Proof reading

I find the forums interesting and informative,but could I ask everyone to do a quick proof read before posting?There have been a lot of posts lately where the meaning has been lost or missed;

"My grand is 5'10 and I would want to go any smaller..."

meaning "I would not want to go any smaller".Many more examples and, yes,I am making allowances for those whose first language is not English.

Please!

I totally am t oo

i lik 2 jes sit down an right. if sumone cant figure out wad i mean, than two bad!


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Ed LoPresti
Professor of Linguistics – Whatsa-Matta U.

Touche!

Unfortunately it's not just this forum and extends to most self-published works. The way I see it, if they couldn't be bothered to write properly then I can't be bothered to read it.

You can ask anything you want.

Wow...loosen up your britches...lifes too short

RM

Actually, that should be " . . . life's too short." One of those troublesome contractions I am certain you must have studied.

Ed

Obviously, theirs a bunch of loosers on this forum.

I know just what you mean. It is very easy to miss the details while composing and sending off these little missives. And it's not just grammar but sometimes typographical errors show up as well.

For example, there was recently a post on proofreading in which the well-meaning author repeatedly missed inserting the spaces that should follow commas and separate sentences. Errors like this break up the flow of ideas almost as much as the outmoded practice of inserting two spaces between sentences. I'm sure you noticed it.... :>)

ddf

Many don't speak English as a first language. They do a very good job of getting their point across.

I personally have no excuse, but it is an Internet forum, and I don't give a rats ass about my grammar..

English is my fourth language, but that is no excuse for not learning how to spell it. But, education is no longer what is used to be. From the posts on Facebook from all my Norwegian friends, I realize that spelling is a lost art back there as well. The only ones who still seem to have a grip on spelling and grammar, are the Germans. And they have the toughest rules of all. Maybe that's what keeps them on their toes....

And that is exactly why judgement is made. Poor grammar, misspelling, and lack of proper punctuation are not able to convey the original concept.

(Edit: should be rat's ass)

Tough crowd eh

Hey Lushley1--
While we're on the subject, in the US at least, "proofread" is one word. You need a space after punctuating the end of a sentence before beginning the next one. A semicolon is used to separate two complete clauses, and punctuation goes to the left of a quotation mark.

Physician, heal thyself!

OED gives 'proofread' too so at least on this occasion US spelling is not aberrant.

Most of the replies here are missing the point that OP was trying to make. He's not nitpicking over trivial grammar and syntax details, as many of the replies seem to insinuate. He simply pointed out that simple typographical errors can completely alter the meaning of what the author intended to write. In his example, a poster said "would want" instead of "would not want".

At best, readers will notice the incongruity and make a mental correction. "My grand is 5'10 and I would want to go any smaller..." does not make sense given the context (the preceding statement was "I've liked the sound of many large uprights more than small grands.", so the idea of going for a smaller grand would be in contradiction.)

Or worse, the typo goes undetected, resulting in bad advice or hurt feelings: "Octaves do feel comfortable" vs "Octaves don't feel comfortable".

Or even worse, it inspires somebody write a post pointing it out to everybody, only to demonstrate that proofreading ultimately doesn't matter... because we'll find a way to misunderstand you in spite of it!

Good post Voltara.

I blame texting and instant messaging!