Am I the only one?

1. 77

   kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

   I like reading hubs and trying to help people out here on the forums when I am to tired or unfocused to write my own hubs. I am finding it hard to read some of the hubs and questions here on the forums because the writing is not clear to me. I am tired and I don't really want to spend ages trying to fill in all the missing words from a sentence that can give it some meaning. I do not want to leave a comment like 'you really need to work on your grammar and sentence structure because you made absolutely no sense to a tired mind' but that is all I can think of in those situations.
   
   Do others share this annoyance or  am I just a cranky puss?

   replyreport
   1. 0

      A Texanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      you said puss

      replyreport
      1. 77

         kirstenblogposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I sure did!

         replyreport
         1. 0

            A Texanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            I love that word

            replyreport
   2. 64

      prettydarkhorseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      hi, ms kirsten, you can also tell the author so that he/she will improve..

      replyreport
      1. 77

         kirstenblogposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I suppose I could email the person with that kind of comment but I cannot bring myself to leave a comment like that on a hub where others will read it. It feels kinda mean to me and I wonder if they would listen to the advice or just feel hurt and angry. I think if someone contacted me through email to advise me on how to improve a hub I would be grateful for that but I am not sure that I am a big enough person to take it as a comment on the hub

         replyreport
         1. 72

            lorlie6posted 15 years agoin reply to this

            kirstenblog-I completely understand your dilemma!  I find this a problem, too, and I try not to hurt feelings.  Perhaps we are sensitive souls, not wanting to wag literary fingers at others.  But it does get tiresome, annoying, and exhausting.
            And if you're a cranky puss, so am I!

            replyreport
   3. 65

      awareposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      you have a very valid and understandable point. i am one of those guys that write in tongues like you describe . since i started hub pages my spelling has dramatically improved . one of the main reasons for that i think is because people who read my stuff had the courage to say to me hay you have a little potential. work on the spelling and grammar because the stuff i write deserves it. for this i am so great full ty fellow hubbers

      replyreport
      1. 77

         kirstenblogposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         It looks like you have come a long way! I can tell by this post that english is not your first language BUT I can understand what you are saying with no effort. Perhaps in the future, when I find a hub about a very interesting topic and it is being failed by poor writing skills I will take a few minutes to privately email them and say so.
         
         I do not mind a few mistakes and have a tendency to 'fix' a small error in my mind automatically. So perfection isn't necessary for me, just that it is good at communicating the message that it sets out to. BTW I work at a school and see some appalling errors from the teachers! It seems people today just don't know when to use words like a or an, are or is etc.

         replyreport
         1. 86

            Lily Roseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            You may think it's silly, but right after my 4 year old started pre-k in August, I found a different preschool that I really liked and debated about switching her. 
            
            I had no problem with the school she was in, but they were being threatened to be shut down due to lack of enrollment and I felt bad pulling her out.  Well, her teacher was out the first couple of days of school due to a family death.  On the first day she came back she provided a letter from her to all the parents, basically introducing herself and explaining the way she preferred to teach certain things.  She wrote that she ..." begins by focusing on teaching the kids to write there first name, then there last name.  When there comfortable with that, ..."
            
            Did you catch the problem "there"?  Although my 4 year old was not going to be taught to write and spell much in pre-k, I just could not let this woman be my child's teacher!  I can forgive some errors, and typos happen - every once in a while I write your instead of you're (like I did last night here in the forums - embarrasing!)- but when the error is repeated over and over again, especially from a teacher, I just have a hard time forgiving that!

            replyreport
            1. 0

               EmpressFelicityposted 15 years agoin reply to this

               No, you're not silly - far from it.
                
               I wish I could say that such errors were rare in the teaching profession but they're not.  I used to work with someone who also taught maths and spelled "pi" (as in 2 x pi x r = the circumference of a circle) as "pie" (as in sweet or savoury filler covered with pastry).  It was kind of embarrassing, actually.

               replyreport
            2. 61

               Dao Hoaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

               No, you are not silly. If any of my kids' teachers made that mistake, I would remove my child. Especially in the elementary level because this is the time for them to learn to read and write. I made some dumb mistakes too but I went back and corrected them.
               
               It annoyed me more when the native English speakers made mistake like that. It is inexcusable. What did they do in school for 12 years? They learn those two words very early and use them almost everyday! There are two more pairs: it’s and its, and I saw you’re and your too. Some teachers do not know when to use which. However, they asked.
               
               It is even funnier when the teacher marked the student’s paper wrong because she thought hers was right and the kid’s was wrong. My neighbor son’s fifth grade teacher did that. I advised  to change her son’s class also.

               replyreport
               1. 86

                  Lily Roseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                  Thanks for the support.  Another terribly misused one:  to and too - why doesn't anyone know to use "too" when saying "also!"  Oh, and "alot" instead of "a lot" - I remember my english teacher jamming that one down our throats!
                  
