Why proper grammar is important.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by bt4 View Post
Uppercase / lowercase hold no information value as most will know places/names without writing them with uppercase.

Using same stolen sig, capitalization is the difference between "I helped my Uncle Jack off a horse", from "I helped my uncle jack off a horse".

Your example works cause its out of context.

[Steavz]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Meaning: People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do.

In other words: This thread is about as pointless as Peter's Cow Kite.

Lock this please.

You could apply this logic to any forum topic, then, really. Just because you feel this way about it, doesn't mean everyone should have to. This thread has very valid and compelling arguments from both sides, so how is that pointless? I'd also like to point out that it's in the "Fun Stuff" section, meaning, it's not really supposed to be take absolutely, 100% seriously anyway.

"But lock it, my opinion is that language is unimportant (even though without it, I wouldn't be able to convey this opinion in the first place) and everyone should either feel this way, or be unable to discuss this topic. LOCK IT!"

On another note, in the OP, I was trying to illustrate how very poor spelling and grammar would sound when dictated. It paints a clear picture of how someone that takes something like the basic fundament of how we interact with each other and could care less how they portray themselves.

[jess1561]

Proper grammar is important when writing something formal.

On a forum or in a game you are just being ignorant if you don't manage to read or don't want to read something with bad grammar.

The example of "helping uncle jack off a horse" and "helping uncle Jack, off a horse" is a good example, but how often do you use that anyway?

Guess what happens when you don't use correct grammar all of the time... You forget to when it's important...

"On a forum or in a game you are just being ignorant if you don't manage to read or don't want to read something with bad grammar."
What does this mean? Ah, must be another case of not knowing the meaning of a word...

Ignorant:
–adjective
1.lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2.lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3.uninformed; unaware.
4.due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

How can you be "ignorant" when it's an adjective...

You sir, along with many other young ones, need to go back to school... Or maybe just pay more attention there. :P

[Neuromancer]

It hardly matters on things like this forum, in-game,... because in most cases you're still able to understand the meaning. Also, this forum and many others are internationally accessible. You should be grateful that most people conform to your English language.

I agree that grammar is important in formal settings, though. Atleast for now, who knows how we will perceive the world 20-50-100 years from now?

[Deleted]

Guess what happens when you don't use correct grammar all of the time... You forget to when it's important...

"On a forum or in a game you are just being ignorant if you don't manage to read or don't want to read something with bad grammar."
What does this mean? Ah, must be another case of not knowing the meaning of a word...

Ignorant:
–adjective
1.lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2.lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3.uninformed; unaware.
4.due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

How can you be "ignorant" when it's an adjective...

You sir, along with many other young ones, need to go back to school... Or maybe just pay more attention there. :P

Out of all the posts in this thread, this one made me facepalm the absolute hardest. Good job.

[jess1561]

Complaints about stuff like "they're", "their", and "there" is pointless. There's no reason they need to be spelled differently when the meaning is blatantly obvious from context and the sound is identical in verbal communication anyway. That's truly just nitpicking.

Let's say we homogenized the spelling to just "thar" for all 3 of them. Can you truly not understand this sentence?

"They can't come fishing with us, thar going to the party after they change the tires on thar car at the gas station over thar."

If you want to argue about the evils of occasional ambiguity, please explain why you're not aggressively championing separate spellings for potentially problematic homonyms, like "bark" (how do we know if you're talking about dogs or trees?!?!), "bank", "fluke", "bow", "bear", "sow", "lead", "wind" ...

I don't see the sense in insisting the current language is perfect and shouldn't be modified simply because it's what you got used to growing up.

Ah, but There, Their, and They're have totally different meanings... As does To, Two, and Too! They're really not all that difficult to learn... And those words you're complaining about, make perfect sense when used in an actual sentence, you wouldn't have any trouble differentiating them then.

[procne]

Guess what happens when you don't use correct grammar all of the time... You forget to when it's important...

"On a forum or in a game you are just being ignorant if you don't manage to read or don't want to read something with bad grammar."
What does this mean? Ah, must be another case of not knowing the meaning of a word...

Ignorant:
–adjective
1.lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2.lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3.uninformed; unaware.
4.due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

How can you be "ignorant" when it's an adjective...

You sir, along with many other young ones, need to go back to school... Or maybe just pay more attention there. :P

What's wrong with "ignorant" being an adjective and the way it was used in that sentence? You can't use adjectives like this?

