Grammatical Errors: Why It Might Be More Detrimental Then Helpful To Critic a Strangers Grammar

[loveisbeautiful]

I notice on here that people critic other people's grammar a lot. Most of the time they're just honest mistakes. However, people don't seem to comprehend what a mistake is and decide it's better to point out the flaws. I'm writing this, because I have had people on here critic my grammar. And, say things to me like "I'm ignorant because grammar eludes me" and "if I ever marry and have kids. I should have my husband teach them grammar because I used the wrong version of the word there". For me, I'm already really hard on myself in general terms. So, it doesn't take much to make me feel bad about myself. When it comes to writing I take it even harder, because the mistakes are out of my control. That's why I'm writing this to tell my story and maybe get people to stop and think before they just completely pick apart a persons grammar, without even knowing the cause of the mistakes. This is my story.

When I was in the fifth grade I wasn't doing so good in school. So during spring break I spent one whole day at this place from 7am until 5pm looking at shapes, numbers, ink blots, you name it. The results came back that what my eyes see and my brain translates, that same message doesn't get sent to my hand. Basically, I have an eye problem. I probably inherited it from my dad, because he has the same thing (only his is a little worse). I don't really know the name for what I have or even how to explain it, but I will try my best.

1) I will think a sentence in my head like " I went for a walk" and end up typing "How went for a walk" That happens everytime I think the word "I" I end up typing "how" instead. Or, I'll think "I" and I'll type "A". It happens with other words too. Like this take I was thinking the word "writing" and without even knowing it, I typed "reading" instead. That happens a lot.

2) I could be reading something like a book and add a word in the sentence that's not suppose to be there and the look at it again and see the word that's actually there.

3) I could be reading some thing and my eyes will skip a word or I'll read something and I'll skip over a sentence entirely. Or, I could be reading some thing one way and go back and look at it again and realize that's not how it was.

4) I reread everything I write because I know how many mistakes I make. So, I could read some thing over 10 times and everytime I find a new mistake I didn't catch the first time and didn't even know was there. I usually end up making a ton of corrections, because I honestly didn't see any mistakes when I was looking at it or writing it.

5) I will read a sentence I write with a word I was thinking in my head as I was writing it and then read that sentence with the word in it and after reading it 20 something times, my eyes will finally pick up on the fact that the word is not there and I never typed it.

6) I can't concentrated with a lot of noise or people around, because my brain and eyes then go crazy and I can't focus on what I'm doing. Even watching television with my mom, if the T.V. volume is up too high and I'm typing something at the same time I can feel myself get kind of anixous and not being able to concentrate because there's too much noise and my eyes just can't focus because of that. That's why I always had to try even extra harder then other people in school.

I've never really been good with the techical stuff when it comes to grammar. That's more my mom's forte, that's why she's always corrected every paper I've written in school. Because, I'm more about the passion and meaning behind what I'm writing, not the techique. So, I will admit my grammar could use work. However, that's not why I make mistakes. I make mistakes because of my eyes, mistakes I don't even know I was making. I'm already really self conscious about my problem and usually cry in frustration after seeing how many mistakes I made and feeling like I'm a stupid idiot. So, when someone corrects me all they're really doing is taking something I already feel bad about and stupid for and making it worse. And, that could be exactly how other people are feeling when they get their grammar picked apart too.

That's why I wrote this, because I want people to understand that others make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are out of our control. And, just because one makes a mistake doesn't mean they didn't try. My mistakes aren't due to lack of trying, because I try very hard to do a good job and be just as good as everyone else. It's just out of my control, my eyes go wonky and I can't control that. So, I shouldn't be made to feel bad about myself for something that I'm not doing on purpose and neither should other people.

I know some things come easier to some people, then others. So, when it's so simple for them. They think it should be that simple for everyone else and that's not the case. So, the next time you see some errors in a persons writing. Think before you say anything and put them on the spot, because there's a lot of reasons why people make mistakes when writing and you don't know what their reason is. The only thing you might be doing, is making them feel bad for an honest mistake or something they can't control.

Think, before you critic.

