There, Their, They're ..

[Conrod]

A report in one of today's papers states that 1 in 5 school kids don't know the difference between the words: there, their, & they're.

 

People seem to be of mixed opinion in their suggested causes for this:

- teachers not enforcing grammar, as in the past

- the Curriculum, for not insisting on the above

- parents not teaching their kids language skills

- many UK citizens not having English as their first language

- limited text / twitter-speak becoming the norm

- people of today generally regarding it as not important

 

Any thoughts?

All of the above.

 

The trouble is, not only has the education system been softened by a pitiful unwillingness to tell a child that he or she is wrong or stupid, but popular culture embraces 'alternatives' to everything, including good English.

 

I find myself increasingly confined to Radio 4 these days, as even Radio 2 - once itself a reasonable bastion of standards - is now awash with presenters who speak estuary English. The BBC has a lot to answer for here - it should set the national standard for verbal communication, not embrace local accents and slang, virally spreading each region's grubby little ways of bastardising the English language.

[shanes teeth]

It may be that the deficiencies in spelling and grammar are not necessarily a new thing.After leaving college in 1977 I can't remember using much written communication at all.Apart from my weekly time sheet,odd lists of materials and letters to the young lady who would become the future Mrs Teeth,I don't remember having much need for writing stuff until the advent of the internet.(many would say that I still have no need!) What the internet has done is encourage the use of the written word and given people the opportunity to improve their spelling and grammar if they want to.

I'm of an age that,when at school,we had daily spelling tests but I don't remember being taught that much about grammar.I think my contemporaries who attended private or grammar schools were taught more about such things.I got the impression that pupils who studied Latin new more about the finer points of grammar.

I do my best,I even try to use correct spelling and punctuation in text messages(I'm told that that is sad!) and I do think it is important.The whole point of all this is,after all, to communicate our ideas to others and if our spelling and punctuation is so bad that it makes difficult for others to understand us,we can't complain if people don,t bother to try.

P.S. There's one in there for the fishy one!

[RootsBooster]

To summarise then, these seem to be the most misused terms:

 

- there, their, they’re

- to & too

- loose & lose

- your & you’re

- should have / should of

- could have / could of

- would have / would of

- of & off

- been & being

- whether & weather

- where, wear & were

- were & we’re

- wood & would

 

Any others …?

 

-Now & know & no

 

-Saying "as" instead of "has"

 

-Learned instead of taught, ie "the teacher learned him"

[redruby]

I think text speak is making a whole generation lazy in the use of correct , grammer and spelling. When I send a text message I never shorten words like later to l8er and I use commas, full stops and correct punctuation. I know I am from a generation that was taught this as a matter of course at school and that it just isn't done now. Teachers say they don't have the time to correct spelling and punctuation and as long as the content is there it is fine.

 

When I get messages from my grandchildren via text or facebook I often have to ask for the meaning of some of the abbreviations they use. The last one was tbh which is to be honest. I know it makes it quicker for them to text their friends but I dread to think what cv's will look like in a few years time.

 

Do teachers really not bother to correct grammar any more:o I have been involved in recruitment and can honestly say I would not consider shortlisting any applicant that made basic grammatical errors on their (or there or they're:hihi:) application. Perhaps teachers should consider this before deciding it's not important.

[max]

P.S. There's one in there for the fishy one!

 

Make that nearer 20.

[Rich]

Do teachers really not bother to correct grammar any more:o I have been involved in recruitment and can honestly say I would not consider shortlisting any applicant that made basic grammatical errors on their (or there or they're:hihi:) application. Perhaps teachers should consider this before deciding it's not important.

 

If I was a recruiter, and recieved an application or a CV filled with bad grammar, I'd bin it without even considering it, I mean OK they might be suitably qualified for the job, but if they have the spelling and grammatical prowess of a dyslexic 5 year old, how good would they really be at the job?

[shanes teeth]

Make that nearer 20.

 

Fair enough,maybe. But one specifically!

[Halibut]

...we can't complain if people don,t bother to try.

P.S. There's one in there for the fishy one!

 

Aaaaargh! Cheers!

[Grandad.Malky]

If I was a recruiter, and recieved an application or a CV filled with bad grammar, I'd bin it without even considering it, I mean OK they might be suitably qualified for the job, but if they have the spelling and grammatical prowess of a dyslexic 5 year old, how good would they really be at the job?

 

Your hypocrisy knows no bounds …….. we are all meant to take into consideration your “disability” yet you can spew rubbish like that.

[JFKvsNixon]

If I was a recruiter, and recieved an application or a CV filled with bad grammar, I'd bin it without even considering it, I mean OK they might be suitably qualified for the job, but if they have the spelling and grammatical prowess of a dyslexic 5 year old, how good would they really be at the job?

 

You shouldn't be too hard on people with learning difficulties. Some of us managed to get a degree and hold down a job in a research based profession.