Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Poor grammar



HovaGirl

I'll try a breakfast pie
Jul 16, 2009
3,139
West Hove
Now I must be careful not to make any mistakes here, but is it just me or have the people of this country no care or intelligence to use the correct grammar anymore?

The sad thing is that they don't seem to realise and it seems to have got much worse in the past year.

Any more is ALWAYS two words! I don't think it's so much lack of intelligence which has affected modern grammar use, but simply lack of teaching in school. Some of the online newspapers' use of grammar and spelling is appalling and this is important, because reading is one of the ways in which grammar and spelling can be improved. If the newspapers can't get it right, then it shows how low standards have become. The standards have been dropping for about twenty years, but since the advent of texting, it seems people have no use for grammar at all, these days. I think it's all part of the modern phenomena where lack of respect for anything, including grammar, is kewl.
 




HovaGirl

I'll try a breakfast pie
Jul 16, 2009
3,139
West Hove
claptrap. There have always been some people who can spell and get their grammar right, and those that can't. And teaching it well only increases the chances of people getting it right, it doesn't guarantee correct spelling and grammar.

Yes, there are things which are more important, but the ability to articulate well helps enormously with your ability to affect your world to your benefit. If there is one thing which is empowering, it is the ability to express yourself, and therefore to be taken seriously by the people to whom you write. I've worked with teachers improving literacy skills in adults with poor education, and the thing we learnt very quickly was that the way to help these people was to teach them how to write letters to the council, the police, social workers, social services and the like. Their well-written letters, taken seriously, led the council to deal with the longstanding problem with their heating in their council house, got the police to sort out the problem neighbours, got the social workers to understand their problems with their kids, got social services to give them what they were due. Literacy, including good spelling and good grammar matters; it leads to better lives.

bravo!
 


Daffy Duck

Stop bloody moaning!
Nov 7, 2009
3,824
GOSBTS
Most of the time I can live with bad spelling and grammar, and as long as I can understand what's being said, then it's not too much of a problem.

BUT, the one thing that really pisses me off is when people say "bored of" or fed up of".

It's " bored WITH" and "fed up WITH". Even the media are doing it now!
 




alan partridge

Active member
Jul 7, 2003
5,256
Linton Travel Tavern
The sad thing is that they don't seem to realise and it seems to have got much worse in the past year.

sorry can't be arsed to read the thread but a question ; How the friggin f*** could you tell that the standard of grammar used in the UK has got worse 'IN THE PAST YEAR'?

seriously?
 








Spicy

We're going up.
Dec 18, 2003
6,038
London
Now I must be careful not to make any mistakes here, but is it just me or have the people of this country no care or intelligence to use the correct grammar anymore?

The sad thing is that they don't seem to realise and it seems to have got much worse in the past year.

Would you normally start a sentence with "Now"? Your sentence ain't very grammatical like!
 






Biscuit

Native Creative
Jul 8, 2003
22,240
Brighton
f-Bad-Grammar-6681.jpg
 






Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,404
Goldstone
Sadly people who spell with an haitch instead of an aitch annoy me more than bad grammar or spelling.
That's a 'haitch', not an 'haitch'
;)
 


I remember having to explain to a group of Italian students who were studying English (at about A Level standard) what the correct use of "will" and "shall" is. They had explained to me that it was very important to understand this set of rules, if they were going to pass their exam.

Does ANYONE here know the rule that is routinely taught to foreign students learning English?

... And, if anyone wants to learn the rule, here is a simple explanation ...

Modals - Shall versus Will
 






Guy Fawkes

The voice of treason
Sep 29, 2007
8,253
Now I must be careful not to make any mistakes here, but is it just me or have the people of this country no care or intelligence to use the correct grammar anymore?

The sad thing is that they don't seem to realise and it seems to have got much worse in the past year.

GCSE and A-Level results show an increase in the number of people passing and also getting the higher grades, but i bet a lot of those who did well arn't great at grammar.

I believe that teaching in this country has become far more targeted towards answering what is likely to be asked in an exam rather than giving pupils a full and rounded grounding of each subject, and as a result of this, teaching the correct spelling and use of grammar have become less of a priority during lessons.

I'd bet that in terms of demographics, most of those who criticise the spelling and grammar standards on here are from the older generations where it is seen as being important to get it right whereas the younger members would see it as being less important to get right (mainly due to the subject never being taught it properly at school.)
 


Waynflete

Well-known member
Nov 10, 2009
1,105
Lol lots of ppl on here are a bunch of fairies with nothing more important to do. I think u must forget that this is an internet forum and not an exam.

I agree with you, but sometimes I genuinely find it difficult to understand what people are saying because their posts are so incoherent. The odd typo is no problem, obviously, but when people mis-spell words in the thread title, for example, that's pretty careless.
 


Seagull27

Well-known member
Feb 7, 2011
3,328
Bristol
Who actually decides what the correct grammar is to use though? I bet if you went back a few hundred years, it would be completely different. Languages change all the time, with new words coming in and old ones phasing out. People are generally reluctant to accept change from what they are used to, maybe part of it is just that.
 


Spicy

We're going up.
Dec 18, 2003
6,038
London
One of the most annoying phrases is "would of" instead of "would have" grrrrrrrrrrr!
 




Alfie22

Member
Mar 12, 2008
145
I stop people when interviewing, or if listening to a trainer on a course if the speaker says "pacific" instead of "specific" - is that bad of me?
 


Solid at the back

Well-known member
Sep 1, 2010
2,670
Glorious Shoreham by Sea
I agree with you, but sometimes I genuinely find it difficult to understand what people are saying because their posts are so incoherent. The odd typo is no problem, obviously, but when people mis-spell words in the thread title, for example, that's pretty careless.

Whats more annoyin is when people type LIKE THIS on the thread TITLE why do PEOPLE do THIS?
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here