Written English - Evolving or Corrupting?

[Mesquite]

There's something I've noticed over the time I've been using internet forums and websites and that's the poor English spelling skills of a lot of the people using it has got worse.

They're either incorrectly spelling or people just not knowing the difference between things like the word there being used for they're or their.

Another thing that's creeping in more and more is the use of text speak, u for you, no for know, m8 for mate etc.

I can appreciate that people might have trouble spelling because they might suffer from dyslexia or similar and you make learn to make allowances for that. Drew was a classic example, you had to really struggle at times to work out what he was trying to say

Is it laziness of the person or an lack of the education to teach proper English skills or is it just the language is naturally evolving or what?

All I know is it really does annoy me at times to see it go on as I always try to ensure whatever I type is spelt correctly to the best of my ability.

 

[Man of Tanith]

I find the written skills of forums/internet and text speech are causing an evolution in the English language.

Cant say I'm particularly keen myself.

Words like lol really wind me up.
I have a mate who will reply to a text with lol. I doubt he is laughing out loud.
I find lol rofl etc to be as irritating as erm, um, you know what I mean and the worse one innit

I know I miss capitals when I should out them in but I figure that because I view the forum as a chatty place and informal.
If I am writing reports/risk assessments and support plans at work I make sure its all correctly spelt and punctuated.

I blame the fact folks do not tend to read as much as they did so do not know the grammer spelling and punctuation as well.





Grumpy old man that I am at 31.

 

[quietone]

I know, it annoys the crap out of me. Whether in work, or otherwise, the bastardisation of the English language is getting worse. I blame the yanks.

 

[sandbender]

No, it isn't evolving, devolving perhaps.

It doesn't annoy me, however I do skip over and ignore any text speech that appears here.

"...It's a beautiful thing, the Destruction of words. Of course the great wastage is in the verbs and adjectives, but there are hundreds of nouns that can be got rid of as well. It isn't only the synonyms; there are also the antonyms. After all, what justification is there for a word, which is simply the opposite of some other word? A word contains its opposite in itself. Take ‘good,’ for instance. If you have a word like ‘good,’ what need is there for a word like ‘bad’? ‘Ungood’ will do just as well – better, because it's an exact opposite, which the other is not. Or again, if you want a stronger version of ‘good,’ what sense is there in having a whole string of vague useless words like ‘excellent’ and ‘splendid’ and all the rest of them? ‘Plusgood’ covers the meaning or ‘doubleplusgood’ if you want something stronger still..."

1984

 

[Goatboy]

There's something I've noticed over the time I've been using internet forums and websites and that's the poor English spelling skills of a lot of the people using it has got worse.

They're either incorrectly spelling or people just not knowing the difference between things like the word there being used for they're or their.

Another thing that's creeping in more and more is the use of text speak, u for you, no for know, m8 for mate etc.

I can appreciate that people might have trouble spelling because they might suffer from dyslexia or similar and you make learn to make allowances for that. Drew was a classic example, you had to really struggle at times to work out what he was trying to say

Is it laziness of the person or an lack of the education to teach proper English skills or is it just the language is naturally evolving or what?

All I know is it really does annoy me at times to see it go on as I always try to ensure whatever I type is spelt correctly to the best of my ability.

Oh dear this wasn't prompted by being hoisted with one's own petar[d] by my good self earlier was it? I profusely don't apologise if it was.

It is annoying when it's laziness, and there is a built in spellchecker.

ATB,
GB.

 

[Niels]

I too try to get the grammar correct. As this place is a good opportunity for me to sharpen my English writing skills I'd prefer for people to write correctly.
Even if only as an example of what is right. Although I don't have a problem with LOL if you actually laughed out loud. I use it too.

 

[Wayland]

I was sitting in a school staff room not so long ago, looking at a collection of spelling and grammatical errors of the notice board on the wall, written presumably by one of the staff.

I think we are observing at the second generation of the problem so I doubt if it's going to improve in the foreseeable future.

It's a huge shame as the English language is one of the most beautiful on Earth in my opinion. It has absorbed so many influences over the years from migrations and invasions that have all added to the richness of our vocabulary but this latest development does nothing to preserve that heritage.

