I hear this often and it bothers me! - Page 5

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

@Sunshine Kate wrote:
I read on FB someone will say, "Me and Tom are going to dinner".

Isn't it Tom and I are going to dinner?

Yes, that is correct. But if you and Tom are going to dinner, will that other person be joining you? (Just kidding.)

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

Mmsfoxxie · ‎06-19-2010

@Mmsfoxxie wrote:
I'm not an English major but I try to speak correctly most of the time. I have to say, though, that on a message board, we shouldn't stress about it since our conversations are casual, IMO.

There is one word that really bothers me when I hear it and it is 'conversate'. All of my life, it was considered incorrect. The correct word is converse...or so it was.

My husband used the word conversate the other day and I told him it was incorrect. He told me that it used to be but not anymore. I looked it up in the online dictionary and it said that do to its popularity, it is now accepted.

There are sometimes grammatical errors due to spelling. One usage is in the mind, another comes outs in the script. Upon rereading my post above, I noticed that I used the word 'do' instead of the correct word 'due'. Normally I might let that go but because of the subject of this thread, I wanted to acknowledge that it was an error.

“You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore to be happy”. (By Nightbirde, singer of the song, It’s Ok)

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

@Starpolisher wrote:
@Pook wrote:
The only thing that sounds ignorant to me is being so judgmental about something that really shouldn't matter to anyone. I judge a person only on how they live their lives and treat others. Someone can have perfect grammar and diction and treat others nasty and rude!! I'd rather be around sweet, generous and understanding people with bad grammar than someone with perfect grammar who treats others poorly without compassion.
I retired from teaching in June.
So let me understand this. I was being judgemental by trying to teach my students correct grammar. It doesn't matter how one speaks as long as they are a good and caring person.
According to you, my career was a waste of time. I wonder if you are a parent? What would you think if you heard your child's very caring teacher saying " I seen...?" Believe me where I taught there were young teachers who spoke just as incorrectly as the students.
Someone here said that "teachers were paid to "nitpick." Well to that I say, Thank you! Thank you to all the "nitpicking" teachers and adults who took the time to teach me the correct way! Thank you to the parents who took the time to correct me when I said "sumpin" or "nuttin" when I should have said "something and nothing." Thank you for not letting it go because I was a sweet girl who didn't give anyone any problems. I appreciate all of your tireless efforts for teaching me how to present myself. Thank you for not allowing me to sound void of having "a free public education in the United States of America." For this I am very grateful!

Bravo. And thank you. I was blessed with teachers who nitpicked. I was also taught penmanship and history. I didn't think -- even back then -- that these teachers were cruel or working to crush my self-esteem. No, they were teaching. They demanded excellence because they actually cared.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

Since now a days almost every doctor does all their ordering via computer there is very little chance of the errors you are so afraid of. The doctor types the first few letters in the name of a med and the appropriate list appears with dosage etc already done. he simply clicks on the one he wants and it goes off to the hospital pharmacy or the drug store the patient had previously loaded.

@just bee wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
The incorrect use of saw/seen usually jumps out at me along with would of/would have. Another one is "needs" rather than "needs to be". Example: "the car needs washed" rather than "the car needs to be washed".

Yes, there are rules and we should always strive to do our best. Unfortunately mistakes that are given a pass eventually become habit and acceptable. IMO, it's another example of what leads to the dumbing down of society, in general, because society has become so mamsy pamsy that no one can handle criticism. It's also an excuse for someone else to call the "don't judge me" card when they make a mistake. Granted, in a setting such as this, it's not critical to be perfect with our grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., but when we just let it go all the time it can and does find its way to other areas of our lives. God forbid that we'd have a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist who couldn't spell or read and the wrong medication or dosage would be dispensed.

I urge people to take a look at their medical records.

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

@mima wrote:
@zelda girl wrote:
How about when people say TURLIT, instead of TOILET,plus, LICENESS, instead of LICENSE,WARSH instead of WASH.
I am aware that I say warsh. I have said it that way my entire life. I think that is a Kansas accent. LOL

My mom says fox fur for faux fur. Since she is my Mom I don't correct her. I guess I was raised that way.

