Spelling Errors: Stupid? Lazy? Or A-OK?

[Alex]

Real worlds with perfect spelling and grammar that still convey no useful information as in this current CNN.com headline:

Obama may end VP guessing game soon

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I've come to expect bad spelling, bad punctuation and bad grammar on message boards, and am guilty of it myself from time to time. When I see it in newspapers, books and business emails though, it bugs me to no end.

And typos aren't really the problem. It's two sentences running together without a period to separate them. It's seeing "affect" used when the person meant "effect." It's seeing the word "literacy" spelled incorrectly. These are the things that drive me crazy.

[Kevy Baby]

Message board stuff that bugs me:

1. Not capitalizing the first word in sentences.
2. Using emoticons as punctuation. Although, might this one be an exception
3. Using "lol" as punctuation

Also, this might be a good time to confess that I sometimes correct spelling in posts that I am quoting.

[Betty]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

this might be a good time to confess that I sometimes correct spelling in posts that I am quoting.

I was totally with you until that one. You're sick.

[JWBear]

Language does evolve and change. "Donut" does not bother me. I've gotten over the fact that "whom" has all but disappeared from the English language. But, improperly placed apostrophes still bug (Possessive pronouns don't have them, people!); as does the omission of the final comma in a series.

[innerSpaceman]

I don't believe leaving out the final comma in a series is incorrect in the least.

I am one of the five last remaining users of "whom."


My constant mistake is it's and its, and I'm constantly proofreading for that and finding I've mistyped it yet again.


i often use i instead of I, 'cause i like the way it looks ... and it's a habit i acquired from ... well, best left unsaid, actually.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I don't believe leaving out the final comma in a series is incorrect in the least.

One may also believe that Food Fairies will put food in your refrigerator when it is needed. This doesn't make it true.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Betty

You're sick.

Yes, sadly, I am.

Originally Posted by JWBear

I've gotten over the fact that "whom" has all but disappeared from the English language.

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I am one of the five last remaining users of "whom."

I often wished I understood the proper usage of "whom" - it is one that I seem to not be able to properly grasp.

Originally Posted by JWBear

...as does the omission of the final comma in a series.

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I don't believe leaving out the final comma in a series is incorrect in the least.

Either way is considered correct.

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

My constant mistake is it's and its, and I'm constantly proofreading for that and finding I've mistyped it yet again.

Somebody (possibly someone on this board, but I cannot recall) taught me this quick reference: any time you are going to use "its" or "it's", test the sentence by using "it is." If "it is" works, then use the contraction "it's." If it doesn't work, use "its."

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

I often wished I understood the proper usage of "whom" - it is one that I seem to not be able to properly grasp.

That's ok, the OED has acknowledged that whom has disappeared from spoken English.

But if you remember to use it when following a preposition ("to whom shall I deliver the letter", "before whom must I bow", "upon whom did the porn star ejaculate copiously") then you'll understand it better than 95% of the population.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Alex

The Oxford or serial comma is completely a choice of style...

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Either way is considered correct.

I simply don't agree. Every writing class I have ever taken taught that it is proper usage to include it. The practice of omitting it was started by newspapers in order to save space.

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

I often wished I understood the proper usage of "whom" - it is one that I seem to not be able to properly grasp.

Use "whom" when referring to the object of a sentence, and "who" when it is the subject.

"Who was given the book?" (Subject)

"The book was given to whom?" (Object)

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Somebody (possibly someone on this board, but I cannot recall) taught me this quick reference: any time you are going to use "its" or "it's", test the sentence by using "it is." If "it is" works, then use the contraction "it's." If it doesn't work, use "its."

Remember that possessive pronouns have no apostrophes, and contractions always do.

its, whose, his, hers, theirs = possessive

it's, who's, that's, what's, he's, she's, etc = contraction