Are you bothered by spelling and grammar errors on a forum?

[curlygirl]

I definitely notice quite a few spelling and grammar errors and while most don''t bother me, there are some that simply KILL me!! I know someone else mentioned the overuse of apostrophes and I would have to say that is my latest pet peeve. It seems that there has been an apostrophe explosion of late and it drives me bananas!!! Plural words DO NOT use an apostrophe! Just put the "s" on the end and leave it at that!!!

I also definitely get frustrated by things like DEFINATELY and FRUSTERATED!

There''s a great book called Eats Shoots and Leaves that addresses many of these grammatical issues. I''m more of a spelling junkie myself but the misuse of punctuation also catches my eye.

 

[sammyj]

Date: 1/14/2009 2:11:18 PM
Author: princesss
They bug me like crazy. I know they shouldn''t. But they do. I know not everybody is a spelling and grammar freak like I am, but oh my goodness does it bug me. I mentally fix sentences and spelling errors. They always trip me up and I can''t finish the sentence until I mentally correct the errors.

ETA: I do want to say, though, that unless somebody specifically asks for me to correct things, I merely wince inwardly and move on. I can''t stand self-righteous grammar and spelling freaks that have to correct everything.

I feel the exact same way!! I actually thought about this when the thread came up a couple of months ago about using too much slang (since slang doesn''t bother me but basic grammar mistakes do...A LOT!!!). Spelling errors are passable to a point (I usually leave it to fast typing) but being a grammar freak, the mistakes that drive me crazy are:

1) using your instead of you''re (you are)
2) using apostrophes to pluralize words

My BF uses an apostrophe all the time and it drives me bananas (which, for him, would be banana''s on our grocery list). I always ask him what the banana owns or what belongs to the banana...

I would never correct someone here on PS, or any other situation, unless I was specifically asked.

 

[honey22]

Date: 1/14/2009 2:09:22 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
No, not at all.

What does bother me is when someone else posts a correction, which I find to be rude and unneccessary.

Ditto! Talk about stuck up!

 

[kittybean]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:17:57 PM
Author: curlygirl
I definitely notice quite a few spelling and grammar errors and while most don''t bother me, there are some that simply KILL me!! I know someone else mentioned the overuse of apostrophes and I would have to say that is my latest pet peeve. It seems that there has been an apostrophe explosion of late and it drives me bananas!!! Plural words DO NOT use an apostrophe! Just put the ''s'' on the end and leave it at that!!!

I also definitely get frustrated by things like DEFINATELY and FRUSTERATED!

There''s a great book called Eats Shoots and Leaves that addresses many of these grammatical issues. I''m more of a spelling junkie myself but the misuse of punctuation also catches my eye.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves is amazing. Finally, someone who understands my struggle with the "Greengrocer''s Apostrophe!" I think my current biggest pet peeve (it extends far outside PS) is misuse of "your" and "you''re." I guess it''s mostly overuse of "your." A possessive pronoun cannot be the subject and verb of a sentence!

Okay, rant over.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

It doesn''t bother me but I know I make a lot of errors. I don''t always have the time or energy to reread my comments before I post them. Also remember English is not everyone''s first language on this forum.

 

[Tuckins1]

Yes, it''s drives me nuts... But that is just the teacher in me.

(Not that I don''t make mistakes, too!)

 

[Elmorton]

See, I''m an English teacher, but mistakes don''t bother me on PS for two reasons. 1) We''re really just having written conversations. It''s an informal, unrevised space. 2) As Tacori pointed out, English isn''t the first language of everyone here, and English takes a lot of dialectal forms just in the US, let alone from our posters in England, Australia, New Zealand, etc. I love reading the stuff between the lines in terms of noticing the dialectal differences between the voices. I know my own posts are full of mistakes because I''m basically just thinking aloud, deleting a sentence and adding another, and my unrestrained dialect is full of some gems in terms of usage and structure. I do go back and edit my posts though if I see something really, really glaring.

