So this is my first blog and inspired by the new found time in my life because my husband is working nights and my children are growing older, I though I would start with one of my pet peeves.
There, their, they're - Really, people. I was reading an email recently and spotted a there-mistake, or as I like to call them in my classroom "therrors". I try very hard to teach (my children well...) all of my students about common grammar, syntactical, and spelling errors. But when they goof it up, I remind myself... they are still kids. So, as I read emails from my friends, letters to the editor in our hometown rag, and emails from my colleagues, I think to myself again, they are kids, what's your excuse? I like to think that the mistakes I see are just people rushing their writing and not taking their time. I hope and pray that adults really do know which there/their/they're to use and in their haste they have just mis-typed. But even that is NO excuse. I think everyone needs to slow down, take a breath, and take pride in everything they do, even if it is just an email. I am raising my kiddos to know that even if you aren't good at it, spelling and grammar do count. Like my dad always said, "take pride in what you do-if you are a ditch digger be the best darn ditch digger you can be." If you are going to perform brain surgery, certainly I would hope that your effort would be top notch every time you walk into the OR. Therefore, even if it is just an email or a note about your kids' absence, take the time and the pride to do it right. It is after all our mother tongue!
Saving the English language one 9th grader at a time,
Jenn
While you are at it, oh mistress of the English language, could you please reiterate the very simple yet critical difference between the words "then" and "than". I've seen every form of text from email to newsprint to corporate websites that misuse/interchange these two words as though either is acceptable in either one's place.
ReplyDelete