I always notice bad grammar and spelling. I don't really judge people on it as I've certainly made my share of mistakes. I would never call someone out on it unless they were being a jerk about it to someone else. :P

That being said, there are a few people on here whose writing style annoys me to the point where I won't read their posts! It's not an intelligence/schooling thing, but rather writing habits, like never punctuating or capitalizing or putting spaces. Or paragraphs that run on forever and ever with no break. Everyone has their own personal style of posting but some are much easier to read than others.

And it's not just this forum but everywhere. Coworker emails, news articles, etc.

Yes. Poor grammar and spelling do detract from a reader's opinion of *you*.

Online, what you write is all we can see. We can't see your twinkling eyes, your smile, the tilt of your head or your posture. We can only *read* what you write. (I am fortunate that you can't see my *penmanship*.)

It's about appearances, perceptions, visual clues. "Pretty is as Pretty does," is hard to apply when we don't KNOW how you 'do'.

This reminds me of the week I waited for a root canal to heal and a crown to be made. I walked around with a big GAP in the front of my teeth. The way I was regarded by strangers made me feel as though I'd suddeenly lost a serious number of I.Q. points.

I think we honor attempts to use proper grammar and spelling on forums, just as we honor attempts to use good manners, to be kind, helpful, etc. We're all still learning!

Does anyone lose sleep over ones poor grammar or spelling? No.

Does anyone lose sleep over all the bad things that happen in the world? I do. Haiti really affected me. I don't know anyone there, but knowing what they were all going through was awful.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, bad grammar and spelling is not a big deal. But when I'm reading it, it bothers me. Once I leave the page, it no longer bothers me. Odds of me remembering who wrote the post is small too.

country bumpkin, the reason your spellcheck says grammer is wrong, is because it's grammar. LOL!

I wish I had finished high school and had a diploma. It is something I do regret every day. But I'm one of those people who is afraid of failure. I learn by doing, not by reading.

I keep coming back to this thread. Maybe it bothers me more than I thought.......

Personally, I couldn't care less whether or not correct grammar is used or not, nor if the spelling is right or not. I think what is important is what point is the person trying to make with whatever he or she has said. It's what comes from one's heart that matters.

The only things I find offensive are deliberate jabs at someone else because they may not measure up to who they feel they should be to be included in their exclusive circles of friends. That and deliberate crudeness and bad language.

Carolyn

No, I don't judge people because of poor grammar
or spelling. Just sometimes little things annoy me.
Lately it has been people using loose! Instead
of lose. Loosing instead of losing! LOL
I'm sure it will be something else soon enough.
I don't look up to see who wrote it, but I DO find
myself saying LOSE! hahahaha... I can only imagine
how many people shake their heads at MY posts! And
how many people don't even bother reading them. (a LOT
I'm sure!)Oh well! But I don't stop and wonder if I should post or not.
Don't worry about it! lol

I DO have to admit, I wonder at "professionals" on
TV and Radio that have problems with grammer and
pronunciation. I DO wonder how they got those jobs
sometimes. lol Everyone mis~speaks (see? is THAT
even a word? or spelled correctly? lol) And I know I'm
FAR from perfect, but I do try! LOL

Oh, also, I am one that does NOT have spell check
on my browser. I see people saying "How hard is it
to run spell check. Everyone has it on their browser."
Well, I don't! So I just type away! lol sorry!

As I have often stated, English is my second language. I am "horrified", when I see mistakes I made. Don't ask me why, cause I don't know.

Debby, I don't have a high school diploma either, but I went ahead, and took a GED course, and got that diploma before my girls graduated. I wanted to have something to show too. :)

At this point in my life, I think I am past learning how to do it right. I know I make some mistakes, but luckily my browser, Firefox has spell check. At least that part is usually right.

Meanwhile, I do wince at times when I see bad mistakes in writing. I am amazed, at how many people don't spell good. I am also the one correcting a friends online journal.

He is from the US, and has a high school diploma.

Go figure!

Moni

The ability to communicate clearly does matter in the eyes of the world.

Our neighbor's son has a very high I.Q. He had a full scholarship to Stanford, earned an advanced degree in engineering and is now a VP in his company. He traces much of his success to the communication skills he learned in high school. Early in his career, the president of his company singled him out for promotion, CITING his ability to write clearly -- not always a strong point among engineers! LOL

There are times that I really appeciate a mistake being pointed out! Like the other day when ChloeCat pointed out that the word Memory (on the block I'd made) was spelled wrong. It wasn't that I didn't know HOW to spell it..it was a typo! But I usre appreciated her pointing it out!

