A few days ago
rugged_rieley

Wasted English classes?

I can’t understand why people choose to neglect grammar, especially on Yahoo Answers. A well-organized question will be more clear and thus receive better answers, yet I still see heaps of words connected by “and” or “like.” Is it just me, or do others notice the loss of respect for litteracy?

Top 5 Answers
A few days ago
Josh M

Favorite Answer

I think that the grammar you are referring to (the kind on Yahoo Answers) is one of two types:

1. formal (this is the “perfect” kind)

2. informal (this is the kind on Yahoo Answers)

In society, formal writing is used in business situations and in school. This is the kind of writing that is proofread until it is “perfect.”

In social areas, however, the scene is quite different. People often make careless mistakes that, in formal situations, would have been fixed immediately. In a social environment, it is not necessary to have “perfect” grammar. There is only a need to understand the meaning of the phrase or sentence.

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A few days ago
Jenm
Ironically enough, it’s ‘clearer’, not ‘more clear.’

And it’s spelled ‘literacy’, not ‘litteracy.’

P.S.

“It’s” is ‘it is’. You want to use ‘its’.

I understand what Josh is saying, but the problem with ‘informal’ grammar is that not enough attention is being paid to how other people perceive what is being read. It makes sense to them, so the inevitable thought it that it should make sense to others. Unfortunately, that’s so often not the case. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to re-read a sentence until I figured out what the person meant because of their idea of what informal grammar is. It just makes more sense to me for everyone to try and stick to standards. And so often, I see teenagers who are unable to separate formal and informal writing in their essays. As a result, I see more and more writing that is unclear and even at times, unintelligible.

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A few days ago
Anonymous
Welcome to the grammar police. I was afraid I was a committee of one. I have to admit that I was once a writer, and reading messages on the internet drives me crazy. I never send anything out unless I have proofread it and made sure it says what I want in the tone I want it. Example on Answers today (actually appeared twice)-quote: Joe roe his bike . . . Did Joe row it, or rode it to his destination. I’m afraid with texting and such, our language is in some trouble.
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A few days ago
Anonymous
everyone writes how the way they choose to you cant change that.
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A few days ago
superbird
So true; so true; dat’s in fact mighty true.
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