Sunday, November 29, 2009
My former boss isn't as bright as he thinks he is
The poor grammar talk has made me more cautious of my own writing and speaking. I walk around on eggshells, constantly second-guessing myself. If I'm going to call someone else out, I have to be at the top of my game. Anyway, I started thinking about an evaluation my former boss prepared. As I read his comments, I noticed he used the wrong tense of your. He should have used you're. After reading that, I totally lost what little respect I had for him. Especially since he sat across from me with his legs crossed and a smug look on his face, while he talked about all the things I did wrong. He was making around $60K and couldn't write a simple sentence correctly. If only I could have called him on it back then. But hey, I can poke fun of him now. employee 1 - employer 0.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
One man's fight to end poor grammar in Britain
Here's another funny article about grammar. It talks about the number of grammatical errors appearing on documents and signs throughout Britain.
Readers of The Sunday Telegraph have submitted dozens of examples of poor grammar following our report of one man's campaign to restore the correct use of the apostrophe in his home town.
Related Articles
Notices where right is wrong
Apostrophe warrior Stefan Gatward's mission to correct our wayward grammar
Apostrophist corrects punctuation on street signs Last Sunday we told how Stefan Gatward, who has become known as the Apostrophe Man of Royal Tunbridge Wells, has identified several examples of street signs which have either an apostrophe missing or one in the wrong place.
Local authorities around the country have now resorted to issuing GCSE-style crib sheets to their staff in a bid to raise standards of grammar in their organisations.
Guidance for staff at Salford council states: "Do not assume that if you don't know whether to use an apostrophe, then most of your readers won't either.
"Many of your readers will notice, and they will infer that you did not learn to write correctly. If a reader notices that you have used incorrect grammar, you will instantly lose credibility."
Several other local authorities have also issued grammar guidelines, including Hampshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Devon, Derby, Salisbury, Plymouth, and East Northamptonshire councils.
In an apparent reflection of the poor standards of grammar among their employees, the guides warn against basic errors, such as the common grocer's mistake of using an apostrophe to denote a plural, eg: 'banana's for sale'.
Another common error made on official signs and documents which is highlighted by the guides is the misuse of apostrophes denoting possession.
John Richardson, chairman and founder of the Apostrophe Protection Society, said: "Thankfully councils are finally waking up to the problem of missing or incorrect apostrophes and punctuation.
"But they should not really have to issue this sort of basic guidance. I'm afraid it says something about their employees."
However, some local authorities have given up the battle of the apostrophe altogether. Earlier this year Birmingham city council announced that it was abandoning the use of the punctuation mark on all new street signs.
Martin Mullaney, a councillor in the city, said: "We are constantly getting residents asking for apostrophes to be put back in and as a council we have got to make a decision one way or another."
Readers of The Sunday Telegraph have spotted numerous punctuation errors on signs around the country since Mr Gatward's crusade was highlighted.
On one road sign near Great Gidding, in Cambridgeshire, a comma has been used instead of an apostrophe where neither is required, so that it reads: "Unsuitable for HGV, s".
Another sign, at St George's Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, has no apostrophe at all, leaving the reader to wonder whether it should be Warrener's Lane or Warreners' Lane.
A sign on a roundabout close to Junction 39 of the M1, in Yorkshire, reads "Cedar Court Round-A-Bout", while Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council has erected a notice on a playground which reads: "Recreational activities using a hard ball is not allowed."
When the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, in south west London wrote to residents recently, quite a few were left baffled by the instructions on the envelope, which reads: "Your electoral registration form is inside you."
The "you" should have appeared on the following line, which instead reads: "Must by law complete and return this form."
John Ever, of St Phillip's Avenue, in Worcester Park, Surrey, wrote in to say: "Here in Liberal Democrat-controlled Sutton the council tries to please everyone. Of the four road signs for our road, two are with an apostrophe and two are without."
There is similar confusion on the London Underground.
One platform sign at the nearest tube station to its headquarters reads St James' Park, while another nearby says St James's Park.
But not all the errors are committed by public bodies. Ian Whitmill, from Southampton, thought he had found the answer to why so many apostrophes were missing from signs.
He suggested they had migrated to a hoarding for a furniture warehouse in Irthlingborough, in Northamptonshire, which advertises "pine range's", "table set's", "sofa's bed's" and even "lot's more".
"Could there be more errors in one sign?" he asked.
Readers of The Sunday Telegraph have submitted dozens of examples of poor grammar following our report of one man's campaign to restore the correct use of the apostrophe in his home town.
