Why can't some people talk properly?

ElRazur said:
Do the Op realise that aint everyone that speaks english as a first lingo? Also for people like me there is the problem of expressing oneself due to speaking a different language and compounded by dyslexia.
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I've said that I understand some people are dyslexic or can't comprehend certain grammatical rules. Having English as a second or third language would come under the latter.

ElRazur said:
My point is language is about communication and expression
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So why not do it properly?

ElRazur said:
None of us is proffesional writter.
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You don't need to be. Some professional writers can't write properly either.
 
does the OP even realise that we are infact Typing on a message board as opposed to "talking" - as talking implies spoken linguistics which clearly do not follow the same grammatical "rules" as prescribed by those who insist that there is a "correct" form of written English and "standard english" proponents.

we arent typing out essays either. message boards are predominantly used for the quick exchange of information/entertainment. im not sure why standard english would be a requirement as communication can be speeded up, without the loss of too much conveyance of messaging by sometimes bending or ignoring the rigid rules of standard english.
 
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Nickg said:
does the OP even realise that we are infact Typing on a message board as opposed to "talking" - as talking implies spoken linguistics which clearly do not follow the same grammatical "rules" as prescribed by "standard english" proponents.
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100% factually correct.

Written communications require far more grammatical "rules" than spoken linguistics.

Nickg said:
we arent typing out essays either. message boards are predominantly used for the quick exchange of information/entertainment. im not sure why standard english would be a requirement as communication can be speeded up, without the loss of too much conveyance of messaging by sometimes bending or ignoring the rigid rules of standard english.
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Does that matter? I can guarantee I can answer posts quicker than almost every other member of this forum, and yet mine are almost always perfectly legible with a tiny amount of mistakes. Why can't others do the same if they're already taking longer over them? There's a preview button for that very reason.
 
I think that as long as what is written is comprehensible then it doesn't matter in the slightest.

Its a superiority issue with many as it is one of the only things you can pick up on if the reader is feeling threatened by what is written. Or in this case theres nothing else worth complaining about.

I think theres still a big difference between written and Typed (on the interweb) English. I would be shocked if i saw actually "real" badly written English on paper :) weird eh?
 
Gilly said:
100% factually correct.

Written communications require far more grammatical "rules" than spoken linguistics.


Does that matter? I can guarantee I can answer posts quicker than almost every other member of this forum, and yet mine are almost always perfectly legible with a tiny amount of mistakes. Why can't others do the same if they're already taking longer over them? There's a preview button for that very reason.
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Yes it does. I mean to what extent can you guarantee that, (when infact that sentance should probably read; "I can guarantee THAT i Can..."

No-one is perfect, and because few people on here actually have a firm grasp of the prescriptive grammatical rules ultimately means that many posts will be posted that are "non conformant" to your wishes.

i do agree that care should be taken to make it more readable, but i dont think that it is a realistic expectation that everyone will follow your example and strive for absolute grammar in all of their posts.
 
I work in for a group of schools as Network Manager, you'd be gobsmacked by the way many pupils seem to write in forums, bebo etc.

It's full of these things: \/\/\.;::://\/\/\/\/

Oddly enough they rarely attempt use punctuation where it's needed. A parting short to anyone picking this post to pieces - "nevermind" eh? :D
 
Nickg said:
or regression into simple shapes and objects which is easier to type but does not convey the message clearly?
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Language and communications started that way with early men! Hence why i asked if we are seeing an evolution of some kind.
 
Nickg said:
does the OP even realise that we are infact Typing on a message board as opposed to "talking" - as talking implies spoken linguistics which clearly do not follow the same grammatical "rules" as prescribed by those who insist that there is a "correct" form of written English and "standard english" proponents.
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I think this point has a lot of merit. To be honest - and I'm agreeing with you here - I don't think there's such thing as a 'standard' or 'correct' form of English... except for what's deemed correct as of today. Language will always be changing and progressing - we currently seem to be in a linguistic change relating to speed and shortening.

My prediction is that in a few years double negatives will become standard. I also think that the disregard of the use of apostrophes for multiples, substitutions for 'is', etc, will also be gone as more and more people stop using them.

Time will tell!

But the stubborn people who want grammar to stay static and constantly correct others for misuse will be the ones who fall foul to it in later years, as grammar cannot - and will not - stay static.

It hasn't done since language was conceived, so why will it now?!
 
The thing that annoys me most is not when people write shorthand (although this still does my head in) but when people just delibarately spell things incorrectly! Its usually all the chav divs that do it and its the things like when they put a Z on the end of a word instead of an S.

ie. thinkz instead of thinks...

WHY BOTHER!?!?
 
I dislike it when people get their grammar wrong in posts as it can be relatively difficult to understand (I find it ironic that the original post to this thread has a grammatical error in it).

I am not a scholar in the English language, but I do like to see well written, and well worded text. It is nicer to read, and it can help me understand what is going on.

(Please change the original post :p).

Angus Higgins
 
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