Hmmm, I thought the other thread was tongue-in-cheek? I do judge errors when it comes to publications like newspapers. I've noticed a definite decline in quality lately and wonder if they've laid off all the editors. :)

I used to do a lot of proofreading for work documents so it's very hard for me to "turn off" the grammar police in my head. I will always notice mistakes, but I dismiss them after that. I generally don't care. I know there are many times I'm in a hurry or one of the kids is talking to me and I make a mistake.

However, I do agree with whomever said that some people's writing style is hard to read. For instance, when it's one long paragraph with no breaks, it's physically hard for me to read it so I tend to skip them. There used to be someone here that had consistent awful spelling, but I usually knew what she meant and she had a good heart so I try not to judge.

Kat, LOOSE/LOSE is all over the Internet, together with BREATH/BREATHE. Eeek!

I do notice lapses in grammar--I've earned my living as an editor, after all--but I don't judge very harshly. I'm a fast typist, and a quick thinker, and have been known to make lots of mistakes of my own if I don't read over what I've written. Plus I have a number of wonderful people close to me who have never cared much about their writing skills, and I treasure every one of their emails.

Chi83, I'm with you on those endless paragraphs! Sometimes I find it almost physically impossible to read. In fact, I noticed that a couple of health-related forums (Lyme Disease was one) have instructions to write in short paragraphs because people with brain-fog issues (some days that describes me!) can't deal with run-on paragraphs very well.

English, grammar and spelling have never been my strong point. I know I type too much and say too little, but that is me and I am trying to correct that problem. All my life I have been in positions that require me to train and explain to others. I try to use spell check as much as I can, but sometimes my fingers move more than my brain does.
I am a very fast reader, I read thoughts and ideas, but very seldom word by word, unless it is instructions and even then I read by glancing over the entire page.

Poor spelling isn't as annoying as seeing people use made up words like "irregardless." I notice grammar mistakes, but don't think anything of them when they're on the KT or Facebook (I make them too!). But when mistakes are made in business documents or professional publications, it's like nails on a chalkboard! We have a financial partner that consistently makes spelling errors in her texts and emails and it's just plain laziness that she doesn't hit spell check. Unfortunately our opinion of her does decline and has made us wary of any dealings with her lately (among a few other things we've noticed).

Blessings,
Haley

I don't look down upon someone with poor grammar, but it does tell me they didn't pay attention in high school, nor did they even learn on their own by simply reading books on fiction, etc., when they became adults.

On FaceBook, an old high school friend keeps writing "their" for "they're." Over and over.

It's also annoying with the "Loose/Lose" words and many others.

I don't judge them as a bad person or even being beneath me, but it's quite telling that they don't read much or care to keep learning as they get older.

I do want to say, the older I get the more I'm forgetting how to spell words! lol. When that's the case and I don't want to look a word up I always put (sp) next to the word. :)

I always notice grammar errors, but for some reason, it's the spelling errors that really stand out to me. Some of the ones I see all the time are:
there/their
your/you're
affect/effect
to/too/two
alot/a lot
I don't 'judge' anyone though. It's more of a minor annoyance, lol.

I hate when people use the wrong words too, such as those listed above. A girl my kids went to school with is constantly writing, "I love you more then anything in the world!" I've even made my status line: "It's than, not then. It's they're, not there, it's loose, not lose" etc., but she obviously either didn't read it, or ignored it. LOL

I'm sure I make plenty of spelling and grammar mistakes and it doesn't bother me to read other people's.. unless the whole post is just full of them.

2 of my best friends as well as my 21 year old daughter (who still manages to keep a 3.7 GPA) are not very good spellers, but I certainly don't think any less of them because of it.

I'm only "judgemental" when someone who was a teacher has atrocious spelling and grammar.

after therapy and prozac...I are what I is! and note my shift key is not playing fair for my capital letters. Also being Canadian, this forum underlines words I spell the Canadian way...and yes my spelling does not keep up with my fingers.

So shoot me. spots and all - if ya can't luv me as I am not my problem.

