I have to admit: I'm a bit of a grammar nazi. It's not like I'm a stickler for rules or anything; I just like to avoid confusion. Imagine a scenario where you stick a slice of bread into your toaster and then sit down in front of your computer to chat on AIM. A little while later, a friend IM's you and says, "You're toast." Now, instead of you remembering that you've forgotten your now-smoldering toast, you get into an argument with that friend over the slight to your dignity while your house burns down around you. This situation could have been avoided if your friend had used proper grammar and said, "Your toast!"
Okay, I admit the above scenario is a bit far-fetched, but you get the idea. The biggest reason why grammar is important is because language is our primary form of communication. Everybody needs to use a language in order to communicate with others, and as a result, people are constantly being judged based on the kind of language that they use. If a person calls a can of Sprite "pop" instead of "soda," you can assume the person is from the Midwest. If a person's speech is peppered with expletives, another type of assumption is made. Grammar usage is just another form of this judgment.
One of the grammatical errors that peeve me the most is when a person writes something like "You're car is faster then there car." (If you don't know why that sentence is incorrect, take a look at this site, or better yet, get yourself a good grammar book; I think Strunk & White is still the standard.) When mistakes like that are made, not only is it confusing for the reader, but it shows the reader that the writer never bothered to correct a trivial error. It reflects badly on the writer. I've actually seen lab reports handed in that contain the there/their/they're error, and at the university level, that is a mistake that should never be made.
I occasionally get flak for correcting others' grammar. "You know what I mean, so it doesn't matter," they say. However, the problem usually is not that I'm uncomfortable with the grammatical error; I could not care less if a stranger wants to display their ignorance. I tend to speak up when it is a friend or acquaintance that makes the mistake, and I do so with the hope that they will not make the error when it might actually matter.
As a side note, in the last paragraph I have used the word "their" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. I understand that it is not technically correct grammar, but I believe it is important to not perpetuate the sexism that is inherent in our society. I also understand that it is gradually gaining acceptance as a correct use of grammar.
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4 comments:
We both know that I am a stickler for grammar also--I'll laugh at that for a while too. Kidding aside, I don't disagree with your premise. If I could, I would always use correct grammar. But why stop at grammar? I assert that most statements made on IM are rife with inaccuracies because of imprecise language. Basically, whenever anyone speaks or writes, the receiver of the message must decipher the message to determine the meaning of the speaker. I find it easier to understand incorrect grammar rather than imprecise language.
Also, I think many would disagree with your conclusion that language is the primary vehicle of communication. Indeed, I think many would say that non-verbal communication is the paramount form of communication. Have you ever communicated with someone who speaks a different language? Did you communicate with language or non-verbal cues?
Finally, I totally disagree with using "their" instead of "his" or "her." I do not understand why we should blur the line between singular and plural. If you are concerned about male gender bias, why not presumptively use "she" or "her." Tell me which sentance makes more sense: (1) "The CEO takes her pay by stock options." or (2) "The CEO takes their pay by stock options." Yes, I agree that some situations exist where "their" can be used without interrupting the rhythm of the sentence unlike in my example. But it is still wrong. Moreover, I also detest the use of his/her--the slash is possibly the worst used and most inaccurate form of punctuation. "His" and "her" are not the same. Find any sentence with a "/", and you will find a sentence that can be improved (similarly, "and/or" should never be used). The most accurate sentence would say "his or her" or "her or his." However, words should be used efficiently and "his or her" includes two words that can be eliminated.
I agree with you that a message expressed in a language must be deciphered by the recipient. I would go even further to say that the content of the message is more important than the message itself. As such, I understand when people don't use proper grammar or spelling when they IM or text one another. They are simply communicating in the format most closely adapted to that environment. I have no doubt that people find it easier to understand, and I hold nothing against people that do so.
However, problems arise when people are taken out of that environment and are either ignorant or obstinate about the existence of another system of grammar. When cultures clash like that, things tend to default to the more commonly accepted system, but that doesn't mean one side is unequivocally correct. Effort must be made by each party to understand the other point of view.
The statement that language is the primary vehicle of communication was more of an assertion than a conclusion. The term language would encompass non-verbal languages (e.g. sign language or leetspeak) as well as other forms of language. These languages- and most other forms of communication, come to think of it- are also methods of communication that have been previously agreed upon. Without such a common language, one must resort to much simpler methods of communication, and the issue of proper grammar becomes moot.
As to the issue of the use of "their", I do understand that using it might introduce confusion, which is why I don't use it unilaterally. I mostly use it to increase efficiency by replacing the phrase "his or her". In order to prevent the confusion of "their" being both singular and plural, some people have advocated the use of the words "sie", for "he or she", and "hir", for "his or hers".
When it comes to language, I don't think it is an issue of right or wrong; it is an issue of being able to express oneself clearly. When people communicate clearly in one medium (such as AIM) but then expect to be clearly understood in another medium (such as business letters), they must understand the language of the other medium.
Consistent use of grammar, or at least consistent awareness of grammar, is the best way to prepare for situations when proper grammar is required. It is okay for a person on AIM to type the word "breif", but if they aren't aware of the mistake, they might end up using the word on the cover of their legal brief!
An interesting note is that Microsoft Word does not spell check words that are all caps. Thus, if you submit a brief that requires that the word BRIEF be capitalized, Microsoft Word will not notice that it is actually spelled BREIF. The more disturbing part about this is how important spell check is to everyone; Terminator is only a few short leaps from a computer telling you how to spell.
Did you mean Skynet?
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