correcting people

It depends on the situation.

If I'm asked to proof something at work, I will correct a typo or a grammar error. When I ask the same from someone else, they do the same for me. We are all human and make silly mistakes. If you ask me for a critique, you will get an honest opinion.

If it's in a forum post, not usually. If it's too bad, I move on.

When someone uses incorrect grammar in speech, especially with I and Me mix-ups, as you mentioned above, I might say something. Otherwise, I just work to make sure I speak correctly.

For me, it's about picking my battles.

I (usually) avoid correcting people because the pot-kettle-black thing always comes back to bite me in the arse. But I rail; inwardly, I rail ...

There was a similar thread not that long ago. Frankly, I think it is rude to correct someone else's grammar on a forum or even in an email, just as it is rude to correct someone during conversation (unless that person is your child). We naturally expect more and better from a writer's forum but not everyone can write and a number don't even know the basics (I/me, who/whom).

I try to be tolerant but most days I am less so and just ignore the post if there are too many grammatical errors. It is too annoying and makes me angry.

I am more tolerant with typos.

In writing: Only if I'm asked to proofread.
In public: Never.
In private: Only my husband and best friend and, even then, only when they ask.

pandoricaopens said:

Do you correct people who use incorrect grammar or does it seems rude to you?

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God, no. You want to get hit in the face, go randomly correct the speech grammar of strangers.

Is there a point to this thread?

caw

I agree, it is very rude to correct someone's speaking, or cawing.

I assume you're probably asking because someone is taking it upon themselves to correct you. I'd respond with a simple, neutral, "Don't correct my speech." (If that's the issue)

squeak

I have more-important things to worry about than other peoples' English-related skills. If they want my opinions, they'll ask. If they don't, I'm not going to run my suck. It's rude and annoying to butt in like that.

Ha, "run my suck." I'll have to remember that.

squeak

99.999999% of the time, correcting someone's grammar is rude, uncalled for, and equivalent to weaponizing your education.

Only if I'm actually trying to annoy them.

Not really. Plus American English and British English grammar are quite different so I don't bother. I think it's quite rude. I had people correct mine before, they were trying to belittle me and they wouldn't believe I used an actual word (I have forgot the word but it's common in British English). I think snobby people tend to act like that.

Only when asked. Which is typically either when editing for my day job, when critting for a friend, or when asked directly for correction by a non-native English speaker who's trying to improve their English. Correcting other people when not asked is rude.

pandoricaopens said:

I don't correct typed mistakes etiher (like its and it's). So, what about you guys?

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It's 'either'!

pandoricaopens said:

Do you correct people who use incorrect grammar or does it seems rude to you?

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... does it SEEM rude ...

Sorry. Had to do it.

And depends on the circumstance. I mentally edit all the time. I correct my children. I write in a group and I might or might not correct minor errors there. Those corrections are part of teaching and helping someone improve their work.

Most of the time, however, correcting someone serves no real purpose but to tell someone they are wrong or stupid, which IMO is rude so I keep my mouth shut.

In real life: Live and let live. Life's too short. I'd rather experience it, imperfections and all, than quibble over stupid stuff.

That being said, I work as a contract editor/proofreader so in my job and in my writing I'm a prefectionist.

I would never correct anyone's minor grammatical slips in speech.

But speaking is not the same as posting here. I expect folk posting on a site for writers to be at least able to spell grammer.

Yes, I would mention errors like that if they were repeated and obviously not a simple mistype. I've done so before and will do so again, by Rep, PM or post, as I see fit.

And 'thanks for the heads-up' is usually the response.

If people ask, I try to if I can. If they don't, I keep quiet.

I see a lot of errors on this writing forum which go uncorrected, and it may help the poster to see their errors. I wish people would correct any mistakes they see in my posts, because I'm sure there are a million rules I'm yet to learn. But if we all did that here, there'd be annoyances, disagreements, and general mess.

Sometimes I'm asked to proofread something. But when they mean "proofread" they tend to mean "check the spelling." When I start explaining about conjunctive adverbs and how they're not conjunctions and how you don't use a comma, the paper normally gets yanked away with, "I asked you to proof read it, not pick up on crap nobody cares about!"

So yeah. Can't really win.

I work with a guy who likes to correct me when I say, "He is taller than me" instead of "He is taller than I am." Ticks me right the hell off. I choose to say it that way.

This is the same guy who pronounces "verbiage" as "verbage" and "percolate" as "per-kew-late" and I don't say anything.

I generally try to avoid mentioning grammatical errors in speech, but sometimes errors get in the way of meaning, and I have no problem asking what someone meant when they make errors of that sort.

When it comes o things online, there are limits. On a board like this there frequently are typos, and I let those slide, unless they are repeated several times. There are websites that I have stopped going to because the ones running them always used "thier" for "their", or made similar repeated errors. I can ignore that once or twice, but three , or more, such errors to a page indicates the level of education and intelligence of the writer. Or the writer might have just not cared, and that may be worse.

Alessandra Kelley said:

For my own children I'll murmur the correction, which is probably annoying to them.

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Lol, against every bone in t' body, and everytihing I've studied about language, I still correct my kids. I also fill in the blanks if they're struggling to find the words. I don't think you can help yourself.

On forums, though, no. Purely because I screw up more than most. Proofing, yeah, I think that comes as standard. Although I'd keep in mind definitions of correct. If it's correct for the character to be going aginst the standard, I don't interfere. If it's just common mistakes, like confusing homophones etc, yeah.

I always corrected my son's grammar - until he moved away to college. But that was my job as a parent. And acting as someone's beta, sure. Again, that's my job. But otherwise? Would seem very presumptuous of me, and either embarrassing or insulting to the other guy.

Depends on who it is. I've always corrected my children.

We all make an error here and there, I don't think there's anything wrong with telling another writer, on a forum or in person, that their grammar is atrocious.

Grammar is an important tool for a writer. When a writer complains about not being able to find an agent or a publisher, and then posts his complaints using lousy grammar and punctuation, it seems reasonable to point out his mistakes, only because this may be why he can't found said agent or publisher.

But correcting what might well be a brain fart, or just a typo? No.

Besides, the world is filled with lousy grammar. Correcting people would be a full-time job.

Still, there should be a difference when dealing with people who not only should know better, but who expect to earn their living by using good grammar.

I have one friend who always uses "irregardless" and says things like "Are you coming to the movie with John and I?"

I just want to scream "that's not a word!" and "you mean 'John and me'? John and me?'!"

But I restrain myself.