What are your thoughts on Grammar Nazis?

I’m a looser…

@rebbel -Yar not! :)

Well, I agree that it can come over as a bit (much) annoying.
I know that I feel like that sometimes.
But I’m not so much annoyed by the messenger as I am with myself (in those instances).
Gail used to send me PMs with directions on how to use proper spelling and grammar (and read after you write, to check for errors).
The first time I was a bit annoyed with her, thinking what was it to her, but she immediately stressed that she wanted to help me, more than displaying her superiority (my words, these).
I’m ever grateful for all her help in that.
Not only did it better my knowledge and use of your language, it also, because of it, increased my confidence (in letting my self be heard, and read).

@rebbel -I admire you for that.
Many family members of mine spoke French. I couldn’t have cared less about learning it until I
needed it. Lol!

Most “grammar Nazis”, i.e. people who give unsolicited corrections do seem a bit arrogant to me, as if they are trying to flaunt their intelligence more than they are genuinely trying to help, especially if their corrections are given in a condescending tone (as they often are). I think the article may be correct to some degree, though it is bit harsh.

I have mixed feelings about sticklers for grammar. On one hand, they often correct mistakes that are simply typos—sometimes people slip up and it isn’t necessarily due to a lack of understanding as most grammar Nazis seem to think. At the same time, there are errors that annoy me and I’d rather people know they’re errors than continue to make the same errors. (What tends to annoy me more are bad pronunciations, like people who pronounce “both” as “bolth” or “else” as “elts”. That I will call them an idiot for :P)

I studied linguistics, so my interest in language is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive, i.e. I am more interested in studying how people do speak than telling them how they should speak. But I think corrections can be helpful as long as they are provided in a polite manner and not with the implication of “you’re an idiot”.

Also, there are simply some grammatical rules that I don’t agree with, like “no ending a sentence with a preposition” or “no split infinitives”. The justifications for these being rules are flimsy at best.

@Demosthenes – I feel that it’s just a matter of basic manners.

They are usually 100% correct in their criticism/.

But they can be overbearing pedants.

I think the article is typical of pop psych entertainment journalism in that it takes an issue where the public is divided and annoyed with each other, and posits an opinion supposedly backed by particular studies, to overstate a conclusion.

It’s annoying.

There is a very grey and moveable “line” about what qualifies as Grammar-Nazism. Different people draw that line in different places and in different ways.

I tend to be more irritated by people who get upset about corrections. I’m rarely bothered by people pointing out corrections unless they’re being especially picky or annoying about it.

My thoughts they can indeed turn into Nazis if they don’t like the message and find grammar mistakes in the message so they can point them out hopefully in their mind destroying any credibility the message might have had.

@Zaku – Where is that (especially picky or annoying) line for you?
@SQUEEKY2 – Thankfully, there are those who read between the lines.

They are lacking something in their lives, could be sex, an adequate social life, a hobby.

Same with certain individuals here who would suck the life out of a room if you had the misfortune of being there at the same time.

@ucme- Do these same individuals correct grammar during sex?

I have been guilty of correcting people. Some people can’t stand to be corrected. I don’t see it as being overbearing. Some people are just plain ignorant.

@lucillelucillelucille Haha, would not surprise me.

@AshlynM – They both could be seen that way, I suppose.

It doesn’t matter, writing is about communication

Luckily, I was at school the day that prescriptivism vs descriptivism was handed out.

And it went something like this:

Writing Standards

In order to use Fluther, you must meet our writing standards. Proper spelling, capitalization, grammar and punctuation are important to us.

All content must:

Use proper English (no txtspk)
Be spelled correctly
Use appropriate punctuation
While these rules may seem strict and arcane, it’s imperative to keeping the level of discourse at the highest quality.

Please give us your very best efforts, and don’t take it personally if you have a question pushed to editing to fix some typos. We’re sticklers.

Sticklers, except for the incorrect use of the word ‘arcane’ instead of ‘archaic’ and the arrant errant colon usage.

Flag this, because it…
is spam
is not safe for work
doesn’t have enough details
doesn’t prompt a thoughtful discussion
doesn’t meet quality standards
has too many typos or spelling mistakes
has a misleading or vague title
isn’t really a question
Something else…

Add your comments

You have a question that needs editing!, as if.

Delightfully ironic that the article attached to the OP uses ‘extravert’ instead of ‘extrovert’.

@Pinguidchance – I didn’t even notice the extravert/extrovert spelling until you pointed it out. ;)
Then there’s this: :
Is it extravert or extrovert?
Today, ExtrOvert is the most common spelling of the term in the United States. ... Jung believed IntrOverts turn inward, whereas ExtrAverts turn outward. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “The original spelling ‘Extravert’ is now rare in general use but is found in technical use in psychology.

I didn’t click on the link. If your grammar is poor I will think less of you. I rarely make an issue of it publicly but I do file it away.

There is a user here who spells definitely incorrectly and it drives me crazy. It’s not definatley. Does her spell check not work? wtf?

