You know those mornings when you wake up, drag your bleary-eyed self over to the coffeemaker, pour that steaming cup of Joe (mostly) into your mug, then stagger to the laptop to see what new and fascinating developments Facebook and Twitter have dumped into your inbox overnight? Somebody’s posted a link to the latest free Kindle books, somebody else is passing around a hilarious new Lolcats, and somebody else has a question about their latest plot problem. So between swigs of coffee, you start typing responses. You’ve only just woken up. The caffeine hasn’t kicked in. But, hey, at least your fingers are moving over that keyboard. You hit send, then head off for a shower.
Not until you return to the computer forty-five minutes later, do you realize you’ve really stepped in it. The latest notification in your inbox is from your friendly neighborhood Grammar Nazi, who has taken it upon himself to inform you that your last comment was an opprobrium to the hallowed study of grammar, spelling, diction, and other such inviolables. Your great sin? You wrote “your” instead of “you’re.” Forget about even trying to claim you were under the influence of that cup of morning coffee. Forget about pointing out that it was a simple typo, a slip of your fingers when your brain really did know better. Forget about claiming it could have happened to anyone. You think the Grammar Nazis care about piddling little excuses like that? Nosirree!
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| Image by BuzzLOL.com |
I’m going to admit up front that I really don’t get why people think they have a duty (much less a right) to point out every little mistake, particularly in the relatively informal setting of social media. Good manners says overlooking the occasional and inevitable little boo-boo is the better part of courtesy.
The truth is we all make honest little mistakes. We all rip off a tweet and slap the enter button before we’ve really had proper time to proofread it. We’ve all cringed when we’ve caught the typo after it’s gone live for all the world to see. Most of the time, we don’t need Mr. Grammar Nazi to tell us where we erred. Most of the time, when he does tell us, we just want to bonk his annoying little know-it-all head with something heavy and blunt.
Why I Am One
And yet, as much as Grammar Nazis sometimes drive me up the wall, I also have to admit my affinity with them. I try my absolute bestest not to point out every misplaced comma, every misused term, and every misspelled word I see. But, I tell you what, it’s hard! When you’re watching the English language tumble down around your head, it’s tough not to run around like Chicken Little, screaming, “The grammar’s failing! The grammar’s failing!”
I love my language. I love its precision. I love its rules. I’m also more than a little OCD, so, naturally, I want to fix everyone’s mistakes. But I don’t. Not always, at any rate. Because I believe there’s a time and a place to pick your battles.
How to Correct Grammar Effectively
To be effective in sharing our knowledge with the leetspeakers, we have to realize why most people hate the guts out of Grammar Nazis and then approach with caution. Here’s a good plan of attack:
- Don’t jump on every typo you see.
- Double-check your proposed correction is indeed correct.
- Consider whether the typo was the honest mistake of someone who knew better or something committed out of ignorance.
- If the former, consider letting it go. If the latter, consider the following.
- Determine whether the person at fault wants to improve.
- If yes, contact them in private. Few people appreciate being told their faults in a public forum.
- Be kind. No one likes a know-it-all. Even when he’s right. Okay, especially when he’s right.
- If no, take a deep breath. Realize it doesn’t matter. Let it go. Move on.
Tell me your opinion: Do other people ’s typos drive you nuts?
Related Posts: Keeping Your Writing a Secret
The Importance of Pleasing Ourselves in Our Writing
Should You Write for a Specific Audience?
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Story by K.M. Weiland
I'm only bothered if there are too many.
Even in professional works, I'm generally able to overlook a typo here and there. It happens to the best of us, even when multiple eyes have been over the material. I'm only likely to be annoyed at professional typos if it's obvious no regard was shown for even attempting to catch them.
Typos drive me nuts, but I usually keep quiet. I make mistakes too. Typos happen. We are, after all, only human and not perfect. If we were perfect, there would be no need for Grammar Nazis. ;)
If telling someone about a typo will save them from embarrassment (i.e., it's fixable), I'll point it out. But if the mistake is past saving, it's not something I'll harp on.
