If anyone appalled at people's grammar and spelling on here?

Question

Some of the questions that people ask on here I just can't understand! Some aren't even questions.
Some answers are a load of drivel! Is the English language dumbing down?

Sorry, that was supposed to be "Is anyone appalled at people's grammar and spelling on here?"

And I'll let those off who aren't native English speakers. It's the one's who have been brought up writing and speaking English their entire life and they still can't put a decent sentence together.

Learn to use some punctuation people!!

Answer 1

Absolutely! I have a nine year old who's spelling and grammar is better than some on here. Hate the text language too, thnx, gr8 etc, makes people extremely lazy.
These bad habits will pass down generations until we're writing OUR language as the Americans do, or even worse!!!!!
I correct my son when he shortens words, misses the Ts and such in spoken word, the same for his literacy theory work if he gets lazy.

Answer 2

When I first saw this behavior, I was appalled, yes. In the years since then, I've become jaded to the point where I just ignore it, or watch it to see how it changes over time, which can be interesting.

It's not just the english language... there are some users here who are not native english speakers, and so they post what they can. For the others, many of them are younger than you might think. A job where misspellings and abysmal grammar are not acceptable will turn them around pretty quickly.

Another issue is that some people see it as a way of rebelling... you'll probably get a few responses saying something along the lines of "we do that because that's how you talk on the internet LOL," though probably with more creative letter mangling.

Also remember, though, that a new medium of information exchange often does bring changes in a language. Ever wonder why sometimes you'll see "ye Olde Coffee Shoppe?" or similar? That Y is actually thanks to a variety of things, including the printing press, where a lower case y and a subscript were used to approximate words spelled with Þ (Thorn). Þ's sound was similar to the current th sound, and was eventually dropped out of common use in the language. I'd imagine this bothered some people at the time, but it seems normal to us.

Customs change as well. There was a time when the use of "Goodbye" was a beating offense to many parents, since it shortened the accepted phrase, "God be with ye." (note, that ye is totally different than the Thorn ye). Who knows, a couple hundred years, and maybe "Later" will really be spelled L8R, and be the correct saying in parting. Maybe they won't even bother to say it, just text message each other as they walk away.

So, yes, the spelling and grammar isn't what you would expect from a book, or even an educated person, but it's not that it's dumbing down, really. Think of it as dumbing sideways, if you like. It isn't losing the capability to express thoughts, it's just changing the way they're expressed. Right and wrong in languages is majority opinion, so if used long enough, and often enough, and ubiquitously enough, their spellings will become 'right,' and ours will become interesting bits of trivia for future generations.

Answer 3

Yes I find myself getting very annoyed about it. Although I have made lots of mistakes on here myself and my spelling is not great. I think that not enough people use the spell check, and are lazy when they type. Some questions really make no sense.

No I don't think that the English language is being dumbed down, as there have always been large majorities of society that do not use correct English. Look at cockneys as just one example. However I think that there is not enough balance, we all need to mix with people that use language differently to keep the diversity of the English language alive.

We could all do with learning more grammar, we hardly ever learnt that at school. I know very little and what I have learnt, I learnt the hard way.

Answer 4

It is a sad reflection on how society is changing. So much technology now makes our lives faster and more abbreviated that the only thing left is our language.

Don't believe any one who says that language is evolving and that there will always be change - that's just bull.

Using single letters or letter/number combinations to replace proper words is just lazy and unimaginative.

And no punctuation or proper paragraph structure further hastens the demise of the proper written word.

I have to agree that there are some questions that are wholly unintelligible both in their content and structure. I don't know why the askers do not take a moment or two to phrase their question with more clarity.

I recognise that English is a second language to some visitors here and I do not condemn them for that.

I am directing my comments at the english speakers who choose to write in text speak or gangsta / street speak.

Answer 5

Marci makes a good point. You have to be really careful when posting questions like this. Otherwise the real idiots will have a field day.

Apalling? At first, it was. Now after about a week of this, I'm kind of used to it. I just ignore it. My educated 60 something father in law can't spell for ****. I guess Yahoo answers attracts an unusually high percentage of incompetents. In daily life, there seems to be a lower percentage of people who can't spell or put a sentence together, but it's still alarming. Teachers will tell you they're overwhelmed and parents will tell you they're too tired after working 12 hour days to help their kids improve. So I guess we're doomed as a society. Dumbing down?... probably... 'nuff said?

Answer 6

It depends. Keep in mind that many users on here are not from America or an English speaking country. So English is their second language.
To the ones who can clearly speak English, yes, it does bother me, especially when there's a check spelling right there.

Answer 7

The standard of English is appalling and there is little or no excuse since there is a spell check, preview and modify facility.

We all make minor slips from to time and that's understandable.

In other cases the writer is just expressing a sort of contempt for the reader coupled with a quite irrational perception of his or her own worth.

Answer 8

I'd say yes, to a point. You have some people who just want to play and have no idea how to spell, let alone type without looking. I agree that some of the questions are super-stupid. I just wish more folks would use the spell check! It's right there above where you answer, people!!!

Answer 9

I'm not appalled at all.I've had to deal with other people having a harder time speaking and talking ever since grade school.It never made me angry or annoyed,I felt sorry for them if anything.Now that I'm older,I notice,but it doesnt bother me enough to even mention it.You made an error in the sentence you posted about other people's errors!Perhaps you should spend more time reflecting on your own grammar and less time worrying about that of others....

Answer 10

Yes, I agree. But I think that some of the people are not writing in their own language and many of the questions are put in by very young, uneducated and stupid kids who think they are clever in being able to even find Yahoo Answers. If nobody answers their silly questions perhaps they might take the hint and stop wasting our time as well as their own.