Proper Grammar

[Yoshi155]

I try to use proper grammar, but I’m not a total grammar Nazi. It kind of annoys me, but I don’t really care that deeply if someone misspells a word or says “(insert person) and me” instead of “(insert person) and I”. I don’t usually correct people who do things like this.

 

[Belle T]

I have a good number of friends with only a bare minimum grasp of English, so for the purposes of casual conversation, I find myself extremely lenient. Do I prefer proper spelling, grammar, and capitalization? Of course. But I don't find it necessary as long as it is legible and coherent. Plus, I make my own share of absolutely bewildering typos, so it's not like I am in a position to judge people.

If I were reading a book or in a more academic setting, however, I would expect a certain degree of professionalism. I'm not going to get mad, for instance, about ending a sentence with a preposition or some other obscure English rule that nobody follows in real life. But I remember having instructors in college who would type like they text or be otherwise completely illegible. And the advent of the eBook has certainly helped progress the creative endeavors of writers who are apparently allergic to the editing process, though it's not as though traditional publications are completely exempt from this, either.

On the other hand, I find people who correct things like your/you're to be completely insufferable. You clearly understood what I meant. And don't pretend like you don't make the same mistake. So get off you're high horse and respond to what I said, or your going to be in for a world of hurt!

 

[Seastar]

I try to use proper grammar but I've gotten so used to online chatting that I will often forget punctuation and make run-on sentences, despite knowing that's incorrect. I also correct my own typos a lot because I feel self-conscious about it.
As for other people, it doesn't matter too much. If it bothers me, I still try to not tell them. I feel really bad when I correct someone.
However, if your grammar and spelling is so bad that I have to keep asking what you are even saying, we're probably not going to be talking very much.

 

[Roxxy]

Honestly don’t care from other people. As long as I can get to know a person that’s what matters.

I have always used “proper grammar” and probably still do. It’s just inbuilt and I can’t help it? I have to spell correctly and use proper sentences. It’s really nice sometimes to just do text speech and emojis. I have never judged anyone and it’s so lovely that I am learning that people that matter don’t judge me either.

 

[.: Meri :.]

I use it and expect it in formal writing, or when the situation calls for professionality. It's not enough to take me out of a story, but I admit I do get a bit irked when I catch an obvious error in a book or game (especially when the media in question costs money/isn't an indie project). It feels like not enough effort was spent on quality assurance or proofreading, and takes away from it feeling like a finished product. Especially in translated works, excessive grammatical errors can contribute to the feeling that the localization company doesn't really care about the project. am I vagueing a certain game company that localizes a lot of otome games into English? maaaaaybe

In informal settings like online messaging, I feel like unsolicited grammar corrections when the message itself is otherwise understandable is... pedantic at best, and a lot of times just downright rude or dismissive. English isn't everyone's first language, some people have disorders that make perfect spelling and grammar difficult, etc.
But also I feel like messaging/internet speak is kind of its own form of dialect. We all know that over text we don't have each others' tone, expressions, and body language to go off of, and I think a lot of instances of "improper" grammar, like typing in all lowercase or using a lot of abbreviations, are largely meant as one possible way to try and bridge that communication gap.
Like, if I'm joking around online I often try to use some degree of improper grammar (lowercase, minimal punctuation, "ur") to convey that I'm not being serious, especially if I'm being pretend mad or something else that could be taken poorly. People talk and type differently and there's no foolproof way to avoid any and all miscommunications, of course, and I try not to read too much into other people's typing styles, but I'm still way more likely to worry someone is genuinely mad at me if they send me a "How dare you!?" versus a "omg,,, how dare u???" ;u;

 

[rocketspruggs]

I'm pretty picky about my grammar and punctuation, everything always has to be spelled correctly for me before I post it.
I may even have to edit a post if I end up posting something that contains a typo.

 

[MatchaMoonlight]

I think it depends a bit on the situation, but in general, if someone is sending me a text message, I don't care if they use proper grammar, nor do I expect it. People are in a rush when they are texting. They are bound to shorten words or make mistakes. I can usually overlook it.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I don't always use perfect grammar, by a mix of both choice and habit which I am blaming on the old tumblr days. I don't mind other people using imperfect grammar (or perfect grammar) for the most part when it comes to informal settings, but when it's serious important official stuff then my standards are high

 

[Chris]

Proper grammar is what comes most naturally to me. At most I might drop capital letters. It isn't something I put much conscious thought into though.

I don't care how formally or informally other people type. What I do dislike is people who feel the need to correct other people on their spelling and grammar on the Internet. It is petty and says more about the person correcting other people than it does about the person who made the original post. It is also really pathetic in arguments. Someone making a spelling mistake doesn't nullify their point.

 

[Briar]

It's somewhat important, but I definitely make mistakes when it comes to punctuation at times. I probably overuse commas. Also, grammar varies by dialect, so I think it's important to take that into consideration. If something is grammatically incorrect in my dialect's grammar, that doesn't mean it's incorrect in every dialect. And vice versa. What's wrong to someone else might be perfectly fine in my dialect. Another thing to take into account is that language is constantly evolving. What was correct in the past may not be the same as what is correct now. I'm also more of a descriptivist than a prescriptivist.

Also, especially online, I always take into consideration the fact that English might not be someone's first language. Expecting someone to have perfect grammar in a language that isn't their first language would be odd.

 

[ZeldaCrossing64]

Proper grammar is important to me, for the most part. I don't usually use punctuation with online chatting, but I do on forums. Occasionally I'll type without capitalization or apostrophes, but that's only when I'm feeling lazy or I really need to message something quickly. Of course, I almost always capitalize I's and proper names, as they look odd in lowercase to me. Abbreviations are interesting, though; Sometimes I'll write it out, other times I'll just use the abbreviation. (Like "ik" and "I know".) That part's a little inconsistent.

I really don't care if anyone types with improper grammar. So far, I haven't encountered anyone who types in an incessantly annoying or hard-to-read manner, so it doesn't matter to me.