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Aw Grammar Smackdown 08!
- Thread starter Beans
- Start date
Beans, I think you missed my point. It was that spelling is arbitrary. Head is "head" instead of "hed" only because Webster said so (no not the one from different strokes). What you talkin' 'bout Beans is jargon. In which case it is important to be on the same page, to use the same convention. Though you're right, I could discipline myself to be a great speller. Some people have a knack for spelling. I have spell checker. I proofread like a mofo because I care about my writing. I want it to be clear and concise. Occasionally misspelling a word just makes me look lazy, whereas poor grammar, shi**y sentence structure, and incoherent paragraphs makes me look like a moron. Just sayin'.
I could not disagree more with that statement. It's not just Webster "saying so," but rather every literate person who decides to follow the [specifically, spelling] conventions of their language. Spelling is either right or wrong, and my point is that it matters all the time.
TrickyFish
SNA
I just spent two semesters teaching an Introduction to Astronomy lab, which requires the students (mostly freshmen) to write one short essay every week. It gave me so much joy to take off points when they wrote things like "u" or didn't bother to write in complete sentences. I'm terrified by the fact that these kids got into college.
Overall, though, I'd say AW is one of the better forums with regard to grammar and spelling.
Overall, though, I'd say AW is one of the better forums with regard to grammar and spelling.
Hahaha yes! Epic thread name change.
Fair enough. But when "literate people" decide not to strictly adhere to convention, then convention evolves. This happens for many reasons, but prolly because people are lazy. Look how much English has evolved from Shakespeare until now. English used to have formal pronouns for chrissake. Shakespeare would call your spelling, modern spelling, atrocious. Yet if he sat down and watched "Reservoir Dogs," like the way we sit and watch "Hamlet," he'd eventually figure out the plot (and that they're both great plays/movies cuz everyone dies in the end). So as long as ideas are flowing from writer to reader, I call our language a success.
I will concede, however, that in the professional world spelling and grammar are very important and conventions don't neccesarrily contour to the will of the people. So Yous aint gonna see me rappin' like dis in any Navy writing. But who knows. Maybe enough people will get sick of writing "he/she," in an effort to create equality between the genders, that the Man himself, or perhaps Webster, will grant us a new gender-ambiguous word to use.
(Stand-by for a ridiculous thread on what that new word may be)
For now I'm saying, "That's the end of that chapter." tosses scarf over should and dusts off hands
So...you're saying 13 year old girls on AIM are driving the evolution of language? I don't think I'm comfortable with that.
I'm not comfortable with 13 year old girls driving anything. But yes, to an extent.
Did I catch a "prolly" in there?
But then again, I even text in full words. Call me old fashion.
But then again, I even text in full words. Call me old fashion.
As in too lazy to type out "probably"?
Old Fashion,
"Prolly" is my bread and butter. It comes from writing the way I talk. Also, do you mean "old fashioned?" Seriously, enough of the grammar police. Can't we just have the Coherent Police?
v/r,
JU
indubatebly... indubitebly....... indeed.
Yes. Deal with it.
Anyone who takes themselves particularly seriously while correcting grammar on the internet should be interested in hobbies like holding back thunderheads with a compact mirror and digging stable tunnels by hand in the surf-zone.
There's a line between communication and confusion. When somebody can't be understood, I don't mind the grammar police, in fact I support them whol-heartedly. When it comes out "your" instead of "you're" because someone has a quick thought, the fact that you got so wrapped in pointing out that error (something that you cannot even distinguish in conversation) instead of contributing to the discussion must say something about you (something like "meter maid").
It's the internet:the bleeding edge of our ability to communicate and the evolution / degredation of written English. Any idiot can get on it and post on it. It is true, unfettered, democracy. It's institutionally lazy and excessively convenient. Feel free to fight it if you must.
But what do I know...
I will say this, however. I don't care what the rule is: anyone who clearly enunciates "an" with "historic" may as well be using it with "hat rack." It just sounds bad. Fire also has two syllables, I don't give a damn what the book says or where you grew up.
No. It requires thought.