                  I, too, agree with Nelle.  Whether it be on HP or elsewhere, if I start reading something that has grammar and punctuation mistakes I will not continue reading and I will go elsewhere.
                  
                  Anyone ever read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves"?  Awesome book!

                  replyreport
   4. 79

      Himitsu Shugishaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Being new to HP I just don't know what the protocol is for offering constructive criticism. As you mentioned, you don't necessarily want to leave it in the comments section, but at the same time, I don't want to send a separate email detailing the faults or questions I have with their hubs. This is truly a tough call and great question.

      replyreport
   5. 0

      Crazdwriterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I am the same way and no you ain't no cranky puss. just flat out tell them like I do..."sorry didn't understand what you are asking. please ask in a different way"

      replyreport
   6. 61

      DogSiDaedposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      This can annoy me as well XD Bad grammar isn't usually much of an issue unless I don't understand the sentence at all, at which point I'll decide between not bothering and asking for them to try and explain again

      replyreport
   7. 0

      Lady_Eposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I understand you - I just leave a comment - "Thanks for sharing".  The thing is if you don't leave a comment, they won't know you read it  - but I guess to save you getting cranky lol, you could move on.
      
      About Grammar - I just leave people be, as they could take it the wrong way.
      
      Happy reading.

      replyreport
2. 74

   Jeffrey Nealposted 15 years ago

   I'm too lazy and just move along.  It's really bad and annoying in the questions section.  There is more junk there than anywhere else on this whole site, but I tend to peruse looking for inspiration for hubs.

   replyreport
3. 77

   kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

   I am probably just a cranky puss!

   replyreport
4. 86

   Lily Roseposted 15 years ago

   I absolutely share the annoyance.  Although I know I make mistakes and I'm not perfect, proper grammar and punctuation are a huge pet peeve of mine.  I know there are a lot of hubbers here that are not in the U.S. and some struggle with the written language, but it still annoys me to try and figure out what some are trying to say or ask!

   replyreport
5. 59

   cally2posted 15 years ago

   I share your peevishness with poor grammar and spelling but then I am an English teacher. If you don't tell people when they are wrong then they will never know. I don't like being "mean" either, there are times when I am marking kids' work there is more red pen than blue, at least that doesn't happen with hubpages:)
   I say you should tell them either in a comment or in a message. If they fix it let them know how good that is too.

   replyreport
6. 78

   mega1posted 15 years ago

   Its really annoying when you're reading an otherwise interesting hub and you find bad grammar, sentence structure, words misspelled, and all kinds of nonsense - makes me feel like I'm wasting my time!  Not that I expect perfection, but come on people - proof read and edit your work!  Have some self-respect!  In the forums I don't mind so much.  And I never read the questions, don't know why.

   replyreport
7. 0

   Denno66posted 15 years ago

   I unnerstan wot you meen.

   replyreport
   1. 72

      lorlie6posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Well said, Denno! 

      replyreport
      1. 0

         Denno66posted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I'm actually writing a story now, I had to get the bad-spelling gene outta me

         replyreport
8. 0

   cosetteposted 15 years ago

   i've had people send me email in (i hate to say it, but) bad English asking me for help with writing their hubs but i just don't have time to do that and i just have to ignore it
   
   other times i get people saying they love me and want to run away with me. what are you supposed to do with that?
   
   
   
   i hope people don't think i am being mean but i ignore all kinds of stuff rather than deal with it.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Crazdwriterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Note to self email cosette using bad english

      replyreport
      1. 0

         cosetteposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         haha!!! you're so cute

         replyreport
   2. 0

      Will Apseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      "other times i get people saying they love me and want to run away with me. what are you supposed to do with that?"
      
      Your pen name- it's a bit of a cross between cosy and coquette. Is that related?

      replyreport
9. 65

   awareposted 15 years ago

   you spell tomato i spell tamato please read that hub

   replyreport
10. 65

    awareposted 15 years ago

    eye hav somthing two giv

    replyreport
11. 73

    cheaptrickposted 15 years ago

    Gentle nurturing correction as frustrating as it may be,is a service to others.
    Some of us are not proficient.We put our thoughts out there and hope we wont come off as dummies.
    Some of us are Computer Immigrants who are struggling to learn that at the same time.
    Thank you to those who help.
    to those don't wish to be bothered I say,please just ignore us rather than beating us up,that doesn't help anyone.