If I am applying for work or working, that is another story entirely. I get annoyed at myself because my grammar and spelling have nose dived with the internet and 'yakking'.

I are what I is, I say.

Sorry Haley.. I'm pretty sure I recently used irregardless in a post. Funny, but my spell checker isn't even telling me it is wrong in this post! lol

Here is a link that might be useful: In defense of the word 'irregardless'.

I agree that "judge" is a strong word for what I feel when I see or hear things like bad grammar, spelling, etc. I am much better at that type of thing than math - I am awful at math! But let's face it. On any given day bad grammar is more obvious than being bad at math.

To me, it doesn't mean that someone is dumb or uneducated. Probably way better at other things that the written and spoken word And it does irk me....but I can't say I judge a person. And while I try to be correct at math and get better at it, I'd think that someone would want to speak and spell correctly, too. BTW, I'm not an expert and get things wrong all the time. But errors do jump out at me.

(Chubby rat, the reason your spell checker says "grammer" isn't right is because it isn't. It's grammAr). :-)

OOPS! Sorry - it wasn't Chubby rat who mentioned spell checker; it was Country Bumpkin. Apologies...

Back in the 1960s, a friend of mine who taught at NYU instructed his classes to use "irregardless." He had a good defense, which I knew at the time but can't remember now. Yes, I think it's significant that spell check thinks irregardless is just fine--although as I said earlier, some things work their way into the English language and gain acceptance.

I tell you if the day ever comes in my life that I have the audacity to judge anyone on something so juvenile as spelling or grammar I want someone to knock the sense back into me. My goodness with the health problems, money issues, wars and major stuff we have to deal with on a daily basis I sure do not care in the least about those minor things.
I am sure I have been "judged" but I really could care less, the fact is I have several very advanced degrees since I was in the medical field and a very high IQ but I do not presume to be better than anyone and I sure do not judge on silly stuff.
The things that are important to me are Pay IT Forward and I try to live that daily.
Thank God I learned a long time ago not to sweat the small stuff.

I'd like to add that I'm interested in what you say....not how you say it.

Oh, just so you don't feel picked on- the last time I started a post about "grammer" pet peeves, it was quickly pointed out to me, laughingly, that I had misspelled grammar! I remember that quite clearly and while the irony of it made me laugh, it also made me drag my dictionary closer to the computer. :) AND, I think it was the bRAT Kat that did it, so I knew right there it was in good fun.

"Irregardless" has made it into the dictionaries, but that doesn't mean a thing to my husband, who can break a sentence down like nobody's business! Drives him nuts to hear it used.

Well said, Ravencajun, and I mean that. But I think some very good people react strongly to the written and/or spoken word, and I'm not sure why. I'm one of them, and I think it's something we're born with.

I don't mean that we judge the person, necessarily, but these things jump out at us. We are more aware of them, and there are times when they come close to actually making us physically squirm. It's silly, but it's not silly. To use a popular phrase, it is what it is.

I hold a Ph.D. in English and have a M.A. in linguistics. I've been interested in language all my life and, as a college professor, have graded hundreds of student essays. I'm also a professional editor. Research has shown that an inability to spell isn't related to education or intelligence. We all slip up in grammar occasionally, too (I posted on the other thread about Obama's recent slips), and in terms of internet forums we all know how easy it is to type and press the send button too quickly. So there are often errors that need to be overlooked in this type of venue. That said, however, it IS true that the professional world judges a person on his or her spelling and grammar. In a competitive job market, one typo or grammar error on a resume or cover letter can be hugely damning. It is all about first appearances and presentation. So I work with my writing clients on absolute correctness and precision. No question that English is a difficult and quirky language, but it is easy to pick up books that provide "refreshers."

For every complaint I have about someone, they'll have as many, or more, about me. The funny thing is, while someone is getting their grammar mistake pointed out, it's usually by someone that misuses punctuation. LOL

Many times mistakes are typo's, not that the poster doesn't know how to spell, use grammar.

I do agree with Alisande, though. It's just not necessary to point it out.

Honestly, it does kind of bug me; using "your"for "you're" is a biggie!! and "are" for "our".....

