prolly <> probably

 

It looks like some people have chimed in by saying that it's not that big of a deal because it's just the internet. While that may be true as we're just communicating in an informal environment (i.e. online forum), I think the OP is talking about written communication as a whole. He raised some interesting questions, and it seems that most folks have come to the consensus that laziness, ignorance, and the challenges of English as one’s non-native language are among the chief reasons.

I think English is challenging whether it is your first language or not. Like most languages, it has more than its share of rules as well as its exceptions to the rule. I always remember this bit by the “big-in-the-80s” comedian Gallagher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWN9rTc08GU His examples are only the tip of the iceberg!

The peeves mentioned already are among the most common mistakes people make with our beloved language, so it's no surprise that we come across them daily. I’d like to think I have a pretty good grasp of it, but I occasionally () catch my errors only well after the fact. I’d re-read something I had written as a response for an exam or assignment or as a post here on i-club, and I’d think how stupid I must have come across when others read those atrocities.

Hell… I’m not perfect. No one is. I’m almost 100% positive that this post contains a few errors—verb tense, omitted/extra words, etc.

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Oh, and I don't wanna be one of those peeps that always point out errors in every post they come across (i.e. It's "accept", not "except". Learn to write, douchebag. ZING!), but here are a few I saw in the OP. Enjoy!

Shouldn't this be people's because the word people, by definition, signifies that it's plural?

. . .
Shouldn't you replace this with "he (or she or one) speaks or writes"? Ya know, in order to maintain the singularity of "a person's intelligence". Kinda ironic, huh?

. . .
Last one... don't feel bad. I do this all the time, bro.
I assume "something", eh? I omit or add words all the time, too.

. . .
I know I already said "last one", but this is less me being one of those typical online punks, more than it is bringing up one of those lovely exceptions in our crazy language.

We would also use "an" for words that begin with a vowel sound (i.e. an honest opinion). Plus, we'd correctly use "a" when spelled words begin with a vowel, yet when sounded, they begin with a consonant (i.e. a one-in-a-million chance).



Don't you just love how quirky language is?

 

I think it's more to blame along the lines of AIM, texting, and all the shorthand people are using today. When "U" and "R" are acceptable to most kids (as you said, under 21), then it becomes more habitual to them to write that way. I noticed this quite a while back when I started using AIM, around 10 years ago? Which is why I started typing to use capitals, punctuation, etc because I know it's going to be come a habit to me, so I think, it's better to have a good habit then a bad habit especially when I'm going to be writing resumes, cover letters, and such.

There are times when speech can be even worse than how someone types, similar to how a lot of people use "like" every 3 words. I had a professor who would drop a letter grade on any report/assignment for every 'like' in the report when a better synonym could have been used. He's one of the hiring managers at some water company, and said he'd stop listening to anyone who would start using 'like' every few words.

What surprised me, was my Junior year in HS (about 5 years ago), I was taking the SAT, and on the back you had to copy a sentence or two in cursive and sign your name. Over half the people in the classroom, didn't know how to write in cursive, so the test proctor had to write out both sentences on the board in cursive.

 

You are right about it being people's instead of peoples' - I am so used to writing parties' that it almost became second nature to put the apostrophe after the "s." As for omitting "thing" after "some," that was just plain error. Lastly, you are correct about maintaining the singularity of "person" - my bad. However, I do have to correct your last point about using "an" before words that begin with vowel sounds.

If you look at my original post, you will see that I qualified my statement of the rule by preceding it with "usually." I am aware that "a" would precede union and that "an" would precede honor.

By the way, periods and commas always go inside of quotation marks. ZING.
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Csi forums

 

+1 to your 1st statement. It's definitely annoying when written language is incoherent. I guess it's the price we pay when we've got minds that race a gazillion times a second, yet we can only type (or utter) at a relative snail's pace.

And please tell me that "write" was your way of "making a funny". I didn't see a or a . Either way, it's genius.

 

Nope, my bad, bruddah. It looks like I glossed over the "usually" part.

- - -

WARNING! Bold generalization dead ahead!

Seems like technology has almost dumbed us down a bit.

As already mentioned, texting, IM-ing, etc. has contributed to the social acceptance of gross shortcuts. Although I try my best to maintain proper grammar, spelling and punctuation in my formal writing, I get a bit lax (i.e. not capitalizing, incomplete sentences like the one just after the "warning", simple abbreviations, etc.) when posting on forums or when emailing non-business/non-education type of correspondence.

I think this is perfectly acceptable in these kinds of informal situations. As long as the message is understandable and the meaning is essentially conveyed, this casual style works, right?

Or do y'all do your damdest to fully write out what you mean?

 

As much as I want to wholeheartedly agree with your philosophy, I can't. My parents have been here for over 30 years (my father came when he was in his late 20's and my mother in her early 20's) and neither of them speak English. This isn't to say that they don't speak any English, but they are far from being fluent. I attribute this to them living most of their lives in America in a largely Korean community. They own a Korean restaurant and most of their customers are Korean. The simple fact is, they never had a need to learn the language. They were able to get by speaking what little they can. As my brother and I got older, we were able to function as translators for them and still do to this day.

So, while I agree that it would be ideal for all immigrants to learn English, I realize that it simply isn't feasible in all cases. Nevertheless, it should still be the goal of all immigrants to learn the language as best they can. It can only benefit them - there is nothing to be gained in America by not speaking English.
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Ipad Accessories

 

Nope. I screwed the pooch on that one. It just happens to look like it was a pun.

Pobody's nerfect, but you can tell when people don't even try. That's where I just skip whatever it is they think that they wrote.

I'm not going to get retard rage because someone used the wrong homophone (very funny word that I had to look up). Even skipping capital (<another homophone ) letters is cool if it's just (< a homonym) a quick sentence (< another homophone ).

 

+1. Informal is the keyword, along with appropriate. We are not on these forums expected or expecting to write a thesis each time we post (imagine that LOL). We have enough pressure to sound proper/perfect at work, school or meeting strangers. When I post on these forums, I rarely ever proof read my stuff. Heck, I could care less if people think I'm a dumb *** on here. I guarantee, if you asked me to write a thesis, or a 20 page research paper I will make you eat your words . Again, there is a time and place and it is hypocritical to criticize those for not being perfect writers or speakers.

 

There are quite a few people in this country that get butt hurt about situations like this. A lot of immigrants tend to learn as much English as they need. If they have family to translate for them, even better. If they don't have to deal much with English only speaking people, then it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

I am 23 years old, and I have just returned back to school. I am at Foothill College. I took intro to college witting, since that as the class I was told to take. We had to spend a full class day going over over their there and they're, it's and its, accept and except, then and than. I was shocked that this needed to be covered, and I felt insulted that this was being covered. As I am sure my previous writing has proven, I am not the best at writing, but this is just appalling that kids do not know these basic things.

 

First sentence is messed already. Not gonna bother with the rest.

I find logical errors more annoying. How old are you? How long have you been alive? You are stating that the mean competency in English has declined compared to some undefined reference point in the past as if you have quantifiable research or life experience to actually back it up.

Oh, my grammar is teh suck.

 

how about when people speak a language from another planet and you have to go to urban dictionary to figure it out.

 

I am so happy that someone started this thread since it is something I notice here how bad the English language is. I do have to have a dictionary to understand what people are trying to say. Also the use of the wrong words is amazing.

Anyhow, thanks for the thread.

 

unless you look like this, you shouldnt be using those big'o'words