sPeeliNg

[stevie"stan"]

<*>*** it jusst my immajinayshun, orr doo thay know longher teech spellign in scoohls thees days?

i esstimaite at leest three qaurters of the qeustoins and awnsers on thiss sight have basick splleing misstakes, whilste the other 50 per-sent have grermatickle errers.

Sum of the maths is shocking two!

[thecoach]

Wat?

ewe trina huminate us none riters. Gro up.

[BigMac]

This topic comes up fairly regularly. For my part, I believe good spelling and grammar is a politeness - it makes what one writes easier for others to read.

However, there are users for whom English is not the first language, and therefore one needs to show tolerance. There may also be a number of dyslexic contributors to whom tolerance also needs to be shown.

The occasional slip, usually caused by typing too quickly, is to be expected.

BUT yes, I agree with you - count the number of times you have seen the phrase 'as anyone', meaning 'has anyone' or 'could of' instead of 'could have'. These two have cropped up many times this week, under various topics.

Some contributors will say that spelling/grammar doesn't matter as long as the contribution can be understood; I say proper spelling and grammar would guarantee understanding.

Rant over - pass the whiskey bottle, please?

[Loosehead]

I generally try to be grammatically correct and if there are errors it's because of typo's or oversights it's not because I don't know what is correct.

I hate the pedantry of some though when clearly it's just a slip.

I absolutely loathe the text speak though!

[WoWo]

Don't have much of a problem with people who obviously have made a typing mistake or even the odd spelling mistake, it's all the text speak that I don't like.

These people think it's cool but won't be so cool in a few years time when they are signing on because they haven't been able to get a job due to their abysmal spelling and grammar.

[WoWo]

Pleaz, giza a job coz I wan ta urn muny. Herz my CV for u to look at...

1995 - 2002
Went Skool..

2002 - Present
Cant get a job....

[Loosehead]

I aint dun nuffink!

LMAO WoWo

[Cheekystar]

some of can't help the errors

[pinksmartie]

duz it really matter? Yes they teach spelling in school, but it's not like a couple of spelling and grammar problems are going to kill you.

[THECORBYLOON]

pinksmartie, if you get cocao and coca confused, the effects could prove to be fatal.......

[THECORBYLOON]

Or even cocoa and coca............

[Hermia]

We take on a lot of school leavers and students where I work and the standard of written English is just so bad. We have just been recruiting and we received 50+ applications and about 40 went straight into the bin because the spelling/grammar/punctuation errors were so bad that we could barely understand what they were writing about. The applications were mostly people who were born in this country BTW, only a few had English as a second language.

What is worse is the amount of emails we received that were written in text language or written without any capital letters or punctuation at all! Surely they must realise that whilst it might be okay to use that sort of English in an email to a friend, you need to me more formal in a job application!

[lynlockwood]

Yes it is your imagination. I am an English teacher and I do teach spelling. But this is an informal website not a PhD application form and who gives a stuff if there are a few mistakes?

[WendyS]

Couldn''t agree more with you. You couldn't believe how many job applications are made by university graduates with either spelling or punctuation mistakes. My former English teacher would be turning in her grave if she could see standards now.

I'm old fashioned enough to believe that a written letter which comes from a company to a customer or a consumer is part of its image yet some of the written material I receive is so cringeworthy that I'm occasionally moved to send it to the managing director and ask him to think about what message such material is giving about the competency of their organisation and their employees. And then he writes back with an equally misspelt letter which says "I have recieved your leter dated ...... !!

[Catso]

I think lynlockwood is the exception rather than the rule. I understood spelling wasn't taught any more, that's what my daughter (now 22) said of her schooling. As many others, she just writes down what the words sound like, so we really would get, on occasions the classic 'skool'. <sarcasm>Surely 'expression is what is important, not how it is written down'. </sarcasm>
There's a difference between 'spelling mistakes' and 'just not having a clue'. Anyone can miss or transpose letters while typing; simple mistake, who cares on things such as AB. But the use of totally wrong or 'made-up' words is rampant, and not just on AB. I've seen job applications just as bad. And yes, you think 'if they can't even be bothered to write properly, why will they be bothered about doing their work properly - bin!'
It's a cliche, yes, but english is a powerful and beautiful language and it's such a shame to see native speakers not caring to learn it properly.
As an aside, I've seen another AB posting today asking about a 'mister meaner'. It had me laughing out loud. (Misdemeanour, if you hadn't worked it out)

[lynlockwood]

I was had a pupil write about someone with a good 'sensafuma'.

[lynlockwood]

I meant to say 'once'.

[stevie"stan"]

No further questions your Honour.

[MagsE]

Surely it's a matter of communication? If we can't read or understand what is being expressed - how can we establish a dialogue?

Grammar and spelling are the scaffold upon which a language hangs; remove it and it falls in a heap on the floor. I imagine that when homo sapiens originally started to become more mobile he developed a structured language so that he could express himself to others and thereby avoid being attacked or killed as an enemy. The gradual development of language as a means of communication has played a huge part in the civilisation of the planet (not all would agree that this is such a good thing!) and the fact that we can all communicate on this website is a direct result of such a development.

What will happen if we ignore this structure that has been created? The reverse, I imagine; we will end up able to understand hardly anything that is written or typed.

That might be curtains for this website - and a few more along with it!