But, then again, I didn't get further than beginner's geometry in math, so I guess English was just a better subject for me. Thank goodness it's something I use every day....now, calculus....not so much! :)

I wouldn't say judge, but I do pay closer attention to those who I don't favour, and then I balk (not on this site though, more on social sites). On here I tend not to pay attention to any mistakes - I've learned to decipher. Plus I realize that we all come from all walks of life with different educational backgrounds and I appreciate what everyone offers, so mistakes don't bother me.

My writing is horrible at times and I have to wonder myself sometimes if English is my first language. I think the members here are great with written English.

But I can spot grammatical/spelling errors in a hot second when reading news websites or printed articles. Even books.

My biggest pet peeve when I hear someone talk about something they did is when they say, "I done that". NO YOU DIDN'T! You DID that. My mother in law says it all the time, and the kids she raised picked up her bad habit. There is something else they say too, but I'm sleepy and can't remember.

I think today is the first time I've ever pointed out a spelling mistake on any messageboard to someone directly. I usually just bite my tongue and shudder then move on.

If you're not sure you've spelled a word correctly, just open a second browser and type it in the search bar. It will usually bring up the correct spelling. Also, I found a grammar checker:

after using the grammar checker
My biggest pet peeve when I hear someone talk about something they did is when they say, "I done that". NO YOU DIDN'T! You DID that. My mother-in-law says it all the time, and the kids she raised picked up her bad habit. There is something else they say too, but I am sleepy and cannot remember.
I think today is the first time I've ever pointed out a spelling mistake on any messageboard to someone directly. I usually just bite my tongue and shudder then move on.
If you are not sure you've spelled a word correctly, just open a second browser and type it in the search bar. It will usually bring up the correct spelling. Also, I found a grammar checker:

See? I'm not perfect. ROFL!

Here is a link that might be useful: grammar checker

I agree, Deb. did done saw seen lol

only!

He only scored 3 times!
NO
He scored only 3 times!

I tend to type like I talk and it doesn't always make sense when I read it back. I rewrite a lot and probably should to it more. And did you ever spell a word and it just didn't look right and you can't for the life of you remember how to spell it? Senior moments!

Maybe you're being too hard on yourself. I read your post again and it's just fine! Don't be self-conscious here, my dear.

Except for my shyness, I have always spoken and written well. I don't really think grammar is that important. If people know what you mean, what's the difference? My parents always spoke to me in good English phrases and sentences. I remember my 7th grade teacher drilling us on the difference between to, too, two and affect/effect, etc. So I guess for me, it's a combination of parental guidance plus good teachers. I make plenty of typos especially here on KT. But I have an excuse-I had a stroke in 2001 from which I'm largely recovered, but my fingers still sometimes hit the wrong key(s).

I'd like to add a couple of points:

I'll never forget a Dear Abby column I read in which she stated one is born with either good or poor spelling skills, and it has no impact whatsoever on intelligence. Mine is in the fair to middlin' category but by now, my first instinct is usually correct or fairly close. Two of my three kids are the same type of spellers, and the third is right on every time.

I am 50, and when I was in middle and high schools Grammar was hardly taught. I remember an English teacher in middle school telling us that although she was required to teach a unit on grammar, she knew that it was a boring subject and would try to race through it. I thought that was rather an appalling thing to say. As I have mentioned before, my mother (90) has always had an excellent way with grammar because her generation was taught the rules inside and out, and basically had no chance to ignore them.

I am quick to recognize correct/incorrect grammar most of the time, but could not tell you why a phrase is correct/incorrect to save my life. I learned of the different types of verb tenses in my French class but apart from the basics, didn't learn grammatical terms. I just have a penchant for hearing good grammar; I truly think it's like an ear for music, and you've either got it or you don't. And yes, I cringe when I re-read something I wrote incorrectly! But no, I don't judge people on their writing skills. At least, I hope I don't. I would hate to be judged on mine and would definitely hate to be judged on my math skills. My brain freezes if someone is watching me do any kind of a math calculation.

Folks look down their nose for a wide variety of reasons, spelling and grammar among them. We all have faults, to my knowledge, only one of us did not. I do notice it but I don't judge it, I judge folks by their kindness to others, or try to do so. Snide comments and rudeness is what I find offensive, I care about what a person says not how they say it.

I can't say I actually "judge" any of you - I don't know you. I do notice bad grammar, poor spelling, run on sentences, etc. I completely agree with marita40 - in the corporate world a misplaced period can make a difference in getting a job interview, especially in tough economic times. If I review two resumes, no matter how qualified the candidate, if one has grammar, spelling, punctuation, or other types of errors, their resume goes to the bottom of the pile, if not tossed out. It is a reflection of the individual.

