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Post by Ratqueen on Aug 19, 2009 14:31:58 GMT -5
Something I'm always wondering about... If you are constantly misspelling the same word(s), or using a word incorrectly (thinking it means something when it actually means something else), or making the same grammatical mistakes over and over, or even pronouncing something incorrecly, do you usually prefer for people to tell you about it, so you can correct your mistake(s) over time, or do you prefer not to be told and keep saying/writing it wrong regardless? How does it make you feel when someone corrects you? Personally, I WANT to know if I'm wrong, so I don't keep using an incorrect term or misspelled word -- that can be pretty embarrassing in certain situations, I think, so I'd rather know and learn. Of course, it's easier when I'm told by someone close to me rather than an acquaintance -- less embarrassing -- but still, I want to know. Since French is my first language, I used to make a lot of such English mistakes when I first moved to the US. I found that Americans are extremelly reluctant to tell others when they use incorrect English (not wanting to make them feel bad, I guess?), and so mistakes are repeated over and over to the point of becoming common and almost "acceptable". I think it's terrible. There are some things I used to say incorrectly and, when finally being told about it or more often discovering it by myself, I really wondered why in the world nobody told me. I must have looked/sounded stupid so many times :} Consequently, because nobody would tell me about my own mistakes, I assume most people don't like to be told in return. So I'm posting this poll to see whether it's true or not. Please only pick the "Depends" answer if you're really completely split about it -- it you usually prefer to be told or not though, pick yes or no. Feel free to post any details to clarify your position on this. Here's the type of mistakes I'm talking about, just as an example of things I see/hear a lot: Should of/could of/would of/must of instead of should've/could've/would've/must'veEven though it's an extremelly common mistake of writing something phonetically (at least in the US, don't know about the UK), this one drives me crazy. Over-exaggerate instead of just exaggerateAdding "over" in front of it is like saying over-overstate, or over-overstress. It's redundant. What's amazes me is that even people who're supposed to be well-educated say that, like news anchors on TV, famous people, etc. I guess nobody ever told them it's wrong :} Defiantly instead of definitelyA good example of incorrect meaning that can lead to a complete misunderstanding, since "defiantly" means "with defiance", "boldly resistant or challenging" -- completely changes the meaning of a sentence. Ecscape (or Excape?) instead of escapeI've never seen this one in writing (would they even spell it this way?), only in speech. But if they don't write it like this, why do they pronounce it this way? :} Oh, and for those who are interested, I found the very educational web site, with a well-organized list of Common Errors in English. I've already learned some from it.
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Post by midnightwolf on Aug 19, 2009 14:41:00 GMT -5
I voted yes, because when I see misspelled words, or incorrect grammar, it irritates me. xD So, I would hate to irritate someone with my grammar or spelling.
I also remember a very good friend of mine, (He's from Quebec) was learning English, and he kept saying 'I hate these stupid buttons.' 'This week, I had no buttons, I was very happy!' And I kept thinking to myself, what buttons? Turned out he meant zits. xD He was also very grateful I corrected him, because he said English people kept giving him weird looks when he talked about 'buttons.'
I'm learning French, and I love to be corrected, because I learn a lot faster when others tell me my mistakes, other than me finding out weeks later, why everyone was laughing at me. :/
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Post by Ratqueen on Aug 19, 2009 14:47:11 GMT -5
Oh yes! The buttons/zits thing is definitely an understandable mistake from a French-speaking person! We do say "bouton" for zit, which is the same word as "button", haha! I used to make TONS of similar mistakes at the beginning!
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Post by Alex@Marvel on Aug 19, 2009 14:50:19 GMT -5
I'm really honestly split about it.
On the one paw, sometimes I'd want to know, especially if it was a friend or someone I knew fairly well.
On the other paw, if it was someone totally random or a stranger, that'd be terribly embaressing.
I do understand the need to want to correct people though, there are things that make me just wince somedays when I read posts.
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Post by Brynn on Aug 19, 2009 15:00:53 GMT -5
I'm split; on my writing, I really don't mind when people correct me. I appreciate it, because writing is such an important part of what I do and who I am, that I need to feel that my writing is extremely clean and coherent (does not apply to forum posts XD).
But I have a lot of trouble speaking most of the time (it's a common joke that I'm a writer, not a public speaker, and that I can't even speak my native tongue), as in mispronouncing words, on occasion sounding like I'm special by mixing up my sentences. It really bothers me when people correct me on it, as there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Generally people I know know which words trip me up, and they finish my sentence for me if they can, but if strangers do it just makes it worse.
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Post by loxfiredance on Aug 19, 2009 15:20:48 GMT -5
Well. I was one of the top English students at high school and in college, so when people deliberately pick at my obvious mistakes I get rather annoyed. It's like... ok, it's a mistake, I didn't deliberately spell it like that? However, I get pretty annoyed if people use bad grammar all the time. It's OK to make a few 'typos' or if you're, say, dyslexic. But if someone always uses bad grammar, despite being told the correct spelling(s), it's like "WHY ARE YOU DOING THAAAAAT AAARRGGHH" People who spell the American way in England get a thumbs-down from me too, though I'm OK with Americans doing it (i.e. spelling 'mum' as mom, colour as 'color', grey as 'gray'.)
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Post by Rinkái on Aug 19, 2009 15:34:34 GMT -5
Haha, that one drives me NUTS... Although I used to be guilty of it myself. I'm fine with American spellings in American too, but I prefer people to spell things the English way.