If your daughter said "fox" instead of "faux," would you correct her? If so, why?

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@Starpolisher wrote:
@Pook wrote:
The only thing that sounds ignorant to me is being so judgmental about something that really shouldn't matter to anyone. I judge a person only on how they live their lives and treat others. Someone can have perfect grammar and diction and treat others nasty and rude!! I'd rather be around sweet, generous and understanding people with bad grammar than someone with perfect grammar who treats others poorly without compassion.
I retired from teaching in June.
So let me understand this. I was being judgemental by trying to teach my students correct grammar. It doesn't matter how one speaks as long as they are a good and caring person.
According to you, my career was a waste of time. I wonder if you are a parent? What would you think if you heard your child's very caring teacher saying " I seen...?" Believe me where I taught there were young teachers who spoke just as incorrectly as the students.
Someone here said that "teachers were paid to "nitpick." Well to that I say, Thank you! Thank you to all the "nitpicking" teachers and adults who took the time to teach me the correct way! Thank you to the parents who took the time to correct me when I said "sumpin" or "nuttin" when I should have said "something and nothing." Thank you for not letting it go because I was a sweet girl who didn't give anyone any problems. I appreciate all of your tireless efforts for teaching me how to present myself. Thank you for not allowing me to sound void of having "a free public education in the United States of America." For this I am very grateful!

Certainly a teacher in a classroom is not the same as others judging and correcting co posters on a chat board, where, IMO, it is a rude thing to do. Especially considering there are people posting from every education level, every economic status, every one of the thousands of cultures in America etc etc. Just because you got a better grade in English or typing does not make you a better person, or your opinions more important.

nevergivesup · ‎04-24-2010

Why do we so often need to go to extremes and invite a confrontation? Can't we all find agreement on the middle ground? Of course a person's character is far more important than their grammar and all should be treated respectfully. However, it is also true that our standards have dropped dramatically and many people today see no need to even aspire to speak correctly.

I see this all the time when it comes to political discussions. Each side immediately goes to the extreme and attacks the other when the truth is that they share much common ground. Years ago people were looking for ways to compromise and co-exist and today it's all about winning and leaving "the enemy" bloodied. No wonder we have bullying from the playground to the halls of Congress. I find it sad but know I am in the minority.

Starpolisher · ‎03-10-2010

@Pook wrote:

@just bee wrote:
What I find interesting is that when someone makes an error in math whether it’s the store clerk, the payroll department, the bank, the accountant, the Girl Scout who sells you cookies, or the mechanic, no one feels they’re being judgmental when they point out the error. In math there’s a right answer and a wrong answer. It isn’t all that different in English. There are rules. Yet somehow they are rules that can be broken willy-nilly.
It most certainly is way different - an apple/orange comparison!! A grammatical error will not cost me money but a math error - whether it's the store clerk, the payroll department, the bank, the accountant, the Girl Scout who sells me cookies or the mechanic - will cost me money so it's not judgmental to point these things out at all! No matter how many degrees a person has, I guess common sense cannot be taught and common sense is much more important in life than perfect grammar!!! Also I do not care that my doctor doesn't use perfect grammer just so his or her medical knowledge and treatments are great.

Yes it is an English teacher's job to nitpick but in reality there are more pertinent issues to be concerned with in life.
The petty things pointed out here will still make what the speaker is saying be understood. I do often silently cringe when I hear incorrect grammar as I was taught by mean nuns who would hit hard when they heard it but I learned that it wasn't grammar that made my life so happy and successful.

I was just making an observation and stating what I thought about it. No, it probably won't make anyone's life happy or successful but it certainly can't hurt anyone to use correct grammar and it may make one sound more intelligent than they actually happen to be.

Why is it, on these boards, everything becomes a larger than life issue rather than merely a comment looking for an echo chamber!

"Kindness is like snow ~It beautifies everything it covers"
-Kahlil Gibran