Proper grammar
POSTED BY: OPPYH
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 03:09
VIEWED: 7099
PAGE 4 of 4
Aw, RiverDancer hearts Kwicko. :)
lolcats get away with a multitude of sins, by virtue of being so cute and hilarious. 
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Riverdancer I can see where you are coming from and maybe this will make me seem hypocritical, but I feel the same way in many respects.E.g. I am irked when educated people mis spell, or mispronounce words.I abhor it when people give their kids stupid made up names, or names that have been mis-spelled. I find variations such as netspeak and text speak baffling and irritating but on some level I am equally intrigued by their development. Regarding spoken English, I've had the advantage of mixing with and befriending many different kinds of people (including professional linguists who hold similar beliefs to my own regarding what is regarded as "correct" spoken language use).I have been exposed to people who have difficulty communicating due to diverse cultures or disorders, and who have had to adapt the way they reach out to others through language. Subsequently for me as long as people are respectful and are able to communicate with me on some level I understand, I try to accept whatever variety of English they use to get their message across and try not to make judgements. (which considering a history of being an intellectual snob is difficult). also re my friends who think I speak like a Toff: they are not all from the gutter, those that are did not choose to come from there, and for the most part they accept that the way I speak as being part of who I am, in the same way i do not judge them for using English differently to the way I use it.
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Quote:
Originally posted by boris:
as long as people are respectful
Bingo. The main beef of this thread and those like it are the people who flatly refuse to spell/use words correctly. If they would listen the first five dozen times someone said they were being utterly incomprehensible, if they would refrain from deliberately butchering the language in the hopes of pressing buttons, this sort of conversation would likely never start.
Quote:
they are not all from the gutter, those that are did not choose to come from there
I didn't say they were, or that they did, I said speaking and acting as though one belongs in the gutter should not be a matter of pride. If they're fine with it, then good for them, but saying proper usage makes someone a snob or a toff or whatever is ludicrous, in my opinion. It like the difference between saying "I don't mind eating ramen noodles all the time." and "You're such a snob for not eating ramen noodles. You think you're better than me or something, because you eat deli sandwiches." That might not even be a fair comparison, because language is such a major class divider in a lot of cultures. If you sound low-class, a lot of doors are likely to be closed to you. It's illogical to be proud of speaking that way, or to be unwilling to change for any reason. What if you had great aptitude for the law, but could never win a case if you sounded uneducated, no matter how many tests you aced? Would speaking properly still make you sound like a 'toff' or a 'wanker'? Really?
Anyway, we seem to be much in agreement when it comes to written words, which was the main thrust of the discussion. I appreciate that you have your own unique perspective on linguistics, that being your area of study. The English language in all its official glory has been my area of study for a number of years now, and one of my greatest interests for years before that. I'm sure you can likewise appreciate my perspective.
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