I used to notice every little grammar or spelling lapse I read in my environment and online. I’ve done my share of correcting friends and family members, and have been corrected, too. I realize not everyone is a native English speaker, so I’ve become more relaxed about these things. I try to see if the content is interesting, and just focus on that. My particular peeve is text-speak, which is only appropriate on sms and not elsewhere. But somehow I feel that people should care about finding out whether if they’ve been expressing themselves correctly.
For nearly two years, I’ve written posts about grammar and usage, so clearly it’s a topic that I think is important. Equally important, I think, is knowing when it’s appropriate to insist on proper grammar and how to go about it.
You hear of cases now and then in which people go into public and make a big show of correcting grammatical problems on signage. Take for example this instance that resulted in probation for two men who fixed the grammar on a sign at Grand Canyon National Park. The men in fact went on a nationwide crusade to fix public typos, as documented in an NPR story and a book.
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