Incoherent posts

[kuhio98]

Hmmm, do they still teach Grammer in school? Maybe the English programs got cut...

I have a friend who teaches 3rd grade English. She was instructed not to correct the student's spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. when the students have a creative writing assignment. Seems all that marking up and red ink would "damage their fragile self esteem" and "impede the creative process". So, now we have a generation of kids who can't write, can't spell, can't form a complete sentence but who think they are just perfect and wonderful. They have no idea what the rules are and could care less. Just another example of the dumbing down of the system. Classes are now geared for the slowest/common denominator. We have 3 family members who are teachers (grammar, middle and college). All of them are very frustrated and feel like their main job is to babysit. Not teach.

[Prairie Purrs]

So, now we have a generation of kids who can't write, can't spell, can't form a complete sentence but who think they are just perfect and wonderful. They have no idea what the rules are and could care less. Just another example of the dumbing down of the system.

So true! For several years, I taught legal research and writing to first-year law students. I was shocked to discover how many people managed to get through grade school, high school, and college without ever learning how to use a comma! I tried to persuade them that many judges do, in fact, understand spelling and grammar and are likely to find a legal brief that's full of errors in basic English to be less than convincing. But I met with mixed success.

One law student actually told me that he didn't need to be able to write correctly because he'd have a secretary to take care of that! I asked him how he could expect the U.S. educational system to have taught his secretary how to write when it had failed to teach him how to do it.

[CathyBogart]

What bothers me the MOST is when people type up a long post and don't bother to break it into paragraphs, so the rest of us have to muddle through a HUGE block of text.

I don't see that here often, but on some other boards it's really frustrating.

[RedHedd]

So true! For several years, I taught legal research and writing to first-year law students. I was shocked to discover how many people managed to get through grade school, high school, and college without ever learning how to use a comma! I tried to persuade them that many judges do, in fact, understand spelling and grammar and are likely to find a legal brief that's full of errors in basic English to be less than convincing. But I met with mixed success.

One law student actually told me that he didn't need to be able to write correctly because he'd have a secretary to take care of that! I asked him how he could expect the U.S. educational system to have taught his secretary how to write when it had failed to teach him how to do it.

That's why my boss asked me to take a legal writing class many years ago. Now I'm a paralegal and that's exactly what I do. I'm the one who's supposed to catch the attorneys' poor grammar and spelling. English and spelling were always my strong areas anyway, so it's not a big deal. It just shocks me to see the quality, or lack thereof, of writing we receive from other law firms.

[Prairie Purrs]

That's why my boss asked me to take a legal writing class many years ago. Now I'm a paralegal and that's exactly what I do. I'm the one who's supposed to catch the attorneys' poor grammar and spelling. English and spelling were always my strong areas anyway, so it's not a big deal. It just shocks me to see the quality, or lack thereof, of writing we receive from other law firms.

I'm not really inclined to believe that an attorney who's too lazy or lacking in attention to detail to use proper English is going to do a great job in the legal research, analysis, and fact-checking departments either. Of course, too many lawyers think that those things are the paralegal's job as well--and that their work consists entirely of schmoozing clients on the golf course and showing up in the courtroom to wave at the judge. But that's a whole 'nother rant.

[RedHedd]

Of course, too many lawyers think that those things are the paralegal's job as well--and that their work consists entirely of schmoozing clients on the golf course and showing up in the courtroom to wave at the judge. But that's a whole 'nother rant.

I think I have the more interesting job and I get to go home at 5:00

[lady_zana]

I have a friend who teaches 3rd grade English. She was instructed not to correct the student's spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. when the students have a creative writing assignment. Seems all that marking up and red ink would "damage their fragile self esteem" and "impede the creative process".

Egads! My grammer school teachers never minded giving me back pages covered in red ink and it never stopped my creativity. (Nor taught me how to spell - that's not the teachers' fault; that's mine! ) What it did teach me was the correct way to use grammer and put words together for which my editors were very grateful!

It's hard to get published and no matter how creative you are, editors aren't even going to LOOK at it if you haven't used correct grammer, punctation, etc.

*sigh* If we don't teach them to use words and language correctly in schools, how are we to expect them to do so on a message board?

[Alysser]

Run on sentences is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. What is so hard about typing a .? Uhh, nothing. A few typos is nothing, nobody is perfect and everyone makes them. But come on, what do you go to English for? "omg like my dog is so cute his name is fluffy he is so fluffy i love him."

[GreyhoundGirl]

Aww thanks, Lady Zana

[bluebird]

Whew! I really want to respond to this topic, but my wireless keyboard is misbehaving and I can't get over to get a new one till Monday. Some letters have to be hit at least 10 times before it appears on the screen.

The newest trend seems to be toward typing as if they were text messaging. There's no capitalization, loaded with abbreviations and not a smidgeon of punctuation.

But text messaging, spelling or punctuation aren't my biggest pet peeve. My biggest pet peeve is that it often seems that providing the all important; who, what, why, when where and how hasn't even entered the posters mind! The initial post of that type usually says something like; "My dog is limping, what do you think is wrong with him, my dog has the runs, what should I do, my dog is constantly shaking his head, what's wrong with him"? Well gee! Their own vet couldn't even help if that was all the information he/she had.

Stepping down from soapbox now!

[sasvermont]

Did you ever get to see this thread? I think you will enjoy it if you haven't already seen it.

Fluffy

I think we covered this earlier....and of course, we have covered the lack of many folks here, to give a hoot how and what they type.

Half of the posts in the latest group of drivel by our in house drama queens are pathetic at best.

I suspect we will have to either put these folks on our ignore list or just move on and wait for them to mature.

Oh well.

[RedHedd]

Half of the posts in the latest group of drivel by our in-house drama queens are pathetic at best.

I suspect we will have to either put these folks on our ignore list or just move on and wait for them to mature.

I couldn't have said it better

[bluebird]

Did you ever get to see this thread? I think you will enjoy it if you haven't already seen it.

Fluffy

I think we covered this earlier....and of course, we have covered the lack of many folks here, to give a hoot how and what they type.

Half of the posts in the latest group of drivel by our in house drama queens are pathetic at best.

I suspect we will have to either put these folks on our ignore list or just move on and wait for them to mature.

Oh well.

I'd missed that one but glad I had a chance to read it! Thanks!