Why all the corrections (grammar and all)?

Question

I've been seeing them here. Most of the time, asker is being ridiculed. Wrong grammar, tenses, preposition. It's like HELLO? Isn't it enough that the message come across? Why humiliate people just because they are not good in english? Are we into formal writing here?

Answer 1

If the asker's native language is not English, it's quite rude for people to ridicule -- the asker is making a good faith effort to communicate, learning a foreign language is a long process and making mistakes is part of that process.

However, if the asker is writing in "text speak" i.e. "wat r u doin dat 4"  or "dey r hvin dinr ryt now" or "duz neone no wat dat is" then it's lowering the basic communication standards of this forum. "Text speakers" would be well advised to learn how to communicate properly using real words and phrases. I have gotten resumes with parts of it written in "text speak" and would never dream of hiring that candidate for that reason alone. It drives me crazy to read textspeak in any area other than a text message.

Answer 2

Maybe it will help to elevate our standards so that we're not on a third world level.  

Answer 3

Most importantly, I would say it is not a humiliation nor critism. Take it as an opportunity to learn for free. Yes, FREE learning.

Both the asker and and answerer must be both open minded and take answers constructively.

@_@

Answer 4

Hi Gurlie!

Your q somehow hits me! Last night I posted about my brother's case.

I received feedbacks about my grammar. I won't contest about the "correctness" of my grammar,  for I am writing in the manner which I thought understandable. I used caps lock in the Post Script to my question because my eyes are tired and caps lock helps me type faster because of some vision impairment. I also have no ability to go back and edit what I all ready type for I lost that capability all ready, it would take a lot of effort for me to do so, so I iust go on and type what comes out to my brain--impromptu.I also use a software to help me type without looking in the screen. I am sure I made spelling errors at least once or twice but it doesn't mean I don't know how to spell or I am so dumb that I don't know how to spell simple words, it's purely typographical error. Somebody also told me to Google e-mail etiquette about using Caps Lock. I was like, hey I all ready know that, no need to tell for me to Google it. It's like a common knowledge for those who uses computer in their everyday lives. I just hoped that there will be some "politeness" if they want to give remarks. I also prefer those who will criticize to at least answer the question, because if it is really a bad sentence constructiion it will not be understood totally and no one will get it, but I received lots of answers so I assume that I made a very understable question. I just hope they answered the q then leave grammar criticism. Some people do that and I accept the criticism,

Thank you for your post...and hey aren't you my troll? LOL.

Answer 5

be open minded...



it's positive criticism!

Answer 6

Because Filipinos are notorious for being grammar policemen.

Most of the time, when you are abroad you can just speak in whatever Carabao English you have or whatever funny accent you have, just as long as you can get your point across then there are generally no issues.

There are people from many other countries/places who have far more serious problems communicating in English than we do but many people have nothing against them.

So to answer your q, why they do so intending to humiliate others, I would guess, ignorance, arrogance, insecurity or they need help.

Answer 7

We want the world to stay on a level where they can maintain a proper writing standard. otherwise people get stoopid n lik there messagez r retarded.

EDIT: By the way, I'm half Filipino, so no excuses regarding ethnicity.

Answer 8

Actually that is a good question but I haven't seen that sort of ridicule here on Yap for a long time.

Did you know that there are people here who purposely write their answers in a garbled way, why I do not know but even they don't get ridiculed. Are you sure you have the right section.

The only time that may be condoned is if the question just doesn't make any sense. Then the asker should be informed politely.

Answer 9

Well maybe because on the details part of your question, there's the spell check being offered to you and it just kind of makes you look stupid in a way for not using it. Other reasons could be that not everyone can tell if the asker's first language is english or not so it's not all about knowing how to speak good english. Plus formal writing just makes you look like you know a thing or two and more mature than some. If you're talking about filipino people not writing good grammar, why don't they just ask in tagalog? I click on other countries at the bottom of the pages and I notice they speak their native tongue. So I wouldn't blame the people who are writing in bad grammar, maybe they just feel they have to ask in english no matter what. I know what you're saying though, it gets annoying seeing people get embarrassed about their grammar but you can't blame people much.

Answer 10

sometimes being corrected is not to humiliate you, for you to know what is correct.  We have this kind of attitude that we don't want to be corrected, we should change that attitude because thats the way to learn.  Lets admit Filipino like to correct other people, most of the time they do it the way to embarrass people thats why we don't like to be corrected.  If you experience in going other country, they have  a deferent way in correcting you don't feel embarrass instead you feel good learning a correct way.  Don't feel bad or affect you try to think nobody is perfect, those people who corrected you also make mistake.