Thank you! : )

[Hannah591]

My teacher called me the grammar police yesterday. I don't mean to be offensive, it just really bothers me sometimes. There is a form of OCD called Grammar Pedantry Syndrome. https://illinois.edu/blog/view/25/76120 I think I have it. I don't know when or why it's turned out this way and I'm certainly not perfect at writing or spelling. If it's a genuine mistake, like your title (sorry) it doesn't bother me, but when they don't know the difference between "their, there and they're" then it bugs me. I found English fairly easy and was reading to a very high level in primary school so I always thought everyone else wouldn't have a problem. I understood it more because my brother was dyslexic but to me, those without dyslexia (or other learning difficulties) should be able to spell at a high standard when they're at adult age. They also have no excuse when everything has spell check now.
It's honestly hard to contain ourselves when there's a mistake and it infuriates me when my own awarding bodies for college make bad spelling mistakes in my assignment briefs; it devalues their authority. Spelling is really important to me, it's harder to understand a piece of writing when nothing is spelt correctly.

[kain7th]

really there's a disorder for correcting peoples grammar? o. O

[Hannah591]

Yeah, it's been identified as a form of OCD as it's repetitive and compulsory to the person.

[Anonymous]

As a grammar Nazi myself, I agree the emotional pain generated by correcting people makes it seldom worthwhile outside a professional context.

But it could be nice if non-Nazi's understood how much pain poor punctuation, sloppy spelling and the like caused people like myself. And how much we just want to put the world right, to make it a better place for us all.

Your apparent dyslexia (or similar) can't make things easy for you, but please be mindful of how much it can annoy other people ;-)

Tolerance from everyone is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

> Why It Might Me More Detrimental Then Helpful
tl;dr, lol, 'nuff said.

just because.
i can not-to-pay-attention to typos, such as "Me" instead of "Be",
missed or unnecessarily-multiplied letters (hiiiii),
annoying misused upCaSe when truly unneeded,
even T9-failures are ok (some of them are simply hilarious),
acronyms, anything in general,
=== BUT === count it to be lame not to differ e. g. "thEn" from "thAn" by their semantic load (meaning).

while dealing with a new person,
the very first occurrence of mistake been read or heard - turns the "alarm" on,
each following leads to the chance of feeling either distraction towards subject of discussion
or the person himself, or, in worst case - aggression.

it may be tolerable if a person have no idea about a term, field or whatever,
like being a first-timer,
but it is-stricktly-NOT when the opponent shows blatant illiteracy.

meaning is everything.
if what you are about to say or write has no meaning - why would you dare in the first instance?
and if it has - SAY IT RIGHT.

[loveisbeautiful]

You know what, I just looked at the title again and just noticed now that it say's "me" not "be" and I actually thought it said "be", that's what my eyes saw. They didn't even catch that mistake. Do you people get it now? How this is completely and totally out of my control even after I read it 60 times and make a ton of corrections, my eyes still don't catch stuff.

[Opinion Owner]

and once again, typos (on whatever kind of keyboard) are NOT that horrible yet.
sorry about bringing out exactly-that "me/be" on the surface,
yet it was taken as an absolutely neutral example in the very idea,
harmless, as the opposite to "semantic load" mentioned the last.

horrible case is exactly the joke about "there, their, they're" (classic example),
some folks simply don't (at all) differ their meaning, and that may turn out to be annoying.

i got your point about "thinking one, writing another".
problems with concentration are not the reason of blame,
nor a case of dyslexia which some people suffer, or, ones i knew, either enjoy at times :D.

[MaskedSanity]

The word is critique* or criticise*.

I don't actively correct people on here, but when someone starts to claim superiority over their opponent, while being completely illiterate, justice must be served.

Bad grammar, no punctuation, etc. are pet peeves of mine, because English is not my first language and it baffles me how people don't know the difference between their "they're/there/their"s.

Typos - you can usually tell a typo from poor education, so I don't give a shit about those. Hell, I make a fuckton if typos when I'm using my phone here.

[Prettygurl12]

Interesting points. It's one thing to make a genuine mistake. It's another to tell me that "their" and "there" mean the same thing. They don't. Or to tell me that "I have to many oranges" means that you have more than you can handle because I should just understand and know what you meant. This is the internet. Your only way to communicate is via typed words and when you use the wrong word the meaning of what you're trying to say is lost. The wrong word is the wrong word. I am afraid I am a die-hard grammar Nazi and will be one for the rest of my life.

