Grammar Nazi's: How do you feel about them?

Chuck Stone

Sea Filly wrote: »

Annoying pricks. Everyone fúcks up their grammar, spelling and syntax at some time or another.

This.

There's no one who posts regularly in AH who has perfect grammar. Even the people who put effort into writing without grammatical error make little mistakes.

Trying to write perfect English is a chore.

Tope

Have you ever discovered you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, or (horror of horrors for the girls) that your skirt is caught up in your knickers at the back, and you've been going around like that for god knows how long, and you really wish you'd realised sooner or that someone had pointed it out to you?

That's how I feel about spelling and grammar mistakes. A few years ago I realised that I'd been spelling a particular word wrong for years, and I got all embarrassed and wondered how many people had noticed.

Obviously not everyone feels that way about their written communication, but I'd rather know I was making a mistake than go around looking slightly silly for the rest of my life.

If someone points out that I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe, I don't say “Oh, you think you're so great with your perfect shoes, do you? Screw you, toilet paper Nazi, nobody cares about toilet paper, I'm going to keep this bit of toilet paper stuck to my shoe forever!”. I sheepishly thank them, remove the offending article, and silently vow to always my check my shoes before leaving the bathroom in future.

This toilet paper analogy is wearing a bit thin... my point is: if you don't want to end up going to an interview some day with your skirt caught up in your knickers, it's good sense to get into the habit of checking your appearance before you leave the bathroom. Same goes for the written word in my humble opinion.

JuliusCaesar

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Trying to write perfect English is a chore.

Alas, when even primary school teachers don't know the difference between there, their and they're, and give out to the child who corrects them... how the hell are children supposed to learn? It's obvious that most parents don't know, and don't care either.

Toby Take a Bow

Sentid wrote: »

Let's help Uncle Jack off the horse

lets help uncle jack off the horse

And this is why we need punctuation!

No, that's an example of why we need capitalisation.

Nothingbetter2d

how many of us suffer from fat finger syndrome, rather than have bad grammar?

languagenerd

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

how many of us suffer from fat finger syndrome, rather than have bad grammar?

Meaning you hit the wrong key?

My problem is that I type using both hands but my right is quicker than my left, so occasionally I'll get two letters in the wrong order because I hit the second key with my right hand before the first one with my left. Sound weird but it's true!

I should probably point out that my typing system is unlike any other known to mankind, but it (usually) works, so whatever :P

stovelid

From what I can see on boards, It's generally just one facet of an already twattish personality. Plus some of them have pretty poor levels of expression themselves.

downwithpeace

Shave their heads and tattoo them with incorrectly placed apostrophes.

Nothingbetter2d

languagenerd wrote: »

Meaning you hit the wrong key?

My problem is that I type using both hands but my right is quicker than my left, so occasionally I'll get two letters in the wrong order because I hit the second key with my right hand before the first one with my left. Sound weird but it's true!

I should probably point out that my typing system is unlike any other known to mankind, but it (usually) works, so whatever :P

yeah i use two hands to type too... i'm dyslexic too which doesn't help

Ficheall

languagenerd wrote: »

My problem is that I type using both hands but my right is quicker than my left, so occasionally I'll get two letters in the wrong order because I hit the second key with my right hand before the first one with my left. Sound weird but it's true!

Your post reminded me of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qgehH3kEQ

trashcan

There's a huge difference between typos, or missing full stops, commas, apostrophes, and people who don't know basic English. Not knowing when to use "there" "their" and they're for example. Or "been" and "being". It shows a lack of the most basic education and makes me despair for what people are learning(or not) in schools these days. And you can't blame it on phones, or even textspeak in my opinion. My pet hate is "should of" "would of" "could of". Makes me want to take a baseball bat to the offender (and I'm not a violent person.)

Battered Mars Bar

Their a vital part of the internets. People need to be corrected if there making silly grammer mistakes online. Seriously, and I dont buy this I'm dyslexic nonsense either in most cases, your just well not intelligent. But there're been shunned grammer Nazi's are,

Johro

whirlpool wrote: »

The second poll option above should say "are" not "and."

Do you think that grammar nazi's on the internet are, in fact, a good thing?

Do you think that but would never admit it?

Or are they just entirely useless?

Surely pointing out poor grammar and correcting it is something that contributes to the general improvement of grammar online.

Or... grammar nazi's are pr*cks who should continue to STFU.

