Why don't people care that they use poor grammar?

Question

Even advertisments have improper grammar (e.g., it is 1990s not 1990's - plural not possessive). I see this all the time.

Answer 1

It is true that far too many use poor grammar, but the sadder part is many don't realize they are - including those who would care if they only knew. Teaching the basics of English grammar seems to have died out in many school systems. Even worse, the teachers don't use proper grammar. My grandson has brought home several handouts from his classes, including Language Arts (See - they don't hide that they're not teaching English), that have been riddled with poor grammar.

However, I must disagree with your example. Many of us out here who are older than dirt were taught that plurals of arabic numbers and letters of the alphabet were formed by adding an apostrophe and an "s". To me, "1990's" is totally acceptable and correct.

Most style manuals today show 1990s as the plural, but there are still a few current ones that give 1990's as the correct plural. It may be old-fashioned and going out of style, but it is not poor grammar.

Answer 2

What you have quoted is more to do with punctuation than grammar. A lot of song lyrics are littered with poor grammar, but to sing them any other way wouldn't sound right, which is a contradiction in terms. For instance, the Rolling Stones song "I can't get no satisfaction" contains a double negative. If you CAN'T get NO satisfaction, it follows that you must get SOME satisfaction.
It's isn't always the fault of the student. The teachers are as much to blame for not impressing the correct grammar, possibly because thay couldn't be bothered, or because they were taught incorrectly in the first place, which brings us to a 'chicken and egg' situation.

Answer 3

I don't believe that our children are being taught proper grammar. It is the parents responsibility to enforce proper grammar. There is so much crap on television that parents let there children watch, they think that it's OK to use words like "aint". I don't know about other parents but I work with my child if she asks "can I have a cookie" I teller that she may have a cookie,but can not have a cookie, and that little prompt makes her think back and that's when she asks "may I have a cookie". By the way I HATE that McDonalds slogan "I'm lovin it" the idiot who came up with that should be shot.

Answer 4

Okay, I just know I'm going to get axed for this but here goes.

With the exception of the obvious, that you need to phrase a statement in such a way as to be comprehended. I really do wonder WHY there needs to be such a twisting of ones knickers when someone makes a small linguistic blunder. If the meaning of the sentence is clear, that is all I ask. Once you fall into the realm of ambiguity and misunderstanding, then I agree you need to rephrase it such that it is intelligible.

I've had this argument with English professors before, to wit; who ultimately gets to decide what is correct and what isn't. If you can understand me, that's enough.

Answer 5

Well, the short answer is this: Either people don't know any better, or they're lazy.

The long answer? That is a little more difficult. Part of the problem is our schools, which aren't putting as much emphasis on proper grammar as in the past. Part of the problem is our culture itself. Fear Factor, Survivor, all that crap is perpetuating a sort of "lowest common denominator" that everyone absorbs, and spits out.

That's my opinion. Hope it helps.

-M-

Answer 6

English audio equipment are often intense of poorly spoken English for the comparable reason interior sight audio equipment in lots of languages would properly be intense of people who communicate their language poorly. in spite of the undeniable fact that, it particularly is one subject to furnish a close-by speaker a frustrating time. it particularly is barely rude to make exciting of somebody who's gaining knowledge of English, particularly if the rude guy or woman can purely communicate English. Your English is in all possibility plenty greater suited than their ability at your interior sight language. yet on your question, did you get banned for undesirable English grammar: it particularly is achieveable somebody very antagonistic to foreigners falsely stated you for a contravention purely to get you banned. There are people who could do one in each and every of those subject. you may additionally get banned if there have been problems with your attitude, or you broke another rule of the board - possibly regardless of out which potential to.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, many people are not aware they use poor grammar, they may not have finished high school or college. It's sad. They also may not have gone to school on a regular basis to learn anything in school, let alone grammar. It's very sad.

Answer 8

We live in a society surrounded by images. The old school way of grammar and books has been tossed aside and replaced by images. Very superficial, but it's the truth.

Answer 9

i think there is a lack of education nowadays. people have become sloppy and i don't think it is emphasized in schools as much as it used to be. a lot of the time, i don't think people even realize what they are saying. (and sorry if there is any poor grammar here! it was by accident if there is any!)

Answer 10

The world is changing and developing, and as such, there are now more important things to worry about then grammar (e.g., poverty, war, murder, rape, chemical warfare, diseases...........,:';) Kids today have to learn way more things in school then kids twenty years ago had to.