I only get agitated when it's a book on writing and there are several mistakes on the first page. Otherwise, I tend to be tolerant and appreciate the same courtesy from others.
I have a hard time keeping my big mouth shut when I see typos in something that should have been carefully proofread. In informal communication, I let it slide, although it does sometimes lessen the respect I might have for someone if they clearly do not have a clue how to communicate professionally.
Recently I felt compelled to leave a poor review on Amazon for a book that would have been halfway decent but for the typos ON EVERY PAGE. Seriously, even on my tiny iPhone screen, there was at least one mistake per page. In my opinion, it's absolutely inexcusable if you're going to publish a book, whether digitally or in print, not to have it proofread by a professional.
Generally not, especially on Facebook & Twitter, and the occasional blog post. Mistakes happen, and more so when you're less concerned about double checking your work. :)
@Jay: The Golden Rule never goes amiss. The more critical we are of others, the more likely we are to fall prey to criticism in return (which isn't to say, of course, that we need not hold others to same high standard as we hopefully do ourselves).
@Serena: E-books, in particular, seem to be guilty of multiple typos. It would appear they're not being submitted to the same rigorous copy editing as their print counterparts. Hopefully, this tendency will right itself as more and more readers start turning to e-books.
@DL: If anything, our annoyance at the mistakes of others should make us more vigilant in seeking out and correcting our own. Still, even with the best intentions, it's amazing how many sneaky little typos can creep into a work. Multiple eyes (especially professional ones) on a manuscript are vital.
I hate, hate, hate, when I see typos in professional writing (including ads and published books). But, I also hate it when I see people correcting every little mistake on twitter or in FB and blog comments, etc. Seriously, who cares? It's supposed to be a casual, social setting.
I have had friends apologize to me when they write to me (i.e. "sorry for my spelling!") and I want to scream "I don't care!". While I may have noticed the mistake, it is not going to mar the pleasure of communicating with them. I will not correct their faults unless they ask me to proofread something. And I would never write to a blogger/writer/stranger and give unsolicited editing advice. Some people have too much time/nerve/high-opinion-of-themselves. Also, I agree that any mistakes made before the coffee kicks in are automatically forgiven :)
Yeah, that coffee kick is vital in typo spotting. Subsistence of copy editors everywhere!
It bugs me a lot, especially in textbooks-- I found a random zero in the Iliad--but I can generally restrain myself, unless I know people won't mind. Probably the worst I had was when I was supposed to review someone's booklet for layout purposes and the text chosen was riddled with mistakes (the author knew but hadn't had time to fix it). I was like...........want to fix...........
I was lot grouchier about typos before I went through my own experiences of publishing. Being on the other side of the fence - and realizing how easy it is to accidentally let a typo slip through - made me a lot more forgiving. But deliberately ignoring typos... that's another story altogether!
"I was lot grouchier about typos before I went through my own experiences of publishing. Being on the other side of the fence - and realizing how easy it is to accidentally let a typo slip through - made me a lot more forgiving." >>>>> this is how I am as well - when I went through the publishing process, and realized/recognized how easy it was to overlook a typo or two, I became a lot more able to overlook them. I once wrote up a post about how the publishing process "kicked my arrogant/naive a$$" *laugh*
I don't correct people because it just seems rude and maybe they don't want my advice or recommendations. I especially ignore things on social networking.
The other day I wrote out a blog post title in a hurry (yup, in the morning during first cup of coffee) and about an hour later realized I'd written Wendesday instead of Wednesday - lawd! And it auto-published to FB and Twitter and somewhere else. What could I do? Nuttin except correct it on the post and shrug it off.
I write my social networking very fast, as I do comments *kat wonders if there is a mistake here as she rushes through!*
I am so very careful in proofing my novels, reading them over and over and over -and OVER and in different ways (print, word doc, kindle), and there is an editor, and a friend, and my husband, and a copy-editor who also read, and guess what? things still slip through. Dang it all!
