Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

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QueenBirdy
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by QueenBirdy »

I get extremely bothered by stuff like this. I'm an extreme perfectionist, especially when it comes to writing, and take extra care when writing stuff all the time. Like even now as I'm typing this, I'm rereading what I type and making sure everything is spelled correctly. I know I probably don't have the best grammar in the world, but I always try to put in my best effort! When I see people put in minimal effort into writing things, it physically pains me. The thing that makes me really mad though, is when you see people put in texting language in their homework, resumes, published works etc. How does anyone in their right mind think that's alright?! Heck, I get all bothered if I have to write the word "lol" in a text! (Yeah, I'm one of those weird people who have to write everything in complete sentences in text messages.)

That being said, I am completely sympathetic with people who don't speak English well, young children, and people with dyslexia. I have two cousins who are dyslexic and they are both have a very hard time with reading and writing. Even though they have this disability, they are extremely smart kids, and I wish the school systems here would do way more to help them. I even think it would be nice someday that I get a job or to volunteer to help dyslexic kids to learn and enjoy reading.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by ToxicFlame »

Not to be a broken record here... but it really does depend on the situation. That being said, I would say in general that there is little to no excuse for bad grammar. 1) There are plenty of people out there to correct you (for better or for worse -.-*) and those that can help you improve; 2) most people who we expect proper grammar from have finished primary school where they should have learned proper grammar; 3) If it's just a text or they're... like, five. Ok, whatever. That's totally understandable. (Or if the written language isn't their native language). But if the current environment is one where appropriate grammar and spelling is expected, then every effort should be made by all the involved parties to write properly.

Roleplay, even though it's just meant for fun, is one that bothers me in particular. Homework, professional words, published things, etc... those are all obvious. But in *any* scenario where you're doing a large amount of writing, I think you owe it to the people reading the piece to use proper spelling and punctuation. By joining a roleplay or applying to a job, or whatever the circumstances are... I would say it's an understood agreement that you are going to provide something using proper grammar.

Now if you're a child, or if you have a disability, or you speak other languages, or if it's just casual... Obviously, I don't care. But I'd say "bothersome" isn't a strong enough word for when others simply don't care enough to write properly. Not only does it make the writer look bad, but it's rude to the people that will be reading it. Now... of course, mistakes happen. But after being corrected, or if it happens ALL THE TIME... come on. That's just lazy.

Yeah... that sounded a bit harsh. -.-' Sorry, folks. Just a pet peeve of mine.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by Doglover2509840935 »

I don't find it too bad unless it messes with the message of the post or any other way it's hard to understand.
I can see why it would be a problem in writing though. My main pet peeves are people who ignore typical things in writing such as stating which character is speaking. Also writing large blocks of text without occasional spaces between lines.

Generally though I don't see the problem with bad grammar unless they're trying do write professionally. Though some things like the wrong use of your can be grating.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by gjhhhhhh »

I feel like other people already hit the nail on the head, but for me personally if it's so bad that I am having trouble reading it then I'm drawing the line right there and leaving. For example, if it's good writing but full of comma splices, I can deal...although I will probably be slightly annoyed by the end. If it's multiple misspellings and unnecessary/inappropriate shorthand or the syntax is just really bad overall then I'm out.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by pawspark »

I don't really mind bad grammar. It might be because I'm a first generation immigrant; since childhood I've been surrounded by people for whom English is not their first language. And I could see, especially with my parents, that they do try to improve as much as they can, so I'd never point it out in a way that's like, hey man your grammar's bad, stop it. If they're open to constructive criticism, I'd just be like, hey that should probably be ___ rather than ___. Some people are not so open to it, though, so for them I'd just ignore it as long as I'm able to tell what they're trying to say. Usually I'd just try to ask them to repeat or clarify what they're trying to say. If I'm reading something with bad grammar, as long as the meaning is still understandable, I don't really care. And if it's so bad as to be illegible, then I'll try to read it until I get tired, then I just leave
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by Sharl »

I have to bite my tongue because bad grammar is one of my least favorite things (words/literature = my Autistic Big Skill so yeah). Poor grammar/spelling can stop me from reading a fic I'm sure I would've otherwise enjoyed, becaue it boots me right out of my zone. I don't leave comments yelling at people, because, like pawspark said, it's probably not their fault (and I have manners, ffs some of the folks out there in the Internet Wilds are rude AF), but I'll proofread happily if I'm asked to.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by bugthebard »

I'm really not bothered at all by bad grammar as long as something is readable (if it isn't, I just stop reading it, wouldn't say it makes me mad).

I like to write myself, and try to pay attention to doing it proper, but I'm aware that it's not something everyone is interested or invested in. I don't want to push my values onto other people that really aren't obligated to care about it. And besides, "proper" grammar becomes such an issue in a gatekeeping sense. It's often used to dismiss someone with a different dialect as unintelligent for example. After all, they're all arbitrary, "made up" rules. As long as I can understand someone, it's not going to irk me. And if it does, I think it would still be rude for me to aggressively correct people without being asked. I'm with Sharl on the politeness first mantra.

That said, I also personally prefer reading something that feels grammatical. I just don't get super heated when it isn't.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by RustyBlackfyre »

I only skimmed through some replies so I'm probably not saying anything new here, but it definitely does depend on the situation.

For any online discussion or social media, if I see bad grammar, I generally don't mind. Maybe writing just isn't their strong suit, or they had a lack of education, learning disability that I'm unaware of, or maybe English isn't even their first language. If I can understand what they're saying then it's not a big deal to me. My partner is dyslexic and his mom has a few disabilities, so I can read almost any level of English.

But I do get a little ticked off when I see common errors everywhere. Examples include a lack of punctuation, mixing up homophones, misusing apostrophes (its vs it's), or things like phase instead of faze. It annoys me, but it doesn't ruin my day and I don't feel a need to react or correct anyone.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by bookrage »

It really depends. As long as it is coherent, I'm generally okay, but I need a little clearer speach and spelling online than many. I read things on my computer with a screenreader and as it can only read what is present and can't filter how things ought to be, the requirements for coherence are a little higher for me.
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Re: Bad Grammar - Bothersome?

Post by LunarCursed13 »

It really depends on the situation. Bad grammar does annoy me at times, but I do try to be a bit more understanding about it. I do realize English is not everyone's first language, so I'm a bit more forgiving when it comes to reading and replying to ESL people. Bad grammar usually just annoys me when I'm in school and I have to correct or read another person's work. Like "I've been in your class since 6th grade, and you still don't understand how to use a comma?" Maybe it's just because I have higher expectations for my peers, since I've known them for so long.
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