At the risk of being criticized because of the other thread, I also noticed my kids grammar was getting worse (or is it worst?) when they entered pre-school. They used to come home saying things like: You are the bestest mom, I went to go buy some cookies. (Past tense ), etc. not including the mixed tex/mex words people invent here. I just ask them to look for the definition of that word in the dictionary, if they can find it they can use it. I used to correct them so many times every day that it got to the point that when they said something wrong, they just looked at me and immediately said the correct word.

My kids would reply: but mom, everybody talks like that!
My response? Well, at this rate, you won't be able to speak English or Spanish, YOU will need to write another dictionary: The Dictionary of the Spanglish Language.

Now they correct their friends. I realize that I still need to learn a lot but I strive to do better every day, that way I can teach my children the same.

P.S. I have heard several teachers, even high school teachers say: I went to go...

one to add to the list: loose instead of lose. i see it 90% of the time. i admit that whatever you lost may have first been loose but you did not loose it. you did, however, make me lose it!

Oh, I love you guys. This subject is so near and dear to my heart, you wouldn't believe it.

I'm a copy editor. And you wouldn't believe the things I see in copy even from young reporters, who could be expected to know better ... and even other editors ...

And the letters to the editor! From politicians! I wish, wish, wish we could run them as is, I really do. Yes, folks, that guy you just elected to run the school board ... or the city ... doesn't know how to use a measly apostrophe and can't keep their and there straight!


Grrr.

Who knew that having a degree in English could be so helpful? (Even if only here at CC...)

Ah...I was born to an English professor mother, and now am married to another professor. So, trust me, my writing is top notch, when I feel it is absolutely necessary. When texting, chatting, or sending informal e-mails, I don't even capitalize! Takes too long! Speling errors...eh, they know what I meant to say! Sometimes, I have to be really careful in here to make sure Iam not "speaking" so informally. Lol.

Please do not forget the word people often us incorrectly. The word converstate is NOT a word, the word is converse

I love this thread!

Well we are conversing here--so considerable leeway is appropriate because we all goof up.

But I mean my kid has a masters in creative writing in two disciplines--no pressure. heh heh heh

I can never remember the -ly, -ley stuff--I constantly spell check but I know it's not perfect. And it's ok-ish.

And I forever spell could and would with the l on the outside looking in~~coudl and woudl~~ grr and duh on me.

I have to type what I'm thinking then go back and spell check the heck out of it.

Sometimes I think I would like to try the other type of keyboard. Qwerty was developed just to faciliate the typewriter keys from getting stuck together y'know. The more popular keys were placed where they were less likely to get in accidents with other keys.

So, anyways lol

"Coudl" and "Woudl" sound like names for Muppets!

I enjoy correct spelling and punctuation as well as the next guy, however I can read and comprehend just about anything!!

That being said, this should drive you guys nuts!

Can you raed tihs? Olny 72 plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Gail

I don't understand. Could you be a little more pacific?

gailsgoodies I love that one, yes I can read it!

I get positively miffed when I see a misuse of accept vs except.

At the OSSAS, I was browsing the vendor stalls and came across one with a sign stating "We except credit cards".

My kids brought home a letter from a teacher stating that "all homework accept the science project is due Wednesday." (FROM A TEACHER)

I also saw, in the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo reptile house, a sign over a snake that read: "There are all types of bazaar stories about this particular reptile". Seriously....in a public zoo, up in lights! (Should be bizarre!)

I could go on, but I'm sure I'd bore you/irritate somebody.

Just a thought, I noticed that everyone in here has made at least one or more spelling errors, etc. We are all prone to bad writing when we are thinking, typing and ranting. Have a great day!!!!

My DH gets irritated if I stand behind him when he is typing something because I just can't keep my mouth shut if I see something that needs to be corrected.

I told him to just think of me as his own personal 'grammar/spell checker' who just happens to be a good cook. (he's still gets irritated when I do it.... LOL)

That being said, I make my fair share of errors and I get so irritated if I write something and I don't catch a mistake before I submit whatever it is I'm working on.

Seems to me y'all are being weigh to judgemental!

A big "hello" to JillK from a former copy editor!

Even though I haven't worked in the field for years, copy editing becomes a part of you that never goes away!

I read my posts over several times before I submit them, but it is clear that many CC members do not take the time to do the same.

I couldn't agree more with the concerns and suggestions posted already. I'm glad to hear that I am not alone in this crusade. I say "amen" to proper grammar, checking your spelling, and learning to break up lengthy posts with paragraphs.

No problem reading the above. But I was an English teacher for 30 odd years, and I quickly learned to read whatever students handed me. However...

Oops. This has the opposite problem; it should have been one paragraph, not four. And then there's the run-on sentence with a typo in, it complaining about misuse of homophones.

Relax gang. English is going through a major vocalic and consonant shift. ( Indo- European languages do that every 400 or so years.) Modern English has been stable since Shakespeare's time so it is appropriate for all those vowels and consonants to do their little shift dance. Plus, twenty years ago it was easy to explain that there were two form of English- formal written and informal conversational. However, technology has stepped in just as it did in the 15th century. Then it was the printing press and 'bye-bye' idiosyncratic spelling and 'hello'" dictionaries and spelling tests. Now, it is the internet; we are conversing with the written word in e-mail, message boards, blogs, texting, etc. Grammar rules are being bent and broken right and left. The language is evolving before our eyes.