Boy, are we coming from the same place, sister! I had to cringe just a little when I published this post, since I knew there was a good possibility of a typo lurking within its paragraphs (even though I'd proofread it multiple times). I've ripped off more than my share of too-quickly-proofread tweets and comments and ended up giving myself a good slap in the forehead and swearing I'll never do that again. But it happens. Best we can do is correct it, forget it, and try to do better next time.
Hi, depends. If someone is sending me a post, article, or work that I need to publish, sure, it does, but typos on social media stream doesn't bother me too much. Again, depends. Is the person paid to tweet, is it his or her job? Than of course I expect more from then. I have different standerds for those who tweet 'while jogging' :), or those like me, who just learn English.
While I want to learn and appreciate corrections, there is a voice of a creator in me telling to change few things. If I could, I would use no capital letters at all. Some things doesn't make sense, but ...
Thanks for sharing your ideas :)
Yes, grammar mistakes bug me. Eventually, those mistakes will be considered correct, and we'll lose its precision.
My kids are learning bad grammar by exposure. It doesn't matter to them that I think poor grammar will make their lives more difficult. (They're both interested in jobs that require writing.)
We're already losing the simplicity of the language. "Whom" and "utilize" used in the wrong places (i.e., utilized) add unnecessary syllables, yet people are convinced they're better.
That's not to say my own grammar is perfect, or even as perfect as can be expected given that the experts disagree over some of the rules, but it's still frustrating when I see people not get the basics correct.
I'm a Grammar Nazi but I can hold my tongue. Generally on Facebook and Twitter, I ignore typos. I only get twitchy when it's something I see everyday. For some reason typos on shop signs drive me nuts. I always have the urge to go fetch a pen and fix the typo. :)
@Khatia: The lack of capital letters seemed to work out well for e.e. cummings. Breaking the rules out of ignorance, breaking them out of apathy, and breaking them with intent are all very different things requiring very different responses.
@Cricket: The mastery of grammar and style are elusive. I love grammar and I'm relatively good at it, but I still trip over my own mistakes on a frequent basis. "Utilize" vs. "use" is one of them!
@leonie: I drive by a laundromat all the time that has "Launromat" painted in huge black letters on the side of the building. I always find myself wondering if the owners even realize the mistake.
Typos drive me crazy!! But, i can overlook one or two in a book or other lengthy work. After all, I well know from experience that after you look at something 1,000 times, sometimes your brain sees what's supposed to be there -- not what actually is there. However, if I start seeing multiple errors on multiple pages ... I put the book down and walk away. I have too many books I want to read to struggle through an author's poor grammar.
I like the fact that, since authors are also readers, we're able to see and glean from both sides of this issue. As authors, we can be more forgiving of the typos we see in the work of others. But, as readers, we know how off-putting those typos can be, which gives us even more incentive to wipe them out of our own work.
I have the good fortune of being married to a grammar Nazi. The problem I and many others have is that we know what it's supposed to say, so why change it? I asked her to proofread a chapter of my dissertation. She entered my office with chapter in hand and a bottle of ranch dressing. Her only comment was, "I thought you might like some dressing with your sentence salad.". Harsh, but true.
Learning take that kind of criticism can save us a lot of embarrassment in the long run. When you get to benefit from the critical talents of loved ones - instead of shelling out mucho bucks - it's even better!
I sent a Tweet once that accidently ended up being x-rated. I'll never forget that embarrassment. *covers eyes in shame* Now I try and double-check EVERYTHING. I have OCD issue, too. With regard to the social sites, I usually ignore the mistakes. With books and company e-mails, it drives me crazy!
-Jimmy
Nothing like a double entendre typo to make you watch yourself. As far as I know, I've never done that. But I've come close a couple times!
Thanks, I had no idea I had someone on 'my side' :)
Check him out! Cummings isn't one of my favorite poets, but he did write some interesting stuff.