Which side are you on?

I think they're sexy as hell.

Dave147

Snowie wrote: »

They annoy me!

Why because there so stuck in there ooooooo I know the english lingo back to front and sh1t.... It's so impressive... Yet

They generally lack any degree of foresight, to even ponder oooo this person could have a spelling problems and feel its perfectly ok to put some one down over something so silly....

In my opinion being intellectual doesn't mean your intelligent because if they we're intelligent they'd have for sight to realize that were not all perfect at spelling...

But in away they do serve there use to society... Spell checking stuff for me which is kinda cool :cool:

I don't know whether this is a troll post or not as I've been drinking after work. But assuming this is a serious post.

"they're" "problem" "it's" "you're" "were" "foresight" "realise" "we're" "a way" "their"

Mother of God.

Bad grammar annoys the hell out of me, if someone makes a typo, that's perfectly acceptable, or the odd misspelling, but consistent abuse of the English language is painful. People who can't differentiate between "their", "they're" and "there" are automatically rendered as idiots to me.

speedboatchase

Bad grammar ruins a lot of websites for me, in particular Facebook. Sometimes I see the posts of people who I went to school with and think that their children probably have better spelling and grammar skills than they do; which is crazy to think about.

To be honest, even the term 'Grammar Nazis' is irritating, as it plays into this aspect of society where ignorance appears to be lauded and people are dissuaded from pointing out someone's bad habits because hey, we're all special individuals, eh?

As someone said earlier, an error here and there is fine but many aspects - such as people knowingly spelling something incorrect but phonetically ('dan' instead of 'than') or in textspeak - are pure laziness and in my mind, gives an impression of a slob. That pajamas in public comparison earlier were spot on.

guitarzero

Fack it, sometimes they're actually needed.

Senna

I'm dyslexic so I've had my fair share of dealings with grammar nazis, but they don't bother me enough to even warrent a responce or edit the mistake.

I think every person who feels the need to point out a mistake should block the posters post instead of correcting them. I think they would soon find out that the only people they have left to talk to are similar grammar nazis, and then they might realise that the topic of any debate is always more interesting than the medium in which its delivered.

Wibbs

Dave147 wrote: »

I don't know whether this is a troll post or not as I've been drinking after work. But assuming this is a serious post.

The chap actually has dyslexia and over his time here has improved in leaps and bounds with his spelling, by generally taking his time and using spellcheckers. On that score, if someone is using a US English spellchecker "realise" will come out as "realize". Hardly a hanging offence, or is that offense?

On the usual should of, their/there, been/being mistakes? Yep I admit sometimes they do grate on me and I think WTF. I'll further admit that it can make me think less of the typist behind it. Lately TBH it grates on me less and I look behind the content of the post rather than the mistakes. I've read enough posts over the years with letter perfect spelling and grammar where the poster was eloquently exposing themselves as an utter gobshíte.

With many grammar nazis there is the impression of "how great am I" going on and not a little elitism. Feverishly fapping over a misplaced apostrophe thinking this negates the content behind it. I think less of those people most of all. For me it's as daft as thinking someone's accent or background makes it somehow easier to dismiss their views and opinions.

newmug

Senna wrote: »

I'm dyslexic so I've had my fair share of dealings with grammar nazis, but they don't bother me enough to even warrent a responce or edit the mistake.

I think every person who feels the need to point out a mistake should block the posters post instead of correcting them. I think they would soon find out that the only people they have left to talk to are similar grammar nazis, and then they might realise that the topic of any debate is always more interesting than the medium in which its delivered.

Being dyslexic, how does that effect your memory? I'm not being a pr1ck here, but do you see how you spelled response, with a "C" instead of an "S"? I'm sure in your 14 years of schooling you've come across that word tens of thousands of times, but for whatever reason, it still hasn't sunk in. This is what I don't get. Seeing something once or twice should be enough to solidify it in your brain.

Again, I'm not trying to be a pr1ck, but thats how us "grammar nazis" see it. It's not about judging people (and I was surprised when that was mentioned), its more about "whoa there buddy, your fly is down!"

Do you think now, after this post highlighted that response should be spelled with an "S", that you will remember that in future? If it was me, the fact that it was highlighted, then discussed, and generally brought to the fore of my mind, would absolutely etch it into my mind till the day I die! Every time I'd spell response I'd remember this post. Do you think that will happen with you? If not, would that somehow be related to your dyslexia?