Mistakes do bother me in business memos, published works, documents that have had an editor, etc - but that''s because of sloppy or shoddy workmanship. Life is way too short and people have much too interesting stories to let something as small as a misplaced modifier get in the way.

 

[meresal]

By spelling, no. I type very fast, and switch letters around all the time... Automatic spell check on my office emails is a MUST.

However, grammar almost always stops me in my tracks. When my siblings and I were growing up, my mom wouldn't answer our questions unless they were gramatically correct... english majors

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It does not bother me on a forum because I equate it to spoken conversation which is more casual. I am a teacher and I notice some errors, although there are some things that I have forgotten. I don''t throw stones because I am a poor typist and make errors all the time! I do hate reading back through a thread and noticing my own errors and not being able to correct them!

If I notice a poster repeatedly using an incorrect word, I might make a response that uses the correct word rather than correcting them directly.

 

[E B]

Date: 1/14/2009 2:02:05 PM
Author:musey
Are you bothered by spelling and grammar errors on a forum? Or do you just ignore and read through them?

Not really, unless a two line post is FULL of spelling and grammar errors. I make note of them if I catch them, but I was a journalism major- it's what I do. Heck, I make plenty of mistakes myself, so I'm not going to criticize.

One thing that bothers me (if we're being honest): HUGE blocks of text (usually rants?) with no spaces. I see this a lot, both in this forum and others, and I find I usually won't read those posts. It isn't because I'm not interested in what the person has to say, I just have a hard time reading seventeen thoughts crammed into a single looooong paragraph.

By the way, feel free to point out any mistakes I make. I appreciate constructive criticism when it comes to my writing.

 

[musey]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:21:23 PM
Author: sammyj
using apostrophes to pluralize words

My BF uses an apostrophe all the time and it drives me bananas (which, for him, would be banana''s on our grocery list). I always ask him what the banana owns or what belongs to the banana...

That would drive me NUTS!!! (or NUT''S

) That is an enormous pet peeve of mine. I would ask the same question you do

 

[musey]

Date: 1/14/2009 5:45:22 PM
Author: EBree
One thing that bothers me (if we're being honest): HUGE blocks of text (usually rants?) with no spaces. I see this a lot, both in this forum and others, and I find I usually won't read those posts. It isn't because I'm not interested in what the person has to say, I just have a hard time reading seventeen thoughts crammed into a single looooong paragraph.

Me neither. That does stand true for me with extreme spelling errors, also. There are a couple of regular posters on this forum whose posts I literally cannot understand - I have no idea what words they're aiming for - and will almost always skip over their posts.

I do get the second language thing, and that's a big reason that it doesn't bug me more than it does. For posters that I'm familiar enough with to know that English is not their first language, spelling and grammar do not bug me. If I know that it is their first language, though, I find myself grasping for patience! Again, that's really with the extreme spelling errors (NOT typos) more so than grammar issues.

 

[E B]

I just thought of another pet peeve I've noticed more and more: I seen. As in I seen it at the store and fell in love.

That one drives me a bit mad.

 

[ChinaCat]

In real life, I am ashamed to say that I judge people that do all of the things everyone has mentioned. On PS, I generally try to let it slide, especially since as people have said, we are all typing fast and it''s hard to proofread everything. Plus I am spoiled by my spell check. And it''s informal. I do notice, though, especially if someone is a repeat offender. But if someone mentions it- like, sorry, I am a terrible speller, then I forgive it. Sillly isn''t it? It''s like as long as you know, then it''s okay.

What I personally can''t stand is the combo text speak/run on sentences/no spaces/all lower case letters, like Ebree mentioned. I feel bad, but I skip those posts. It gives me a headache and I can''t understand what they are saying.

Ok, I just tried to write a paragraph that way and it''s hard! Maybe I''m just an old grump though.

And now I am paranoid at all the mistakes I made in this post.

 

[musey]

A big one for me: "I'm trying to choose a song to walk down the isle to."

What isle are you "walking down?" Fiji??

