Why grammar and punctuation are important.(thanks carrihound!)
So, I am reading "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" again; a book which is like home for any grammar, punctuation, or spelling freaks out there. In light of the abysmal turn that language structure has taken since the advent of word processors, text messaging and email, I thought I would share these two examples she brings up. This is for those quibblers out there, so you too can feel the same sense of vindication I do every time I mentally correct someone's grammar.
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
Dear Jack
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours?
Jill
Dear Jack
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men I yearn! For you I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart I can be forever happy, will you let me be.
Yours
Jill
Where would we be without punctuation?!
P.S. If you haven't read Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss, you should check it out, it's hilarious!
Edit: I didn't like my use of the word syntax and, does anyone else have good grammar and punctuation examples?
Second Edit: is is singular, are is plural!
I completely agree! Call me the grammar nazi, but it really is important in understanding what people are trying to say. I can cope with different spellings of words (even though it grates on me at times), but there's no excuse for poor grammar! That said, there are probably several grammar mistakes in this post and many of my others, but I do try!
No examples just now, I'll have to try to think of some.
i cant stand it when people cant spell. =/
p0nda, i keep on thinking that the picture is of a spider or dreads, lol.
Original Post by p0nda:
Grammar nazis are allowed to make mistakes! Heck, I make them all the time. It is just the apathy of the education system that really drives me nuts. It seem like they simply don't care to teach grammar all the way through school, rather they shove it down your throat in primary school, then simply decide you know enough to get you through life. Language evolves, I'm fine with that, but punctuation gently guides you through writing, and for that, I love it.
That's right. Blame the schools. I teach grammar. My students practice this stuff every day. We have lessons and practice. They learn. Then they turn around a week later and misuse it all in their writing. "But that was LAST week's lesson."
Then I get newsletters to send home to the parents, where the administrators mis-punctuate and mis-use words. Don't get me started on the notes or emails from parents.
Oh, and by the way, none of the No Child Left Behind testing includes grammar and punctuation items. So schools are being actively DIScouraged from teaching it, and the administration, kids and parents don't think it's important.
I'm in a different education system, but I get what you're saying. The only grammar I remember being taught in school was the difference between a noun, a verb and an adjective. Here a lot of it depends on your teacher, and what they want to teach you. Luckily for me, I read a lot and I picked up most of my grammar through copying. Since I've been in grad school I've had a supervisor who has perfect grammar, and that has been really great for toning mine up. Also I have a couple of friends who know almost every grammar rule there is, so if I'm lost, I ask them. I'm sure I still mis-place commas.
My pet hate is your and you're or there, their and they're. I consider getting those mixed up a grammar mistake, not a spelling mistake. Spelling in English is different depending on where you are, which is why I get less upset about it. I use colour, flavour and optimisation (and that's right where I am), whereas the American spellings are color, flavor and optimization. My spell checker keeps telling me I'm wrong, but my dictionary says I'm correct 
My favorite is my dad's saying- verse is poetry, versus is a battle. Unless you plan on having a fight of words, make sure to be careful.
Original Post by carrihound:
Why grammar and punctuation are important.
lol touche! It's my own damn fault for amending the topic with grammar after I wrote the "why punctuation is important".
I am not blaming teachers luvt, nor am I really blaming the schools. From what I have read, this shift of emphasis came back in the 60's, when parents decided that children should be allowed to "express themselves", rather than stick to stringent guidelines regarding sentence structure.
I am afraid you are in a minority when it comes to drilling your kids wrt grammar - I have actually had teachers tell me that it is next to irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. I also have teachers who have been told off by administration for marking students down in science class for poor grammar. Apparently comprehensibility isn't important when discussing science. I honestly admire any teacher who still tries to instil in students a respect for punctuation and grammar; they are few and far between.
So yes, I will blame the schools, with the caveat that they are only expressing the drive of society toward a more homogeneous, less legible product.
The largest part of the problem is the curriculum in today's schools, not the teachers. Most schools don't even have language or spelling books. To teach any kind of English, the teachers have to make copies of handouts, which means there is nowhere for the students to reference the rules.
The teacher who replied earlier is correct. The schools have to teach to the standardized tests. Vocabulary is on the tests, so the kids do quite a bit of vocabulary work, but grammar and punctuation are not on the test, so don't spend (waste) precious class time teaching something that isn't going to be tested by the state.
I was lucky that my son was in a private, non-religious school setting from K - 2. It gave him such a good set of truly basic skills. He was so far ahead of the rest of his 3rd grade class when we moved to another state and put him in public school. What was worse, people were trying to get their kids in that public school systems because it was supposed to be superior for the area (one of the reasons we bought a house in that district).
I nominate the above despite the lack of changed meaning just because without puncutation, it sounds so funny. As one, though, who almost never uses apostrophes (youd be hard pressed finding one in my posts), I salute you. I can handle folks thinking I dont know how to form contractions and how to differentiate between plural versus possesive.
Its been an issue when I have to type something formal off line as I default to the non punctuated version instinctively.
The only funny example I know (and its not mine):
When are we going to eat, mom?
When are we going to eat mom?
This is funny. I was just coming here to gripe about the use of the word "to" and "too" after reading a thread about "To [sic] much sugar". It makes me cringe. I can excuse the occasional typo as well as anyone but the constant wrong use of a word is like pins randomly poking the back of my neck. One recent thread had a fellow responding who started off by saying he was a biologist; he went on to berate another poster who happened to be a teacher. He might have had a valid argument in there somewhere, but I was thrown off by his gross misuse of a very simple word in his attempt to insult the teacher.
I've got two children in a good public school system in the suburbs. Currently both are at the elementary school level and excel way beyond their school district on all the standardized tests; excepting in my son's case- he scores lower in the areas of writing and conventions. His teachers over the last few years are always on his case and it seems they are well supported by the school administration and various testing authorities. I don't think the public school system as a whole is to blame as much as the general attitude in society towards edcuation. Education is not well funded. It is not considered sexy or cool. I don't know how many times I've seen people belilttle the importance of proper writing, spelling and grammar on various online forums. It's frustrating.
Also, why do I so often see people mix up the word "weigh" with "weight"; as in "I weight 150 pounds"? Is that an honest typo?
i want to talk 2 U
ya rite
wat R U talking about
see U l8er
I dun kno
and you know what else? ELIPSES!!! USE THEM CORRECTLY!!
When I see someone....type like this...I imagine they are talking slow....and taking lots of breaths....
I also hate reading entire posts that are one whole block of text.
I could nag forever about this, but i'll let it go lest I become an annoyance.
Original Post by ricen:
When I see someone....type like this...I imagine they are talking slow....and taking lots of breaths....
I always think of the kid on "Malcom in the Middle" when I read something like that.
Original Post by sun123:
The only funny example I know (and its not mine):
When are we going to eat, mom?
When are we going to eat mom?
lol!
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