I hope this is not coming across as "superior", because it's so not meant to be. I'm just explaining things the way I, as a grammar nazi, see it. I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes in what I've just typed. I'll have a 10 second read of it before I hit submit, and if I've missed anything, I welcome corrections.

Nothingbetter2d

newmug wrote: »

Being dyslexic, how does that effect your memory? I'm not being a pr1ck here, but do you see how you spelled response, with a "C" instead of an "S"? I'm sure in your 14 years of schooling you've come across that word tens of thousands of times, but for whatever reason, it still hasn't sunk in. This is what I don't get. Seeing something once or twice should be enough to solidify it in your brain.

Again, I'm not trying to be a pr1ck, but thats how us "grammar nazis" see it. It's not about judging people (and I was surprised when that was mentioned), its more about "whoa there buddy, your fly is down!"

Do you think now, after this post highlighted that response should be spelled with an "S", that you will remember that in future? If it was me, the fact that it was highlighted, then discussed, and generally brought to the fore of my mind, would absolutely etch it into my mind till the day I die! Every time I'd spell response I'd remember this post. Do you think that will happen with you? If not, would that somehow be related to your dyslexia?

I hope this is not coming across as "superior", because it's so not meant to be. I'm just explaining things the way I, as a grammar nazi, see it. I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes in what I've just typed. I'll have a 10 second read of it before I hit submit, and if I've missed anything, I welcome corrections.

its got nothing to do with memory... as im also dyslexic i often will be thinking of what i want to type/write but when i type/write it, words often come out completely different to what im thinking.

i have a fierce habit of thinking "the" but typing "to" or thinking "for" but typing "of".

it happens so often that after while ya just don't bother correcting yourself anymore.

having grammar nazis badger on about people's poor spelling/grammar just gets annoying.

Irishgoatman

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

its got nothing to do with memory... as im also dyslexic i often will be thinking of what i want to type/write but when i type/write it, words often come out completely different to what im thinking.

i have a fierce habit of thinking "the" but typing "to" or thinking "for" but typing "of".

it happens so often that after while ya just don't bother correcting yourself anymore.

having grammar nazis badger on about people's poor spelling/grammar just gets annoying.

This is where the main problem is when it comes to correcting people.

We don't know who is dyslexic and who is just lazy!.

As I said, in an earlier post, if you can read and understand the post you have to let it go. Yes it can be very annoying but that's life for you.

Nothingbetter2d

a huge part of the problem for people with dyslexia is that there is very little support in schools for it... very very few of the normal school teachers are trained to identify students with dyslexia and even less are trained to help teach students with dyslexia.

this leads to students becoming very frustrated in schools and thus just giving up and not really applying their potential because they are constantly getting poor marks for grammar and spelling and they know there isn't any help available.

my youngest sister is also dyslexic but when i was in school my parents simply couldn't afford to get me specialist help... by the time my youngest sister was diagnosed my parents were better off and so WAS able to get the specialist help she needed... but it wasn't cheap and so i had to go without the help so she could have it.

The Dept of Education needs to introduce a module for ALL school teachers to train as part of their teacher training program that will help them (a) identify students with dyslexia and (b) learn how to teach students with dyslexia. If they had the skills, & tools necessary to help kids with dyslexia, there would be a much lower rate of disruptive and poorly educated kids leaving school early.

Jester252

The one thing I don't get with grammar Nazis is why?
Why do they do it? Is it to feel better about themselves or they don't like what your saying so instead of contributing a counter point they point of grammar failures to make it seem like they won?

tightropetom

Does anyone think that this whole thread is just another way of trolling? The title almost invites grammar nazis to start looking for spelling/grammar mistakes. Has anyone noticed all the yellow cards being doled out? Granted, they've broken the forum charer, but I think this thread was like a carrot dangled in front of a donkey. :rolleyes:


[Perhaps a "Mod warning in thread #1" announcement might save them from themselves]

Wibbs

tightropetom wrote: »

[Perhaps a "Mod warning in thread #1" announcement might save them from themselves]

IMH if they haven't copped by now that grammar nazism is infractable, then they're the ones with reading and memory issues.

newmug

Jester252 wrote: »

The one thing I don't get with grammar Nazis is why?
Why do they do it? Is it to feel better about themselves or they don't like what your saying so instead of contributing a counter point they point of grammar failures to make it seem like they won?

