Can ANYONE use Proper English anymore?

Question

More and more, people use YOUR for the contraction YOU'RE (you are). They put an apostrophe on plurals (All those dog's are barking). They improperly say "I told you NOT to do that" (means 'I told you not', which means 'I didn't tell you') instead of "I told you TO not do that" (specifically said it). Oh, heck; I could go on forever on this one...
Are people getting stupid, or what's the problem? Poor schooling???

Answer 1

Stupidity is a problem, sure. I think that schooling has something to do with it as well. But mostly I think it is sheer laziness.

Answer 2

There is a proper way to speak and write, and I think most of the people on this site are capable of doing so; I think they slip into the vernacular because they are more concerned with what they are saying rather than how they are saying it. Some people want to be the first to answer the question, and to do that, they have to type quickly. Don't give up on them yet.

Edit: See? When I started answering this question, there were no answers posted. All the people above answered before I could finish.

Answer 3

I am of the opinion that that truly is a matter of your frame of reference. If you're referring to cyberspace then expectations should be much lower. Cyberspace is not formal writing. If you look, however, at formal writing, be they essays or books, you will see that "proper" English is still used.
However, the concept of language being right or wrong is a misnomer as language is entirely arbitrary and thus can be liquid in its definition. That is how new languages come to exist. Take English itself for example, it is only a bastardized form of German and Latin.
However, all the being said, I do occasionally get annoyed with peoples inability to seperate to, too and two. But, don't blame the schools, that is not fair.

Answer 4

I know what you mean. At my school, many kids don't know how to speak right. I was raised properly on the farm. My family taught me how to write and speak right. Even though that I can't type very well, I still try to make as little as possible errors. I think that some have problems typing like me, so I suppose that not everyone is illiterate. By the way, I am 16.

Answer 5

Yes, there are many people that can adequately express themselves using the English language - there are just so many more that just don't give a fig.

The spelling mistakes can be quite amusing. I don't think it's necessarily stupidity - as there is the very easy to use spell check option - but rather apathy.

The schools teach children to concentrate on expressing their ideas - that seems to be the highest priority - the ability to communicate, spelling and grammar are secondary.

Answer 6

You're not exactly one to talk as your grasp on English is a tad poor as well.

For starters, "proper English" did not need the word proper capitalized. Your sentence "They put an apostrophe on plurals" is a fragment.

Honestly, I could go on but my coffee has yet to kick in and I'm simply not in the mood to correct a know-it-all with errors in his own post.

Answer 7

Nope, and hears why. Nobody whose anybody reads no more. Everybody's too busy flappin their gums bitchin bout the state of the world or complainin about their fellow ignoramuses!
That's a real classy paragraph you put together there but what will it get you? A rap in the chops if you went face to face with that putdown!
Hope your nose don't get frostbit, know what I mean, Snoots?

LOL

Answer 8

To be honest with you, your question "Can ANYONE use Proper English anymore?" would be wrong then. It should be said "Can anyone use proper English?" or "Can't anyone use proper English anymore?"
You would be surprised how many people I talk to that can actually speak properly, quite a few I must say.
But people who can't talk properly need a few lessons in the english language, or given a dictionary at that.
We all do it at some point, you proved it yourself in your question. Learn to get over it, everyone will end up talking like that at some point.

Answer 9

I absolutely agree with you; however, there is nothing we can do about it. In an attempt to make others aware, we can correct them, but I am sure that will not go well with most individuals. As a parent, I correct my children when they say "got" instead of "have". Other than that you are more than likely fighting a losing battle.

Answer 10

For a while the schools stopped doing spelling tests. They focused more on reading than spelling. Now they're bringing back the spelling tests, and now we're seeing the effects of the ones who never learned the proper spelling of words right now.

Answer 11

oh, man, (lights up a ciggy), heavy question, man, heavy...
I mean, can you help, brother, it is something eating at me for dickades (damn, wrong spelling), oh, yaeh, deckades (damn), decades... is Ben Gay, man, do you know ?
also, how many languages do you speak man ? You sound like a grammatist, man, or gruberian (don't sound right, yet again), I mean grammarian, man, like Yogi the Bear (nah, that is wrong)
anyhow, I hope you don't go on forever, I do not have that much time... anyhow what is infinitesimal, man (damn, wrong word again), I mean what is ifinitum, man ? man, the answer is not poor schooling, but poor study habits and lack of imagination...
anyhow, allusing (damn) alluding to your "dog" thing: old Arab proverb: the dogs bark but the caravan goes on its way...