Topic ID 1681
Whilst we like to think that the forum is open to all, a certain level of literacy is necessary to ensure that posts are easily readable and understood by both members and casual visitors alike. The subject of spelling, punctuation and grammar has cropped up during a number of threads in the past and the issue can often prove contentious. In the same way as some people have difficulties with written English, others equally have problems reading poorly constructed or completely unstructured written English. If posts are devoid of grammar or punctuation they may be ignored by some visitors as they become unreadble. We have never removed a post because of poor English and it's unlikely that that would ever happen (although we have removed txt-spk!).
Reply ID 20685
im so glad or nothing i have written would ever go on this site[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Reply ID 20706
Personally, I find jayzee's posts readable. He's stated that he is dyslexic, however, his sentences are well constructed. Wht i fnd ard 2 rd iz txt spz wch mks it ard 2 wrk out wot z bing sd.
Reply ID 20805
Please please please, when you mean to say lose please do not type it loose. It drives me bonkers.
Reply ID 21219
Jayzee,this may help you in your posts, try installing iespell to your browser, not firefox or opera. As long as you have internet explorer 5 or above, do a google search it is there.
Reply ID 23320
quote:Wht iz txt 4 old codger! [;)]
Originally posted by JohnSmith
Personally, I find jayzee's posts readable. He's stated that he is dyslexic, however, his sentences are well constructed. Wht i fnd ard 2 rd iz txt spz wch mks it ard 2 wrk out wot z bing sd.
Reply ID 23328
Like jayzee I am also dyslexic, but in my case, because of ADD. It's slightly different. I'm lucky that I type better than I write and that my spelling is not too badly effected. I do sometimes substitute one word for another (eg.lose/loose, to/too/two) even though I know the difference. I can spot a dyslexic, distinct from a lazy writer, by the style and I'm quite happy to spend a few more minutes to add punctuation to a post, rather than miss good content, even though I might have to re-type it because my own difficulty prevents me from doing so in my head. Text speak doesn't compute at all. I get the theory, just can't find the patterns that simulate speach. If I do mess up some posts, please feel free to take the p***. I find some of my typographical errors funny too.
Reply ID 23333
While I can spot a few mistakes in shunt's last post I can read it clearly. txt spk menz i hav 2 wrk out wot ech wrd is mnt 2 b.
Reply ID 23339
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt. Lifted from somewhere or other.
Reply ID 23342
quote:Yes, very clever as a gimmick and party trick. We should all PRACTISE good PRACTICE and make things clear, concise and readable.
Originally posted by craig
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt. Lifted from somewhere or other.
Reply ID 23448
Practice is indeed useful and since the introduction of PCs, I have written every day, such was the joy of being able to write at all after a lifetime of being unable to compose even a readable note for the milkman. Those of you who find it so easy and natural might take into account that, however much practice, whatever the level of effort, or intelligence, jazee, myself and others like us will always make the odd error. Many dyslexics and ADD are conceptual thinkers and being freed from thought in words, able to process up to 4,000 times faster and often unable to prevent themselves from doing so. In our heads we speak a language that we cannot teach and can appear distracted and lacking concentration. It is not a handicap, except in the way being black in a predominantly white society might be. If a dyslexic writes, take the extra time read it carefully. He will not have opened himself up to possible ridicule lightly, remembering how easily he was teased and dismissed as a child. Rant over.....comments invited.
Reply ID 23452
For me that's a fascinating and helpful insight into the condition. Thanks shunt.
Reply ID 23455
I usually preview posts and that picks up some of my errors but some still get through. Even with mistakes posts are still readable but is there any way of telling if someone is a bad speller or dyslexic?
