Gransnet forums

Pedants' corner

Does no-one care?

(69 Posts)
GabriellaG54 Tue 08-Oct-19 19:06:54

The level of spelling and punctuation in many GN posts, is abysmal.

BBbevan Tue 08-Oct-19 21:30:29

Yes I do care. I dislike poor punctuation and spelling. Enormously long sentences and no paragraphs.

MissAdventure Tue 08-Oct-19 21:30:58

It's fair comment from Gabriella.

This is the place for pedants, and there are threads full to the brim with things that get on peoples (or possibly peoples' nerves)

Mostly people with accents like mine, it seems, because I'm lazy and uneducated, as were my parents.

grapefruitpip Tue 08-Oct-19 21:33:07

Can you provide a link to this rambling sans punctuation please OP?

MamaCaz Tue 08-Oct-19 21:37:03

Isn't the comma wrong in the OP?

SirChenjin Tue 08-Oct-19 21:39:05

Very, very wrong

Or perhaps that be very very, wrong

MawB Tue 08-Oct-19 21:39:39

I thought this was pedant's corner, thus one is able to make the sort of comment I posted without being vilified

No, GabriellaG it is Pedants’ Corner

Stones and glasshouses. .

Greenfinch Tue 08-Oct-19 21:42:03

I think it is wrong too.Can you justify it Gabriella ?

SirChenjin Tue 08-Oct-19 21:42:46

“why can't anyone recognise that some just can't spell or have any concept of punctuation”

I believe that’s a question as opposed to a statement and therefore requires a question mark as opposed to a full stop.

MawB Tue 08-Oct-19 21:45:33

No comma needed in OP
#justsaying

Anniebach Tue 08-Oct-19 22:12:27

Without being vilified but ok to do the same to others ?

MamaCaz Tue 08-Oct-19 22:20:53

SirChenjin Tue 08-Oct-19 21:42:46
why can't anyone recognise that some just can't spell or have any concept of punctuation

I believe that’s a question as opposed to a statement and therefore requires a question mark as opposed to a full stop.

Actually, I see that example as a rhetorical question, which I don't think requires a question mark.

SpringyChicken Tue 08-Oct-19 22:42:52

This is only a social forum so as long as the meaning is clear, 'frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'. Life's too short.

Namsnanny Tue 08-Oct-19 22:48:34

SpringyChickengrin

mcem Tue 08-Oct-19 22:52:14

Oh, maw I was planning to make the glass houses comment!
You beat me to it!

MamaCaz Tue 08-Oct-19 23:13:18

SirChengin, I take back my last comment. Having just looked back at post containing that sentence, I see that it wasn't used rhetorically at all, so you were right.

I should have checked the context properly before commenting! blush

MamaCaz Tue 08-Oct-19 23:14:21

Sorry - SirChenjin

BradfordLass72 Wed 09-Oct-19 00:42:03

Is this the right corner to point out that rhetorical questions can have a question mark, a full stop OR an exclamation mark?!

Of course rhetorical questions were named after Rhet the famous Butler who said, 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.'

Callistemon Wed 09-Oct-19 01:08:41

Alima grin

I agree regarding official documents and poor spelling does jump out at me; however, I refuse to be pedantic about poor grammar because I wonder sometimes if I'm guilty myself.

Since I had a new device I notice that it auto-corrects and I post something grammatically incorrect occasionally.

Feel free to correct me if you wish grin - live and learn!

Callistemon Wed 09-Oct-19 01:18:54

Grannsooz I do know people who speak like that, saying brought instead of bought, 'I borrowed him my pen', 'I lent a pen from him', 'hospickal', 'lickal' not little.

Annoying but perhaps people write online as they speak.

Of course, using a spell checker doesn't pick up wrong words in a document as long as they are spelt correctly!

Callistemon Wed 09-Oct-19 01:21:10

And, of course, as someone has pointed out, dyslexia could be a reason.
There is no spell checker on GN.

Callistemon Wed 09-Oct-19 01:23:34

Gabriella no, there should not be a comma in the OP unless, of course, the rules have changed.
smile

Witzend Wed 09-Oct-19 05:29:07

Many of us do care, GG, but what we are supposed to do about it, when we are certainly not sufficiently ill-mannered to point out other people's mistakes, I really don't know.

I still cringe at the memory of a very 'superior' (in her own estimation) person pointing out on an open writers' forum that someone else had used a Latin phrase incorrectly. I dare say the person would have preferred to know, but why on earth Ms Superior couldn't have sent her a private message I don't know. Except that I do, I suppose - she wanted to make a point about her own superiority.

MawB Wed 09-Oct-19 07:54:38

Oh BradfordLass gringringrin You are naughty!
There are going to be people out there who believe now that rhetorical questions are named after Rhett Butler!!
For the benefit of anybody who does , here are some boring examples to put them straight
(PS I don’t think OP used one)
Rhetorical Questions
“A rhetorical question is a question for which no answer is expected. A rhetorical question is typically asked to make a point or to introduce a subject.”

A rhetorical question can be used to make a positive point:
What's not to like?
(It's like saying "I like it", which is a statement.)
Who doesn't love pizza?
("I love pizza.")
Wow, who knew?
("This is surprisingly good.")
A rhetorical question can be used to make a negative point:
Does it look like I'm bothered?
("I'm not bothered.")
What is the matter with kids today?
("Kids today have issues")
What have the Romans ever done for us? (from Monty Python's Life of Brian)
("The Romans have done nothing for us.")
Why should you take by force that from us which you can have by love? (from the 1607 speech to white settlers by Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas)
("We'd have provided for you if you'd asked nicely.)
And so ad nauseam

grapefruitpip Wed 09-Oct-19 09:15:59

I suppose this is a thread about a post ?

Police...where are you?

Fiachna50 Wed 09-Oct-19 09:31:47

Some folk on this forum need to get a life. Either that they really dont have much to worry about.