IMHO it's absolutely nothing to do with that (well, in most cases anyway). It's just like road rage, only for language / spelling / grammar.

RaRaRasputin

Dyslexia bla bla bla. There are people who are seriously suffering from it, like one of my friends who studies arts and spends ages on her written work, getting it spell checked and proof read because she is conscientious. She does not use her dyslexia as an excuse to have bad spelling and grammar and even she gets annoyed with people who think that having dyslexia is a free pass to just not make an effort.

What pisses me off way more is the vast number of people who claim to have dyslexia only because they just can't be bothered to check their sentences. And believe me, they are plenty...

tampopo

deccurley wrote: »

Actually, it should be Nazis not Nazi's

+1

Sea Filly

Wibbs wrote: »

The chap actually has dyslexia and over his time here has improved in leaps and bounds with his spelling, by generally taking his time and using spellcheckers.

Yeah, I've not been here long but I think it's obvious that he's dyslexic and not a bad/lazy speller.

Nothingbetter2d

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

Dyslexia bla bla bla. There are people who are seriously suffering from it, like one of my friends who studies arts and spends ages on her written work, getting it spell checked and proof read because she is conscientious. She does not use her dyslexia as an excuse to have bad spelling and grammar and even she gets annoyed with people who think that having dyslexia is a free pass to just not make an effort.

What pisses me off way more is the vast number of people who claim to have dyslexia only because they just can't be bothered to check their sentences. And believe me, they are plenty...

trust me when u have people like you saying "its just an excuse to not spell check" CONSTANTLY you stop giving a sh!t about what they think.

i generally do have to re-read everything i type before i post or edit to fix mistakes i made... but its not so easy to do that with handwriting.

i think its even more sad they are such small minded busy bodies that they have to feel the need to be a pain rather than accepting it and moving on

RaRaRasputin

Maybe you should read my post again and concentrate a bit better?
I was referring to a friend of mine who is dyslexic as well, and who gets annoyed by this non-caring attitude.

shopaholic01

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

Dyslexia bla bla bla. There are people who are seriously suffering from it, like one of my friends who studies arts and spends ages on her written work, getting it spell checked and proof read because she is conscientious. She does not use her dyslexia as an excuse to have bad spelling and grammar and even she gets annoyed with people who think that having dyslexia is a free pass to just not make an effort.

What pisses me off way more is the vast number of people who claim to have dyslexia only because they just can't be bothered to check their sentences. And believe me, they are plenty...

Some people are so severely dsylexic that they are unable to check their work. Up until recently, any child with a learning difficulty was labelled 'stupid' in child, and largely ignored in the classroom.


You don't need to be so condescending - btw check your own post - I think you meant 'there are plenty':rolleyes:

Nothingbetter2d

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

Maybe you should read my post again and concentrate a bit better?
I was referring to a friend of mine who is dyslexic as well, and who gets annoyed by this non-caring attitude.

i have read it... dyslexia comes in all forms and shapes....... there is no single type that defines you as dyslexic.

some people struggle with forming sentences correctly

some people spell words incorrectly

some people write letters back to front

some people (such as me) type different words than what we are thinking of.

some people just cannot grasp puncutation right.

its very frustrating at times particularily during exams and when writing essays, or answering discuss this type questions.

Pushtrak

Grammar Nazis are the opposite of batman, in that they are the heroes we need, but not the heroes we deserve. They get infractions.

CommanderC

It depends. If someone posts in a forum and makes a valid/constructive point, then correcting a misspelling is a bit sad.

On the other hand, if some imbecile, who hasn't bothered to grasp basic grammar and spelling rules, has the cheek to post ignorant comments such as some of the homophobic/racist/anti 'everything I didn't grow up with' posts that I've seen on boards then yeah, the latter should be told to p1ss off and open a fcuking grammar book.

stupidusername

I'm a bit bothered by the usual mistakes you see flying about in here. They do irritate, but I put up with it. The one that really gets to me is the incorrect use of 'your'. It causes me to re-read a sentence twice or three times, trying to make sense of it, and that's why it gets to me. It's nothing to do with superiority or anything like that. I don't correct anyone though, haven't in a long time. And yeah, grammar nazi's do get to me. They really only get to me when it seems they're just lurking, waiting for someone to spell something wrong, so they can swoop in and correct it. If that's all you're hanging around a thread for, well, then just **** off.

