Microsoft Word grammar suggestions...why??? Why would you suggest that??

[Jazz Club]

I'm not sure about this. I've run across some pretty horrific grammar, spelling, and overall communication among college students, both in assignments and in emails. I am not a perfect speller myself, but some come up often enough that they make my eyeballs twitch (such as "loose" when they mean "lose").

Oh, and I participate in some dog lovers' groups online, and you wouldn't believe how many people have "spaded" their dogs! Always gives me an image of them using a shovel on the poor things.

Well you'd have a much bigger data set to work with than me! I'll certainly take your word for it. Maybe I'm just surprised by how well some people write online, but there are certainly others who aren't so good.

I hate the lose/loose mistake too. Then, in clearing out my old stuff a while ago, I found some essays and stories I'd written at school and realised I was doing it myself up until he age of about 16/17! How embarrassing; that'll teach me to be superior. But none of the teachers had ever corrected it. Grammar/spelling wasn't considered so important when I was at school, for whatever reason. It was seen as 'old-fashioned'. But I'd like to be told what I'm doing wrong since I'm trying to be a writer!

'Spaded'... oof. Yeah. That sounds awful. No idea how they even get that out of the pronounciation...

 

[starrystorm]

Once my Word got stuck between two similar words (maybe nor and or) or something similar to this. Everything I changed it, the red squiggle would come back and suggest the other one.

 

[Brigid Barry]

And sometimes short and to the point can come off as terse or cranky too. Sometimes students need those extra words (even those "unprofessional" smileys) to reassure them that the prof isn't being brusque with them.

I have literally been disciplined at work for being "terse" or "rude" in emails because I'm succinct, so this 100%.

Once upon a time, I somehow got stuck on some admin email chain which was meant for direct assistants (I was in compliance) doing vision boards and all kinds of things like that. I replied "I am not sure how I got into this group, will you please remove me?" and I got spoken to by my boss for "being rude". I said what I meant, not sure how else I was supposed to do it!

I work in a law office now and for the most part Word heartily approves of the writing.

 

[Brigid Barry]

I'm not sure about this. I've run across some pretty horrific grammar, spelling, and overall communication among college students, both in assignments and in emails. I am not a perfect speller myself, but some come up often enough that they make my eyeballs twitch (such as "loose" when they mean "lose").

Oh, and I participate in some dog lovers' groups online, and you wouldn't believe how many people have "spaded" their dogs! Always gives me an image of them using a shovel on the poor things.

Part of this, I think, is that we have autocorrect and spell check so you don't actually have to learn how to spell. If you get close enough the machines will take care of it for you.

I worked in a manufacturing facility where a lot of spelling was phonetic and it made me nuts. "Draw" for drawer and "cressant" for crescent. It was mind blowing. I have also seen far too many loose/lose, close instead of clothes, etc.