I can’t help but notice spelling errors. Something in my mind just sees them. I don’t often correct those that make them, but sometimes I do. Grammar….nah. I end my sentences in prepositions, use punctuation, incorrectly, and make tons of other mistakes regularly. If someone wants to correct me, I tend to make more of the mistakes…just to piss them off.

Language changes. If enough people keep making the same grammatical error then it may eventually become a new grammar rule. There are more important things in life to get worked up about.

Clear communication is very important to me. I find the miss-use of an apostrophe or a comma irksome. There is one member here who puts so many commas in their posts it’s bewildering, but I don’t say anything. I figure it’s probably just a bad habit they have.

When I see somebody putting up a sign in the grocery store that says, “banana’s 39 cents a pound, I cringe. When it’s hand written, I tend to assume that they were not well educated.

When teachers misspell its instead of it’s, on a bulletin board, I want to smack them because they are part of the problem instead of part of the solution!

When the communication is done via electronics it’s anybody’s guess as to why it shows up the way it does. I am having a constant battle with my electronics because it knows far better than I do whatever I want to say! After I hit send it will often change up the spelling to a completely new word! It’s frustrating and embarrassing.

But as for your article, I may be a grammar Nazi but I don’t fit the description! It saddens me that because grammar and punctuation (clear communication) is important to me that people would perceive me in such a negative light.

Depending on the severity and whether it’s a repeat offense…

You’re a moron, learn to construct a proper sentence, for Pete’s sake.

I’m not a stickler about grammar rules. I’m often guilty of ending a sentence with a proposition. Or starting sentences with conjunctions. But I tend to write the way I talk.

But repeat offenses will start to grate on me. Like “lose” and “loose”.

@raum- You might conjure up the ghost of Miss Manners.

Haha…Miss Manners only dictates behaviors. I usually just say this in my head. :P

@raum – You are smart. :)

@raum- Conjured!
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-11-27-8503220249-story.html

Honestly, I don’t have the highest opinion of Miss Manners.

I find her worse than grammar nazis. At least most grammar nazis are aware that they are judgemental of others. And don’t try to dress it up as virtue.

(I don’t self-identify as a grammar nazi. My grammar is too poor for that.)

@raum – The difference between the two is that people seek out Miss Manners for her opinion, whereas the Grammar Nazi volunteers theirs unasked for.
That pretty much explains my view in a nutshell.

I can understand that. Though personally, I’d take Gail over Miss Manners any day.

@raum -I find the differences in personality traits interesting between those who do and those who don’t correct. Context is important.
I personally don’t love when people ask what I think of their artwork. XD

There’s actually a lot of interesting research on the differences on how extroverts and introverts learn language.

This article kind of oversimplifies all of that. Like @Zaku mentioned, kind of typical of pop psych sites.

@raum – That is interesting,for sure.
I wonder how people who correct others unasked for respond to public criticism?
Are they generally perfectionists? More tightly wound than average? Type A personality?
I am curious.

I don’t know if there’s a one size fits all kind of answer for that.

Personally, I’m a perfectionist. And I’m probably my own harshest critic. So other people criticizing my work rarely bothers me.

As an architecture student in college, final reviews were pretty harsh. Not uncommon to see students cry. I’ve been in reviews where the reviewer just ripped stuff right off of your model.

(You’ve also got to keep in mind though that most of these students had been up for two or three days straight working on these models.)

Whereas, I always looked forward to these reviews. I like when people come with a critical eye. I appreciate their feedback.

Also, I’m not attached to my work the way others seem to be. I was also up two or three nights with no sleep. And also put a lot of hard work into my plans and models. But I also know that I can always improve.

The same with language and communication. Yes, I’ve crafted some words and to a certain extent they represent who I am. Yet, I’ve always got more to learn.

@raum – I’ve been to organized critiques of my own work and have looked forward to them as well.I went there with a purpose in mind. Basically,it was “asked for”.
I am attached to some of my work and is why it would be either given to someone for a reason or wont go up for sale at all.
For me, sales are opinion, whether or not they are voiced. :)

Yes, agree that critiques are asked for. But trying to point out that even when it’s asked for and expected, it can still be highly emotional for some people.

There’s no one size fits all answer. (ie. asked for is good, unsolicited is bad) Though one is probably more considerate than the other.

@lucillelucillelucille The line isn’t clear-cut for me. What mainly annoys me is when grammar corrections materially interfere with communication, especially if it’s just a typo rather than pointing out something someone in the conversation might not already know.

Or if I want to hear what someone has to say, but they get taken out of a conversation by getting upset because someone else corrected their spelling or grammar.

Or when someone is going on and on giving an un-wanted grammar lesson to someone I don’t think needs it in the context, especially if they seem to be doing it out of proportion or inappropriately.

@raum – I have seen those reactions as well.
When it comes to verbal communication. if I can understand them, great.If I need clarification I ask for it.
The same with written communificationey. :)

@Zaku – That would annoy me too as the main goal is to get one’s ideas across.
I have two English teachers in my family. I don’t see or hear them correct anyone but I imagine they catch every mistake.
They are both very laid back people so I would bet that it’s a significant factor.Maybe they just don’t want to bring their work home with them? Idk.
I need to test them out. Lol!