A question for people of various age groups

later12

I often noticed, as a small child, that my spelling and grammar were close to perfect. A misplaced comma, or a forgotten full-stop, or the use of apostrophes with wild abandon were things you would never find on my homework.

Now however, as I grow older, I've noticed my attention to grammar and spelling are slipping. Is this, like crankiness and senile incontinence, one of the inevitabilities of growing older?

I often find that old people, contrary to what you might expect, have terrible spelling, and am just wondering whether this is something people have noticed in themselves as they age? It's not so much that you might forget the rules, but that you might simply forget to apply them. Maybe it's something to do with losing your sharpness?

chin_grin

Two words: keep reading. (Wait, depends on what you're reading!)

Also this should give you a laugh.

CardBordWindow

Me fail English?

FloatingVoter

Me spelling n gramar iz bang on. and im 96. De granson got me on twitter, like so i is reedin lotz.

Captain Darling

Thats unpossible.

FetchTheGin

100% OP.

I need to get back to reading more.

TheZohanS

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Me spelling n gramar iz bang on. and im 96. De granson got me on twitter, like so i is reedin lotz.

That's one thing that really annoys me, older people using "txt spk". My own mother has started to abbreviate her texts, half the bloody time I have no idea what she's trying to say.

FetchTheGin

TheZohan wrote: »

That's one thing that really annoys me, older people using "txt spk". My own mother has started to abbreviate her texts, half the bloody time I have no idea what she's trying to say.

U r adptd lolz.

TheZohanS

FetchTheGin wrote: »

U r adptd lolz.

lastlaugh

My spelling and grammar are OK, my handwriting however has become totally unreadable...

blaze1

I had to handwrite an application form yesterday...
It took me 3 attempts and my hand was fuuuuucking killing me after it..

chin_grin

FetchTheGin wrote: »

U r adptd lolz.

Adapted? I blame evolution and nature over nurture. Damn opposable thumbs. <picks up cup of coffee>

FetchTheGin

chin_grin wrote: »

Adapted? I blame evolution and nature over nurture. Damn opposable thumbs. <picks up cup of coffee>

Yes, makes sense that it probably said adapted.

Korvanica

I learned myself to spoke!

chucken1

later10 wrote: »

I often noticed, as a small child, that my spelling and grammar were close to perfect. A misplaced comma, or a forgotten full-stop, or the use of apostrophes with wild abandon were things you would never find on my homework.

Now however, as I grow older, I've noticed my attention to grammar and spelling are slipping. Is this, like crankiness and senile incontinence, one of the inevitabilities of growing older?

I often find that old people, contrary to what you might expect, have terrible spelling, and am just wondering whether this is something people have noticed in themselves as they age? It's not so much that you might forget the rules, but that you might simply forget to apply them. Maybe it's something to do with losing your sharpness?

I dare you to come over here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1480
and say that!

chin_grin

FetchTheGin wrote: »

Yes, makes sense that it probably said adapted.

Your sarcasm detector needs new batteries.

later12

chucken1 wrote: »

I dare you to come over here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1480
and say that!

I don't wanna.


They smell like nursing home.

Wertz

I'm the opposite; wasn't too hot with grammar and punctuation when in school (was always a good speller though)...in recent years, with a lot more reading done and a lot more stuff written or typed, I find I'm much better at both...mind you the simian scrawl that passes for my handwriting is getting worse as the years go by...I think I rebelled against the system that tried to teach me joined-up script in primary school and bastardised it with misplaced small capitals in the middle of words and tbh I think a 6 yr old could better me in terms of legibility.

chucken1

later10 wrote: »

I don't wanna.


They smell like nursing home.

:eek: You're not too old to be put over my knee :mad:,whippersnapper!

_feedback_

TheZohan wrote: »

That's one thing that really annoys me, older people using "txt spk". My own mother has started to abbreviate her texts, half the bloody time I have no idea what she's trying to say.

Me too. My dad was away recently and just dropped him a text about something the evening he left.

He replied saying he got there fine "TG".

