all sound like a country of dumb ppl.

Having said that, no, I would never correct someone on a message board, or co-workers ect. And, don't get me wrong, I make errors as well, and I mis-spell a lot. There's probably mis-spellings in this post, and really I shouldn't have started my last sentence with and. I hardly ever use spell check in e-mails to family or friends, but almost always at work.

[JessicaR]

Originally Posted by snapppyd

do people correct your grammar? Do you do it to other people?

I'm always a little taken aback when it happens here. I think of this as "water cooler" talk. People are just giving opinions, talking about what happens to be on their mind, gossiping about celebreties.

Why do some feel the need to break in with a spelling or grammar correction?
Is it really so important? Do we have to do a spell check every time we want to give a quick post?

I find it kind of mean spirited, like how they are typing is more important than what they are trying to say.

Some people have a compulsion to correct. I think the incorrect grammar/spelling stands out more for them than actually reading and commenting on the issue at hand. There are plenty of mean-spirited posters on this board. I don't necessarily think spelling and grammar corrections are usually in that category though.

I guess that was a long winded attempt at just saying, try not to let it bother you.

[HM]

I'm corrected by my DD14 when I make a mistake. I will correct my children as well.
I'd never correct someone that was talking to me and have never done so on a message board. However, I think those that do, are trying to be helpful...so that the person doesn't make the same mistake again. I do see things that bother me....but only for that second that I am reading them....and I move on.

[disney1990]

DH & I correct each other. We also correct our adult children and our grandchildren -- and they would do the same for us. I welcome somebody correcting what I say so I don't continue to say it wrong.

Pet Peeve on the DIS board -- loose (my pants are loose).
So many people on the DIS board use it for lose (did you lose your keys?)

I have a friend that also refers to Salmon at SAL-MAN. Everytime we talk about it, I say SAM-MAN. Maybe someday she will get the message.

[snapppyd]

I think it's appropriate to correct your children, or even a family member.

However, I would never correct a friend on a message board for typing "there" in place of "their". I know they know the difference. I think things move so fast these days with all the texting, abbreviations, posting to many boards at once, that sometimes are fingers are faster than our brains. I don't see the need to call them out for it in front of everyone when it really has no bearing on the intent of their message.

[MiniGirl]

In RL, I correct my girls (10 and 7) and even their friends occassionally. I would not correct another adult though. Nor do I correct people on message boards.

[ols386]

In real life, when my kids were younger, I corrected their grammar and spelling, but now that they are grown, I don't.

I don't think I've ever corrected anyone's grammar or spelling on this discussion board....because I know sometimes my grammar and spelling isn't perfect.

[MushyMushy]

No I don't, nor do I correct people on message boards, although my red pen hand itches unmercifully.

I do laugh, though, when someone corrects another poster's grammar and makes a mistake in the process of doing it. Especially when they are snotty about it. Even more so when they spell grammar as "grammer."

One thing I will do in real life is if a person mispronounces a word and then indicates that they don't know how to pronounce it. Or if one person asks how to spell something and another person gives them an incorrect spelling. I'll go ahead and correct it, but in a polite way.

[TheGoofster]

Yup, all the time. Of course the fact that I do it while teaching them how to speak English might have something to do with it.


Now, with native English speakers, only with my kids (and if I'm lucky I can occasionally get in a correction or two on my wife, who was an English major).

[Tink888]

I correct spelling, pronunciation and blatant grammar mistakes with my kids and DH. I would NEVER do it on on a message board or to belittle someone. We all make mistakes.

I will admit that I am one of "those" people who notice mistakes. It's always been a pet peeve of mine. I was taught to believe that like appearances, how a person writes and speaks makes an impression and people make judgments and assumptions based on their impressions. The impression isn't always correct but one is still made. I have a son who struggles with spelling and he is teaching me to be more tolerant.