Related Articles
Notices where right is wrong
Apostrophe warrior Stefan Gatward's mission to correct our wayward grammar
Apostrophist corrects punctuation on street signs Last Sunday we told how Stefan Gatward, who has become known as the Apostrophe Man of Royal Tunbridge Wells, has identified several examples of street signs which have either an apostrophe missing or one in the wrong place.
Local authorities around the country have now resorted to issuing GCSE-style crib sheets to their staff in a bid to raise standards of grammar in their organisations.
Guidance for staff at Salford council states: "Do not assume that if you don't know whether to use an apostrophe, then most of your readers won't either.
"Many of your readers will notice, and they will infer that you did not learn to write correctly. If a reader notices that you have used incorrect grammar, you will instantly lose credibility."
Several other local authorities have also issued grammar guidelines, including Hampshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Devon, Derby, Salisbury, Plymouth, and East Northamptonshire councils.
In an apparent reflection of the poor standards of grammar among their employees, the guides warn against basic errors, such as the common grocer's mistake of using an apostrophe to denote a plural, eg: 'banana's for sale'.
Another common error made on official signs and documents which is highlighted by the guides is the misuse of apostrophes denoting possession.
John Richardson, chairman and founder of the Apostrophe Protection Society, said: "Thankfully councils are finally waking up to the problem of missing or incorrect apostrophes and punctuation.
"But they should not really have to issue this sort of basic guidance. I'm afraid it says something about their employees."
However, some local authorities have given up the battle of the apostrophe altogether. Earlier this year Birmingham city council announced that it was abandoning the use of the punctuation mark on all new street signs.
Martin Mullaney, a councillor in the city, said: "We are constantly getting residents asking for apostrophes to be put back in and as a council we have got to make a decision one way or another."
Readers of The Sunday Telegraph have spotted numerous punctuation errors on signs around the country since Mr Gatward's crusade was highlighted.
On one road sign near Great Gidding, in Cambridgeshire, a comma has been used instead of an apostrophe where neither is required, so that it reads: "Unsuitable for HGV, s".
Another sign, at St George's Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, has no apostrophe at all, leaving the reader to wonder whether it should be Warrener's Lane or Warreners' Lane.
A sign on a roundabout close to Junction 39 of the M1, in Yorkshire, reads "Cedar Court Round-A-Bout", while Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council has erected a notice on a playground which reads: "Recreational activities using a hard ball is not allowed."
When the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, in south west London wrote to residents recently, quite a few were left baffled by the instructions on the envelope, which reads: "Your electoral registration form is inside you."
The "you" should have appeared on the following line, which instead reads: "Must by law complete and return this form."
John Ever, of St Phillip's Avenue, in Worcester Park, Surrey, wrote in to say: "Here in Liberal Democrat-controlled Sutton the council tries to please everyone. Of the four road signs for our road, two are with an apostrophe and two are without."
There is similar confusion on the London Underground.
One platform sign at the nearest tube station to its headquarters reads St James' Park, while another nearby says St James's Park.
But not all the errors are committed by public bodies. Ian Whitmill, from Southampton, thought he had found the answer to why so many apostrophes were missing from signs.
He suggested they had migrated to a hoarding for a furniture warehouse in Irthlingborough, in Northamptonshire, which advertises "pine range's", "table set's", "sofa's bed's" and even "lot's more".
"Could there be more errors in one sign?" he asked.
Grammar Police: Why Media Must Use Proper Grammar
Here's an interesting article written by a former Assignment Manager.
Friday August 7, 2009 - By Newsmcnabb It’s 4:33 pm in the Fall of 1983. I’m working on a newsroom piece for the 5 o’clock, before crashing on my main story in the 6 o’clock, called “24 Action News” (KVUE TV, ABC) back then. No computers in that era. We were typing stories on six-part carbon script packs. I finish and walk briskly to the front of the 4x4 double-wide that housed the newsroom to get the producer’s OK.
The producer was good, especially with breaking news. He read. Then, he crossed through something and changed some words. “Hmmmmm,” I thought and leaned forward, reading upside-down. (Reporters have this talent.) “Why did you change that?” I asked. He muttered something. “I won’t read it that way,” I said. “It’s poor grammar.”
“I don’t care. That’s the way people talk,” he answered still reading.
I could feel my face getting red. “I won’t read it that way,” I repeated. “Those words won’t come out of my mouth on camera. If you want to go on camera and say them, fine. I won’t do that.” His face reddened.
