Why Do So Many Native English Speakers Write "your" When They Mean "you're"?

[Statebriga]

Do they really not know the difference or what? And how can so many people have problems with it?

[BlackadderV]

Probably because their education has been inadequate. I am surprised they don't also write 'yore' or 'yaw'.

[shoota]

Your write, a lot doant.

[kvalidir]

//Do they really not know the difference or what?//

The words 'or what' in your sentence are entirely superfluous. People in glass houses and so forth... ;-)

[Hypognosis]

They know the difference: they just want their readers to do the work of unscrambling what they write.

[ChillDoubt]

I often asky myself the same when people write 'could of' when it is 'could have'.

[gness]

Statebriga....in the end.......does it really, really matter?

[hc4361]

Yes, Gness, it really does.

[Hypognosis]

@gness

Just trying to stop the language from de-evolving into jibberish. It's a beautiful thing and some of us don't like seeing it get messed up. That's all.

[gness]

Not now, Hc....much as this foreigner loves the Queen's English....it's not enough to get strung up about...or post on a forum about.....x

[gness]

When a post like this appears it insults members who do use the above incorrectly.....I don't like that....x

[kvalidir]

I like to see nice grammar and good spelling, but I am guilty of a many typos as the next person, and I don't like to be a grammar Nazi because it's elitist and alienates people who have something valuable to say but perhaps lack the ability, for whatever reason, to write that down perfectly. Language constantly evolves and always will.

[ChillDoubt]

I'd have to argue it does gness, otherwise what's the point in having teachers and/or an education system?

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0LEVx0ZczRUFdIAnLlXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA21jYWZlZQRncHJpZANncFhpUmdaQ1FPYWhVanBndzZyWXhBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwMyBG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzIwBHF1ZXJ5A3NvbWVlY2FyZHMgbnV0cyBtZW1lBHRfc3RtcAMxNDEyNzIzNTA3?p=someecards+nuts+meme&fr2=sb-top-search&;fr=mcafee&;type=A111US691

[ChillDoubt]

Apologies, broad-spectrum link!

Better one:

http://imgace.com/pic/2012/11/grammar-the-difference-between-feeling-your-nuts-and-feeling-youre-nuts/

[kvalidir]

Hypog- // don't like seeing it GET messed up//.

Your tense is wrong it should be either ' to see it get' or 'getting'.

[Mamyalynne]

It is so easy when tapping the keys and replying on screen, especially in a busy thread to use the wrong word or leave out punctuation.


In the great scheme of things it doesn't matter much - the whole sentence will tell you what is meant.

[ChillDoubt]

Also important:

http://www.rottenecards.com/card/383353/grammar-capitalization--and-puncuation--the-difference-between--helping-your-uncle-jack--off

[jno]

that one is rather spoilt by the word "puncuation"

[gness]

I don't like laziness of speech or language....I'm Irish....it matters to us because of our history.

But so often on AnswerBank someone will post what Statebriga has just posted.

I had a very poor education...it ended early...but somewhere in me was a love of reading and language and I was able to indulge that love and improve....many don't have that luxury and I get fed up seeing people being ridiculed on here for not having the same grasp of language, spelling and grammar as those who had the benefit of a good education.

It may matter.....but there is no need to big yourself up by pointing it out to others who may have talents you don't....☺

[kvalidir]

Exactly, it's so easy to do, no-one should really feel able to criticise anyone else on spelling, grammar or punctuation. Besides lots of very established novelists don't use any whatsoever, see here:-
http://qwiklit.com/2014/03/05/top-10-authors-who-ignored-the-basic-rules-of-punctuation/