Does anyone in America know how to speak & write English properly?

Question

I find it extremely hard to comprehend some of the questions. Firstly because of the spelling, Secondly the grammer and lastly the phrasing. Is there a reason for this?

Firstly, is in my dictionary. Yes, there should have been a comma after firstly & secondly. Then again, I am an Aussie.

"Grammar", is the correct way to spell this word.

Answer 1

What I'm not sure about is why you use a site such as Yahoo Answers to form an opinion about the entire population of America because many people in the United States actually do speak and write English properly.

People throughout the world misspell words and use improper sentence structure. More often than not, abbreviations and slang are employed when posting due to time constraints. These practices aren't just used solely by the American public.

Some people who ask questions and give answers, especially in YA are school children so their use of grammar, punctuation, spelling and composition should not be help up to the standards one could expect from an English major in college.

There are also people who suffer from learning disabilities. Their disability prevents them from being able to correctly spell or form a written sentence yet they have excellent advice or answers to pass along.

Some people live in countries where English isn't their primary language. These same people practice English by posting questions and answers in the American YA forum. While working at their newly learned skills, they also learn about Americans and "what makes them tick".

If you're expecting "Queen's English" to be used in a primarily American site, you're going to be sorely disappointed. May I suggest you use the United Kingdom's version of Yahoo Answers so you will feel more comfortable comprehending the questions and answers supplied? Another option would be to bypass the questions you don't understand and find others that don't cause you trouble.

There's an adage I grew up with that refers to "a pot calling a kettle black" (it's not a racist term - when the adage came into fruition, pots, kettles and other cookware were cast iron; therefore the metal was black). To define the phrase, it's one blaming another for the same thing they're guilty of. Let me give you an example, if I may, by quoting what you had written...

"Firstly because of the spelling, Secondly the grammer and lastly the phrasing".

The proper rules of English dictate:

Do not use "firstly, secondly, etc." If you must number your points, write "first, second, etc." .

The word you used "secondly" should not have been capitalized since it's not a proper name or the beginning word of a sentence.

The word "grammer" is actually spelled grammar (2 - a's, no e).

The word "because" isn't needed; although it would have worked nicely if you had added it to your first sentence.

Your sentence isn't a sentence, It's a phrase because it doesn't contain a subject.

A phrase should not have a period used for punctuation.

Your phrase contains a dangling participle, which is also a grammatical no-no because no subject was made known.


A proper sentence would have stated, "I find it extremely hard to comprehend some of the questions because of the improper spelling, grammar and phrasing".


I hope I was able to help you understand why some people have problems with syntax and what "the pot calling the kettle black" means.

Answer 2

Hear, hear! I, too, find it difficult to understand some of the questions. They are so poorly worded, so poorly spelt (and yes, that is a real word) and the grammar is so atrocious that at times I truly can not figure out what the person is asking.
The truly sad part of it is that this is the way some young Americans write in school (I've read some of their essays, and they would curl your hair. Then they wonder why they get terrible grades and claim their teachers don't 'like' them.)
One theory that has been advanced is that the United States is getting to be a non-print society. They listen and watch, instead of reading. They voice-mail instead of letter writing.
It's an interesting theory, and would make a good thesis topic.

Answer 3

This is a nice assumption from someone who lives in a country that started as a penal colony! If you assume that all Americans are illiterate then may I assume that all Aussies are thieves, rapists and murderers? Here is my suggestion for you. Go put another shrimp on the barbie, pop open a Foster's and leave us dumb Americans alone! G'day mate!

Answer 4

It seems to me that most Americans do not know how to use I and me when other persons are included. The number of times we hear on the TV something like He invited my husband and I to the wedding are countless. If script writers do not get it, what hope is there that grammar is correctly taught?
We also have an advert on British TV - to quote "possibly sold to you and I"

Answer 5

Yes,there are people that do not spell or write well,But, i am sure there are plenty of people in your country with the same issues.Even morons like us Americans know that different countries have different phrasing and spellings.Get over yourself,and if you are so offended,don't use this site anymore.

Answer 6

De problem iz becuz sum of de teecherz stopt teeching foniks and began teeching MEMORIZATION.

So, without the necessary phonics to guide them as to the proper spelling and pronunciation, many people recently graduated without good English skills.

And too, some people are just too lazy to care what the message looks like if they think you can grasp the message.

To the horribly worded questions I just type, "WHAT?"

Answer 7

In America some of us have become sloppy in the way they talk and write. I have lived in New Mexico- the southwest portain of the US, for most of my life . In the region I live in going more east around Georgia and Alabama , we have what's called a dialog. It's kind of cowboy like. This includes ; not using complete sentances for example " You ea-in ?' proper version being " Have you eaten ?" and ing is reduced to in' .
My suggestion is go to the library or to a book store and find a book on american grammer. In forgein countries like Europe they teach oxford english (the kind spoken in England ) in the schools . It's very presice .
It's important to learn proper english in case you have to talk to someone in europe . They'll understand. I have to slow down and avoid dialect.
I hope this helps.

Answer 8

Yep, and the problem ain't with us Hillbillies, neither!

The reality is, that the quality of education has been dropping dramatically, and that we have become increasingly technological while using a slightly modified educational system that was designed for an agricultural society. Also, I believe that we have become distracted as a society, and do not value or focus upon education. Finally, spell check is a significant crutch, and no one uses it here.

Answer 9

Not as the way older people learned it . we are becoming a nation of people who are contracting words to put the most in as little space as possible.U for you and so on.even just using two or three letters for different states and offices. It does get to be a headache trying to get them straight and caught up with.

Answer 10

The only reason so many people in America can't spell is because they're foreigner FOBs... (fresh off the boat).