Reply ID 23478
quote:I couldn't agree with you more, and I can only imagine the frustrations dyslexia must cause to all who have to endure it. One of my sons, though whilst not dyslexic finds that his thoughts are way ahead of his written work which manifests in indecipherable,albeit correctly spelt writing On a more general level it is still important to impart to all a knowledge of the framework of written and spoken language. It is especially important that those who seek to inform us through the media, especially in print - use correct spellings etc. Daily Mail take note - you PRACTISE your music lessons, your DOCTOR/SOLITOR/SOCIAL WORKER has a PRACTICE. More than one tomato = tomatoes, not tomato's.
Originally posted by shunt
Practice is indeed useful and since the introduction of PCs, I have written every day, such was the joy of being able to write at all after a lifetime of being unable to compose even a readable note for the milkman. Those of you who find it so easy and natural might take into account that, however much practice, whatever the level of effort, or intelligence, jazee, myself and others like us will always make the odd error. Many dyslexics and ADD are conceptual thinkers and being freed from thought in words, able to process up to 4,000 times faster and often unable to prevent themselves from doing so. In our heads we speak a language that we cannot teach and can appear distracted and lacking concentration. It is not a handicap, except in the way being black in a predominantly white society might be. If a dyslexic writes, take the extra time read it carefully. He will not have opened himself up to possible ridicule lightly, remembering how easily he was teased and dismissed as a child. Rant over.....comments invited.
Reply ID 23480
quote:You might want to double-check that. As far as my dictionary's concerned, PRACTICE is correct for both. PRACTISE is just the American spelling of the same word.
Originally posted by Fish Wife
Daily Mail take note - you PRACTISE your music lessons, your DOCTOR/SOLICITOR/SOCIAL WORKER has a PRACTICE.
Reply ID 23486
Found this link - which corresponds to what I was taught on Teacher Training http://www.gcse.com/english/practice.htm
Reply ID 23495
quote:There are some small keys, but spotting them takes practice. For instance, a word spelled two different ways by the same writer in the same passage, a word with a vital, but missing letter, repeated words etc. Most dyslexics edit fairly thoroughly and cull most of these, but my own son thanked me for the "worm prosecutor" I gave him one Christmas. At it's most severe a spell-check doesn't help, as the writer is unable to tell if the computer correction is right or wrong.
Originally posted by Scouter
I usually preview posts and that picks up some of my errors but some still get through. Even with mistakes posts are still readable but is there any way of telling if someone is a bad speller or dyslexic?
Reply ID 23497
quote:Interestingly the OED and Chambers seems to believe that "practice" is the US version for "practise the piano"!!! See http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/practise?view=uk. I think either spelling is acceptable these days. One of my bugbears is that licence and license are used incorrectly an awful lot, along with brake and break!
Originally posted by Steve You might want to double-check that. As far as my dictionary's concerned, PRACTICE is correct for both. PRACTISE is just the American spelling of the same word.
Reply ID 23498
Yep, I get that one wrong a lot, which for a licensee, is quite bizarre!
Reply ID 23516
Yes, it's not surprising when a lot official publications get it wrong [:)]
Reply ID 23540
quote:You might want to double-check that. As far as my dictionary's concerned, PRACTICE is correct for both. PRACTISE is just the American spelling of the same word. [/quote Eeek......I would choose to disagree with that, especially as it was something that was drummed into me as a child by my oh-so-English convent school. We were also taught that American spellings used Z instead of S for such words as SocialiSe, summariSe, specialiSe.
Originally posted by Steve
[quote]Originally posted by Fish Wife
Daily Mail take note - you PRACTISE your music lessons, your DOCTOR/SOLICITOR/SOCIAL WORKER has a PRACTICE.
Reply ID 23542
I did a google search for a BBQ and spelt it out in full but with a q. We do get used to such abbreviations!
Reply ID 23725
Useful link [url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5263812.stm"]Employees 'need remedial lessons'[/url] One in three employers have to give their staff remedial lessons in basic English and maths, a survey suggests.
