Page 19 - ELG1709 Agu-Sep Issue 450

FEATURE .

All

pedants

and

correct

Social media has created a huge
outlet for predatory nitpickers
desperate to correct bad English
– but has it gone too far? Gizzelle It can be tempting to
Sandoval investigates correct others online

othing shows the growing public pathetic spelling mistakes’, while another says writing critics know grammar, you‘d be dead.’
interest in grammar more than it will ‘stomp out’ bad grammar. There is even ‘You can tell I have an interest in this
t-shirt slogans arguing for the Oxford a ‘bot’ account that automatically calls people topic,’ says Pullum. In some cases, he explains,
Ncomma. But is this grammar-centric out on the grammar mistakes they make in there are ordinary informal ways to say things
movement doing more harm than good? Fights their tweets. Perhaps a humiliation too far for (‘Who were you talking to?’) and more formal,
on Twitter, Facebook and other social media some, although its inventor says it is there ‘to ‘pompous’ ways (‘To whom were you talking?’).
platforms have erupted over grammar usage serve the public interest by educating users’. He says, ‘The grammar bullies try to suggest
and spelling, where people are resorting to But there is a fine line between being that the ordinary informal version is incorrect
pointing out written mistakes – sometimes as a helpful or asking for clarity and what has been when it isn’t. ‘In other cases, they’re just
way to humiliate and victimise other people. dubbed ‘grammar bullying’. The Megan Meier talking about spelling (don’t spell “its” as “it’s”;
The Grammar Police, a popular Facebook Foundation, an anti-bullying organisation, says don’t spell “affect” as “effect”; and so on).’
page and seller of grammar-related that grammar policing could – if done in an Because English is riddled with
merchandise, is one example of how serious insensitive way – amount to ‘a relatively new inconsistencies and is always evolving, the
people have become about grammar (see form of cyberbullying’. majority of grammar rules are obsolete,
next page). One study from the University To probe the issue of growing online according to Pullum. One example is the rule
of Michigan was even conducted around grammar pedantry, the Gazette tracked down that ‘less’ can’t be used with things you can
grammar pedantry, and found that it is related the well-known linguist Professor Geoffrey K. count. This is false, Pullum points out, because
to certain personality types (see next page). Pullum, professor of general linguistics at the ‘less than five years’ is much more normal than
Judging by EL Gazette’s searches of chat University of Edinburgh. ‘The grammar bullies ‘fewer than five years’. Another rule is that
rooms and social media platforms, grammar are in nearly all cases thoroughly ignorant of ‘between’ can only be used with two things,
policing, or correcting other people’s grammar the facts’, says Pullum via email. Their bullying but it’s totally acceptable to say, ‘She has sand
and spelling in public internet spaces, looks to of other people’s writing is ill-informed. ‘It’s a between her toes’ even if she has the standard
be a well-established practice. real tragedy.’ five toes on each foot.
On Twitter, for example, there is a Pullum will be giving a number of talks ‘Making occasional mistakes with the
proliferation of accounts claiming to be ‘The in the upcoming months on this subject, miserable, complicated, chaotic English
Grammar Police’. One claims it will ‘fix your including: ‘If doctors knew medical science like spelling system does not mean you’re stupid.
It means you slip up sometimes,’ says Pullum.
‘If someone is wrong about politics, deal with
their politics, not their spelling.’
Perhaps then, while it is tempting to correct
someone’s grammar online, it might be worth
considering how the internet has become a
medium for presenting non-standard grammar,
contributing to genuine creativity. Bullying,
in whatever form it is presented, needs to be
treated with the contempt it deserves.
After all, why are we more inclined to
judge someone for their grammar and not for
forgetting second year French?
18 August/September 2017

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