Gransnet forums

AIBU

To ask for paragraphs?

(94 Posts)
phoenix Sun 03-May-20 23:00:58

Just that, really.

Sometimes there are very long OP's, which is fine, but iftheyareinonelongcontinuosrunitcanmakethemabit hardgoingtoread.

If you see what I mean smile

Chewbacca Mon 04-May-20 17:04:07

It's the posts with no capital letters that I struggle with the most. I can't tell where the sentence is supposed to begin and end. I'm afraid I give up on those.

grumppa Mon 04-May-20 17:08:13

"Some are more difficult than others but of a poster has taken the trouble to write expecting a certain standard is restricting"

I must confess to having struggled with this sentence of yours, trisher, but then I thought it might be a clever piece of satire, or some kind of a test.

Have I passed?

Elegran Mon 04-May-20 17:21:27

No capitals at all does make it hard to see where one sentence ends and another begins. It is what we are accustomed to see, I suppose. There was a trend towards never using capitals for a while, but I don't think it spread very far.

trisher Mon 04-May-20 17:30:18

grumpa as I am not previewing, have the occasional slip of the finger, and quite frankly don't give a damn, the sentence properly spelt and punctuated should have read.
Some are more dificult than others, but, if a poster has taken the trouble to write, expecting a certain standard is restricting.
If it was satire it was entirely accidental. But perhaps appropriate.
If I am writing something for publication or presentation I will make every effort to check my spelling, punctuation and paragraphing and proof read everything, but this is social media FFS ! It simply isn't important. I don't think the long winded posts are half as annoying as the people who post the same thing over and over again.

SueDonim Mon 04-May-20 17:40:46

Thanks, Marydoll. So that presumably means posts without paragraphs exclude some people with dyslexia, if it’s difficult for them to decipher. sad

trisher Mon 04-May-20 17:51:27

That's a very broad statement and no one can make it. Every dyslexic is different and has their own problems. It isn't a single condition and it very much depends on what is the cause of the problem. With 10% of the population having difficulties expecting paragraphs from most people is elitist. How many 9 year olds can paragraph? Because that is the average reading age of people in the UK.

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 17:59:10

The thing is, Suedonim, posters with dyslexia may also find it difficult to break up their own lengthy posts. ?

SueDonim Mon 04-May-20 18:03:26

I did say some people with dyslexia, not all.

As for paragraphs, my grandchildren have all been taught to use them since they started writing pieces long enough for them to be required. My 5yo GS sent me a nicely-written paragraphed Easter letter, it’s a pretty basic lesson that’s taught in schools.

Coolgran65 Mon 04-May-20 18:19:11

I think bottom line is.....
Instead of one big chunk could we have some wee chunks smile

trisher Mon 04-May-20 18:19:32

Paragraphing isn't taught in literacy until year 3 SueDonim I have no idea why your GC is using them but it certainly isn't taught in most schools at 5. Most children won't be competent using them until year 4 or even 5.

SueDonim Mon 04-May-20 18:25:40

Maybe it’s coming naturally to him, then. confused

All of mine could paragraph well before Y3. Perhaps Scottish schools do it (or did, mine are all adults now) differently.

Chewbacca Mon 04-May-20 18:49:03

7 year old GD is using paragraphs, punctuation and spelling in Year 3 English school. I thought they all were?

Namsnanny Mon 04-May-20 18:59:23

this is social media *FFS! - it simply isn't important

I've a tendency to agree with trisha.

Having said that, out of respect for others on here I will do my best to make my posts at least decipherable!

I do understand that some find it easier to read paragraphs, and so I try to comply.

The fear that I may upset someone on here because I don't spell something correctly or don't use paragraphs and or full stops correctly.
Or (G forbid), put an apostrophe in the wrong place is sometimes palpable.

It can feel like being bullied, or if not then at the very least being 'told' what to do.
Which in of its self points to a segregation of those who tell and those who are told!

I appreciate that's not the principle aim of most Gnetters who probably just want to be able to read easily.

Thinking it over, I don't think this type of complaint would feature much on any other smedia site.

But as I don't use any others I haven't any direct comparisons.

grumppa Mon 04-May-20 19:42:00

Thank you for your reply, trisher. In the general context of this thread, I couldn't resist a little dig.

More seriously, I need to be really interested in a subject to get my teeth into an unattractively long paragraph, which seems to me to be like someone talking at length with identical pauses between sentences. I suspect that when we address a subject at length we think in paragraphs, however subconsciously, and whether we speak out loud or not.

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 20:07:18

I wrote a very long post and then deleted it, as I have no desire to get into a spat with anyone.
Life is far too short, especially in the present circumstances, when we should be supporting each other.

Breaking up lengthy texts is important to those of us who find it difficult to decipher screeds of information without a break, that in itself can be discriminatory.
I want to read these posts, but can't, as it hurts my eyes and brain, so I move on. No nastiness intended.

