I’m not sure what’s up with the growing lack of knowing the rudimentary basics of English. It’s a rarity to read a news article that’s error free. Are we, as a nation, being dumbed down? Years ago, a blunder like the pic above would have never happened because the person writing it would have done it right in the first place. Or the person editing would have caught it. Or the printer would have caught it. But now? No one is minding the literary chicken coop.
So while it’s funny and proffers up the expected how-horrible! groans, it’s a symptom of something far worse and pathetic. Really, we should aspire to excellence, right?
It’s a media-wide problem, which includes the book publishing industry.
Added to this is a tendency, particularly with US writers, to misquote certain phrases, such as ‘… couldn’t care less’, as ‘… could care less.’
I’ve left comments following error-laden online articles, pointing out the misused words, dangling modifiers, construction problems, and so on, only to be “thumbed down” dozens of times and accused of being a “grammar Nazi.”
Except the accuser likely spelled it “grammer.”
Good grief. Why don’t these dissenters simply admit they don’t care about the ability to communicate effectively? It shows an alarming comfort with mediocrity and ignorance. Sad, that.
I suspect the Nazis would have enforced proper use of grammar, with a firing squad for repeat offenders.
what is wrong with the above sentence? it reads fine….
Poor grammar runs rampant via social media. My biggest pet-peeve is when people place commas and periods outside quotation marks. I see teachers, bloggers, and writers do it all the time and I think it has led to a monkey-see-monkey-do epidemic.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is appalled at the errors in previously exalted publications. It makes me wonder if journalists even have to take English classes anymore.
April, in the UK, periods go outside quotes. But here, there’s no excuse for it.
Oh, I see. . . and you’re right, no excuse here, especially from US journalists, teachers and authors.