do you answer a question if it has spelling errors in it?

Question

or do you pass over it?

so many great answers....


one thing I do agree on.... "text speak" has g2g!!! LOL (lol)

Answer 1

It is nice when people use proper grammar and spelling,however,I usually try to hear the person's heart and ignore the cosmetics of sentence structure or spelling mistakes.....we are dealing with so many variables in age,maturity level(ouch),spiritual understanding and a great variety of various and often peculiar mind sets in dealing with the global community.....A much greater "error" may be in avoiding one who actually needs help.

I suppose a simple yes,would have sufficed....

Answer 2

No. The value of the question has nothing to do with the amount of spelling or grammatical errors. English is not an easy language to learn, read, and write for those that do not claim it as their first language (I for one am one of those). With empathy, I try to look past the grammatical/spelling carnage and listen to the overall cerebral and emotional intelligence and maturity of the question. One cannot determine the IQ and EQ of that person by just how they spell. Would you bet against a scratch golfer with an ugly golf swing? No, of course not. So why would anyone think otherwise of a person who struggles, just like me, how to spell the English word or how to express the right English phrase for a Y!A question? Some of the best questions are asked by those that really thought the issue through, regardless of context and content errors. Those are the ones that bring about healthy discussion amongst a diverse international audience. I appreciate those the most.

Not sure if I answered your question. Great question though. And great responses as well.

Answer 3

We all make mistakes, and I am trying to be nice and play well with others. I had a momentary lapse of reason and responded to the likes of Kramden and Sheldon with a particular emphasis placed on their complete inability to respect the English language. I blame spell-check for a lot of errors, just like basic math skills being lost to calculators. If I can understand the question, and it interests me, I will answer, without commenting on spelling or grammatical errors.

Answer 4

Unless these errors render the post as unclear or incomprehensible,...
...I would never pass over an interesting question because of a few misspellings, and I think it absurd that one would do so.

Errors in syntax are prevalent in forums, such as this one, where many feel it is necessary to submit their posts as expeditiously as possible.

However, it is difficult for me to fathom why there are those on Y!A, and elsewhere, who simply refuse to employ the provided 'Check Spelling' features:
They only take a few seconds to use, and can make a marked difference in, not only in how well a POST is 'received',...

...but in how well the POSTER is 'perceived'.

"...'Spellchecker': It's not just for editors anymore..."...;-)

Answer 5

It depends. I can overlook a few errors (we're all only human, after all), but if it contains so many errors that the question is illegible, I pass it over.

Answer 6

It depends on the question.We all make little typos and sometimes bigger mistakes. I think that many people are also talking English as a second language so I think we all are doing pretty good job understanding each other.

Answer 7

If I can make out what they are trying to say and the subject interests me, yes I answer. So few good questions I won't let lousy spelling put me off.

Answer 8

If it makes sense & is clear then you can excuse the odd spelling mistake - however if the content of the question is not clear due to spelling & grammar then i usually pass.

Answer 9

Sometimes, I try to help by rewording or correcting the spelling or simply offering that it is too far gone to be understandable.
I try to think beyond myself in cases like the question.

Answer 10

I can't spell worth a durned, so I fully apresheate the poorly spelled question.

I just look at the question that is being asked.