Of course, it will not be long before someone will come along and call us "Grammar Nazis" but lets hope they can do it with some degree of eloquence.

 

[Mesquite]

I blame the yanks.

Thanks .

 

[MartinK9]

I know, it annoys the crap out of me. Whether in work, or otherwise, the bastardisation of the English language is getting worse. I blame the Yanks.

Fixed it for you.

 

[John Fenna]

As I earn a large part of my income from the written word, yet at the same time struggle with spelling and grammar and have to put a fair bit of effort into my work (plus having it all checked by someone else before I send it off, paying a fair whack to a proof reader when it came to the books I wrote) it really does annoy me when I see what can only be described as totally lazy writing ANYWHERE. Admittedly the worst is on line, where anything seems to go, and I detest "Text-speak". Poor spelling is hardly excusable, thanks to "Spell-check" (something I am personally grateful for!), though "Americanisms" slip by as do words of similar sound but different spellings and meanings - but poor grammar is down to a failing educational system!
Written English seems to be melting down into a morass of semi-literate, semi-comprehensible (or semi-incomprehensible) mush!
When I am on line I do sometimes cut corners with the odd "OK" and if I am being very lazy the odd "ROFL" - but then I feel a bit guilty at letting standards slip!
I do understand that some folk have even greater difficulty with writing than others, be it dyslexia, a poorer education (the school system is not perfect!) and try to make allowances... but pure laziness annoys me!
Our glorious language is certainly going to end up the poorer if the current trend continues - innit blud!

 

[xylaria]

I am dyslexic. Most people when they realise can excuse my use of the wrong vowels or leaving out small words or writing stuff that makes no sense. I was educated at time when teachers had dropped any idea of teaching the rules of language. I forced myself to learn basic english grammer when my daughter was in primary school. The lousy education system makes life a lot harder for those that are either educationally disabled or are not english first language. The part that angers me most, the most the people I have know that are my age and privately educated were taught grammer to a high standard.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I always make a point of trying to write correctly. Sometimes my grammar, or punctuation let me down, but I always try.

 

[Stew]

i blame touch screen phones / tablets.

 

[xylaria]

I hate the "Iz talk like Iz black" accent. Especially from middle class preformance poets from tonbridge wells. I think that is a real erosion of spoken english.

 

[xylaria]

i blame touch screen phones / tablets.

I find it difficult to write anything of any lenght on my phone.

 

[Clouston98]

I hate it when people spell words wrong that have the same number of letters of the correct one:

For example mi instead of my.

I try hard to use spelling, punctuation and grammar properly. Not out of snobbery but it makes it easier for others to understand you and you can therefore hold a better conversation.

 

[Zingmo]

There is no noun that can't be verbed.

Z

 

[Mesquite]

Oh dear this wasn't prompted by being hoisted with one's own petar[d] by my good self earlier was it? I profusely don't apologise if it was.

... not at all mate, that was a genuine typo on my part and I found your comment about it very amusing

No, this is something that's been ticking me off for some time and as folks have said I try to ensure my spelling and grammar is the best I can but occasionally the odd one slips through

 

[mountainm]

People rely on the safety net of the spell checker - they're also short of time, multitasking, snatching a fleeting minute with which to communicate and converse with the great unwashed.

As such, standards, quality control and true pensmanship slip by the wayside.

 

[Macaroon]

At the risk of being hounded for this: I, and I think many others, can "hear" in somebody's writing whether they are lazy or whether they have a problem such as dyslexia. There are people who post here who are quite open about the fact that they have, sometimes severe, problems with written English, but I find I don't have much trouble reading what they post, and they make a lot more sense than other posts which are, in my view,
nothing short of disgraceful. If I was to ask for help or information from somebody I'd be mortified to think I'd written to the standard I often see; surely it's a matter of common courtesy, manners and respect to write, and to make sure you've written, clearly and as lucidly as possible? How much effort does it really take to read over a post and edit it if it's ambiguous?

I'm as guilty as the next person of lazy typos, and I don't mind it in other people - but some of what I read these days is atrocious; how come so many of us don't realise that clear and accurate communication that avoids
confusion and misunderstanding requires good and clear use of the language.........................