I agree that paragraphing should remain. But I hope homophones and silent letters disappear like the dodo bird. 'Donut' is rarely spelled 'doughnut', and I suspect 'whom'-which happens to be my own 'hot button'- is about to disappear. 'Accept /except' -that one will get lost in the vowel/consonant shift; it wouldn't be a problem now if the 'a' and 'c ' weren't in the process of shifting.

To the parents correcting their children, keep it up. The ability to use formal English has always given students and adults and edge on their colleagues. For the rest of us, proof read, spell check, discover the semi-colon and learn to forgive the errors of others, as we would like to be forgiven.

Edited to correct a run-on.

Oh my stars and stripes, another thing that gets under my skin is when people think it is correct to say, "I would of" or "I could of" rather than "I would have" or "I could have."

Loose and lose are major irritants to me too.

Narie, we are simply expressing our pet peeves. Nobody is holding murderous grudges against those whose understanding of English is not as superior as ours. *snicker* J/k.

A great book about the evolution of the English language is "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson. A very entertaining and fascinating look at how English came about, how it has changed over the years and how it is likely to continue to develop in future. *Bonus for the 10-year olds in all of us: includes a snigger-inducing section on swear words.

Most of the pet peeves here are pet peeves of mine as well. The paragraphing issue is probably the biggest one simply because my old eyes can't handle 87 line paragraphs. However, I realize that everyone makes mistakes. When I first starting surfing the web and e-mailing, I was a stickler for these things. Now, not so much. (Yes, I know that wasn't a sentence.) Speed has replaced accuracy. I make silly mistakes! Lately, I've caught myself typing "know" when I intend to say "no". My aging brain! I've also learned that it is perfectly acceptable to most to type online as I talk. I'm not writing a thesis here.

The other thing I remember is that not everyone was blessed to have a good education, for numerous reasons. Some didn't have the opportunity, others had many difficulties that kept them from taking full advantage of that education. Still others have learning difficulties that make writing for them a real chore. Some are new to the language. Others have experienced brain trauma.

I think I can extend a little grace. At the same time, I think it is very worthwhile to educate sometimes.

JammJenks: That one drives me INSANE!

I guess if I lived closer to the beach , I could be more PACIFIC! Hahaha.

Here is a great one,

My sister has a friend who wanted me to make a birthday cake for her daughter. Take into consideration this girl graduated high school works at a very exclusive salon and speaks with the public every day.

Here is how the e-mail conversation started:

"If you don't MINE me AKSING how much that cake COSTED to make, I will get WIT U later about when I'm NEEDIN it. I SEEN some cute ones I like." WTF?

I am guilty of using "internet slang" ie: LOL BRB and abreviating text messages to my family and friends ie: R U home yet? and sure I sometimes hit the wrong keys when chatting informally, but come on I didn't know whether to laugh or cry..

Another pet peeve is people who use No instead of Know.

Oh and people who say " I could care less" instead of I couldn't care less"

That is unless they really could care less...

I know Ziggy, and of course you're right, but it's nice to be able to vent a little with like-minded souls!

I'm shocked'n'appalled by how many people want to be perceived as professional, and they think they do it by telling others how 'proffesional' they are.

Thank you txcupcake.
I have heard several parents say: That is why I send them to school, so they can teach them. That includes manners. Several times they have said so many things, that I intruded and told them is not the teachers responsibility to teach their kids manners and even to tie their shoes, or get dressed after going to the bathroom (excuse me), that is the parents responsibility. Then I give them some examples of simple basic things 5 -6 year old kids can't do. I used to volunteer 3 hours every day at the school my son attended and saw that first hand. The ladies just look at me like I am an alien.

Karateka: The volunteers parents are the ones that write those letters, make copies and take them to the rooms. Some of the teachers don't even read them before they give them to the children to take home. At least that is what they do at our school.

When ever we want to have some fun, we read our local newspaper, you find so many mistakes that you have to laugh.

My oldest son graduated with a bachelors degree in Anthropology and minor in English. He is always correcting any mistakes my other children make.

I also hate when people ask for advise when they are really looking for advice.

Of course I don't belittle people for it and I usually keep my anal tendancies about grammar to myself.

I don't constantly edit myself either. Often times I type wyay to fast and transpose letters. So I will type teh rather than the and coudl rather than could, but it's because my fingers can't keep up with my brain sometimes. or my brain is too tired to make them work well.

It's nice to know that there are so many others out there who feel passionately about grammar.

Someone mentioned about how language will change and is changing....well that's the truth because sometimes I don't understand what my own child is speaking

It drives me insane and I keep correcting her which also drives me insane! Just what on earth are children speaking today?

The "donut" verses "doughnut" that gets me because to me "donut" sounds like "do" and "nut". However "flavour" and "flavor" suits me better as the US one doesn't contain an unnecessary vowel and they still sound the exact same!

I think it's okay to be relaxed about written work in forums, personal emails etc.

If you are writing something very important I do think that it should be written to your best ability and as correct as you can make it as it's a representation of yourself and it's nice to keep your best side out as they say!

In the end what do I know we had our language bet out of us