[Razh]

Grammar is about precision in language. Using proper grammar helps ensure that your readers understand precisely what information and/or ideas you are trying to convey. If you as a writer don't care whether your readers understand exactly what you're saying, I don't know why you would even bother posting in the first place.

[Sarcasm]

And as a reply to Nathanyel; people don't deliberately misspell words to annoy you, they do so because it is faster when chatting.

This is absolute bullshit. I guarantee I have a higher WPM count and higher accuracy while typing than anyone here who types in chat speak.

[Spondoo]

Lets eat out Grandma
Lets eat out, Grandma

Porper puntcuation can save you form embrassasment.

[Sarcasm]

Lets eat out Grandma
Lets eat out, Grandma

Porper puntcuation can save you form embrassasment.

Except in both cases it would be "let's".

[MrKnubbles]

beacuase was the best.

---------- Post added 2011-01-15 at 09:33 PM ----------

So I just googled and played that game. I think this was made to make fun of a comment.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/495903

[Steavz]

So I just googled and played that game. I think this was made to make fun of a comment.

Of course it was, the first minute of the video explains that.

[C9R9D]

So long as I can understand what their saying I don't have a problem aha

[Cadwe]

Effective grammer is the difference between:

Helping your uncle jack off a horse

and

Helping your uncle, Jack, off a horse.

every one uses this exsample but ... i still makes me lol every time
yes grammar is important but not in a game

[Kosic]

Grammar for me isn't a major issue. My grammar can be wrong (like 90% of the time), but i grew up with dylexia, it wasn't that strong. But it was noticiable. When I reached the age of like 14-15, I took on the role to improve my spelling, and then when I saw my older brother typing, he was making it clear, full words, and using grammar. It made me want to improve myself more, to be better than him slightly.

So I started using grammar, but as I was learning it late, certain things like 'comma' etc, aren't always in the best place. I tend to place them when I get lost for what I'm meant to be typing next.

For reading other people's spelling, and grammar. I don't see it a bad problem, unless it's something really hard to understand. I will admit I used to use 'text typing' where you'd shorten a word to make something else. Like BRB (be right back), but there are new ones that had been created since I used them in socializing convosations.
If it's something new, and I don't know what the hell it's meant to mean, or can't even guess what it means. Then that's when I dislike the un-use of typing in proper words.

The one thing that gets to me is the whole "I spell in short because I type fast (i spll in shrt cus i typ fst)."

For me, it took almost 3 times as long to type the bracket verson of that, instead of the full verson. If people use this lame excuse of typing fast, so they should be forgiven to type short. They honest deserve a slap. I find it easier, smarter, better and most importantly clearer to read a fully written word.

Edit;
By the way, the video was pure win. Instant favourite on Youtube. =]

[Sarcasm]

yes grammar is important but not in a game

The problem is that it doesn't stop at "just a game". Anyone who gets lazy and doesn't bother to spell properly or use punctuation in a game starts doing it everywhere as a force of habit. I've reviewed job applications and CVs full of terrible mistakes and horrible English, from people who are native speakers and should very well know better. It's rampant in advertising as well: apostrophes where there shouldn't be, words misspelt, terrible grammar.

In the end, it's nothing to do with the so-called "evolution of language". People are simply just lazy.

[Shinoashi]

You could apply this logic to any forum topic, then, really. Just because you feel this way about it, doesn't mean everyone should have to. This thread has very valid and compelling arguments from both sides, so how is that pointless? I'd also like to point out that it's in the "Fun Stuff" section, meaning, it's not really supposed to be take absolutely, 100% seriously anyway.

"But lock it, my opinion is that language is unimportant (even though without it, I wouldn't be able to convey this opinion in the first place) and everyone should either feel this way, or be unable to discuss this topic. LOCK IT!"

On another note, in the OP, I was trying to illustrate how very poor spelling and grammar would sound when dictated. It paints a clear picture of how someone that takes something like the basic fundament of how we interact with each other and could care less how they portray themselves.

You obviously missed the point, so explaining it to you, well, to be quite honest, would be asinine.

My opinion still stands. Which leads me to my first sentence. As well as my last.

[ramboxmb]

Its not, get used to it.

[Velossa]

Effective grammer is the difference between:

Helping your uncle jack off a horse

and

Helping your uncle, Jack, off a horse.

Giant panda eats, shoots, and leaves.

vs

Giant panda eats shoots and leaves.