Is it possible to resist correcting incorrect grammar?

[Thinking 1,786]

Recently I have witnessed more than one incident of grammar correction on this board. The most recent one was not very civil and distracted from the topic.

Perhaps we should paraphrase part of the title page of the Book of Mormon.

"And now, if there are grammatical errors they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, distract not from the topics, that ye may avoid being thread banned."

[Kenngo1969 7,500]

Not fair!  I haven't been banned from a thread for correcting someone's grammar in ... well, a few days, at least!  

Insofar as I know, I'm on good terms with the last person whose grammar I corrected.

Edited January 12 by Kenngo1969

[AtlanticMike 113]

Personally,  I'd like to thank you for starting this thread. I laughed when I read it. Your a funny guy even though I cant understand what the hell your talking about sometimes🤣, but that's probably my fault not yours. And for all the people who do find it irresistible to correct people's grammar all the time, remember,  Joseph Smith apparently had terrible grammar, but somehow God chose him to work miracles and restore the gospel.

[smac97 18,626]

[Kenngo1969 7,500]

Okay, it turns out (but, in my defense, I was completely unaware of this before I visited another thread he started) that I'm not on good terms with the person whose grammar I corrected once, but the reason(s) for that is/are: (1) because he totally misread what I wrote and/or (2) because he seems determined to misread me and/or to take offense.  And I suppose it doesn't matter what one tries to do to get or to stay on someone's good side if all he's going to do is save up rocks to throw at you when he thinks that's his best course of action.  And in light of (2), I'm not sure what I can do about that except ignore him, which might be my best course of action. 

P.S.: Perhaps I'll simply go into Lurk Mode entirely.  It'll save me a helluva lot of aggravation.  (I'm not looking for trouble; I have absolutely no idea why trouble seems so damn determined to find me, but ... whatever! )

Edited January 12 by Kenngo1969

[pogi 9,420]

Resistance...is...futile! 

1 hour ago, Kenngo1969 said:

Not fair!

This is grammatically incorrect and is an example of a sentence fragment.

Ahh, the world is a better place now.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12 by pogi

[rongo 5,423]

I actually quietly correct people's spelling or grammar when I quote them here, but I don't say anything or point it out. I think there are two types of people: those who feel compelled to grammar nanny, and those who see no need to. I think it often is a passive-aggressive swipe when they take issue with other things, but don't want to go into that, so they nitpick about grammar or spelling. 

Facebook is even worse with the vindictive and contemptuous grammar/spelling nannying. It can get really ugly there, and people do it to make people look like idiots.

[bluebell 27,441]

Yeah, it's hard to correct grammar and not come off looking petty.  Though I'm sure it really drives some people crazy.  Maybe the board should make another rule about not correcting grammar, since it's almost always distracting to the discussion and can become a threadjack too.

[bluebell 27,441]

45 minutes ago, rongo said:

I actually quietly correct people's spelling or grammar when I quote them here, but I don't say anything or point it out. I think there are two types of people: those who feel compelled to grammar nanny, and those who see no need to. I think it often is a passive-aggressive swipe when they take issue with other things, but don't want to go into that, so they nitpick about grammar or spelling. 

Facebook is even worse with the vindictive and contemptuous grammar/spelling nannying. It can get really ugly there, and people do it to make people look like idiots.

Yep.  It's the lazy man's way of trying to prove that their argument is better than the other person's.  Because, obviously the best speller is always right in the end.  

[The Nehor 26,371]

[strappinglad 3,527]

I have found that if I reread a post before I submit it, I will find a couple of errors which I dutifully correct. Then I post and hopefully only find a couple more oopses. Years of marking essays from 7th graders has made me vulnerable. 

[mgy401 131]

People who correct your grammar during a conversation always die alone.

[Amulek 2,428]

3 hours ago, Thinking said:

Is it possible to resist correcting incorrect grammar?

I believe this would be better phrased by asking, "Is it possible to resist correcting improper grammar?" 

Or, perhaps, "Is it possible to resist correcting grammar mistakes?"

