Why Are People Such Terrible Spellers Nowadays ?

[Samuraisan]

Do they not read books ? My children are 28+ and would I would be ashamed if their spelling was as bad as I read on some posts.

[cassa333]

I cannot spell very well and I have always been poor at it and no amount of 'learning' is going to change that. Thank god when the spell shocker works is all I can say. In fact my children are better at both spelling and maths than I am. I couldn't even learn the times table. However I am not stupid or particularly thick and have had responsible jobs first as head of departments within hotels and then running a hotel. I am now able to volunteer for an organisation that I write documents and formal letter etc and I don't do too badly. The only thing that does happen is someone spell checks them for me.

Being a poor speller doesn't mean you cannot do better or match anyone else.

Nowadays when the spelling police come a knocking I tend to apologise for my shortcomings and offer myself up for execution.

I have 11 yr old twins and they have regular spelling tests. However their school puts more store in the weekly maths test.

[Retrochic]

Jim -I got the correct answer straight away but could not 'prove' it mathematically . I thought 'oh well I can't be right, that's my problem, I usually get the correct answer but have no idea how I did it.

[Retrochic]

cassa I would not worry about it on a forum ,most people who become 'spelling Nazi's ' have nothing better to do. People who pretend they can't understand a word because of a spelling mistake are more interested in proving how much more superior they are than you, than a genuine interest in correct spelling or grammar. Laugh at them ;-)

[jim360]

What do you mean by the correct answer, though? I mean, in a "prove that" question the correct answer includes the full working to derive the final result, not just the final result itself.

It's basically only two (or possibly three, depending on how small your writing is) lines of working:

n sweets in a bag, 6 orange. Hence probability of drawing one orange is 6/n, and probability of drawing a second orange sweet after the first is (6-1)/(n-1) = 5/(n-1). Overall probability is therefore:

(6/n)*(5/(n-1)) = (6*5)/(n(n-1)) = 30/(n^2 -n).

Told that this equals a third, ie: 30/(n^2 -n) = 1/3, or, rearranging 90 = n^2-n, or n^2-n-90=0.

Not a difficult problem in principle, requiring simply some level of competence over algebra and the ability to apply the basic rules of probability with one unknown quantity -- and then to put it all together, which is to be fair a highly non-trivial skill. But then that's why this is exactly the sort of problem that should be on an exam. It separates those who actually know the maths from those who merely are able to regurgitate results without really knowing what they all mean.

[Samuraisan]

@ Talbot
I am not, I never have, looked down my nose at anyone. If you knew me you would know that. I only made a comment that spelling nowadays is atrocious, and that I did make sure my children knew ( in my humble opinion) the importance of being able to spell correctly. Sorry if I offended anyone with dyslexia , that was absolutely not my intention.

[Retrochic]

Samuraisan I don't think you have offended anyone with Dyslexia but you were a bit 'snotty' on the 'Tunge' post weren't you? I mean if you can't decipher what the word should be.....just say it out loud......phonetically....

[jno]

but books and newspapers can no longer be relied on for proper spelling. Publishers can no longer afford to (or no longer wish to) hire copy-checkers and proofreaders.

[dannyk13]

Not being able to spell correctly could be a disadvantage when applying for a job.

[jno]

only if the recruiting officer can spell, dannyk

[dannyk13]

True

[Retrochic]

LOL! I've just had an email from our Property Management Agent informing me one of our rental properties has developed a 'Leek' in the bathroom -should I send him back a recipe for leek and potato soup? lol!

[jno]

when jno jnr was at university he was docked a mark for misspelling in an essay - his tutor said "responsible" was incorrect and it should have been "responsable". And that's an English tutor at a big university. I was rather surprised...