I couldn't figure out what the hell he was talking about. I thought of it at the weekend and asked him what it meant ..... it was Thank God :eek:

LeeHoffmann

Have you learned any foreign languages since then OP? I've noticed I sometimes have problems with spelling but my spelling was perfect before I learned German.

later12

LeeHoffmann wrote: »

Have you learned any foreign languages since then OP? I've noticed I sometimes have problems with spelling but my spelling was perfect before I learned German.

Interesting, I started Italian lessons recently and am giving French lessons in return.

Maybe the langauge part of my wee brain is packing things to the back of the filing cabinet because of all this new information... I hadn't thought about it but seems credible.

Logical Fallacy

lastlaugh wrote: »

My spelling and grammar are OK, my handwriting however has become totally unreadable...

I'm the same, anything i write by hand looks like it was done by an epileptic chicken on speed.

bonzodog2

I wonder do native speakers of languages other than English have their own varieties of txtspk ?

orourkeda

www.dictionary.com
www.thesaurus.com

scotty_irish

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I wonder do native speakers of languages other than English have their own varieties of txtspk ?

french are terrible for it. it's already hard enough for me to understand french without deciphering the txtspk.

later12

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I wonder do native speakers of languages other than English have their own varieties of txtspk ?

Yes, they do, the French txt speak tends to include more number/letter combinations. It's very confusing, even for them.

b1sr = bien sur
edr = lol,
etc.

Chuck Stone

My thoughts race ahead of my typing speed so I tend to leave out entire words from paragrahps I write!

I can do it right if I really want to though.

stovelid

Is the sudden explosion in grammar thread wankery to do with the recession or something?

The King of Moo

The same thing's happened to me. I'd still very rarely write out a word and think it's ok when it's actually wrong though. But I'll often find myself having to stop and think of how to spell a word I used to be able to spell automatically. Or else I'll misspell it but notice straight away as it looks wrong.

My grammar's fine, though when I'm typing I'll occasionally find myself leaving out an apostrophe or typing "your" instead of "you're" or "there" instead of "they're" or "their," but on the rare occasions I do that I'll always spot the mistake and correct it when I'm reviewing it.

It worries me though, that I might get worse, as I've always been particularly proud of my grammar and spelling .

Pherekydes

I have no problem with written communications, but I lately find that I frequently can't find the word I'm looking for while talking to someone, and I just trail off...

Going grey, deteriorating eyesight and wobbly handwriting I can deal with, but if I start to go properly senile then I'm ending it, if I can just hold this gun steady.

Bang!

Damn, missed again. ****, another hole in the ceiling.

IrishZeus

Have a degree in English and was quite good with grammar, spelling etc.

Worrying thing was that when I was in 4th year, I used to mentor a few 1st years. They would often ask me to have a look at essays before submitting them for marking. The standard was often atrocious!

One essay used txtspk more times than I could count, both in the prose and narrative including the likes of "lol", "omg" etc.

There were full sentences with no vowels! No vowels at all I tell's you!!! :eek:

Kojak

Bad grammar is everyones enemy...

Big Nasty

People need to learn to talk proper.

later12

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

'lesser being's.

Ah yes, definitely lesser being's. I often think all those boy's and girl's are lesser being's

Chuck Stone

Maybe people should be sent to a 'Skool for People Who Cant Do Grammer Good'.

LeeHoffmann

Interesting, I started Italian lessons recently and am giving French lessons in return.

Maybe the langauge part of my wee brain is packing things to the back of the filing cabinet because of all this new information... I hadn't thought about it but seems credible

I'd think different languages have different spelling patterns/rules (obviously enough) and so, when you learn a new language, the different spelling patterns/rules of these different languages can get mixed together in your brain and hence the mistakes. At least that's what I've noticed about my own mistakes

seanybiker

TheZohan wrote: »

That's one thing that really annoys me, older people using "txt spk". My own mother has started to abbreviate her texts, half the bloody time I have no idea what she's trying to say.

yeah its hard to make out what she says in fairness, luckily though the pictures she sends me give a fair idea what she wants :pac:

stovelid

IrishZeus wrote: »

Have a degree in English and was quite good with grammar, spelling etc.

Is grammar taught in English degrees these days?