autocthon Loc: Batcave

After reading a lot of posts from seemingly and supposedly intelligent people I notice that time after time I see the words to,too and two continually misused as well as your and you're. These aren't the only ones, just the most common. Trying to figure this out I think I have a partial answer. I noticed that most of the guilty ones seemed to be younger. Now I understand that the current theory in Education is that it's the thought, or idea, that counts, not spelling or punctuation. Unlike years ago when you could get an "F" just for lousy spelling. Also, look at how many of the younger crowd spells while texting--almost completely phonetically.
When we "fossils" were learning basics it was from hard, printed textbooks and magazines, which almost always used correct spelling. So, that's how we learned it, with many hours of constant exposure to proper english.
I have read (please, don't ask for sources) that the best readers are usually the best spellers because the word is remembered in its entirety rather than as a collection of sounds. So, seeing an incorrectly spelled word stands out like a sore thumb.
To people like me this is as bad as fingernails on a chalkboard, very irritating. To the guilty ones, it's irritating to be called out for something that is completely inconsequential to them and, in some ways, they're right, if you can't catch the error then it isn't one.
I understand that English (like all languages) evolves. But it's supposed to evolve into a higher, more precise form, not devolve into a printed form of baby babble.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Am I anywhere close to the 5 ring?

Loki Loc: Georgia

In the center. You will find one or two of us here who are driven to distraction by these egregious errors. It is disheartening to me to see people who are supposedly intelligent, some of whom claim to be educators, whose spelling sk**ls are on a level I would class, charitably, as about fifth grade when I was in school. I read that the average high school graduate today has what would have been considered a substandard seventh grade education in the early seventies, when I graduated. At least at my grandkids school, an attempt is being made to keep them abreast of math and some science sk**ls, although English and non-PC history, along with Civics, appears to have gone the way of the dinosaur.

grace scott

I was discussing education with my grandson and he informed me they could only learn what the teachers were teaching.

Doesn't say much for teachers until you remember, back in our day, the teacher did not spend a lot of time on discipline.

Worried for our children Loc: Massachusetts

I got an"F" in spelling, probably a few times. I'm forty-one years old, not sure if that qualifies for young for this topic but, I strive not to do those things you find irritating. I use a cell phone for this, and my words here are spelled out fully, as opposed to a conversation that I would have with my twenty year old daughter. Now if it were, I would've been done with this a while ago. Perhaps one could make an argument for the language of texting. I see people in my age group as being on the cusp of a format change, atleast, for electronic communication . Heck, my seventy-four year old dad is texting now, not quite like my daughter, but I think you get my point.

BTW, I agree with banjo, dead center.

Blacksheep

Yeah, I'm a Spelling N**i and proud of it. I don't call out every misspelling, there's just too many of them, but a few have been egregious enough to warrant a correction from me. That was totally unappreciated, of course. Poor spelling will make any otherwise intelligent person appear stupid.

Worried for our children Loc: Massachusetts

And appearances are everything, right BS ?


I find your initials very appropriate and accurate by the way 👍

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I would say it worth substantially more then two cents.

rjoeholl

"To", "too"; two different meanings.

autocthon Loc: Batcave

And for the English majors.
I stumped my brother, an English teacher with this one, at least for awhile.

Just ask someone to write this sentence (you have to say it for obvious reasons) "there are three kinds of tu(with an overscore here, have no idea how to type it on my keyboard)s. In other words, it is the tu of pronunciation from the dictionary. So, I guess that it means that there are actually four of them?

mkewlkez

I lived for a few years with my favorite aunt who was--before retiring--30 years an English Lit. teacher. She would politely correct my 'slang' and admonish my grammar when needed. Under her kind guidance my vocabulary is extensive. Sadly, here in the Deep South, many people believe that I'm 'talking down to them' because they don't understand what I'm saying. So sad...

Blacksheep

Ah. The first of no doubt many happy, smiling emoticon faces this morning. You're clearly a highly intelligent thinker with great foresight, and proud of your originality in word and deed. Unfortunately in this case, you're the umpteenth person to make that remark and again, so sorry, you're seeing what isn't there.

So look again and tell me how many capital letters you see in B****sheep. I only see a B but perhaps I missed one?

This is the first time I've ever seen your pseudonym, so welcome to this discussion. It's always great fun to start off the day with a pointless and rather stupidly gratuitous attack on someone rather than make any sort of positive contribution, isn't it? And now you've even been responded to. Oh, the joy I must be imparting to your happy self at this moment fills me with a glow of satisfaction. Do have a wonderful day.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Skyhook

There are two ills presented in what you say; 1) teachers are getting lower and lower in quality as other factors intrude on the hiring practices such as affirmative action and overall WGAS and the unions pretty much disallow the disciplining and firing the detritus, 2) folks at home are all too eager to have the duty of educating their children accomplished by others.

I really sympathize with any person who is a dedicated educator today when I think of the numbers of nasty, bad-mannered kids erupting onto the scene. Aaarg!

bobgssc

I think the problem with the younger (and some of us older) is the reliance on computers in general and spell checkers in particular. People seem to not understand that to, too, and two are spelled correctly in their own right and therefore are not corrected by spell check. Remember the day when you typed something and then first read it backward word by word to help check for spelling and then slowly forward word by word to check for grammar and the correct use of the word. I've been a programmer since 1981 but still do this when writing something important (I am not as thorough with posts like this, but still try to read them carefully, looking for mis-used words or phrases.

bobgssc

I agree with what you are saying partially, but I HAVE seen general decay in the quality of educators also (who would want that job in today's environment)? My highschool teachers were not only educated but very well read, understood the importance of the written word, and sought to teach it. Many of today's teachers seem to have just "gotten their degree", and failed to work to maintain the level of perfection of former teachers. Hell, before I was retired as disabled, I went back to school and held a 4.0 average and was generally considered to be the top of my class by my peers (if you can ever consider the 55 year old to be the peer of 19 and 20 somethings). I am willing to admit that I am simply NOT that good of a writer, nor more intelligent than these "kids", but what set me apart was my ability to dismiss the quality of Word Spell and Grammar checker, and to take the time to verify everything I did with a hard second look, this applies to math and the sciences also, but with a slightly different application, obviously.

67p5065

I think you hit the ten ring with that .