Criticizing grammar of posters, a cheap shot or an attempt to "teach"?

Question

I,m wondering what your experience is on either side, as a person who criticises others or as one who been the gratuitous receipient of such corrections?

Answer 1

Though posters criticizing others' grammar might have good intentions, I think most are just venting frustration. As a teacher of English, sure, my grammatical sense of rectitude gets rankled, but I also realize that this is an online forum, and though it is a sort of publication, it is not as formal as a printed publication, so a certain amount of L337 speak or abbreviation or dialect is to be expected.

As one who has had the opportunity to repeatedly whip out the red pen in real life, let me just say that pointing out or deriding errors does not change the writer's approach one whit if it doesn't already matter to them. If it does matter to them, it was likely a typo, and the lesson was unnecessary.

Answer 2

For some people, English is clearly not a first language, but they are doing their best. I figure fair enough to leave them alone, they are trying.

For others, their grammar speaks volumes about their education. If I'm going to highlight a problem I would rather answer the question first (and I know my grammar is a long way from perfect).

I suspect some youngsters use Y! Answers as an alternative to actually thinking, and while it shows a small amount of ingenuity, that kind of attitude won't get them far in the long run.

(says she, who is sinking anyway)

Answer 3

From what I can see here on Yahoo Answers, I can write better than many Americans - and I don't even live on that continent, and English is not my first language.
So, if I can try and do my best, so can Americans. Sometimes I have to decipher what someone wants to say - and very often that person is denigrating "immigrants", "foreigners", etc. for not speaking English. Well, with "teachers" like that... thank God for good English teachers here in Europe.

Answer 4

I think if I have to get out my decoder ring in order to be able to decipher what they are asking... there is a problem. I'm not sure if it is a problem with the education system or if they are just lazy. Either way, it is annoying and I am not taking a cheap shot at them when I spell the words correctly... in a way I am hoping they will try to better themselves by learning the correct spelling of the words they are using. If they speak the way they write, we as a society, are in a "world of hurts".

Answer 5

I'm a critic because sometimes the questions are really hard to understand. Also, I believe in principles of plain language so that you can reach the most people.

I don't want to encourage people to be too lazy to use the spellcheck. I think you know what I mean.

Answer 6

I've seen both. As a poor typist I can overlook simple mistakes. However, I have seen egregious example of bad spelling on here that cause me to wonder about the US educational system.

Answer 7

Sometimes it's hard to understand why I have a better grammar than many natives. It just simply doesn't make sense.

Answer 8

The questions being posted often bring one to the point of correcting other participants, simply because many are incomprehensible and it is just downright annoying.

Answer 9

Maybe both,but the spelling thing bothers me because there is spell check when you ask questions. Also they give you a chance to preview before you post. Doesn't anyone proof read?

Answer 10

I did it with my daughter because that was part of my job as a parent. ....on YA maybe if it's bought to their attention it will motive them to pay closer attention to spelling and grammer. Having said that I would never correct an adult person face to face.