All that the OP asked was that posters try and break up lengthy texts to make them easier to read.
No-one has demanded correct spelling, correct punctuation etc.

This part of my post is addressed to Trisher and Suedonim.
I assume, Trisher you are referring to the English curriculum, (please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure you will) but on the other hand Suedonim, your grandson attends a Scottish school, where the curriculum is somewhat different.
I am not au fait with the English Curriculum, so I wouldn't presume to comment on it.

The Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence is much more flexible and less prescriptive than some curricula, so it feasible for a child to be paragraphing earlier than the age you suggest Trisher.
Suedonim, you must be very proud of your wee grandson.

If a teacher feels a child is ready to paragraph earlier than expected, in Scotland the teacher can support a pupil in developing that skill, without being asked by management why it was being done in P2 or P3, as opposed to P4.

Some pupils are way ahead of their peers and it would be unprofessional to hold that child back, because a document states they must wait until a prescribed stage, before learning to paragraph.
Other pupils may still not be paragraphing by the time they leave primary school.
We have to try and meet the needs of all pupils, using our professional judgement and expertise.

I noted with interest your point that the average reading age is 9 years, however, I believe in Scotland it is 11 years old.
The important word is average. I hope the implication is not that all members of GN have a reading age of 9 years . sad I would hope that mine is at least 11 years old, as I live in Scotland and have had a Scottish education. wink.

My final point, Trisher is that I may not have your vast expertise on educational matters, but I am fully aware that those with dyslexia have different needs and difficulties and consequently, any support has to be tailored to suit their individual needs.

I have previewed this post, but as I have some difficulties of a dyslexic nature, I may have made errors. I'm sure you will go over my post with your red pen and be quick enough to point them out, as you did previously. sad.

GrannyLaine Mon 04-May-20 20:17:09

I think this has all become a bit forensic and a long way from the intention of original post, which I'm sure refers to a tiny percentage of posts. FWIW, my older grandchildren are all in state primary schools and are taught English Language at a very complex level and they paragraph very adeptly.

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 20:18:55

You are quite right, Grannylaine! grin

Time to let it go!

GrannyLaine Mon 04-May-20 20:19:46

Marydoll, you got there before me. And you put it so much better...

SueDonim Mon 04-May-20 20:31:06

This part of my post is addressed to Trisher and Suedonim.
I assume, Trisher you are referring to the English curriculum, (please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure you will) but on the other hand Suedonim, your grandson attends a Scottish school, where the curriculum is somewhat different.
I am not au fait with the English Curriculum, so I wouldn't presume to comment on it.

The Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence is much more flexible and less prescriptive than some curricula, so it feasible for a child to be paragraphing earlier than the age you suggest Trisher. Suedonim, you must be very proud of your wee grandson.

At the risk of furthering this thread(!) Marydoll, my GS is at a state school just outside London, sadly nowhere near me.

Thank you for the final comment - I’m sure all GNetters are rightly proud of their GC! smile

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 20:34:46

? Even better!!! Glad to hear his education appears to be tailored to his needs.
I'm always prepared to put my hands up, and admit I'm wrong which is quite often! wink

SueDonim Mon 04-May-20 20:38:58

grin Marydoll. I hadn’t mentioned where he was at school so it was fair comment.

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 20:41:20

The more you learn, the less you realise you actually know!

trisher Mon 04-May-20 22:36:18

Marydoll I would never criticise or correct any poster who was simply writing and I do not go over anything with my red pen -(red was much disapproved of anyway by the right-on and replaced with green which was considered less threatening)
But when someone critcises others for not previewing their work and then makes a mistake I consider it quite amusing to point out that mistake. I believe the applicable saying is People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
SueDonim said her GC was paragraphing and that it is taught in schools I simply gave the age it is in the curriculum. Of course there will be children who are advanced and of course there will be children who will never paragraph. Just as there are adults who won't.
So I will state as I said before I don't care if people spell badly, I don't care if they punctuate properly and I certainly don't give a toss about paragraphs. It's not important. It's social media and it really doesn't matter.

Callistemon Mon 04-May-20 23:27:59

Please dont mark mine wiv a green pen Marydoll or trisher

I like red not green

Fanks.

But then I dont make menny mistakes.

I do like paragraffs tho.

Marydoll Mon 04-May-20 23:41:43

I was absolutely certain you would attempt to have the last word, Trisher. You haven't disappointed me. ?

You quoted one comment I made: If you preview your post, before posting, you will realise how hard it is to read, then accused me of criticising posters and in turn used that comment against me. It was a suggestion, not a criticism.

Having read other posts by you, I suspect you enjoy a good spat.
I however, prefer to be pleasant to posters, unless they deliberately set out to undermine and misrepresent what I have posted. Your attempt to humiliate me failed. I know what my intention was.
Unlike you, I try not to upset others, by being unkind.
I do hope that is not your preferred teaching style.

Furthermore, you certainly didn't like the comment about using the red pen. I'm sure you will be delighted to know that I too used a green pen, so we have something in common after all. ?