Grammar Lessons....

It's kind of shocking to me the amount of people that can't spell or use proper English. It kills me every time I proof read a paper for a friend, or read things on Facebook, or even just talking with people; it makes me cringe to realize just how bad the population as a whole has become when it comes to the English language. To be totally honest, we sound like a bunch of idiots!

This is why we went to elementary school! All it was back then was reading, writing, and math. The fundamental basics. Granted, my elementary school was open by the skin of it's teeth, and didn't have a terribly great math program (I still can't do a lot of basic math... And I'm paying for it.). But my school DID push reading and writing. I can read a novel in about 2 1/2 to 3 days, and not to toot my own horn, but I can also write a pretty great paper. So it's very frustrating for me to see the misspelled, transposed, and just plain horrible grammar we are using today.

Of all the things about writing that annoy me, I'd have to say the biggest would be transposed words. Things that sound the same, but mean totally different things because of how they are spelled, such as your and you're, or their, there, they're. It's amazing how often just little words like that are misused, and people don't even realize it!

The other night, I was hanging out with some people who fit perfectly into this category of people who can't write or speak to save their lives. We were discussing the diversity of the area we live in, and some of the boys weren't very happy about how much the Spanish language is used in America; how it's so stupid when we call somewhere that we have to "Press 1 for English" (which I agree, is slightly annoying, but it's nothing to get all worked up about), and that it is suggested that we Americans start learning Spanish so we may at least understand it a bit, if not speak it fluently. One guy commented that "We were here first, they should have to learn to use our language, not the other way around!" (which technically isn't totally true to begin with). But I had to bite my tongue back to not say, "Hey buddy, don't worry, YOU still have to learn the English language before you can start learning Spanish, so don't worry about it..." It's slightly frustrating that people are so freaked about seeing Spanish everywhere they go, when they don't even REALLY speak English! All it is in the city now is slang (which is one of my ultimate pet peeves... I cannot stand slang!!)

So, next time your going to send that text or post that status, do a quick scan of your work. Check your spelling. For ALL our sake's...... Just a little more food for thought.

Loving Thoughts,
Girl With No Name