Pet Peeves

[BigBlueHen53]

When people drive like the semi they just cut off can stop on a dime or perhaps leap over them.

Thank you. This is why my brother is no longer an OTR driver. And may be why there is a shortage of such drivers.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My pet peeve of the day: people who drive grey cars on grey roads on grey days in grey winter WITHOUT their lights on. Darwin Award candidates for sure.

My sincere apologies! I just bought a car (it's white, not grey) that's an older model than what I was in before, and doesn't have the auto headlamps feature. I'm trying to remember to turn them on every time I get in, but ... sometimes I still forget.

 

[nuthatched]

My pet peeve of the day: people who drive grey cars on grey roads on grey days in grey winter WITHOUT their lights on. Darwin Award candidates for sure.

My problem is those matte black cars around dusk.

 

[CedarLane]

Win people make a l0t of typo$

Says the one that literally just made like 5 typos.

I have a lot of respect for people on here for whom English is NOT their native tongue. Or people who are recovering from a stroke, and typing words again is a miracle.

But if this is not you and all you can type is "text speak,"

u cn go away UR not impressing me

I agree. I know that there are people for whom English is not a native language. I wish I knew another language. If I did, I'm sure I'd make mistakes.

Also, as a former English teacher, I know that not everyone has the same skills in English. This can be due to differing factors. I would not want to exclude someone who may have dyslexia or another learning disability from using the forums. Other students who may have done wonderful in classes like math struggled with grammar concepts. I wouldn't want to exclude them from the forums either. Perhaps the school or teacher didn't put enough emphasis on grammar and mechanics, so their students didn't learn those skills.

I think that because I was an English teacher these errors tend to "pop" out at me, and I see them whether I want to or not. They can be a little irritating to me, but I don't think less of the person who is making the errors. I just know that I tend to be a little more "sensitive" in noticing them than some others are.

(One thing I really hate is when I edit my annual Christmas letter. Although I've read it multiple times combing it for errors, I only find a glaring error after I've printed 25 or more copies!!! It can be the simplest error, and yet I missed it! I've done that on these forums before. Hit "post" only to see the error after it's there for everyone to see. Once I didn't notice the error for several days.... Encouragement for those who struggle with English grammar and mechanics: even English teachers can and do make mistakes. I really try not to be judgmental when I see mistakes others make as I know it could also be a simple typing error).

Things that do bother me on the forums: trying to read a whole post written in texting style and trying to read a big long post with no paragraph breaks...even worse with no attempt at capitalization or punctuation.... Please, at least try. I'd rather see someone try and still make a mistake. Reading a long post with no paragraph breaks, capitalization, or punctuation is very difficult. I tend to rush through it or skip it.

I know some people are typing on their phones. Fine. I'm talking about people who write posts that look like a text to friend with no punctuation and "text" spelling. I have stopped even trying to read them.

I think texting has lowered the level of our English skills. There is a time and place for the abbreviations in texting (especially at the beginning when only so many characters per text were allowed, and when people were charged per text rather than the unlimited plans most people have now.)

I think it is best if those abbreviations are reserved for texting rather than forums like these....or even actual school assignments (I'll be honest and add that I am so glad that I am no longer teaching).

 

[Sally PB]

I think that because I was an English teacher these errors tend to "pop" out at me, and I see them whether I want to or not. They can be a little irritating to me, but I don't think less of the person who is making the errors. I just know that I tend to be a little more "sensitive" in noticing them than some others are.

I know what you mean. When I read thoughtful, intelligent posts here, any typos roll right on by. I grew up when published writing was professionally edited, and typos were rare. That was the standard, and I tried to hold myself to it as well.

Things that do bother me on the forums: trying to read a whole post written in texting style and trying to read a big long post with no paragraph breaks...even worse with no attempt at capitalization or punctuation.... Please, at least try. I'd rather see someone try and still make a mistake. Reading a long post with no paragraph breaks, capitalization, or punctuation is very difficult. I tend to rush through it or skip it.

Yup, yup, yup. I have felt my eyes glaze over, and I know I haven't understood what this person is trying to say. Whether I go back and reread... depends on the topic and the person.