[DodgersGM]

Wow, you really got railed by some people. I personally like the spirit behind this take.

Anyway, I'm gonna be honest and say that yes, I do notice when people make grammatical errors. Sometimes it annoys me just the slightest little bit, too. With that said, I'm NOT at ALL perfect with my grammar, and I'm freakin' studying English! Perhaps because of that, I actually get way more annoyed by my own errors than I do with anyone else's.

Anyway, it's the Internet so unfortunately some people are gonna behave like asses. Try not to let it get to you, and try to see past those people's asshole-ness and make it a learning experience where possible.

[Hopefuldreamer8]

I've noticed it too. I make mistakes all the time. I try not to because I like writing for the fun of it, but I know I make mistakes. It's my own fault though. When I was in school, I didn't pay attention because I have a learning disability so I decided there was no point in trying. I just did the work to get it over and done with. I've regretted a lot of that.

I do end up noticing some mistakes, but I don't care enough to point them out. Like I said, I make mistakes too. Also, I am aware that other people probably have a disability or that English isn't their first language.

[Mesonfielde]

Personally, I do make typos when I'm from my phone, but I think it's reasonable to criticize grammar when it's consistent. For example,

""That's why I always had to try even extra harder then other people in school.""
""More Detrimental Then Helpful""

It's THAN.

[loveisbeautiful]

It must be so nice for everyone on here to be perfect never make a mistake, unfortunately I wouldn't know what that's like. It must be so nice to have things come easy to you and never feel stupid, because they don't. I wouldn't know what that's like either.

[Mesonfielde]

You just have to know the grammatical rules of when to use a certain word, and if you make an error, and it's pointed out to you, then (yep, not with an 'a' this time) learn the difference.

https://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar these help.

Also, just because I make a mistake, I don't feel like an idiot. Not always, anyways. There are things I couldn't have possibly legitimately known prior to learning the information that fixes the problem.

[scrappygirl]

i dont have the best grammar and i dont care. im actually surprised people haven't called me out on it yet. if its something i care about i will put effort in and reread it or get someone else to help. for sites like this i just type my opinion as fast as i can and move on to the next question. the only time i feel annoyed by something is when people spell lose or loser as loose or looser. however i will never comment on it (except now of course) because i'd be a hypocrite with my spelling and grammar. i just ignore the best i can. i don't think people should be correcting it on sites like this.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry to hear how hard writing is for you. I have noticed several dyslexic moments myself, both with numbers and words. But I catch them after seeing them written and realizing that was not what I had in mind. It's cool how the brain associates writing, vision and output, isn't it? It happens when speaking or thinking ahead of what I'm writing. I guess the biggest stimulus wins.

However, I encourage you to take it as an athlete! If no one corrects us, despite our feelings, we'll go downhill. If they do, it will cost, but we'll improve.

You did a great job writing this.

Concentrating in a coffee shop is different than concentrating with a loud tv. Get out of the tv room! Whenever you can understand what is being said and it interests you more than what you're working on, you'll invariably be distracted!!

Good luck, don't take it hard on yourself, just accept that you need double the effort to achieve things and be a hero.

[Stacyzee]

Very nice.
So true, not everyone is perfect.
Grammar/spelling might be your think.
But the people that constantly try to correct you might be lacking in a different aspect in their lives.
It's not great to make someone feel below you!
It's great that you wrote this.

[Stacyzee]

**might be your thing (I type too fast sometimes).

[loveisbeautiful]

Thanks.

[DooMguy]

You and me. . . we're similar. Basically it's dyslexia that you have

You aren't alone (can I call you little sister?)

#2 & #3 happen to me a lot and for number 4 I re-read everything 3 times. I can understand/relate to the rest of them

Over the years I've got better at dealing with it, most people wouldn't even know that I have trouble with this stuff unless I tell them

[loveisbeautiful]

Yeah, me neither.

[cuzzy]

I totaly get it. I have dyslexia so spellin an gramer r not top priorities 4 me. If u know how to read it should never be an issue. I bugger up all the time ill type the wrong word or letter. Being me sux sometimes but I get buy. Nobody has commented on my speling touch wood.