I put an inordinate amount of effort into perfecting my writing, yet everything I write is full of errors. I may be a hack, but I do not let that stop me. I just keep hacking away.
I'm convinced I swallowed a thesaurus in my younger days. Typos drive me up the walls and back down again. It's nice to know I'm not the only writer suffering from typographical hypertension. ;)
Ah, a fellow grammar cop! Excellent! Typos are one thing, but thick-headed, ignorant apathy is quite another.
I've stopped visiting one blog because the author takes no pride in what he writes. Your for you’re, hear for here, there for their and they’re, and syntax that makes the DNA helix look like a straight line. I just can’t see past the errors to actually understand his point.
As others have noted, increasingly we’re seeing supposedly professionally-authored communications replete with these same errors, and those responsible simply don’t see quality writing as a pre-requisite — I know because I’ve contacted them offering to proof read news items for their web pages!
An excellent response plan, Katie. But that last point is a bit hard!
In Australia we pay a lot of money for books (as we do for a lot of other things). It really does irk me if I pay $30 for a paperback (usually a travel memoir because that is what I read) and there are mistakes in it. Especially simple mistakes where the wrong word is used.
However, on blogs it does not worry me. In social media it certainly doesn't because it is about connecting not about spelling and punctuation. Of course the brain has it's own agenda and may keep a silent tally!
I love the pic. You always hit the nail with your post pics. I am a Grammar Nazi too and I cringe when any of my comments has a typo which I cannot correct in time and till then the conversation has gone too far to correct it relevantly.I equally hate when people spot my typos if any! :) I do cringe at other people's typos and derive great pleasure in silently chuckling at them. What can I say......I am evil? }:) In case, there are any typos here, know that I haven't had my morning breakfast and I am in too much hurry to comment here, finish my work and run off for lunch so that I can finish my day's work early.Thank you so much for this post Katie, you made my day. :)
sigh......here I go......it should've read - What can I say......I am evil! }:)
or should it have been - I am in a hurry to........ (The above one gives a negative connotation like feel.)Sigh. See how obsessive this is? I don't even spare myself! :)
Thank you so much for the post again Katie. Please excuse the OCD. :D
I give up! :'(
This is a great post....I feel like no one cares about grammar anymore. I hope that we don't lose our ability to use proper English as time goes on!
Depends on the document - a Tweet or Facebook grammar error doesn't bother me as much as one in a novel, a business letter, menu, or sign. Now, if a Grammar Nazi commits an error, I think they are fair game.
Heather
I Once edited my teacher on a math test. I felt bad, but was very annoyed by it!
I agree completely. I don't like every mistake pointed out but if a person shows potential for improvement then I'm happy to steer him in the right direction.
@Lester: That's the spirit! The only way any of us can improve is by rolling up our sleeves and getting elbow deep in the ink.
@Gideon: I would venture to say 90% of writers share your disorder. ;)
@Murph: I agree - it is hard! But I've realized my blood pressure is better spent helping folks who actually desire to improve.
@Jan: You make a good point about mistakes in work we *pay* for. We have a right to complain when we've shelled out hard-earned money for something, versus complaining about a service or post that costs us nothing.
@Kamikaze: And now you've given me a smile in return! I'm glad you enjoyed the post - and the pic. I got a big chuckle out of that one myself.
@Benjamin: I think we have to realize and accept (to some extent) that the language is evolving, as languages always do. But those of us who are aware of correct usage need to be responsible for leading the way to high standards.
@Heather: That's the thing about grammar nazis - we've been known to shoot each other in the back. ;)
@Jenna: It's bad when even teachers need editing.
@Gargimehra: It definitely needs to be a happy balance.
I saw the following and thought of your blog post.
Ancient Grammar Police
I'm exactly like that chicken little, paniking about tiny mistakes.
@Lester: Hah! Love it.