I think texting has lowered the level of our English skills.

Sad to say, I think we aren't going to raise them any time soon, unless we place a value on it.

 

[fluffycrow]

As someone whose first language is not English, I'd like to leave my two cents on this topic. I make errors, grammatical or otherwise, in all the languages I speak. It's part of being human, part of learning, and sometimes lack of attention. Not being a "native speaker" has given me the ability to be a lot more tolerant of other people's mistakes, for better or worse. I will admit that certain mistakes do tick me off, but I try to not say anything, because I know I am bound to make mistakes of my own. As far as blocks of text go, I wholeheartedly agree. I find them extremely hard to read through, especially when one has not used any sort of punctuation. I find myself having to re-read them multiple times, or rely on others to respond first, hoping they got a better understanding than me. That being said, I do write blocks of text myself (though I'd like to think that I use a lot more punctuation), but not because I want, or like to. For some reason, whenever I separate paragraphs on here, the two pieces of text tend to be pulled further apart, eventually leading to a massive post. All that being said, I would like to leave a final note. I have noticed some native speakers being a lot more careless with their English, perhaps due to the fact that they feel a lot more comfortable using the language. I find it a little unfair that people whose English is "subpar" have to struggle to understand posts that are written with as much care as one's message to their friend group

 

[Kay-T-Hammer]

As someone whose first language is not English, I'd like to leave my two cents on this topic. I make errors, grammatical or otherwise, in all the languages I speak. It's part of being human, part of learning, and sometimes lack of attention. Not being a "native speaker" has given me the ability to be a lot more tolerant of other people's mistakes, for better or worse. I will admit that certain mistakes do tick me off, but I try to not say anything, because I know I am bound to make mistakes of my own. As far as blocks of text go, I wholeheartedly agree. I find them extremely hard to read through, especially when one has not used any sort of punctuation. I find myself having to re-read them multiple times, or rely on others to respond first, hoping they got a better understanding than me. That being said, I do write blocks of text myself (though I'd like to think that I use a lot more punctuation), but not because I want, or like to. For some reason, whenever I separate paragraphs on here, the two pieces of text tend to be pulled further apart, eventually leading to a massive post. All that being said, I would like to leave a final note. I have noticed some native speakers being a lot more careless with their English, perhaps due to the fact that they feel a lot more comfortable using the language. I find it a little unfair that people whose English is "subpar" have to struggle to understand posts that are written with as much care as one's message to their friend group

You are not a native English speaker? Wow. I honestly had no idea. You communicate so well. Bravo!

 

[Sally PB]

For some reason, whenever I separate paragraphs on here, the two pieces of text tend to be pulled further apart, eventually leading to a massive post.

Ah! I had not thought of that possibility. So many platforms, so many devices! Thank you for adding that.

I have noticed some native speakers being a lot more careless with their English, perhaps due to the fact that they feel a lot more comfortable using the language.

Familiarity breeds contempt...? If you don't have to think about how to say something, it just pours out, unfiltered.

When learning a new language, you are often taught "the rules" of how to put parts of speech together. This kind of noun uses that kind of verb, etc. When I was in 7th grade and learned some of the grammar rules of English, I told my mom, "I just go by what sounds right. 'We was walking' doesn't sound right. 'We were walking' does." When I took French in high school, I had to learn the rules because I didn't know what "sounded" right.

Also, people tend to talk like the people around them, which is how dialects form, and even new languages. I enjoy being "around" all the people on BYC. Different experiences, different backgrounds, from different countries and areas in the US; all of it makes BYC the treasure trove of information that it is.

You are not a native English speaker? Wow. I honestly had no idea. You communicate so well. Bravo!

Yes, ditto.

 

[fluffycrow]

Thank you so much, that's a huge compliment. I try to do the best I can with what I was taught, although it's not rare to doubt myself. It's nice to know that

You are not a native English speaker? Wow. I honestly had no idea. You communicate so well. Bravo!

my "work" is paying off

 

[Chicken poppy]

You are not a native English speaker? Wow. I honestly had no idea. You communicate so well. Bravo!

I was going to say the same thing!