‘I want to scream’: Readers rage over grammar gone wrong

FWedled Helen Coffey’s Lament over the falling of the comma, Independent Readers responded by expressing their own grammar and spelling frustration.

Coffey pointed out that the use of commas – described as a “chic little grammatical tool” – has halved in English books in the last 25 years.

Her piece discovered that most students do not understand how to use it, while others think that is the look or obsolete.

In response, some readers knocked on their defense, praised a unique form of comma to join the closely related ideas without breaking the rhythm sentence.

Others, echoed writers like Kurt Vonnegut, rejected him as pretentious and unnecessary. Meanwhile, a few pointed out their descending relevance in the era of emoji, ai and a fast-fiery message.

Outside the notch, readers expressed broader concern over the erosion of grammatical standards. The usual irritating involved abuse “from” instead of “having”, “confusion between” their “,” there “,” and “they”, and the increasing appearance of apostropher in plural forms.

Many blamed the education system, claiming that grammar is no longer learning in schools properly.

Here’s what you had to say:

Pause for more than a comma

I use a comma in which a break needs longer than a comma, but not completely stopping; Em dashes (not “en dashes”) I always use in pairs – never simplify – to fall in a side note.

Rodjones

Needs to have instead

For me, the most preferable attack in English is increasingly growing using the word “from” when it should “have”; For example, “You should”, instead of “he should have had it.”

Talksense

Their, there, they are – grammatical blender

Sorry, but I want to scream when I see “their”, “there” and “they” are placed in Blender. When I was at school in the 1950s, the penalty would be fast and dir.

Kenhubert

Share your largest grammatical grippers in the comments

Vonnegut contempt for notched notches

I’m struggling in my use of commas in the deficiencies in the very most famous advice of Kurt Vonnegut writers – “First Rule: Don’t use the notrequence that represent absolutely nothing. All they do is show their college.”

Zandeman

Blur

American English also uses notch notches on lists in which commas can cause confusion.

John Brown, an Englishman and a married man attended.

John Brown, English; And a married man attended.

Two different meanings.

MorseMan

No comma need

You don’t need; That’s why she stands out. You need a colon, a comma or completely stopping. That’s it. There is no need for the fourth alternative.

Itreallyisnot

Love a comma

LOVE a comma – when you need a light pause (either in reading aloud or not), but longer than a comma, it is perfect. Of course, you also need to know when you need a dual.

As long as they of us who fans never stop using it, he won’t die.

He just realized I shouldn’t use one time during it; What pity.

Moodyjack

No rules, only readability

There are no “rules” regarding commas. Different style guides have different views of its use, and historical use is no longer enlightening. It is useful only for lists, where only a comma serves, or to maintain the flow in the types of complex arguments that can no longer understand most people.

If you have doubts, use a complete stop and start a fresh new sentence. It is more or more idiot-resistant. It is easier to read and understand. Understanding is the primary function of the language – poetry to the side. And poetry doesn’t need punctuation.

Fortee

Grammar and spelling are undervalued

I remember starting from the first day as a teacher of English at the Language Institute on the Continent for a few years back. The head of the English language, German, told me that they never expect original English speakers to teach grammar because they usually did not have any idea … they remained those who learned that as a second language.

The fact that grammar and accurate spelling or not learned or underestimated on the secondary level in the UK is a big mistake. I often find myself on labeling the history of papers at the university level of students and shocked at the level of their literacy. This is a direct result of government policy – a direct attempt to warm up academic levels of our children.

Saghia

Dashes vs Bedrooms

Dashes are not an alternative to a comma; They serve a different function. Kraljev English (Fowler) is a great reference to classify these things. Good punctuation is part and a plot of good writing. Those who think things like this is snobey. Semiamers are.

Poulter

Efficiently useless

When something draws due to lack of use, it is because it is effectively useless.

Let nature take their course and lower the pseudo-literary intellectuals.

Snighting

Encourage future generations

The only time I saw he learns when I worked with ESOL students. Those who really grammar was taught using him and, to be honest, then I really realized. I often use them in an appropriate way to encourage future generations …

Let’s not forget the modest comma; Remember the hint of full stop.

Archangel

Not all changes useful

These are not just notch that do not fall out of use: so that the difference between singular and plural excuses, using “they” relate to individuals, even when gender is known, creating a great confusion when referring to a group and individual in one sentence or individual.

The use of “they” instead of “he” was created in the 70s, because feminists thought it was “sexist”; And ironically, it was a female grammar that suggested his use when using unspecified pronouns such as “someone”, “he” thought that in this context was gender.

But once “they” took the name of the singular, spreading to other contexts in which sex was known. Now it became so ubiquitous that it is invisible.

The usual argument of the advocate “they” is that language change, so the shared use should be overcome. But this is nonsense. Not all changes are necessary useful, and defending changes due to common use that will reduce all attempts to clarify the language to the lowest common denominator, because any immigration treatment attempts are considered the form of elitism.

Finnsmith

Apostrophes in plural

I would very much love to know why the use of apostrophe has become so ubiquitous to the Social Media sites before “S” in plurals. It is hard for me to believe that so many thousands “just happen” to make the same mistake when it is actually faster and easier not to use apostrophes.

Eg. Trees, vegetables, sidewalk, etc.

Am that the only ones I see this everyday?

Homosapiens

Some of the comments are regulated for this article for brevity and clarity.

Do you want to share your views? Simply register your information below. Once registered, you can comment on the daily top stories for the opportunity to be presented. Alternatively, click “Sign up” or “Register” in the upper right corner to log in or logged in.

Be sure to follow our Guidelines for the communitythat can be found here. For a complete comment guide Click here.