Reply ID 23940
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/extra329.html Dyslexia is very common and not many people actually know much about it. Being Dyslexic myself I do have problems with spelling. I have attached a link to The British Dyslexia Association so if you wish you could find out more about this condition.
Reply ID 24478
One common error is confusing it's (it is) with its (possessive). This can make a sentence confusing to read. Quite often I am left thinking "It's not 'it's', it's 'its'", or it's not 'its', it's it's. A friend of mine has dyxlexia. It can be misunderstood by some. My friend failed some written exams, despite obviously being very knowledgeable in the subject; he was later allowed to retake them dictating to a scribe, after he had been diagnosed with dyslexia. He passed with flying colours.
Reply ID 24482
To bring the subject back to a local issue again, we probably have more visible dyslexics, right here, than anywhere else. Hertfordshire was one of the last counties to recognise the condition as a special need or provide training for teachers. We had to instruct solicitors to sue the LEA, on behalf of my son, after years of unsuccessful campaigning. We were told "there is no such thing as Dyslexia" and then, "OK, there is such a thing as Dyslexia, but our figures show Hertfordshire doesn't have any". On enquiry, it turned out they had never tested anyone for it or trained a single teacher to recognise the signs! They buckled just before the court date, but ultimately it was too late to make any difference to my son's own education. Schools now have special needs teachers, but they didn't then. To indicate how recently that was, he is now 23. Ironically, the more formal methods, rows of foward facing desks and chanted learning techniques of 50+ years ago, favoured dyslexic pupils, without disadvantaging others. The rise in the figures for those requiring special needs may not because of better diagnosis, but because we are making life more difficult for them by pandering to a majority. ADD, which can also produce Dyslexic symptoms, but is quite distinct from it, is still widely misunderstood in the UK. Neither my son or myself passed exams, despite our medical records recording IQs which would easily qualify for MENSA membership. The real damage to a dyslexic's later life is done by being treated like an idiot from the first day at school. We are not all Tom Cruise and lucky enough to find an highly paid outlet for hidden talent. For some, a lifetime of ridicule destroys what they might have been, but most also develop a keen insight into human psychology, whilst learning to defend their own self-confidence. Writing is an aquired skill and about as useful as a measure of intelligence as the ability to cook eggs.
Reply ID 24484
I thought that the original point of this tread was: "Please try to make sure that your posts make sense" It was never intended to put down people that have difficulty writing. Ultimately, in order to effectively use this resource, you have to be able to read and write.
Reply ID 24486
I think some people get too hung up on "preserving" punctuation and spelling. The fact is, our language is and always will be constantly changing. You just have to look back at olde English, and realise how far it has come. Our grandchildren will probably look at our use of the English language and find it hard to read. Like it or not, “txt” speak is having a great impact, and many of the spellings are likely to replace existing words and phrases, just like “I’m” and “you’re” have done so in day to day writing. In a way, these abbreviated words are actually more efficient. We are also starting to see Americanisation being brought into British mainstream. Films which use words like “color” in the title are no longer being corrected for the British market. Some computer software has already dropped “International English” as a language option. Then there are new words like “dude”. I wouldn’t be surprised if two/to/too is combined into simply “2” in 100 years from now.
Reply ID 24511
quote:Absolutely. It has, however, become clear during the course of discussion that some people think they are superior because they can spell and have engaged in an unwholesome competitiveness. Except to a dyslexic, it's a doddle and therefore not worthy of the boasting, particularly since their games of one-up-manship frequently backfire with a miss-spelling of their own. Content is what matters. I'm sure we all do our best and most do not intentionally miss-spell, particularly since some seem so keen to jump on every error with an attempted put-down. The subject of this thread relates to legibility and making sense. Few posts are actually unreadable, if any, and the meaning of even the most miss-spelt, clear to all but the very lazy.
Originally posted by jez_p
I thought that the original point of this tread was: "Please try to make sure that your posts make sense" It was never intended to put down people that have difficulty writing. Ultimately, in order to effectively use this resource, you have to be able to read and write.