Either way, I think the answer is clearly "no."  

 

[CV75 6,392]

3 hours ago, smac97 said:

Is that Kelsey Grammar?

[Glenn101 2,371]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

Yeah, it's hard to correct grammar and not come off looking petty.  Though I'm sure it really drives some people crazy.  Maybe the board should make another rule about not correcting grammar, since it's almost always distracting to the discussion and can become a threadjack too.

I find t more productive to try and understand what the person is saying.

Maybe a good solution would be to make (I don't know how) anyone who tends to be a grammar/spelling nanny to have to deal with text messages in the days before smartphones. U kno what I mean?? 😎

Glenn

[katherine the great 2,644]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

Yeah, it's hard to correct grammar and not come off looking petty.  Though I'm sure it really drives some people crazy. 

Oh my gosh MY MOM! She was a grammar psycho. My brother sent her a very nice letter from college (I mean moms love getting letters from their children right?) and she literally corrected it in red pen and sent it back to him! 😳

[Thinking 1,786]

1 hour ago, Amulek said:

I believe this would be better phrased by asking, "Is it possible to resist correcting improper grammar?" 

Or, perhaps, "Is it possible to resist correcting grammar mistakes?"

Either way, I think the answer is clearly "no."

I stand properred!

[Amulek 2,428]

40 minutes ago, katherine the great said:

Oh my gosh MY MOM! She was a grammar psycho. My brother sent her a very nice letter from college (I mean moms love getting letters from their children right?) and she literally corrected it in red pen and sent it back to him! 😳

This is one of the best things I have ever heard. A very good way for me to end the night.

[Hamba Tuhan 10,820]

Not grammar per se, but when I was teaching at an Anglican school, I managed to really annoy one of my students in class. Later that day, I recognised his handwriting in bold black ink on the wall of the toilet cubicle: 'Hamba is a fagot!'

So I got a bold red pen, corrected the spelling to 'faggot' and noted a failing mark.

[strappinglad 3,527]

Careful HT , the pc police will strike ! 

[Hamba Tuhan 10,820]

13 minutes ago, strappinglad said:

Careful HT , the pc police will strike ! 

All good. I shared my proposed response with the deputy principal beforehand. He loved it!

[mfbukowski 18,166]

I think it exposes a secret insecurity in the corrector.

Gotta be good at something for Pete's sake.

It shows a pedantic shallowness in actual ability to think, if correcting grammar is all you can do well.

Smart guys like me always talk good anyhow, not like yous.

[Rain 8,737]

15 hours ago, strappinglad said:

I have found that if I reread a post before I submit it, I will find a couple of errors which I dutifully correct. Then I post and hopefully only find a couple more oopses. Years of marking essays from 7th graders has made me vulnerable. 

I have found that I can read and reread a post multiple times and miss things. Then someone will quote me and it becomes so clear what I missed! 

[bluebell 27,441]

1 hour ago, Rain said:

I have found that I can read and reread a post multiple times and miss things. Then someone will quote me and it becomes so clear what I missed! 

I've noticed that if I read something out loud that I'll catch errors much more easily than if i try to proofread in my head.  My brain will automatically correct mistakes to make the passage understandable without me realizing it, probably because it knows what I'm trying to say and it doesn't need everything perfect to make it make sense. 

My tongue, on the other hand, will almost always trip up on mistakes, which then causes my brain to take note so I can fix them.

[AtlanticMike 113]

7 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I've noticed that if I read something out loud that I'll catch errors much more easily than if i try to proofread in my head.  My brain will automatically correct mistakes to make the passage understandable without me realizing it, probably because it knows what I'm trying to say and it doesn't need everything perfect to make it make sense. 

My tongue, on the other hand, will almost always trip up on mistakes, which then causes my brain to take note so I can fix them.

Thank you so much for posting this bluebell.  I hate to admit it this, but I hadn't tried reading post I don't understand outloud. It's funny because sometimes when I write a contract, I'll read it outloud to myself just to make sure it sounds halfway decent. Great advice.