Soon, someone else was involved—the executive producer or the news director, I don’t remember. Time was growing short. I was on deadline, but I made my case. “The reason,” I said, “that people talk that way is partially our fault in the media. If they or their kids hear it on TV, it only validates incorrect usage. If we use good grammar, those who know, notice. Those who don’t know don’t care. Those who know better and hear poor grammar will think less of us; it diminishes our credibility.” I recall saying something like that. There was a pause. Everyone looked at the producer. Everyone then looked at each other. It was time to go on the air.
I read the story the way that I had written it. Nothing else was ever said, and from that time on, from job to job, I became the unofficial “grammar police.” Oh, sometimes I’d have to look things up, but more often than not, someone would shout a grammatical question and I would shout back “Yes” or “No,” or the correct usage or word. Spell Check won't always bail you out. It's best to know the correct spelling and usage in the first place.
I can remember one time diagramming a sentence on the KXAN TV (NBC) white board, aka assignments wall, before computers made them anachronisms. (I understand that some stations still use the assignments boards. I don’t know why.) Anyway, I diagrammed this sentence in a vain attempt to explain a predicate nominative. The case of the subject and the predicate nominative should agree. Most, if not all, present stood there glassy-eyed and dumbfounded. Most had never seen a sentence diagrammed before. It’s really a useful tool to understanding syntax.
I used to tell first-year journalism students that they must love words, and they must respect what those words can do when used well. Words are like tools. When working on a project, one needs the “right tool,” just as a journalist or any writer should reach for just the right word. The word selected can create or diminish credibility.
I realize that language evolves and “new words” are added to the dictionaries every year, but I wonder, like former newsman Edwin Newman (NBC and author of “Strictly Speaking” and other books), “Will America be the death of English?” I maintain that media must continue using correct grammar. Media should model what is correct, not what is wrong. Twenty-five years after asserting myself and standing up for my script as written, I still believe it.
It is just as true for interpersonal communication as it is for mass communication. If an individual wants people to hear a message, not the words, one should choose the right words and use them well.
What brought all of this on? This week, I heard on TV someone say something like, “The attacks centered around this area.” Hint: Something cannot center around. Something can center on, but something cannot center around.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
© Jim McNabb, 2009
Friday August 7, 2009 - By Newsmcnabb It’s 4:33 pm in the Fall of 1983. I’m working on a newsroom piece for the 5 o’clock, before crashing on my main story in the 6 o’clock, called “24 Action News” (KVUE TV, ABC) back then. No computers in that era. We were typing stories on six-part carbon script packs. I finish and walk briskly to the front of the 4x4 double-wide that housed the newsroom to get the producer’s OK.
The producer was good, especially with breaking news. He read. Then, he crossed through something and changed some words. “Hmmmmm,” I thought and leaned forward, reading upside-down. (Reporters have this talent.) “Why did you change that?” I asked. He muttered something. “I won’t read it that way,” I said. “It’s poor grammar.”
“I don’t care. That’s the way people talk,” he answered still reading.
I could feel my face getting red. “I won’t read it that way,” I repeated. “Those words won’t come out of my mouth on camera. If you want to go on camera and say them, fine. I won’t do that.” His face reddened.
Soon, someone else was involved—the executive producer or the news director, I don’t remember. Time was growing short. I was on deadline, but I made my case. “The reason,” I said, “that people talk that way is partially our fault in the media. If they or their kids hear it on TV, it only validates incorrect usage. If we use good grammar, those who know, notice. Those who don’t know don’t care. Those who know better and hear poor grammar will think less of us; it diminishes our credibility.” I recall saying something like that. There was a pause. Everyone looked at the producer. Everyone then looked at each other. It was time to go on the air.
I read the story the way that I had written it. Nothing else was ever said, and from that time on, from job to job, I became the unofficial “grammar police.” Oh, sometimes I’d have to look things up, but more often than not, someone would shout a grammatical question and I would shout back “Yes” or “No,” or the correct usage or word. Spell Check won't always bail you out. It's best to know the correct spelling and usage in the first place.
I can remember one time diagramming a sentence on the KXAN TV (NBC) white board, aka assignments wall, before computers made them anachronisms. (I understand that some stations still use the assignments boards. I don’t know why.) Anyway, I diagrammed this sentence in a vain attempt to explain a predicate nominative. The case of the subject and the predicate nominative should agree. Most, if not all, present stood there glassy-eyed and dumbfounded. Most had never seen a sentence diagrammed before. It’s really a useful tool to understanding syntax.
