English teacher's nightmare

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, Glen. That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day...

[Michael MacDonald]

My respect for this forum grows every day... well, most days. One would never expect this sort of discussion--and with such well-taken humor too.

I have to admit: I am a bit finicky about my grammar and spelling. I review posts too much before I submit. Sometimes I copy them to MS word because the spell check is better. Sometimes I come back once or twice to fix errors I missed...

My own mistakes make me cringe, but I have learned in a very short time to ignore the mistakes of others--after all, it is a "quick-and-dirty communications" forum. Now perhaps I will feel more comfortable about posting quick and error-filled messages myself… maybe not.

Anyway, the CL post was clearly not a spelling mistake or two, and it did not appear to be someone with English-as-a-second-language. It seemed to be a US-native who has done little to no writing, was reared in a cave, and was trying to just sound out the words that he knew how to say… either that, or it was a joke. I mean: how can you go to HD, buy a Ridgid vac, use it for years, and then later come up with “rigget”? Either way, it was a hoot.

Can we send an official invitation to have this guy participate in SMC discussions? I would like to get his viewpoint on things... Maybe he can monitor a new forum section on Latters and Grammar. There is an underappreciated audience for that topic.

[Belinda Barfield]

Now perhaps I will feel more comfortable about posting quick and error-filled messages myself… maybe not.

A while back we had a similar rip session on those who have difficulty with spelling and grammar. I mentioned at that time that these types of threads might deter someone with a great deal of practical knowledge from posting. I hope that doesn't happen.

I am a better writer than speaker, but don't always follow the rules when writing here. I tend to write as I would speak. I frequently insert a comma after "so" if I would pause at that point when speaking. If I manage to give someone a laugh with my spelling and grammar errors that's a bonus.

[Bruce Page]

Well said Belinda.

A while back we had a similar rip session on those who have difficulty with spelling and grammar. I mentioned at that time that these types of threads might deter someone with a great deal of practical knowledge from posting. I hope that doesn't happen.

I am a better writer than speaker, but don't always follow the rules when writing here. I tend to write as I would speak. I frequently insert a comma after "so" if I would pause at that point when speaking. If I manage to give someone a laugh with my spelling and grammar errors that's a bonus.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think the original Craigslist poster should be punished by people not finding his listing if they are searching for a "ladder," by people not taking the time to read his posting because it is hard to read, and by us for making fun of him. Done!

You know, I didn't consider that when I first started reading this thread. If it weren't for people too unconcerned to spell or identify properly (and my own twisted search skills) I would never have scored my Unisaw!

[Keel McDonald]

I mean this in good fun, but take a look at the few mistakes I've highlighted in your original post:

I mean this in good fun. I am an English teacher. Dan, you made the statement, "you just connected two independent clauses with a comma and conjunction - making this a run-on sentence."

Actually, this is proper grammar. It is correct to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or you can use a semicolon, to join two independent clauses. It's how you keep the sentence from being a run-on.

[Belinda Barfield]

I mean this in good fun. I am an English teacher. Dan, you made the statement, "you just connected two independent clauses with a comma and conjunction - making this a run-on sentence."

Actually, this is proper grammar. It is correct to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or you can use a semicolon, to join two independent clauses. It's how you keep the sentence from being a run-on.

Thank heaven an English teacher finally chimed in! I thought I had been creating run-on sentences all these years.

[Keel McDonald]

I often read CL ads to see what's out there. Sometimes I read them just for the laughs. It doesn't amaze me that people speak and write the way they do, but it does amaze me that I can understand it. What does that say about me?

[Michael MacDonald]

I suppose it is a bit uncharitable to mock any ad or individual on this topic...

I would add that I think I neglected to bring my point home. It is this: My tortured approach is not better than the relaxed writing etiquette one typically sees. Being haunted by the trivial details of grammar and spelling can be more of an impediment in this type of setting, as Belinda noted. Yes, it would be a shame to miss someone’s insight because his or her fear of exposure… Though I can’t claim a compliment in Belinda’s comment since I am more of a taker than a giver when it comes to woodworking insight.

Fortunately most of us can be casual and accommodating and get on in life without obsessing over these details. I didn't see the irony in the OP errors in relation to the CL post—all that was normal in my opinion. My own obsessive approach, and the CL post, are beyond normal… hence the humor that I see in them.

So let's get on to what important... how about that Ryobi lawsuit?