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Ladies and Gentlemen, let me first clarify a couple of things:
I am pretentious. I know this.
This is a rant. Please interpret it as such.
Let us begin.
I'll start by mentioning a couple of things about myself. First, I am a student of both education and writing. Second, I do a lot of freelance work, including professional editing and writing for various clients. Third, I believe in the importance of language and the importance of strong fundamental skills in regards to language, meaning a solid understanding of grammar, proper punctuation, and basic diction. Fourth, I believe that everyone is capable of understanding these concepts, as they are quite easy to grasp. Fifth, I absolutely hate that most people don't have the understanding I've described.
I really, really hate it -- like, a lot.
Seriously, is it that difficult to understand the difference between "there," "they're," and "their?" Really. Is it too hard for anyone? I would venture a guess that it is not. For some reason, there are a lot of people whose appreciation for language is nonexistent. There are people who think that saying something like "its they're" when they mean "it's their" is good enough. These are the kind of things that make me want to reach through the computer screen and slap people with a second grade grammar booklet.
I happen to have a greater appreciation for writing than most people, and I get that not everyone is going to be so completely enamored with writing that they maintain a strong passion for the fine art of writing. I get that I am more passionate about it than most people would be. However, just as I know basic arithmetic in spite of my dislike for the subject of mathematics, I would expect everyone to have a basic understanding of grammar and punctuation, which are the building blocks (if you'll excuse the somewhat hackneyed expression) of language, and language is the foundation for communication.
In my eyes, there are two main types of communication. The first is what I call "Colloquial Communication," which is the more simplistic of the two. In Colloquial Communication, there's a certain amount of leeway in terms of mechanical errors. For instance, ending sentences in prepositions, slight issues with tense agreement, or the occasional incorrectly conjugated verb. All of these errors are minor, and the message being sent won't suffer from them. Colloquial Communication is defined by the simplicity of the message being communicated, so absolute precision in grammar isn't wholly necessary. However, I don't believe that this lenience is a free reign to be completely uneducated.
Additionally, some mistakes that simply shouldn't happen are actually understandable, given how commonly they appear. For instance, the past tense of the verb "to sneak" is "sneaked," not "snuck." The verb "snuck" appears so often, however, that it's understandable how someone might make that mistake.
But there are so many errors that could be so easily avoided that it just blows my mind. The rampant wide-spread ignorance makes me feel somewhat despondent a lot of times, and it's made even worse when someone says something to the effect of "who cares?" to me. Understanding language isn't just a matter of memorizing obscure or unnecessary facets of communication. Language is the basis for the sharing of ideas, and therefore the most important aspect in their evolution. Without language, ideas would stagnate and be oft lost.
I get that not everyone shares my passion for language. I do. But it would be nice if people could at least make some kind of effort. It might slow the progression of the giant tumor in my brain that grows a little bit every time someone writes the word "irregardless."
I feel a little better now.
End rant!
--EDIT--
I feel I should clarify something, since there are a lot of non-native English speakers on this site. I am not bilingual, but I feel like I make up for that by being exceptionally skilled in the art of the English language. If English is not your first language, obviously a lot more lenience could be extended.
  
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Understanding language isn't just a matter of memorizing obscure or unnecessary facets of communication. Language is the basis for the sharing of ideas, and therefore the most important aspect in their evolution.
Therefore small, ignorant mistakes of grammar aren't important as long as the proper idea is shared. Right?
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On December 30 2010 02:34 bonifaceviii wrote:Show nested quote +Understanding language isn't just a matter of memorizing obscure or unnecessary facets of communication. Language is the basis for the sharing of ideas, and therefore the most important aspect in their evolution. Therefore small, ignorant mistakes of grammar aren't important as long as the proper idea is shared. Right?
Proper understanding of writing allows ideas to be shared with greater accuracy. Particularly in the subject of philosophy and literature, the ideas being conveyed are not concrete; thus, a lack of understanding of language would result in the writing being misinterpreted. In this example, the idea is not actually conveyed.
Additionally, study of language often provides an education that equips you to greater understand the ideas in general, even if they have already been conveyed effectively. Being better with language actually helps to make you better at thinking in general.
Sharing ideas effectively is actually mutually inclusive with the effectiveness of the language used. For instance, if you're conveying a mathematical concept and some figure is slightly out of place (a plus sign instead of a multiplication sign, or some such error), the idea as a whole will not be conveyed effectively.
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I knew the difference by the time I was 12 but I still find myself making the mistake when I'm typing something in a rush every once in a while. 
edit: regarding their/they're/there
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Particularly in the subject of philosophy and literature, the ideas being conveyed are not concrete; thus, a lack of understanding of language would result in the writing being misinterpreted.
That's implying that people correctly interpret literature and philosophy, and the process is somehow mechanical through the laws of grammar.
Math and English lit are not directly comparable, as much as you may think they are.
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Seriously, is it that difficult to understand the difference between "there," "they're," and "their?" Really. Is it too hard for anyone?
This made me giggle.
But the worst excuse I've ever heard for bastardizing English is definitely "This is the internet, I don't need to type properly".
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I think I'm in love with you, Seltsam.
All of the things you mentioned... They plague me every day.
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I have had that book for a long time :D
Well I don't anymore. I lost my copy
On December 30 2010 02:52 krndandaman wrote:
i also believe in grammar to an extent. i don't see why i can't use "snuck" when everyone understands the meaning.
