Grammar Poll
 

Just so we know, how important to you are spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. on Greek Chat?

I don't care that much about the little stuff, but if I need an interpreter to figure out a post, there is a problem.

Important, but not important enough to overlook the occasional mistake and typo. I do it all the time.
However, if you have a blatant disregard for grammar and spelling, then I will judge you accordingly. As men and women who are theoretically in college, have graduated college, or are actively working toward college, we should appreciate how important written communication is.

What you said. We all make mistakes, but they should be the exception rather than the rule.

Communication is the goal, and if grammar and punctuation get in the way of communication, it's a problem.

And text-speak is just plain lazy and annoying.

I don't necessarily care as much as some other people on the board. However, as said in my rant in a recent thread, a poster is often coming onto this site to ask for advice. Often they are looking for advice on how to join our organizations. We are alums. They should be respectful and ask us (and respond!) in a polite manner. Be professional and show that you would be an asset to our organizations.

Your writing is a reflection of YOU. You give an immediate impression in terms of your intelligence, education and background when you write. Why would you NOT want to give the very best impression you can at every opportunity? Typos are one thing - blatant disregard for spelling and grammar are another.

I put very important. It doesn't mean you can't make mistakes. I do all the time. However, we are a community of college educated people and should reflect that in the way we communicate with one another. Some of us are more dynamic than others. I'm a more concrete writer, but I've got a basic science not liberal arts background. I try to make my points understandable. If they aren't, I try to do better.

We've all flubbed with a there instead of their or they're but when there is more than one error per sentence, and there's no punctuation or cReaTiVe punctuation, and the choice of words is just wrong, then I have a problem and won't keep it to myself.

Now, if a rushee is asking questions about rush, recs, etc. and uses a word incorrectly, like alumni instead of alumnae, I think I'm doing her a favor by correcting her before she embarrasses herself to someone important.

When I'm at work, I cover all spelling and grammar errors before I submit anything. On here (GC), I'll make edits if necessary, but if I miss something, it's not that big of a deal, to me.

Copy editor. 'Nough said. If anyone is interested, I WILL accept money to edit your grammar on here instead of doing it for free and annoying people. Just let me know. :)

I agree that everyone makes mistakes now and then, and should not be beaten over the head about it. However, when a new poster comes on here with text speak, poor grammar and no clue about punctuation it does speak volumes about him or her. If you are truly seeking advice about how to put your best foot forward for recruitment, then make a good first impression and do it the correct way.

"It's a competitive world, everything counts in large amounts." <Depeche Mode> Yes, I know I am showing my age.

While typos are usually no big deal to me, I find it utterly impossible to take someone's problem or question seriously when the post looks ridiculous. It's not hard to write with basic grammar, and I take it as a sign of respect and courtesy.

I understand that writing in forums don't demand formal language, but why would anyone use text-speak, not use punctuation or proper spelling, or write huge blobs without paragraphs? It makes me wonder how their minds work or how they communicate verbally. It's fine to be casual, but the rules of grammar and correct spelling help convey thoughts.

Typos and misuse of words happen to everyone once in a while. There's a huge different between these occasional mistakes and a rampant disregard for, or ignorance of, the proper way to spell words and construct sentences.

It's disrespectful to not take the time to make sure that your writing is easy to read and understand. GC has a spell-check here. Another tip is to read your post out loud to see where punctuation and new paragraphs belong.

I have a tendency, to over-comma. I ALWAYS go back over my posts and re-read them and end up taking out words and changing punctuation. Eats Shoots and Leaves anyone?

I also have to re-arrange sentences because I realize I have a thought that is completely out of sync with what I'm saying. If I didn't do that, you'd wonder what the hell I was talking about half the time and a good part of that time I'd probably cause completely unintentional offense.

I am a grammar snob. I make mistakes but, if you search old posts, you will find at least a dozen I have gone back and changed YEARS later because I happened across it and noticed a misspelling or incorrect verb tense. It bothers me THAT MUCH that I have to edit the post, who cares if it's been 3 or 4 years and everyone's already seen it. It's the principle of the thing!

WHATEVERRRRRRRRRRRRR yyyyyyou ppl r just jellieessss of my maddd styyyyle!!!!!!!

LIKE

Typos I can excuse. But because I edit other people's papers frequently, I have become anal about spelling and all points of grammar. This shows when I post on GC, because I will have to edit anything that is not perfect to me. I read one of my posts from a few years ago recently and was amazed that I spelled a word wrong & did not catch it.

My husband always talks about the love letter he sent me when we were dating that I edited and gave back to him to rewrite. How was I supposed to know that 15 years later, I would still be editing his papers?:)

I go back and edit my old posts all the time. Since I switch from English to Dutch and back again the entire day, my grammar gets messed up. The languages are quite different in the order in which words appear in sentences. Also, the Dutch language has some words that sound English but are spelled differently.

I over-comma too; I've become pretty self-conscious of it. I'm actually a fairly concise writer, but I run into the issue of writing a few long sentences instead of breaking them up into smaller ones. I also wonder if it's because I think like I'm speaking when I write, so I tend to add a comma when my (mental) speech pauses.

That is adorable and hilarious.

Does anyone here use grammarly.com? I've put a few paragraphs of my writing through their Instant Grammar Check. It's a humbling experience. :o

An additional annoyance to me about text speak is texts haven't had a maximum number of characters for YEARS (ok, except Twitter). Most of the writers of this style never had to abbreviate to get a text out. And nobody here ever got crucified for using 2 for to, two or too. That's an abbreviation everyone can immediately translate in their heads.

But then I think someone who's not being vigilantly stupid would know the difference between abbreviation for expediency, a simple typo, and incompetence. And everyone can tell when you're trying to hide one by claiming the others.

On GC, I'll make changes if I see a mistake, but for the most part, I feel comfortable typing even if most of the time my grammar is off. My spelling is okay, but I know my sentence structure needs work, but on here I don't go out of my way to make it look like I excel in the English laguage. I type how I talk on here. Funny thing is I got an A in all of my english classes when I was in undergrad, but after graduation, I went to CCS which is an art and design school, so I didn't write that much when I was there. My time consisted of all nighters sketching, rendering, and designing products, mainly cars and trucks.

Now that I'm working in the automotive industry as a designer/stylist, I do write more than I did when I was at CCS, but still not much. It's usually when I'm setting up a presentation to start the second phase of an internal automotive design project -a virtual concept car. With that, I'll mount (with other designers) research and support work on presentation boards, and with other desginers I'll set up an LCD screen -for supportive marketing presentations. Generally, once I present my designs to the project chief with the initial completed research which we use to explore the car's overall personality, focus, and the design direction, the chief designer is generally the only person left to look at my work. By then we've already agreed to the next steps, deadlines and reviews. The marketing team are the people who make our work look good with words. I don't have to worry about that much. Most of my reading and writing is at work when I'm reading and returning e-mails to my boss and others. On here, I don't work for or with you jokers (:D) so on here it's not important to me.

So that's why I have trouble spelling certain words -- I am just too cool for them.

This. You don't go out in the same clothes you wore to bed because you want to present a certain image. Your writing is your image here.

Love this.

I am also an over-commaer. (<~~I also make up words on a semi-regular basis, but I am aware that I am doing it, and usually doing so for a specific purpose.)

Y'all, there are times when I will change entire sentences because there are words that i can't even get close enough for spell check to figure it out. It's complete avoidance, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I type like I talk. Don't give a shit if words or phrases are fucked up LOL.

AMEN!!! lol