I used to tell first-year journalism students that they must love words, and they must respect what those words can do when used well. Words are like tools. When working on a project, one needs the “right tool,” just as a journalist or any writer should reach for just the right word. The word selected can create or diminish credibility.
I realize that language evolves and “new words” are added to the dictionaries every year, but I wonder, like former newsman Edwin Newman (NBC and author of “Strictly Speaking” and other books), “Will America be the death of English?” I maintain that media must continue using correct grammar. Media should model what is correct, not what is wrong. Twenty-five years after asserting myself and standing up for my script as written, I still believe it.
It is just as true for interpersonal communication as it is for mass communication. If an individual wants people to hear a message, not the words, one should choose the right words and use them well.
What brought all of this on? This week, I heard on TV someone say something like, “The attacks centered around this area.” Hint: Something cannot center around. Something can center on, but something cannot center around.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
© Jim McNabb, 2009
November 28, 2009
I read an HT email the other day and there was a major grammar mistake. I would copy and paste it here, but that would be rude. The email was just two sentences and they were both wrong. I had to read it twice to understand what the writer was trying to say. She was commenting on an issue that affects HT. An issue I totally agree with and wish I had the foresight to write it. But I almost missed the point because of poor grammar. I hate to be a grammar snob, but poor grammar is extremely irritating and confusing. And I hate being confused. Here's a snippet of the email, "...You not gone far." What was the writer trying to say? "You're not going to go far." Who the heck knows. Well, that's my rant for the day. Until next time, may proper grammar rule you're day. Oops, I meant "rule your day."
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Pardon me, if I sound like a snob
I realize in making a stand for proper grammar makes me sound like a snob or like I know it all. I admit, I don't. I just prefer to use proper English when speaking and writing. I even correct my 8 year son whenever he says something incorrectly. To me, speaking grammatically correct or using prescribed English just sounds better. I mean it what I was taught from day one. My family uses it, so it's been re-enforced all my life. And too, working in television it's the norm. Anyway, I just wanted to share those thoughts. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and yours this holiday.
Monday, November 23, 2009
I want to preface this submission with this, I'm not the foremost authority on proper grammar. It's just when I hear grammar incorrectly used and I recognize it, it sends chills down my spine. No, not really. But it's a pet peeve of mine. I know I probably sound like a snob for saying that, but it really bothers me. Anyway, I don't believe in the use of "Ebonics." I think it only perpetuates those negative stereotypes of African Americans. It makes us look and sound dumb. I found this in an Urban Dictionary and I totally agree with this assessment. Ebonics is a poor excuse for a failure to grasp the basics of english. Class is over, but I'll finish this post.
Improper grammar on the job
proper grammar is important not only for the potential employee, but for the employer as well. companies on a daily basis churn out inter-office emails, letters, etc. So whomever the author is, their grammar needs to be correct. Imagine reading an email that includes mis-spelled words or mis-used words. One example of that is the use of the word "bear." Say your boss has agreed to giving you time off, but he's been busy with a number of things and hasn't been able to sign off on it yet. So you send him a gentle reminder and he replies back with, "please bare with me because I've been...." If you're a member of the grammar police, then you read that and think, my boss is an idiot. That particular "bare" means nude, absent. The correct word is "bear." It changed the whole meaning entirely, plus the boss looks like he doesn't know what he's talking about. Now say, that went outside the office to a potential client. What do you think the client thinks? This company is careless and lazy. And that minor mistake may make that client think twice about working with that company. Simply because they didn't take the time to proofread an email. I know there are more important things for companies to worry about, like budgets, overtime and workflow. While I'm not the foremost authority on grammar, it bothers me when it's mis-used. I probably just need to find something else to do.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Your employees can’t spell. What would a grammar geek do?
I found this article interesting and wanted to post it.
August 31, 2007
In the Financial Times, advice columnist Lucy Kellaway gets a request for help from an employer who writes, “My young staff members make sloppy mistakes.”
The reports and proposals that they prepare for clients inevitably contain typos, grammatical and spelling mistakes and often get the numbers wrong too. The result is that I have to check everything myself before it is sent out.
I have tried many things: training, coaching, sending offending documents back repeatedly, minor bollocking. Should I be tougher, humiliate them? … Should I employ a typist? Should I threaten to withhold their bonuses if they don’t get the basics right?