Example - (and I'm not at all turning this political) - look at Sarah Palin. Even if you love her political opinions, her grammar needs lots of work. Often times she is mocked in the media for it, and she's been used as material by many comedians, Saturday Night Live, etc. Many people question her intelligence by the way she speaks.

The thing I'm curious about - why DON'T people care more about their writing skills? There are lots of reference books available. People are quick to offer up the "that's just the way I am and I don't care what anyone thinks" excuse.

I admit - I'm more annoyed by bad grammar than typos. And I do think it reflects poorly on the individual, no matter how politically incorrect it might be to say it. Everyone makes typos, but using bad grammar is usually just not knowing any better. It's not because you're typing too fast.

People who say "I seen" instead of "I saw", or "I need to loose 10 lbs" instead of "lose 10 lbs" do sound uneducated. I'm sorry, but they just do - what else would you call it?

Whether or not I judge a person over it is a different matter, but there is no question that bad grammar is just not attractive.

If peeple was afrade to post hear becuz of bein judged for there grammer or spellin, that wood bee two bad.

Good36, pleeeeze don't stop participatin'!! Or anyone els afrade of the grammer and spellin' palice.

Agree - typos on a forum do happen, but bad grammar? Sorry, but it does give an illusion of not being as educated as those who do write correctly. But do I judge you, people I don't know? Not really, but I do notice. But once I move on to the next post I forget who wrote what.

I notice bad grammar and poorly constructed sentences, but I don't judge the person doing it. I have a 20 year old GD, a junior at a good university ,who sometimes on FB says 'their for they're.' Makes me nuts. My biggest fault is I rarely do paragraphs..just ramble on. I think I was missing the day they discussed paragraphs in English class. Since DD has a journalism degree and her masters in communication, I know to proof before I email her.

I agree with ravencajun. My grammar and spelling have always been excellent, but I consider posting on an internet as a "fun" activity for me, so I don't worry about whether my message is grammatically correct, or if there are misspelled words. I certainly don't "judge" others on the accuracy of their messages, but rather on the sentiment.

While I think it's just terribly lovely to focus on the sentiment, let's face it - the internet may be fun, but it's also communication. And how you communicate can sabotage the best of sentiments.

Someone with poor hygiene can have terrific things to say, but body odor is distracting. So are poor grammar and run on paragraphs (which I won't even begin to read because they make my eyes bleed).

As I said earlier, whether or not I "judge" a person by it is a different matter, but it still leaves an impression that one has to sort through.

I must admit that I do notice the spelling and the grammar. It just sort of "jumps off the page" at me. However, I don't believe that I judge anyone and I certainly won't correct the poster. For instance, the first thing I noticed about this thread was the fact that grammar was not spelled correctly!! LOL

Tally - I think you summed it up quite nicely; especially about the bleeding eyes! lol

I don't consciously evaluate grammar, but it does make an impression. People say they aren't judging you, but really, if your grammar grates on nerves, there is a subconscious judgment.

If you post with bad grammar, continually misspelled words, and nary a comma or period in sight, well, I simply don't read what you have to offer. Please make a paragraph! Punctuation is your friend!

Several posters here are simply unreadable. With no punctuation used, they are frequently misinterpreted and flaming wars and hurt feelings are the result. Lots of protestations of "That wasn't what I meant!" could be eliminated with a few well-placed punctuation marks and paying attention to the spell-checker.

In another decade or so spelling and grammar are not going to be the issue it is here today.
The next generation will look at a topic like this and exclaim "DUHHH".
Lord help us all..

Spelling and grammar come easily for me and errors in writing just jump right out at me. I certainly don't judge any one on an Internet forum because of errors though. You never know what someone's situation is - maybe English isn't their native language. And who am I to pass judgement anyway. I do sometimes find I just can't read some posts if they are really poorly written so I skip them.

Writing skill is a factor I consider in judging people's performance in the workplace however. Some people are limited by their poor writing skills just as I'm limited by my poor math abilities. Very few people are good at everything.

DH recalls a job applicant who added the following to his resume: "Chose Me!" (Flip! Into the round file on the floor.)