My ability to withstand improper grammar has evaporated. I go through swings of this, sometimes rigorously enforcing the standards of the English language by correcting speech as a person is talking and sometimes ignoring the issue wholly. However, I can take it no more. How difficult is it for you, my glorious, American children, to learn the language of the country in which you live?
I understand that immigrants often suffer a language barrier. That's okay. For some linguistic groups, English is difficult to learn. It's understandable.
However, for those of you who have held residence in this country your entire life, have spoken nothing but English, shame on "y'all." Is it really that incomprehensible? Are you so illiterate that you cannot make your verbs and subjects agree? Since when is the word "babies" singular? It's not. So, why follow it with a verb that indicates singularity in the subject? It is never, EVER "babies is." It never has been. Whence begotten this ridiculous idea? And learn the difference, for crying out loud, between "there," "they're," and "their," as well as "its" and "it's." These disabilities are probably the most rampant and I am seized with ire when I read, "Their was a friend of mine..." No. Just...no.
Incidentally, my grammar police cycle was at a downturn. I promised myself to stop harassing the hoi polloi for its solecistic tendencies, but when I read a post of a Certain Blogger on this here forum (and I won't name names; it's unladylike), my brain imploded. Is it stupidity? Is there a logic-knowledge barrier in your brain? Or have you just never touched a book in your life, except to throw it at the empty head of your pimply, frivolous boyfriend?
Again, I am not asking for complete sentences, because I often begin mine with prepositions; that's an issue of style. I am also willing to shut my eyes to the controversy surrounding proper punctuation and to the more obscure aspects of grammar (there is a restriction to the former. If you are wont to craft long-winded sentences, please discover the comma. Also, learn that first comes the punctuation mark, then the quotation mark). However, I am entirely unwilling to tolerate subject-verb disagreement, lack of adverbs where adverbs are due, and catachreses.
Please, kids, for love of God and Country: learn to speak English properly. We look bad enough already on the international stage without allowing that America's natives employ worse English than Indian customer service representatives.
I love what you are saying but the idea 'correct' English is a pipe dream. If you travel this great country of ours you will see so many different dialects and colloquialisms it will make your head spin.
How we look to the international community would mean more to the average American if there was a negative immigration from this country to the countries that look down upon our bad grammar and English.
I'm not really sure if you're telling people to speak correctly or to write correctly. I don't really mind grammatical errors in speaking--I do that all the time, even in my native language--but yes, grammatical errors in writing peeve me. And I personally like to nitpick when people misuse the ever-obscure semicolon.
My grammar and English skills are not the greatest but I totally understand what you are saying. It is terrible that people do not speak correctly and it is so hard to understand some people. Yes, sometimes on the internet these slang terms are fine but when you are actually speaking to another human being, you should talk like a human. Great job. Sorry about the last comment if you saw it, I read your blog wrong and I am trying to get the hang of comments. Keep up the good work with your blogs.
harassing the hoi polloi for its solecistic tendencies
That made me laugh - I love the tone of this entry. I can stand butchered English to an extent because I live in LA and I have grown accustom to it. I am around "crump" and "That ain't no home-erk assignment!" etc. and it wears down the soul to attack these people for their right to express their opinion, no matter how grammatically incorrect it may be. Online blogs and things of that style, I try not to be too picky. If it's something quick then no, I will not chastise for punctuation. However, if you start making up words for the hell of it and slathering the poor page in "lols" and "omgs" I've had enough. I myself do use nontraditional spelling such as those for women (womyn, wimmin) but these sorts of things go along with Feminist spelling, the sub-culture, Womyn's studies classes, and college professors allow this alternative spelling so I am not in fault :)
Slang terms, colloquialisms, made-up words, and intentional alternate spellings are fine with me in most circumstances. However, these must be used to convey an idea worth saying, and be logically constructed according to the rules of English syntax. I don't expect perfect typing..but please proofread once. And "lol" should be saved for Instant Message conversations in which speed and abbreviation is important.
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"The selection shows that manipulation is more important than genuine communication in this culture because honestly, who would want to go to a party for a bitch like Berkshire if they knew what she really thought about them?"
--This is how I ace the AP Lit Exam
I agree, speak English people. And I hate slander. WHy not stop that too? Why make up your own word if there is a word like it in the dictionary
There's a difference between speaking and writting. This would be a bland world if everyone spoke perfect English. The British argued the same thing, when America colonized from the "Mother Country". So English isn't correct, but syntaxed is more of the word. I am doing a research report on dialect and slang for Psychology. When I am finished, I will summarize it and post it as a blog. Remember whose standards you are referring to.
The thing I find most interesting is how easy it is to dislike differences in today's world. There is a way to communicate comfortably and I think that's more important.
You do agree that the proper way to speak English is how it's written. Also the way we write English today should have no possibility to evolve and change over years. That cultures have no right to alter the english language in any shape or form.
The weird thing is, today's English is evolution of language in itself. Seeing that its roots don't always follow one source.
I wonder what makes us think this way as human beings. That we can't live without superiority of our thoughts and ideas. Human beings created the english languge. Human beings adapt and every thing ideally created by us hold that same characteristic.
That's true, but it still peeves me when someone can't tell the difference between "its" and "it's."
Or "who's" and "whose."
I agree completely. There will always be some variations and dialects, but a lot of what I hear today is just horrible. Grammar rules exist for a reason.
Thanks for that one. When i write my report, I need to pay good attention to that. I guess it was overlooked. Atleast you get what I'm trying to say. Yes, I took the liberty to edit the two minute errors in mechanics on my previous comment. Wow, very strict.
Strict? That wasn't strict. I decided to overlook a few other problems. ;P
Hilarious.
I was born in the Philippines, but recently I've observed that I speak and write english better than most of the uni-lingual Americans I know. It's sad, really. I do however take my share of liberties in making up words, contractions and using slang in casual writings, but that comes from having Creative License based on actually knowing the rules.
It seems alot of people have forgotten that in order to break the rules, they first have to know them.
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Sarcasm - Less violent than a slap in the face.
At least make it half intelligent. Spelling I can kind of understand on the site... I mean you are in a rush and have a typo or add or drop a letter. It's understandable but, this u is MaD auwSum! is friggen retarded. Some shorthand is fine on a lighter topic or when you are quite enraged by something... however, on every post or every other word is LiKe ThIs you come off as ReTaRdEd. Me and johnny... come on use the basics Johnny and I. Well it is enraging but it makes my chances of getting a job better.