Kellaway gets a heap of suggestions from readers, including this one:
Why not take a leaf out of David Mamet’s play/film, Glengarry Glen Ross? Announce a contest for the month to see who makes fewest mistakes. First prize? A cadillac. Second prize? Set of steak knives. Third prize – you’re fired.
That should get their attention.
That reader sounds like a candidate for the Grammar Geeks Unit.
August 31, 2007
In the Financial Times, advice columnist Lucy Kellaway gets a request for help from an employer who writes, “My young staff members make sloppy mistakes.”
The reports and proposals that they prepare for clients inevitably contain typos, grammatical and spelling mistakes and often get the numbers wrong too. The result is that I have to check everything myself before it is sent out.
I have tried many things: training, coaching, sending offending documents back repeatedly, minor bollocking. Should I be tougher, humiliate them? … Should I employ a typist? Should I threaten to withhold their bonuses if they don’t get the basics right?
Kellaway gets a heap of suggestions from readers, including this one:
Why not take a leaf out of David Mamet’s play/film, Glengarry Glen Ross? Announce a contest for the month to see who makes fewest mistakes. First prize? A cadillac. Second prize? Set of steak knives. Third prize – you’re fired.
That should get their attention.
That reader sounds like a candidate for the Grammar Geeks Unit.
Poor Grammar, Poor Impression
By Judi Perkins
What do you do when you’re running late to work?
Call in and let them know
Sneak in through the back entrance
Show up and act like you have no idea that you’re late
Getting poll results. Please wait...
Show Results
I've become increasingly concerned about the ignorance of Americans - not those who have learned English as a second language, but native English speakers - regardless of race, income level, schooling or other determining factors.
The number of people who read seems to be decreasing in direct proportion to the number of kids growing up with portable dvds, and ipods. Television has become the preferred babysitter for children and the most effective way for adults to anesthetize themselves after a day's work. Teachers, overworked and underpaid, seem to be fighting a losing battle – or are some perpetuating it?
These days I see egregious (horrible, outrageous, astoundingly bad) grammatical errors on resumes and cover letters, web sites, signs, emails to me.....regardless of management or income level. Job hunters write asking me for “advise” (it should be “advice.” “Advice” is the noun; “to advise” is a verb). Some of these are written by people who are in the job market hoping to be invited in for an interview, and their paperwork is full of punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Were they careless? Or do they not know? Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe the hiring authority doesn't know the difference either.
The other day I saw the back of a company shirt that said: providing quality service since 10 years. A company shirt? How many were printed and are worn by employees who walk around advertising that that particular company has someone in an upper-level management position who didn't catch the error or didn't know the difference?
Here's a sign I saw in a store a few weeks ago: We do not except credit cards. (It should be "accept".)
Last week a senior level manager emailed me. He confused "its" and "it's" in three different places. ("Its" is possessive. "It's" is the contraction of "it is".) Here’s another example: I do product testing for a research panel. The product came with a slip of paper that said: “This commitment covers not discussing this product or it’s usage with others outside your home.” (it should have been “its”)
Here's what really bugs me: the new rule that seems to have come into effect in the last year - if in doubt, add an apostrophe. So what's happened is that people all over America have lost the understanding of the difference between plural and possessive (possessive gets an apostrophe, plural does not).
Your resume and your cover letter are not just a synopsis of your background. They are not just an introduction of you when you hope to be considered for an interview. First and foremost they are a brochure, and they are selling a product, and the product is you. If you wouldn’t go to a interview in blue jeans, don’t send your cover letter and resume with mistakes to a prospective employer.
If you were shopping for a new car, what would you think if all the Honda or Lexus or Toyota brochures had apostrophes in the wrong place? Or misspelled words? Or glaring grammatical errors? Would you know?
What about a flyer from your local grocery store? Or a promotional piece from your state representative?
On some level it's going to make a difference as to what you think of that company or person. If they aren't careful enough about their literature or sales material, what else don't they pay attention to? Don't rely on Microsoft Word's ABC/Grammar checker. It isn't able to discern if a word is spelled correctly but used out of context. The grammar checker won't help you unless you have a fundamental understanding of grammar to begin with. In fact, if you defer to the grammar checker's advice, you'll probably increase your number of mistakes.
An excellent reference book to keep on hand is The Elements of Grammar by Margaret Shertzer. In "Words Often Confused" it clarifies the differences between pairs of words such as "well / good" and “less / fewer”.