I'm mildly dyslexic, and I have a slight stutter/speech disorder where I mess up sentences and miss words out. I prefer people to correct me and usually I check everything I type around three times to comb out typing mistakes. Sometimes I have a day when I just CAN'T spell one word, just that word; on those days, I'll go seek out someone I know who is reliable with spelling and ask them how to spell it, or spell check it on a forum.
I hate the idea of constantly being wrong and nobody correcting me! I'm a bit obsessive over being right, and I prefer the short-term embarrassment of being corrected immediately over the long-term embarrassment of finding out everybody was laughing over your inability to pronounce "criminal" for example. (I still can't say that. ¬___¬ Though now at least I know WHY people laugh when I say "crinnymal", lol).
I'll tell you my pet peeve. PEOPLE USING APOSTROPHES WRONGLY, OH MY GOD. It makes me want to go out and kick babies, hahaha. Not literally, obviously but boy does that make me mad. So does "there", "their" and "they're" being used in exchange for each other.
There: Jimmy was right over there. Their: It was their dog. They're: They're a bit hot!
There indicates a place, their means more than one person owns something and "they're" is the shorter term for "they are" which means it should ONLY be used when saying "they are" could make sense.
For example: "It was they're dog." erm. NO. "It was they are dog." does NOT make sense. Sorry people.
>___<;;;;
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Post by Ratqueen on Aug 19, 2009 18:15:19 GMT -5
So does "there", "their" and "they're" being used in exchange for each other. Oh man, this one always makes me wince (since kicking babies is not in style, haha). Yet such a very common mistake.
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Post by Moo on Aug 19, 2009 19:35:54 GMT -5
I think with mispronounciations like escape in the US stem from where you come because that also determines how you say things. Like wah-ter versus wud-er, that's a big thing I find.
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Post by Arty on Aug 19, 2009 20:23:42 GMT -5
I like to be corrected, however recently I find myself mixing up my words when I speak at times. I think that comes from talking way too quickly so I'm trying to think before I speak and speak more slowly.
It irks me a lot when people say "aloud" when they mean "allowed" because they are clearly two seperate words. Ugh. My friends correct me when I spell words the American way, which I don't mind heh. Proboards uses American words and it transfers over to my MSN conversations.
I forgot what else I was going to put, maybe I'll remember later haha.
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Post by Zekumi on Aug 19, 2009 22:14:44 GMT -5
I am so fed up with people putting 'rediculously'. o__o I mean ... come on.
Red-iculously? Like the color? I know it's a simple mistake, but 75% of the population seems to have no idea they're spelling it wrong. And what's ironic is that a lot of them are ranting about how stupid someone else was blah blah blah when they put it, and their big, glaring spelling mistake is staring me in the face the whole time.
Anyhoo, I like to be corrected. And who cares? It's not like I've made some huge, inexcusable pho pa. It's a spelling or dramatic mistake. It's not like my entire pride is shot/~end of the world~.
I don't get being torn up over being corrected with anything if it's done casually or with manners. That's how we learn. We look a lot stupider frolicking around shooting spelling mistakes every which way.
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Post by Clover on Aug 19, 2009 22:18:03 GMT -5
There, Their, They're and Your & You're make me angrryyyyy x__x; I correct people all the time but when it just doesn't sink in I get really mad, haha.
AND. I voted 'depends', because sometimes I make mistakes without knowing it and I want to be corrected, haha. But other times when I make mistakes and I just don't feel like acknowledging it and people are like "YOU SPELLED THAT WRONG" then it gets on my nerves. I guess it really depends how I'm feeling? xD
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Post by Alex@Marvel on Aug 19, 2009 22:19:47 GMT -5
Ah yes, but for those of us with social anxiety disorders..it's a lot worse being corrected by a complete stranger. ^^; And I totally agree with you on the whole 'rediculously' thing too. I really should go around sometime documenting all the errors I see online and make a list. In fact, I think I will next time I'm bored. Oh, one that gets to me is alright vs all right. Last semester english, I never knew this before, mind you.. We were taught that "alright" is not actually what you should use. And yet, it's everywhere, even on the closed captioning on my tv. Although I really should be a little smart aleck and ask the teacher if "alrighty" is okay. One more thing to add, although it does bug me when people make those mistakes over and over again.. I always ask before I nitpick, since it really does irritate the heck outta some people.
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Post by Spell on Aug 20, 2009 12:47:33 GMT -5
I can't spell worth a darn.. In grade school I had to study my spelling list for hours and would sill make mistakes XD It bothers me that some people think "You can't spell.. you must be stupid!". No, it's just not something I'm good at? I am not an English major... I never would be able to be one XD
Though, the computer comes with this nifty little spell check.. So I'm a bit better here XD. AIM/MSN... well.. I have my own language I guess. Selena is nice to me though.. she doesn't point it out when I start babbling on with bad grammar/spelling XD
I don't mind people telling me if I constantly spell the same word wrong. Defiantly is the worst word ever and I spell it wrong every time. But, come on.. typos happen. Don't be a spelling natzi >>;;
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Post by Alex@Marvel on Aug 20, 2009 15:13:59 GMT -5
You have your own language, Spell. I think I've only pointed out a few..I do try to be nice and not be total nazi on my friends. ^^ Now if someone asks me to look at something they wrote, I ask if I can nitpick..and if they say yes..
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