The Apostrophe Protection Society
#67
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To who?? You mean to what. To a level that any literate person would take more seriously, putting it bluntly. Like it or not, people make judgments about everything and everyone all day long. Like you do, yes you. Plenty of employers on here judge people by the standard of English on their application forms. Harsh world, Mr Kwik, harsh world.
#68
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Punctuation and grammar in our line of business is quite literally, the difference between getting a job or not.
We all make mistakes on-line; I blame predictive spelling for many mistakes. But to simply dismiss poor English as unimportant is a very weak response.
If you're bad and something and it holds you back, get better at it. There are endless sources of free advice and information available to help anyone out.
We all make mistakes on-line; I blame predictive spelling for many mistakes. But to simply dismiss poor English as unimportant is a very weak response.
If you're bad and something and it holds you back, get better at it. There are endless sources of free advice and information available to help anyone out.
#69
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Unfortunately the offenders are just to lazy or simply can't be arsed to even contemplate improving their English. This seems to be the attitude these days, I see it all the time with the 20 somethings in the office and quite a few who should know better too. They have no pride in their work at all. It's quite depressing really.
Last edited by bioforger; 07 January 2013 at 08:15 PM.
#79
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I was lucky enough to do a maths O'level a year early and the GCSE equivalent the following year. Even then (this is going back a fair few years ) the GCSE was **** easy compared to the O'level. Multiple choice included? wtf?
Ok bad example as it's maths, but English was the same. It was all written at the time, now they are allowed to do course work for up to 50% of the total mark, again wtf?
Last edited by bioforger; 07 January 2013 at 08:34 PM.
#80
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I'd suggest that those who get it wrong simply never learnt it in the first place. A bit tricky, a bit boring, didn't want to appear nerdy and ask for it to be re-explained, the list goes on. And once you're an adult, as most of us would admit, it's extremely hard to find the motivation to learn new skills unless absolutely necessary.
#81
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To who?? You mean to what. To a level that any literate person would take more seriously, putting it bluntly. Like it or not, people make judgments about everything and everyone all day long. Like you do, yes you. Plenty of employers on here judge people by the standard of English on their application forms. Harsh world, Mr Kwik, harsh world.
Harsh world, yes, modern world also though. I don't know how to spell apostrophe, but spell check does. If I know how to use spell check, I can spell more words than your good self.
A well dressed middle aged man came for an interview with me last year. His application was impeccable, his interview technique brilliant, calm, able to respond quickly to any question and showed great enthusiasm for the role. He fell at the last hurdle though, and rightly or wrongly I couldn't employ him.
Had I judged him by his grammar I would have employed him.
Last edited by Kwik; 07 January 2013 at 08:35 PM.
#82
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But Kwik, my initial post wasn't merely in relation to a missed apostrophe. It was the difference between two fundamentally different words, your and you're. Rightly or wrongly, i judge people on things like that. Find me somebody who is extensively read but still gets those two words wrong. Dyslexia aside (don't get me started on THAT as an excuse), i'm saying that person doesn't exist. QED.
#83
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But Kwik, my initial post wasn't merely in relation to a missed apostrophe. It was the difference between two fundamentally different words, your and you're. Rightly or wrongly, i judge people on things like that. Find me somebody who is extensively read but still gets those two words wrong. Dyslexia aside (don't get me started on THAT as an excuse), i'm saying that person doesn't exist. QED.
I won't have someone come and work for me unless they are able to understand the difference between two basic words like your and you're. I deal with companies who, rightly or wrongly, do judge people on such things and as it happens I agree with them.
Don't even get me started on brought and bought. FFS!!!!!
To me it shows a lack of attention to detail and that will only carry forward into the rest of their work!
#86
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But Kwik, my initial post wasn't merely in relation to a missed apostrophe. It was the difference between two fundamentally different words, your and you're. Rightly or wrongly, i judge people on things like that. Find me somebody who is extensively read but still gets those two words wrong. Dyslexia aside (don't get me started on THAT as an excuse), i'm saying that person doesn't exist. QED.
I'll repeat it's a modern world, possibly one you struggle to fit into anymore?.
#87
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And i'll repeat, you make judgments about people ALL DAY LONG, whether it's because of their height, their gender, their dress, their accent, their vocabulary, the list is endless. You can't single out something that you don't personally believe is overly important just to suit your own ends.
#89
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And i'll repeat, you make judgments about people ALL DAY LONG, whether it's because of their height, their gender, their dress, their accent, their vocabulary, the list is endless. You can't single out something that you don't personally believe is overly important just to suit your own ends.
I'd imagine some people could judge your posts as arrogant. Ironic?
Last edited by Kwik; 07 January 2013 at 09:02 PM.
#90
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Kwik, why are you harping on about elevating myself? Did you read my reply to that specific point or do i need to re-post it below? It's nothing to do with elevating me, it's about elevating the validity of the post itself. Even i'm not quite that egotistical.