Don't tell yourself it doesn't matter. Don't tell yourself that your skills are more important. Above all, don't tell yourself that everyone speaks poorly these days and the hiring authority won't know or care. The ability to communicate, written and spoken, is of paramount importance - certainly in business. And it only becomes more valuable as fewer people are able to demonstrate it.
By Judi Perkins
What do you do when you’re running late to work?
Call in and let them know
Sneak in through the back entrance
Show up and act like you have no idea that you’re late
Getting poll results. Please wait...
Show Results
I've become increasingly concerned about the ignorance of Americans - not those who have learned English as a second language, but native English speakers - regardless of race, income level, schooling or other determining factors.
The number of people who read seems to be decreasing in direct proportion to the number of kids growing up with portable dvds, and ipods. Television has become the preferred babysitter for children and the most effective way for adults to anesthetize themselves after a day's work. Teachers, overworked and underpaid, seem to be fighting a losing battle – or are some perpetuating it?
These days I see egregious (horrible, outrageous, astoundingly bad) grammatical errors on resumes and cover letters, web sites, signs, emails to me.....regardless of management or income level. Job hunters write asking me for “advise” (it should be “advice.” “Advice” is the noun; “to advise” is a verb). Some of these are written by people who are in the job market hoping to be invited in for an interview, and their paperwork is full of punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Were they careless? Or do they not know? Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe the hiring authority doesn't know the difference either.
The other day I saw the back of a company shirt that said: providing quality service since 10 years. A company shirt? How many were printed and are worn by employees who walk around advertising that that particular company has someone in an upper-level management position who didn't catch the error or didn't know the difference?
Here's a sign I saw in a store a few weeks ago: We do not except credit cards. (It should be "accept".)
Last week a senior level manager emailed me. He confused "its" and "it's" in three different places. ("Its" is possessive. "It's" is the contraction of "it is".) Here’s another example: I do product testing for a research panel. The product came with a slip of paper that said: “This commitment covers not discussing this product or it’s usage with others outside your home.” (it should have been “its”)
Here's what really bugs me: the new rule that seems to have come into effect in the last year - if in doubt, add an apostrophe. So what's happened is that people all over America have lost the understanding of the difference between plural and possessive (possessive gets an apostrophe, plural does not).
Your resume and your cover letter are not just a synopsis of your background. They are not just an introduction of you when you hope to be considered for an interview. First and foremost they are a brochure, and they are selling a product, and the product is you. If you wouldn’t go to a interview in blue jeans, don’t send your cover letter and resume with mistakes to a prospective employer.
If you were shopping for a new car, what would you think if all the Honda or Lexus or Toyota brochures had apostrophes in the wrong place? Or misspelled words? Or glaring grammatical errors? Would you know?
What about a flyer from your local grocery store? Or a promotional piece from your state representative?
On some level it's going to make a difference as to what you think of that company or person. If they aren't careful enough about their literature or sales material, what else don't they pay attention to? Don't rely on Microsoft Word's ABC/Grammar checker. It isn't able to discern if a word is spelled correctly but used out of context. The grammar checker won't help you unless you have a fundamental understanding of grammar to begin with. In fact, if you defer to the grammar checker's advice, you'll probably increase your number of mistakes.
An excellent reference book to keep on hand is The Elements of Grammar by Margaret Shertzer. In "Words Often Confused" it clarifies the differences between pairs of words such as "well / good" and “less / fewer”.
Don't tell yourself it doesn't matter. Don't tell yourself that your skills are more important. Above all, don't tell yourself that everyone speaks poorly these days and the hiring authority won't know or care. The ability to communicate, written and spoken, is of paramount importance - certainly in business. And it only becomes more valuable as fewer people are able to demonstrate it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
It's very important in obtaining employment
Another valid argument for using proper grammar is, it helps applicants get jobs. Think about going into a job interview and the employer starts asking questions. Say something like, "why do you think you're the best candidate for this job?" Depending upon what the company does, say sales. Typically someone would say, "I have excellent verbal skills or I work well with others, I'm a team player." Something like that. Now the same question, with a grammatically incorrect response. "I has good verbal skills and I likes working with other people." You can easily understand what they're trying to say, but the person is speaking incorrectly. Note the use of "has" and "likes" The employer would have second thoughts about hiring you, especially for a position like 'sales'. Salespeople are representatives of that company. And every company wants to have the best of the best working for them. I have to stop right here, there's a fire drill in progress.
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