@Aimee: Well, Chicken Little *did* save the world, so maybe there's hope for us yet. ;)
It used to really bother me. Back in the 90s when I was first on message boards and email groups grammar and spelling were associated with intelligence and thoughtfulness for me. But now mostly its a sign of Internet burn out. How many times a day do you write a post? Do you really feel the need to proof read everyone? Do you really want to? Wouldn't you rather save a key stroke or two by creating an easily understandable abbreviation, or doing away with that apostrophe? As long as it's not so butchered that someone has to read it 3 times to figure out what you're trying to say, what does it really matter? I suppose if all a person ever does is make grammatically poor Internet posts they might harm their writing by forming bad habits that are hard to lose. I admit that remembering apostrophes takes an extra effort for me nowadays even though it used to be second nature.
The thing that really bothers me these days is when poor grammar and spelling are signs of serious illiteracy. I own a business in a virtual world where the main form of communications used to be text chatting. Then they introduced a voice chat ability and ever since then there has been a proliferation of people who can barely type out the words "Cn u voce cuz i dont tipe so god" A few are forgivable because they are not native to the English language but the vast majority are well and truly illiterate Americans. I always refuse to voice chat because: a) I am an old fashioned texty sort of gal and b) if you need to learn a language the best way is to use it (even if all you need to know is how to construct it in text form).
I for one hate getting up in the morning and typing a lazy post, only to wonder if my writer friends are silently judging my grammar choices. But when I see people who enter the text based world of the Internet and try to get along without trying to improve themselves and expecting the rest of us to bend or change to suit them, that is a kind of laziness tat I just can't stand.
Now if you really want to talk about the downfall of something though it's accurate facts. How many times do you see someone post some garbage or repost a stupid article about some kind of atrociousness and they have made absolutely no effort to check the facts or really even think about what the heck they are talking about....Now that really sticks in my craw!
Of course with the proliferation of autocorrect its getting more and more important to be diligent in getting our spelling right the first time or who knows what kind of mischief could ensue! For a laugh http://www.autocorrectfail.org/
My next post shall be Fact Checking Nazis. ;) I'm with you on the rain of inaccurate emails being far more annoying than typos. And don't even get me started on chain letters/emails.
Good post, KM. True, we need to uphold the rules of grammar to the best of our ability, but it is also true that we need to be kind and thoughtful as we do it. And sometimes we just need to bite our pencils and be silent.
: )
Good thing we all have plenty of erasers to chew!
Autocorrect is an abomination! I once sent a text to my husband, not wearing my reading glasses, not paying attention to the placement of my fingers, and of course not following my usual habit of proofreading before hitting the send button. I was asking him if he was coming home and autocorrect turned 'headed' into 'hardening'. All I can say is that it was a good thing I sent that to my husband! Imagine my embarrassment if it had gone to anyone else.
This is one of those lessons you'd think we'd all learn after a couple kerfuffles. But life gets rushed, we get frantic, and off the text message goes without that all-important proofread! Ah well, at least we can comfort ourselves with the fact that it happens to everyone.
My pet peeve has more to do with the grammar nazi I know in real life, usually does not even care if you have a finished manuscript.
If you write four paragraphs, he'll delete three. If you write six, he'll delete four of them.
But then at the very same time, he'll lecture you about having a manuscript finished for him if you want a critiqued.
And then I find myself asking: "How can I have a finished manuscript, if you keep deleting my paragraphs?"
this is why i handwrite my manuscripts now.
Hah! Writing by hand does make you wonder how the classic authors ever got their revisions done.
I don't like grammar nazis at all. I wish sometimes they just keep to themselves. I only get annoyed with bad grammar if its so bad to the point you can't understand them or you don't get what they mean. People have no right to correct other people's grammar, its embarrasses them and it makes 'em feel bad. I for one, make a lot of grammatical errors all of the time, but if people get what I am saying, there shouldn't be a problem at all.
It all comes down to "do unto others." If someone is pointing out a typo in a genuine desire to help or to save another person from future embarrassment, that's one thing. But if he's just carping because it annoys him or because he wants to flaunt his own knowledge . . . yeah, not cool.
Outstanding quest there. What occurred after? Good luck!
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