    replyreport
12. 70

    Ultimate Hubberposted 15 years ago

    I believe people who don't have English as their mother tongue or first language don't even realize they can't write proper English. But if you notice, the moment they realize its not their peace of cake they quit. Thus, we can ignore their threads and hubs, which most of you are already doing.

    replyreport
    1. 73

       cheaptrickposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Thats pretty harsh dude.
       you are missing out on another cultures point of view because of your intolerance.
       I thought about quiting
       but some of us don't.
       ..peace,from the other side...

       replyreport
       1. 70

          Ultimate Hubberposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Think, I didn't make myself clear. I wanted to say that instead of passing different remarks on them which can ultimately cause some lack of confidence in them, we should ignore their mistakes. They can always find other forums.

          replyreport
          1. 61

             tksenseiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             Non-native speakers are often most appreciative of correction. It is the native speaker who just happens to be a dope who bristles at any suggestion that his or her use of English is anything less than perfect. How often do you see a native speaker respond to having an error pointed out with a defensive, "That was just a typo!" as if an actual error (we all make them) is just unthinkable.

             replyreport
             1. 70

                Ultimate Hubberposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                Point taken, tksensei.

                replyreport
    2. 0

       EmpressFelicityposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       er.... shouldn't that be "piece" of cake?

       replyreport
       1. 70

          Ultimate Hubberposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Oh, yea, piece of cake. Thanx!

          replyreport
    3. 61

       tksenseiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       No, they realize it all too well. It is the native speaker who never thinks about it that is often unaware of failings in this area (and very often hostile to correction).

       replyreport
13. 67

    arthritickneeposted 15 years ago

    I read a somewhat ironic hub on writing good content that had mistakes in the hubs title and throughout.
    I couldn't finish it

    replyreport
    1. 0

       EmpressFelicityposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       LOL, that really winds me up - when somebody with poor grammar/spelling tries to tell people how to write.

       replyreport
14. 61

    tantrumposted 15 years ago

    I hope  you people won't be too harsh on me, as I make lots of mistakes !

    replyreport
15. 66

    Ladybird33posted 15 years ago

    I am sure I am one of these that have annoyed you because when I go back to "tweak" my hubs, I see the mistakes but I can read them 100 times and not catch it (not a very good proofreader) but that 101 times, I will catch my errors.  Anyway, I do run across it but move to the next.  However,  I like when people tell me via email not on a comment, but that is just me.  You have to learn from your mistakes...

    replyreport
16. 77

    kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

    I find it funny that what I learned in the states growing up is different from how grammar and punctuation etc. are done here in the UK. I find it somewhat confusing when I run into one of those differences and have been told that what I learned growing up actually makes more sense then what my british friends were taught. Its a crazy ol world out there!

    replyreport
    1. 61

       DogSiDaedposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Well American English is a deliberately simplified version of the English here, which I suppose does make things easier, although I have been brought up to flinch every time I see an Americanised spelling and change it XD

       replyreport
       1. 61

          tksenseiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Not really

          replyreport
       2. 0

          Leta Sposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Uhhhhh, No.  And kind of funny, too.  (Extremely rare I would ever, ever agree with TK.)  But this is just lack of knowledge.  Try reading up on the history of the English language--or any language, for that matter.  Maybe a beginning class in linguistics would help, as well.

          replyreport
    2. 73

       cheaptrickposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       You should try it in Italian or even weirder German,it is a brain bruiser to say the least.Good thing I have multiple personality disorder or I'd go Craaazyyy.

       replyreport
17. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years ago

    Whether people like it or not, if you're writing online for any reason, you will be judged by your grammar, punctuation and word selection. When folks from the UK write, I understand that their English isn't my American and that's fine. It still sounds educated and professional.
    
    If you want to make money selling to the American consumer, I think it is absolutely critical that the American English be high quality and current. Non-American English speakers, who can't do this are kidding themselves if they think they can be successful writing in substandard English. This also goes for Americans who haven't bothered to learn their own language.

    replyreport
    1. 61

       Dao Hoaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with you. If one wants to make money with writing, then one must spend a lot more time to polish one’s craft.

       replyreport
       1. 0

          Crazdwriterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Yep I agree there too polishing is the best medicine for your writing.

          replyreport
18. 91

    rebekahELLEposted 15 years ago

    sometimes the errors are hard to read, but then I realize it is someone not writing in their native tongue.
    
    I tend to think that if we're here on a publishing site that we should take the time to make sure the writing is clear, grammatically correct and spelled properly. spell check should be done at least twice before publishing in a hub. I think someone once mentioned a misspelled word could be used as a tag as often they're misspelled in a search.
    
    I've often gone back to one of my hubs and corrected a word, or sometimes there is no space between the word, simple errors that can be made easily and corrected easily.

    replyreport