Why not use "sneaked" when everyone also understands that, and it also conforms to the laws of the English language?
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here's one that bugs the hell out of me:
at grocery stores the "10 items or less" register always makes me rage a little bit inside. this is a less common but pretty annoying one. it should be "10 items or fewer as to match the fact that the number 10 is countable, therefore "fewer" should be used, as opposed to something that is NOT countable such as "he is less handsome" not "he is fewer handsome".
also the complaints you mention aren't specific to a writing major, just anyone who paid attention in english in high school.
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On December 30 2010 02:53 mOnion wrote:
here's one that bugs the hell out of me:
at grocery stores the "10 items or less" register always makes me rage a little bit inside. this is a less common but pretty annoying one. it should be "10 items or fewer as to match the fact that the number 10 is countable, therefore "fewer" should be used, as opposed to something that is NOT countable such as "he is less handsome" not "he is fewer handsome".
also the complaints you mention aren't specific to a writing major, just anyone who paid attention in english in high school.
I used to work at a grocery store (right out of high school) and due to my comments, one of the supervisors changed all the signs to "Ten items or fewer," from "10 items or less."
Then, two or three people over the course of the time I worked there commented to me, "shouldn't it be '10 items or less?'" These people quickly learned that I am often times the answer to the question nobody asked as I put them through a minutes-long explanation as to why it should be "fewer" rather than "less" and how it's a common mistake. Then I explained how sentences should never start with numbers, mainly because numbers can't be capitalized. Thus, "Ten items or fewer," as opposed to "10 items or less."
Also you're right, assuming you had decent teachers. When I was in high school most of my teachers didn't touch grammar even though the significant majority of my peers had atrocious grammar. I was basically just trying to say, "hey, I'm not just some random snob. I'm a random snob who has a strong background in being snobbish."
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On December 30 2010 02:53 mOnion wrote:
here's one that bugs the hell out of me:
at grocery stores the "10 items or less" register always makes me rage a little bit inside. this is a less common but pretty annoying one. it should be "10 items or fewer as to match the fact that the number 10 is countable, therefore "fewer" should be used, as opposed to something that is NOT countable such as "he is less handsome" not "he is fewer handsome".
This is so true... I love this thread.
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I don't think it bothers my anywhere near as much as it bothers you, but I feel similarly. I don't mind when people make mistakes, but when they don't try at all to type in a understandable manner, then that annoys me. Why should I have to work harder to read your sentence just because you're too lazy to add the occasional capital letter, comma or period?
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On December 30 2010 02:43 bonifaceviii wrote:Show nested quote +Particularly in the subject of philosophy and literature, the ideas being conveyed are not concrete; thus, a lack of understanding of language would result in the writing being misinterpreted. That's implying that people correctly interpret literature and philosophy, and the process is somehow mechanical through the laws of grammar. Math and English lit are not directly comparable, as much as you may think they are.
You are correct that English Lit is not mechanical, but the point is structure. Both Math and English follow guidelines in order to communicate an idea. The difference is in the base units being used. In Math, we have numbers, which are universally understood. English is built upon words, with no single concrete definition for most of them. Nevertheless, they both require a set of rules in order to usable. I'd like to go on, but it would most likely end up being a rant.
I wholeheartedly agree with Seltsam and I cringe when I see stuff like this http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=180411.
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Y'know what else? Commas!
Commas everywhere!
When I'm doing proofreading or editing, I think the comma splice is one of the most common errors people make. For instance: "It was cold, it was rainy." This is a comma splice since "it was cold" and "it was rainy" are separate ideas, both with a subject and a verb. The comma should be a period (although it would be stylistically better to write "it was cold and rainy").
I think this problem stems from the commonly-taught "rule" that commas go where there is a verbal pause in the sentence. People follow this ideology fairly closely, and it plagues a lot of people's writings.
Also, I was just rereading this post (as I do with almost all of my posts) to make sure I didn't make any silly typos, and I thought of another one. People who use "sense" and "since" interchangeably. That bugs the hell out of me too.
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they're/their/there are really the only ones that drive me mad. some others are forgivable, but not those. that's basic.
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On December 30 2010 02:58 ]Grey[ wrote:
I don't think it bothers my anywhere near as much as it bothers you, but I feels similarly. I don't mind when people make mistakes, but when they don't try at all to type in a understandable manner, then that annoys me. Why should I have to work harder to read your sentence just because you're too lazy to add the occasional capital letter, comma or period?
Winner.
And to the OP - your weren't complex and eloquent enough in that essay of yours so you haven't really proven to have the aforementioned skill set. I'm not sure who you've tried to cater to but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near the level you've claimed it to be. Opening paragraphs with 'seriously' and 'in my eyes' is not something a mature writer would do.
Having said this, I'm not a native speaker and have probably made 10 mistakes of my own.
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I actually don't mind the people who make common punctuation/grammar errors, like the you're/your stuff, that much since those could be simple brain farts or just plain ignorance. Most of the time, the people making these kinds of errors might not even be realizing their errors and will correct them once they do realize it.
The part that really gets to me is these people who seem to have constructed their own online languages. And I don't mean the colloquial, shortened form of english used in text messaging and whatnot for convenience, I mean the people who literally typ lik dis :3 cuz im spesho baybee XDDD. Seriously, what the hell is that? How have we regressed back to baby-speak? Then there's the e-thug gangsta language, although that can be really hilarious when applied correctly.
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EPT
