Do you use correct spelling and grammar?

[Terri2]

Do you use correct spelling and grammar when you write stories and stuff? Do you even care?

[Chance Murphy]

Yes you should try to use correct grammar and spelling, unless the character you are writing doesn't use correct grammar, and possibly spelling, but then you have to be careful to write in a way that readers will recognize that the character is misspelling and not the author f-ing things up.

I recommend always having someone else edit your work. If you're anything like me, you'll never be able to catch all your own mistakes.

If I were going to start a business, I'd bundle these 4 books together and sell them to every writer on the planet at a discount:

The Elements of Style, William Strunk
The Chicago Manual of Style (always get the latest edition)
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Any Thesaurus you want (I use the Oxford American).

I have these books in a pull out drawer in my desk so I can get to them quickly. It helps! Josh

[Linda]

if i knew correct spelling and grammar i'd use it. as long as i'm able to get the point across, im good.

[Toni Stauffer]

I always try to use good grammar, even when I'm just chatting. Friends make fun of me for it. I don't want to get lazy and not use it, because as an editor I need to be at the top of my game. I must make a good impression in public.

[awelker]

ok i am the worlds worst speller and i try to use decent grammer but i still suck at that also.

[Julie20201]

yes, always correct grammar....expect when I typo...then misspellings etc but I strive for correct grammar....

[Linda]

i've given up. i'm terrible at it. but i mean whatever as long as u can understand me it's all good.

[Niphredil]

Is there any such thing as correct spelling and grammar? There is standard english, but that isn't correct. If anything, it is purely a prestige form of langauge that we seem to think is the one that should be used for writing. Any dialect is as correct as that, if not more so, as that actually gets spoken. After all, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and many other writers writing before Standardisation didn't have any rules to go off.

I think the only rule that should really be observed is that of communication. If your spelling and grammar is so bad that nobody can tell what your trying to say, then you have a problem. Otherwise, surely it is up to you how you use langauge? After all, how many people actually speak in Standard English? And what would you think of people that did? Personally my first thought would be "shes a right toff" .

It seems a little silly to try and preserve a Standard English that was largely formed by upper middle class white English men, for upper middle class white English men.

And yes I do realise the irony of writing that in pretty much Standard English...

[Linda]

urg. i hated learning about like middle english and old english and all that. we screwed up our language so bad it's kindof like whatever now. people dont seem to care.

[Kyle22]

I think it is important to use proof-readers and editors before publishing a piece of writing to make sure it has correct spelling and grammar.

[TD Matzenik]

Just because a person can speak and has finished with school does not mean they should give up on furthering their understanding language. This is not about social class or prestige. The use of language by a writer is and indication of just how far they have gone with self-education, and that can merely be a matter of posting on the Internet. As a writer at any level ones ability to communicate clearly and concisely is what will hold most readers. Even if the writer has a good story to tell, bad grammar, poor spelling, incorrect punctuation, overuse of slang, idioms and profanity will ware down most readers if the instances are not directly related to the story.

That being said, do I use correct S and G? Not always, but if my mistake is pointed out, I make a mental note for the future. This is part of self-education which should interest everyone if self-respect is of any value.

[Richard Falken]

If your writing styles does not cut it, your book is worth nearly nothing. Sincerely.

Taking the writing process not seriously is an insult to the reader (who, most of the times, has paid you expecting a quality work). Major languages have academies and institutions created precisely for keeping the standard of the language up to date so we have a reference.

I can wr1te cr4p l1ke th1s, and sure anybody can understand it, but it does not make it pleasant to read. Literature is half about writing style. I have my books pass four of five proof-readings by different educated people to ensure the end product is A+ grade. Of course, harbor confidants and prostitutes do not have to speak like a teacher, but even for writing slang you need some "art".

Taking the task not seriously is disrespectful to the reader, in my opinion.

[jazmen23]

Hi i love to write but i aleays find myself starting in the middle an having to fil in the pieces... lol i hope one day this will change otherwise. my stories shall b quite interesting

[wctumesh]

To use them, simply select a word or group of words from your text and launch. This tool enables you to correct the most cumbersome mistakes, To improve your English spelling,

[T McKinley]

I am a middle school English teacher, so I have a fetish for grammar and punctuation, not as a set of traps for my students, but as part of a conversation about living language. Bottom line, language and usage always changes. The trick is to meet or exceed the expectations of that audience you have chosen to write to. If you want adults to read your book, you need to write up to their level. At the same time, the one rule I really try to teach my students is the one that has always worked best for me: Read your work out loud. If it sounds boring or confusing, it probably is. If you need a pause in a sentence, throw in a comma. If you run out of breath before reaching a comma or a period, you probably need to shorten your sentence. The point is to communicate. Know your audience and read out loud!