RaRaRasputin

shopaholic01 wrote: »

Some people are so severely dsylexic that they are unable to check their work. Up until recently, any child with a learning difficulty was labelled 'stupid' in child, and largely ignored in the classroom.


You don't need to be so condescending - btw check your own post - I think you meant 'there are plenty':rolleyes:

No, I meant "they" and not "there". I was referring to the people I complained about.
I didn't say anything against dyslexic people in general. I have something against people who think that being dyslexic excuses them from any responsibility to check their post. Everyone should do that anyway. I am not a native speaker and try to correct my mistakes before I post something. There is nothing wrong with typos or an odd mistake, but it's just common courtesy to deliver a sentence that is coherent.

Nothingbetter2d

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

No, I meant "they" and not "there". I was referring to the people I complained about.

they are plenty doesn't make sense in the context you typed :rolleyes:

RaRaRasputin

I think it does. Hang on...Were you not just complaining about people who are picking on a mistake rather than responding to an actual argument?

Pushtrak

"They are plenty" is fine by my reading.

Edit: This is coming from someone who has to fight back the urge to correct people on errors I see. It wouldn't have even given me a pause or a desire to respond.

Nothingbetter2d

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

What pisses me off way more is the vast number of people who claim to have dyslexia only because they just can't be bothered to check their sentences. And believe me, they are plenty...

the context as i read it looks like you are saying that there is many people that do not bother check their sentences

in that context "they are plenty" is incorrect grammar and as pointed out above, the correct grammar for that context would be "There are plenty"

Chuck Stone

Does anyone else go back over a post, maybe a few hours later, and realise they've left out entire words!? Not just small words like 'and' or 'it' but a big one that renders the sentence nonsensical?

I've often done it and thought to myself 'how in the name of muppetry did you manage that ya gob****e'? I reckon that it's something to do with my brain racing ahead with thoughts and the fingers trying to keep up typing them out.

Anyway, we're not writing academic essays here FFS we're yapping on an internet forum for lols. I'd sacrifice good grammar for a bit more creativity and personality in my writing - no contest.

newmug

newmug wrote: »

IMHO it's absolutely nothing to do with that (well, in most cases anyway). It's just like road rage, only for language / spelling / grammar.

Just to keep with the road rage example, from a grammar nazi's POV, it's like when someone indicates left, but turns right. Or when someone doesn't dim their lights when coming towards you at night. You just think "FFS, how did that person get a license!"

It has absolutely nothing to do with being condescending. On the contrary, you think the other driver is either stupid, or maybe there's something wrong with their wiring, or that they're the ones being inconsiderate and condecending. Either way, you automatically feel that they should do something about it, and drive properly from now on.

Pushtrak

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Does anyone else go back over a post, maybe a few hours later, and realise they've left out entire words!? Not just small words like 'and' or 'it' but a big one that renders the sentence nonsensical?

Not that, but what I have done is post words in the wrong sequence when I'm typing faster than usual. Which ends up resulting in me having to stop, go back and correct it which means I spend more time on my post than if I'd slowed down my typing a little bit.

Leeg17

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

in that context "they are plenty" is incorrect grammar and as pointed out above, the correct grammar for that context would be "There are plenty"

It's still against the charter..

Nothingbetter2d

Leeg17 wrote: »

It's still against the charter..

true my point being it was annoying to be corrected like that.... now you know how someone dyslexic (such as myself) feels all the time when others do it to you.

old_aussie

KeithM89 wrote: »

Yeah youre still getting infracted if youre gonna be a grammar nazi here.

Marcel Unkempt Stoicism wrote: »

You're.

So Keith, when are you going to ban Marcel Unkempt Stoicism?

RaRaRasputin

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

true my point being it was annoying to be corrected like that.... now you know how someone dyslexic (such as myself) feels all the time when others do it to you.

Yeah sure.
At least a dyslexic grammar Nazi is something less conventional

KeithM89_old

old_aussie wrote: »

So Keith, when are you going to ban Frada?

Leeg bet me to it

Irishgoatman

Pushtrak wrote: »

Not that, but what I have done is post words in the wrong sequence when I'm typing faster than usual. Which ends up resulting in me having to stop, go back and correct it which means I spend more time on my post than if I'd slowed down my typing a little bit.

And then, when you've finally got it right, and hit "submit", half a dozen other people have made the same point as you were trying to do?.

Yes indeed. Been there, done it, bought a dictionary.:D