Punctuation matters

Oops! Missed a comma! 😳

I often think it would be a good idea if contributors were to use the preview button before they post. Many seem to type as if they are actually speaking so punctuation doesn't exist in their text. It makes it tricky to read. Former primary school teachers will agree that one of the first things children are taught (in Year 1) is that a sentence begins with a capital letter, ends with a full stop and should make sense! Then they are encouraged to read what they have written!

I've posted some utter rubbish on here, when auto correct or substitutions have passed by unnoticed. That's why I try to remember that helpful, little preview button. It saves me many 'oops!' follow up messages correcting my gaffes! Pressing that button now!

MerylStreep

Fflaurie

There was a post on FB yesterday advertising an educational toy. One comment was : 'My sons got this, it learns him lots of different things'.

Has it never crossed your mind that English might not be their first language.

Very often, people who have learnt English as a second language use it more grammatically then native speakers. They have been taught how to use it.

Fflaurie

There was a post on FB yesterday advertising an educational toy. One comment was : 'My sons got this, it learns him lots of different things'.

Just not correct English, obviously!

Have you seen the BBC advert which says “ Don’t learn off Randoms” makes me seethe!

OMG they had slipped through the system. Sad really.

Spinnaker

Germanshepherdsmum

I constantly wish I could correct grammar and spelling on GN.

You and me both GSM

It would take up all your time with me alone 🤣

Blondiescot

Well, actually - grammar and punctuation can make a big difference. It's the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you're sh*t, for example.
And in some cases, it can even save lives. Let's eat, grandma - or let's eat grandma.

Absolutely! I wasn't disagreeing about the importance of punctuation and grammar, just mentioning the amusement I derive from threads like this.

The writing and spelling on FB is unbelievable. Carnt instead of can't, happend instead of happened, gunna instead of going to. That's only a few but a good one that crops up regularly is - Dose any body no instead of Does anybody know.

Fflaurie

There was a post on FB yesterday advertising an educational toy. One comment was : 'My sons got this, it learns him lots of different things'.

Has it never crossed your mind that English might not be their first language.

Germanshepherdsmum

I constantly wish I could correct grammar and spelling on GN.

Me too, although I'm glad there is an (unspoken?) rule not to do so, except on Pedants' Corner. As Primrose53 says, there are reasons for a lack of spelling or grammatical prowess that are not necessarily the writer's fault.

One thing I see on lots of posts is an extra space being left before a comma, either in addition to a space after the comma, or instead of. It seems to happen throughout the post, so intended rather than being a random mistake.

In the O.P.'s original example wouldn't semi-colons be more appropriate, as each 'item' contains more than one word?

Sorry for ending a sentence with a preposition!

Well, actually - grammar and punctuation can make a big difference. It's the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you're sh*t, for example.
And in some cases, it can even save lives. Let's eat, grandma - or let's eat grandma.

Gotta like something that gets some people in such a stew 😂

In a previous life I worked as a Tele-Ad assistant and then progressed to copywriter in an advertising agency. I went back to College and qualified as a Teacher. I also taught typing and shorthand in both schools and Adult Ed. Computers came along and I taught word processing and then marked exam papers for a couple of exam boards for several years. In between I wrote verses for birthday cards. The sloppier the better! 🤣

So words have always been important to me and I can spot an error a mile off although, I have to say, it doesn’t really bother me these days because so much is in text form or computer speak. It’s definitely not nice to correct spelling or grammar in the writing of others as some people really struggle or may have had a poor experience of school.

😊

Germanshepherdsmum

I constantly wish I could correct grammar and spelling on GN.

You and me both GSM

I constantly wish I could correct grammar and spelling on GN.

Ahh yes, the aberrant apostrophe. Drives me mad. There used to be a shop near a former workplace of mine which was a similar offender - they had a blackboard outside and I used to sneakily rub off all those apostrophes every time I passed!

There was a shop in a town near us with a huge permanent sign inside advertising lighter’s, battery’s, belt’s, key’s cut, trophy’s and loads more in a similar vein. It was there for years.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

There was a post on FB yesterday advertising an educational toy. One comment was : 'My sons got this, it learns him lots of different things'.

My husband always used to quote “extra-marital sex is recommended “/“extra marital sex is recommended “ for the use of the hyphen… 😂

Elegran

A gem from Facebook.

How right you are!

I am, and have always been, a firm believer in the Oxford comma, which was insisted upon in both of the Scottish schools I went to.

DH has never been ale to master the rules bout apostrophes and often makes a noun into a plural to void having to guess where the apostrophe needs to go.

I don't know which is worse!

Another one here that has no time for the Oxford comma. Ordinary commas are quite sufficient imo.