why do people get so wound up over bad grammar and spelling?

Question

i get criticised and ridiculed for my dyslexia.
but half the people that criticise, (i have noticed) have at least one or two mistakes in there posts or letters,
and most are Americans therefore don’t understand ENGLISH any way,
so if i can notice them how stupid must they be ?
any how, where i come from in the uk is apparently the closest to original English
ond iv i wz t toyp liy it noon od understond bout j diolek ba jed
for all of you NOT from the black country translated
and if i was to type like it no one would understand but the dialect is not dead

i am grammaticly correct when i speak

AND I DO USE THE SPELLING THINGY

and i can spell better in Spanish than English, English is my first language.
i have learned Spanish over the last 2 years
Why is that? Perhaps it is because English is overcomplicated in its complexity

Answer 1

Typo's are one thing and most readers will tolerate them.

Spelling errors that are obviously a lack of any concern by the writer are very annoying. It shows the individual just doesn't care about the reader and likewise about their own looking just plain stupid.

Some of the pure crap that many younger people think is cool is a real aggravation to me also.

e.g. wit vs with; bout vs about; etc., etc., etc.

Being "cool" can make a person look just plain dumb, and lazy. After all, isn't it a major typing effort to add the extra letters in the examples I gave above, to form an actual word.

I tolerate foreigners and their struggle with the English language very well. Those folks have a valid excuse for making grammatical and spelling errors and their struggle with the language is usually quite understandable and obvious.

If you, as an individual, truly have dyslexia then you have a valid reason also, but it doesn't excuse you from using the "spell check" function that nearly all text generator programs offer. And yes, even this one on Yahoo Answers. Most high end programs like MS Word, or Word Perfect include grammatical checks also.

I think what frustrates me is the total lack of concern on the part of the individuals and the fact that most of the perpetrators have been given a good education by their parents and the people who pay the taxes in their home towns and cities. It's a bit sacriligious to appear this way when so much effort on other peoples part has been given to properly educate them.

Maybe one day when the young people begin moving away from all the rap, hip-hop, and "gangsta" life styles we'll see things begin to improve regarding their attitudes about how they appear in all facets of their lives and how they interact with others in general.

The other folks that don't care; well it's probably going to be the slow process of evolution that will help to rectify their numbers. Maybe as they die off the numbers of unconcerned folks will diminish substantially.

Well my rant is over and just so you know it's all JMHO!!!

Answer 2

So why is grammar and spelling a thing to be ignored if written on line? Would you think it acceptable to misspell or have bad sentence structures in any other form of written communication (excluding that abomination that is text talk). It takes little effort to spell check your question and sometimes it makes things clearer to the reader and indeed helps get the question answered. The dilution of written skills is an obvious plague, not only do people become lazy when writing things they also start to adopt this approach to more formal communications, bad spelling and bad grammar on things such as job applications are a sure way to get them rejected so one might say that getting it right every time is far better than getting it wrong when it really matters. No one questions an obvious typo, we all make them. We all have the ability to read the most misspelt messages our brains are complex anagram machines, "I no u can reed this becus your brane can desifer it easly but it dont make it rite does it"

Answer 3

I agree with you that people shouldn't get so uptight about grammar and spelling. Almost always when I see a question that criticizes grammar and/or spelling, it has a mistake itself. I think that's just too ironic, sometimes.

As far as British English being the best, though, I have to disagree. All dialects are viable and useful to the people who speak them. Language change happens, and even if you could argue that British English is the most similar to some older form of English, they are all pretty far away. (I wonder; what old form do you consider to be the best one, anyway? Winston Churchill? Shakespeare? Chaucer? William of Orange? How far back do you want to go?)

Answer 4

I think trying to be the grammar/spelling police makes people feel superior as they feel they are protecting their way of life. I've noticed that people who do this are actually very bad at proof-reading anyway.

They need their self esteem bolstered as they don't have very much to feel proud about and therefore look for mistakes in others.

For myself, I like to see words well used and while I don't say anything when they aren't, I certainly appreciate good language and spelling. If English is a first language, I think it should be expected. I'm disappointed in the language skills of Native English Speakers in general and long for decent conversation.

Answer 5

If the reader had any brains at all they'd be able to tell the difference between dyslexia and text speak, wich I think is very annoying and just plain lazy. I must admit though, that us Americans are by far the worst perpetrators. I feel that syntax in general is very important in order to get the right idea across when either answering or asking.

