Is 'Yahoo Answers' a magnet for bad grammar … or am I looking at the future of our youth?

Question

Based on spelling and grammar, it's difficult to believe there's anyone over the age of 12 writing most of these questions.

Answer 1

Yes, we're all grammatically-challenged 12-year-olds.

Answer 2

This is, unfortunately, the future of our youth. Statistics show that our children are becoming dumber every year. Students have a hard time doing schoolwork properly because they are used to the computers doing all the work for them. Long division has become all but obsolete. And grammar has been reduced to omg, lol, lmao, etc. If people would type how they know it is correct to talk, then we would be much better off. We have to get the kids to realize what they're doing to themselves. Think about it...these are our future world leaders that can spell or add on their own.

Answer 3

None of this.

The grammar and spelling deficiencies you see is mostly done by a group of people from many different nationalities, whose first language is not english, who is doing their best to communicate with each other in the most generalized language.

As difficult as it seem to be for you to believe this, there are also a lot of kids around the age of 12 writing some of this questions, so be kind and careful with your answers. And of course there's also some people who weren't as lucky as you were to have a formal education.

Just take it easy.

Specially on yourself.

And try not to be so self centered, for your own good.

Answer 4

Grammar evolves, mainly thanks to young people. It has always evolved, it is still evolving and it will never stop evolving, as long as it is "alive". So, the rules of grammar are definitely not going to be the same in a few years as they are now. But that is not important at all. As long as the language keeps being useful for speakers to communicate their feelings, needs and thoughts accurately, it doesn't really matter that the code itself changes over the years. Maybe what now is "She speaks" will be in a few years "She speak", and "She spoke" might turn into "She speaked". And so what? Who says verbs HAVE to be irregular, or the S NEEDS to be added for the 3rd person singular? In other languages, it's added to the 2nd person singular, and their speakers still succeed in communicating. Languages evolve, but they are not stupid. At no stage of their evolution will they become unclear or ambiguous enough to make communication impossible.

And as regards spelling, children are actually very clever. They are only simplifying it for us all. The way they write may not be "correct", but it's more logical, and I think it would make it much easier to learn the language, and to have fewer mistakes, if the spelling became more phonetical (i.e.: more directly representative of the sounds).

So, I hope what we get to see sometimes here is the future of the English language.

Answer 5

I think it's a blend of poor spelling/grammar and the harried society we live in... It's like, 'write as fast as possible, and fix the problems or clarify later' rather than, 'think, then type'. While I'm on the subject---we're a crazy society when we get impatient in the drive-through window, or getting money at the ATM...

Are there any college professors, or high school teachers on here that can weigh in on the current status of spelling and grammar?

Answer 6

Good for you. However, your argument holds no relevancy as to pertain to human communication. Grammar also has been proven useless in conversation, and spelling. It's the interpretation, the meaning that holds all relevancy. Which means as long as you can understand what the other person is trying to say, nothing else matters as words were created as a form of communication. By the way i'm 17, just to tell you.

Answer 7

Yes the spelling and grammar are terrible and the stupidity of young people or maybe the lack of life experience it is amazing how damn dumb they are about things. The funniest of them all was the question does older people have sex, it was unbelievable how many people thought no they don't so maybe the average age is around 12 on here.

Answer 8

It isn't the future, it is the present.

And, it isn't just on Yahoo, it is everywhere.

Referring only to people who were raised in the US or English speaking nation:

Apparently, high schools do not require children to be literate before allowing them to proceed. Based on my experience, most of them wouldn't have gotten beyond the 6th grade.

None of us are perfect, but some of what is written is nearly incomprehensible due to the misspellings and extremely poor grammar.

Answer 9

Ture, but tehre is a rpeort taht syas poelpe are albe to raed wrods as a wolhe so lnog as the frsit and lsat aplbhaet satys in the smae psoistoin.

Not erveynoe can witre pferect Egnislh. So lnog as we can udnersatnd waht tehy are syanig, tehre sohuld not be a porbelm, argee? Do you konw waht I maen?

Answer 10

it stems from the over use of text messaging on cell phones. why parents let teens or younger have cell phones to start with boggles my mind. on cells you find ways to say things using the least amount of letters possible so they have developed their own language. just think... this is the future, and one day these same people will be running this country :)

before anyone says something rude, i'm not calling anyone stupid! just realize that if you spell in a manner that is illegible to us old geezers, you look stupid.

Answer 11

I know what you mean. It's ridiculous when ridiculous is spelled redeculous or some other variation. So many poorly spelled words. I'm actually saddened. Even people here who answered this question can't spell correctly. Deffante? It's definitely.