Where in the world did grammar go?
We’ve all seen it. That poorly written blog or article that makes you want to cringe even looking at it. Those of us that pride ourselves on the proper use of grammar that is. Every time I see an article or blog with grammar errors that are obvious, I die a little inside. It’s as though poor grammar has become the norm in society to pander to the lazy. It’s as though society as accepted poor grammar and the rest of us have to accept it. Life now consists of studying spelling in school just to take a texting bee on Fridays.
This is the norm at the local school in the district I live in. Spelling is not nearly as important to teachers as abbreviations like LOL, WYD, and BRB. Which we all know means laugh out loud, what you doing, and be right back. If it isn’t that, then it’s the posts on Facebook and other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, where people misspell their for there and the like. It is really quite irritating. Every time I see this on a post, I don’t even bother with reading the rest. I just scroll on.
I usually pass on reading poorly written articles. The errors either indicate that the author or the editor was not paying attention. Grammar is something that attention needs paying to. Grammar shows intelligence and is the best way to convey a message. Reading something that is poorly written can be a distraction form the message the author was trying to convey. Also, the meaning of that message can be confused if there are spelling errors. Some might mistake it as a symbol or theme in the writing that just isn’t there.
I have a habit, for the most part, in spelling out all the words I use when I write a message or post something on social media. It is just ingrained in me from teachers that taught proper spelling habits when I was in school. As an English major, it just isn’t in me to abbreviate everything. I would rather show my intelligence, not hide it. I think the internet has taken intelligence from people and made it so that people have another convenience at their fingertips. I personally love leafing through books looking for the information I need. Yes, having information at my fingertips online is nice, but nothing beats a book. A well-written article is even better.
We can bring back grammar. It doesn’t have to die the sad and lonely death it is now. People need to pay more attention to their spelling and show their intelligence so that when they write, or speak, they are taken seriously and there is no misunderstanding for the messages they are trying to convey. Grammar is important.
Breathe life back into it.