Answer 6

Not naming names but even in this thread, some people have done the very thing you (rightly) accuse them of, ie. criticising other people for their bad spelling and grammar while making mistakes themselves.

I don't care about spelling, grammar or typos on yahoo answers, but I am worried that this is how they actually write in 'real life'. That wouldn't be good.

Person below me: I appreciate what you're saying but yahoo answers is a recreation activity!! People have been working all day maybe and they want a break. Isn't that reasonable?

Answer 7

Two reasons, mostly.

1) Because it indicates laziness on the part of the speaker/writer. People frequently will put in the effort to proofread a letter soliciting a job interview, for example. When you don't bother to do that in an email, that suggests to me that you don't think your correspondence to me is that important.

2) For people who are naturally good at grammar and spelling, it requires extra effort to comprehend poorly written English. Misspelled words and the lack of punctuation are distracting; it's a lot like trying to read something written in a weird calligraphic font. I can figure it out, but it requires more work on my part, and if you want me to care about what you're writing, you should make it as easy for me as possible.

I sympathize with dyslexics, but as I understand the condition, it only applies to difficulty with spelling, which a spellchecker can easily catch. The rest of it---poor grammar and punctuation---is just laziness. And it's actually quite easy to tell when someone is writing poorly because English is not his/her native language; the types of errors are different.

I don't get "wound up" over poor writing on Yahoo! Answers, because I just ignore questions that I feel are poorly written and show little effort on the part of the asker. But when my coworkers or friends can't bother to write decently when they want my advice or opinion or help on something, that's annoying.

So...there's your complete explanation. But I expect that you're mostly venting and are likely to pick the answer of someone who agrees with you.

Answer 8

The purpose of language is to communicate effectively. If someone's writing is incomprehensible to a reader then that person has failed to communicate effectively - thus their utility in day to day exchanges is reduced. Every person who writes anything for any kind of public consumption should always double check his or her spelling, word usage (ie "there" versus "their" versus "they're") and grammar. If you are in doubt as to the integrity of your words, have someone else read them.

If you are being picked on for minor spelling or grammatical errors then you can always just quietly correct yourself and then move on. Try not to take it too personally. Remember that you are fully responsible for your own feelings, not anyone else.

As for those few who assume that certain people have a "superiority complex", please be assured that this isn't the case. Nobody I know takes any gratutious glee in whatever linguistic facility he or she demonstrates so lay off those people who bother to take the time and trouble to check their spelling and grammar.

As with most things in life - language is a learned skill. If you care enough to learn proper diction (which I assume you do) then you owe it to yourself to do it properly. You wouldn't say a surgeon has a "superiority complex" just because she or he takes the time and trouble to learn their craft correctly.

The fact that you are even asking this question indicates your awareness of the problem and, presumably, a desire to improve. I take the time and trouble to read as many books as I can in order to improve my English. I don't sulk and accuse people of having "superiority complexes". If I have made a linguisitc error, then I simply correct it.

Finally, attempting to prove your own position by throwing in some obscure phrase and then "offering" to translate it into English comes across as petty and self-absorbed. I would suggest you seek proper counselling for your anger surrounding your dyslexia. It is not your fault you have dyslexia, to be sure, but you are still responsible for your behaviour at all times. For your own benefit, look up "Dr. Mary Groda-Lewis" and you'll see the benefit of surmounting your personal trials.

Answer 9

Personally, I abhore misspelling and the improper use of the english language. But, realizing that all people are not alike and no one is perfect, I am somewhat tolerant of others.

Now, when people start using improper english, such as ebonics, jive and spanglish, and hick, I become discouraged that our social graces have gone out the window.

Dialect and grammar go hand in hand. Unfortunately, not all people can be tought to speak or write in proper english, so I tolerate it.

No disresrect intended.

Answer 10

I won't defend them because to get as wound up as I have seen here in the past is just silly, but I can try to explain: Some of us, (myself included) grew up in an age where grammar and spelling were grilled into our heads at school as part of a way to make a proper impression through-out your life. If you didn't speak (type) and spell (pronounce) things correctly, I'm ashamed to say, you were looked down on. Now, for me at least, it comes relatively naturally to me and I have tried to pass this down to my own children as well.

For those who don't care, I wish they would use the spell-check, it would make reading some of these so much easier!