... or a 2karat diamond, or 18carat gold.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Npoe.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Kaleigh]

Nope in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things to worry about.

 

[Sha]

Yes, it bothers me!!!! I can''t believe how many simple words are misspelt at the forums I go to.

 

[Linda W]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:12:35 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Nope in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things to worry about.

You are my hero Lisa

 

[musey]

I think I should have made the title of this thread:

"Are you distracted by spelling and grammar errors on a forum?"

Instead of "bothered by." I don't actually feel bothered (as in perturbed, annoyed, worried about) by errors, but I do find them distracting, depending on how bad they are. It makes me pause while reading instead of smoothly scanning the words.

I didn't mean to suggest that it's literally bothersome or that I/anyone else feel annoyed by it.

 

[vintagelover229]

Gosh I hope not...I''m a horrid speller!

 

[DiamanteBlu]

It bugs me when it is clear that it is not a typo [I, certainly am guilty of many of those]. I also have a "thing" about improper usage.

I would have to say, though, that more than being irritated about the mangling of the English language, the opinion of the person that makes those errors consistently is diminished in my eyes.

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:12:35 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Nope in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things to worry about.

Oh, I definitely agree, it's just that when I see a misspelled word or a misused word, well...I feel kind of like this:

 

[Dreamgirl]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:53:50 PM
Author: meresal
By spelling, no. I type very fast, and switch letters around all the time... Automatic spell check on my office emails is a MUST.

lol I always end up typing 'the' as 'hte' ALL the TIME! I just type too darn fast for the word. I'm always going back and correcting that right after I type it.


hte...

BACKSPACE... BACKSPACE... BACKSPACE... the...

(I even do this quickly and hit backspace almost automatically after typing HTE)

 

[musey]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:22:51 PM
Author: princesss

Date: 1/14/2009 6:12:35 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Nope in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger things to worry about.

Oh, I definitely agree, it''s just that when I see a misspelled word or a misused word, well...I feel kind of like this:

Yes! That''s exactly it! Thanks, kitty, for illuminating my feelings so clearly.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

LOL! We should get the group kitties to take care of all of the loose grammatical, usage and punctuation threads!

PS Did I type that ok? Now I''m getting paranoid!

 

[meresal]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:26:12 PM
Author: Dreamgirl

Date: 1/14/2009 4:53:50 PM
Author: meresal
By spelling, no. I type very fast, and switch letters around all the time... Automatic spell check on my office emails is a MUST.

lol I always end up typing 'the' as 'hte' ALL the TIME! I just type too darn fast for the word. I'm always going back and correcting that right after I type it.


hte...

BACKSPACE... BACKSPACE... BACKSPACE... the...

(I even do this quickly and hit backspace almost automatically after typing HTE)

Haha... you and me girl. I am horrible with the word just as well. I always type "jsut".

However, my mistake backtracks are more like-
In my Post: "jsut."
**Hit Submit & Reread**
Me: "Damn*t!!"
**Edit post, fix, and Submit**
Reread: "Damn*t"

Depending on the length of my post, this could happen up to four or five time.

I can't NOT fix them. (Double negatives anyone??)

 

[Dreamgirl]

Oh I hear you on that one! I always do that too. haha that is just hilarious. BTW, I spell the grand word just as jsut as well......

 

[zhuzhu]

When American children are learning the English grammar in school, I was learning to write the 43K th Chinese character in an overseas school. I know I make TONs of mistakes so of course I am not bothered by it from others.

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:56:51 PM
Author: zhuzhu
When American children are learning the English grammar in school, I was learning to write the 43K th Chinese character in an overseas school. I know I make TONs of mistakes so of course I am not bothered by it from others.

I think when I studied Mandarin, I only learned 400-600 and I thought my brain was going to explode. And the sentence structure...oh goodness. I quickly learned that wasn''t the language for me. (And, I''m not going to lie, part of it was that I couldn''t nail the grammar and so my sentences were always off and it bugged the heck out of me. It was so frustrating to not be able to make things sound right.)