Reply ID 24512
shunt I agree, I am tired of seeing the same old people join a thread only to point out a spelling mistake.... it's pretty pathetic really that this is the only thing they have to contribute!
Reply ID 24516
I think as long as it readable and makes some sort of sense then it should be ok. But I do tend to type things into word before I post, though it doesn’t pick up everything.
Reply ID 24526
Spelling is not really an issue as the message of the post is seldom lost. Whilst I recognise that there will be people who, for whatever reason, struggle with it, punctuation, or lack of, can make a big difference however. Posts which are devoid of any full stops or capitalization to denote the beginning of a sentence often require extra effort to read and understand, effort which many forum users may not be willing to put in. This is a great shame because the point being made may be of importance and far worthier than many of the rest!
Reply ID 27709
There has been another recent bout of complaints about spelling again recently in other threads, though it is now confined to very few contributors. If you find yourself angered by persons, who may have specific reason for not expressing themselves as you do, please email me. Though differences in spelling and punctuation can be caused by inadequate education or intelligence, it is extremely rare that this is the cause. There is, however some controversy in the scientific world regarding dyslexia, as the word over-simplifies a range of different human characteristics. There are some conditions which are labelled "disorder", which actually describe a superior (in some specific ways), but different evolution of the human brain. Hence, this subject is often likened to race predudice;- the majority deciding that the minority is in some way "inferior", despite all evidence indicating the contrary. I have some considerable knowledge of this subject, having studied it in detail for over two decades and would be happy to recommend some basic, introductory books for those who wish to avoid giving offense or expressing prejudiced attitudes.
Reply ID 27723
I actually have had a very good education I have O-level and A-level maths and english both B grades plus I also have R.S.A and H.A.P maths and english full pass with distinctions.I would be very interested how someone with my education can be labelled as thick or stupid.Im 33 and have worked hard all my life and have never come across something as petty as a thread picking on someones puctuation or spelling,Have you got nothing better to do? this thread has nothing to do with hertford and how it has been aloud to go this far I dont understand how does this make hertford a better or safer place.PLEASE admin can this stop it in no way helps and for a visitor who may look at this site who may have a problem with there computor skills it may put them off joining in and sharing there point of view with us
Reply ID 27754
I bet this thread goes to 5 or 6 pages before it ends u..........................
Reply ID 30290
As a terrible typist, it was with great joy that I discovered the Google browser toolbar spell checker (OK it US English, but you can still pick up most typos). It also works OK in conjunction with posting replies on this Web site.
Reply ID 30293
quote:can you tell me how that works as I am useless at typing and always making errors
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
As a terrible typist, it was with great joy that I discovered the Google browser toolbar spell checker (OK it US English, but you can still pick up most typos). It also works OK in conjunction with posting replies on this Web site.
Reply ID 30294
quote:Download from http://toolbar.google.com/T4/ It adds an extra toolbar to your browser. One of the tools it offers is a spell checker.
Originally posted by Marilynquote:can you tell me how that works as I am useless at typing and always making errors
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
As a terrible typist, it was with great joy that I discovered the Google browser toolbar spell checker (OK it US English, but you can still pick up most typos). It also works OK in conjunction with posting replies on this Web site.
Reply ID 30315
quote:Thanks I will give it a go
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beanequote:Download from http://toolbar.google.com/T4/ It adds an extra toolbar to your browser. One of the tools it offers is a spell checker.
Originally posted by Marilynquote:can you tell me how that works as I am useless at typing and always making errors
Originally posted by Ray_by_the_Beane
As a terrible typist, it was with great joy that I discovered the Google browser toolbar spell checker (OK it US English, but you can still pick up most typos). It also works OK in conjunction with posting replies on this Web site.
Reply ID 30316
Let me try this and see if it works. Yes it does thanks, maybe my posts will be more readable from now on as long as I remember to use it.