[lanternhill]

I'm a writer, so I write and edit all the time. That said - I'm a writer, so my main focus is on the principle of the thing, i. e. communication, which doesn't require proper grammar if you're in an informal setting. In other words - it's an online forum, people come from all sorts of different backgrounds (and countries) - unless something drastically changes the meaning of a sentence, appreciate good information and move on.

[lanternhill]

*doesn't necessarily always require proper grammar
I mean, yes, I strongly prefer it, but meh. If it gets the point across in reasonably proficient English , that's close enough for me.

[Tirana]

What irritates me is the use of text speak... like the really weird, out there stuff, and the entire post is written in it. Some words, easy enough to translate (cuz=cause, etc) but must they really not give any fucks whatsoever? O also, just because I find it annoying, hate the term bae. But for the most part, I keep my critiques to myself.

[sammy_31]

Everyone has mistakes and lately I have because I am on my phone not my laptop. I don't spell check and rush when I respond. Stupid autocorrect messes up what you are saying sometimes. I sometimes add a word even though it is there already or skip a word thinking I typed it. I now want to check my grammar. Lol I only poke at people who literally speak/write incorrectly on purpose who don't have a care in the world to write the right way.

[EyeSeaYew]

I agree. Plus I see no reason in correcting someone online when you can understand what they were saying, anyway. It's different if someone writes a totally unintelligible sentence, then it's necessary for them to correct their grammar so that others can understand what the heck they're saying. But anyone who feels the need to correct someone just because the proper form of you're vs. your wasn't used is just being a dick.

[Folklore]

I didn't read your article... I was just wondering if you used critic in your title instead of critique for a reason.

[FlyingTurtle]

And also used the wrong form of "then" (should be "than").

[Folklore]

stranger's* lol

[Folklore]

@FlyingTurtle We're terrible proof-readers :(

[Folklore]

Well now I feel terrible after reading your take so let me give you some advice.
1. People are assholes on the internet... get over it.
2. I don't know if you've considered it, but get books on grammar, and really analyze your writings when you're done with them.
3. Passion is what's important, but I think the main thing you're overlooking is that the better the grammar and sentence structure you incorporate into what you are writing, the better you will have communicated your thoughts i. e. api.ning.com/.../...c94b0489d2e2f171af515aeecf.jpg
4. Lastly, and probably the most important tip I can give is don't take yourself too seriously. It's okay to laugh at yourself sometimes. EVERYONE makes mistakes and EVERYONE has flaws. Don't let it drag you down.

[loveisbeautiful]

No, I looked up how to spell the word and the one I put in the title is how it said it was spelled.

[loveisbeautiful]

1) That would be much easier if it was just online people, but I don't have a good people track record. So, it's everywhere I go. Not just online.

2) I guess you missed the part where I said I read everything over again and again. So, I d reread everything I write. Unfortunately, my eyes don't always catch the mistakes.

3) I do try. I try VERY hard to be perfect like everybody else when it comes to writing.

[DaremeToo]

Why would you even comment if you didn't read the Take?

[Folklore]

WY wood u evin coment if u didn't reed thuh rest of thuh coversashun?

[Pinkbeauty]

I know how u feel iv had people critic on here a lot for the way I spell like one guy said to me that I had the grammer of a eight year old and the other guy criticed about how I spelled word inapropreit and one guy was very critical about how I spelled the word a legal and when that happins I try to stickup for myself or I just ignore them

[80HDx]

You know you have something most people do not have in regards to your grammar, so you have to ignore them. The word isn't rainbows and fucking sunshine and people are not going to do what you ask of them. The best and most effective way of dealing with it is to not let it bother you in the first place. YOU know it is not your fault, so why are you letting other people tell you what's wrong?

[TadCurious]

"Why it might be more detrimental than helpful to CRITIQUE a stranger's grammar." "Critique" is the verb you want to use here. "Critic" is not a verb.

[miserybusiness]

oh the irony

[SensualScribe]

This is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this "Take" and because of that I did not even bother reading the rest of it.

[Jakesusername]

Sounds like you have mild dyslexia. It's cool though a lot of people have it. The grammar Nazis piss everyone off though. Chances are they were an English major. Personally, my mistakes tend to be from using the wrong grammatical syntax or mixing languages together that I speak.