Grammar Equals Intelligence?

After reading a bunch of random threads, I noticed a pattern. A lot of posters are often abused for their grammar/punctuation. As frustrating as a badly presented post may be, I don't think it's fair to attack someone's integrity due to that alone.

For example, I knew someone who spoke/typed like a 12-year-old. However, he was a mathematical genius. He was able to secure an important and demanding job in the police department, as well as maintain an incredibly successful business.

Some of history's greatest minds were known to be eccentric and uneducated.

Do people honestly believe that correct spelling and placement of commas and quotation marks really mirror an individual's intelligence?

Pandapple...

I couldn't agree with you more...it's wonderful to get it right, but in the grand scheme of it all, it makes no difference, and usually I find that grammar fascists are the least creative or confident among us. An ex of mine, a long time ago, who came from an academic background, used to drive me *insane* by correcting every single little mistake...like saying "different to" instead of "different from"...that kind of thing. God help me if I ever split an infinitive! Eventually, I realised that it was their way of trying to place themselves above me in the only way they could see how, and it was a response to my own very creative talents.

All in all, they are best ignored, as far as I'm concerned. Great songs, poems, films and literature have all been created with faulty grammar. To paraphrase Bob Marley, although he was talking about weed and not grammar...would God say it was wrong?

I'm not hyper-critical over grammar.
What really bothers me is 'l33t speak'.
If a post is riddled with this kind of text then, yes, I will skip it entirely.
When someone has something to share and takes the time to put it into writing, why degrade it's quality with this gaming style of shorthand?
It does not matter the quality of the thought if the way to convey it looks like a 10 year old wrote it for you.

Good grammar DOES tend to influence your opinion of a poster.

Me?.. I make up my own grammar...

I don't think anyone minds too much unless a post is stuffed full of misspellings,written without paragraphs so that you find it painful to read or reflects an impression that is opposite to the posters claim..ie

"I'm a rokket sientist and iv got prooff that aliuns relly exist"

A bit of a silly example but not entirely like some I've seen.
Someone who claims to be in a 'position of high regard' generally has to pass examinations,including grammar.

If you read a post like..

"Yo dude,I like,totally get ya point..word"

Then it's probably from someone who's a little younger than yourself.
While friendly,it doesn't exactly instill a sense of intellectual 'maturity'.

You can read between the lines of a post when forming your opinions.

reply to post by Pandapple


What position in the Police requires a mathematical genius ?


Seems a little odd to me.

As for grammar = intelligence, it is true to an extent. For example, my brother is intelligent, yet he asks me constantly how to spell certain words.

I have bad handwriting but that is because I haven't written much since leaving high school.

I can type better than I can speak. I speak a lot of slang,swear words,etc. But when my fingers touch the keys, a voice inside (intuition) tells me what to write. Then I re-read what I have wrote and check for anything that may not sound the way it should. I am constantly checking the meaning of words that I have never used before, thus expanding my knowledge of the English language.


So in short, yes and no. In a forum, people can pretend to be something they're not. If someone online has bad grammar/spelling, I can deduce that this person has not put much effort into expanding their knowledge of this language. These people I tend to not believe. Yeah its okay for someone over the age of 40 (like my father) to take ages typing/miss punctuation,etc. If someone comes to you telling you fantastic things about working somewhere like NASA, are you going to believe them if they type liek dis ?

Grammar can equal intelligence 95% of the time.

And 95% of the time statistics are made up :p

Hope someone else is more helpful than I am.

EDiT: Mathematic genius. Not Mathematician.


[edit on 20-6-2008 by trilateral_insignia]

I dont criticise on the grammer...as long as a person can get there point across clearly I dont really mind how it is written.

I only use grammar to make it easier for other people to read, not everyone here understands English slang and text talk so I do it more for there benefit.

If a was ganna tak the way a namly de ye's wudnt have a clue wat a was gan on aboot haf the time!

Trilateral...

As someone well over 40, like your dad, I couldn't help but be a little outraged at your suggestion that for us crumblies...(look at my avatar, for goodness sake!)...it's ok and almost expected for us to be a bit slow with these damn modern computer machines? That's not what you're saying is it...?

Caitlin
(who can type and spell very well for her age)

[edit on 20-6-2008 by caitlinfae]

Most errors don't bother me. It's when I see a post that is 30+ lines with not one single period. So, the post is one long run-on sentence. It's extremely hard to read, so often I don't even bother.

Another thing that bothers me is when people use a comma after every other word. ex. I was, at the park, when I saw, a red ball, and, it rolled, my way. etc.
Those are difficult to follow also.

Spelling errors don't bother me too much because everyone makes a spelling mistake now and then. But the ones that look like a 1st grader wrote it are hard to read. Then I think to myself, at least the person is trying.

reply to post by caitlinfae


Caitlin, you'll be glad to know ye don't look 40. Nor do you look 30.

I was under the impression you were 26.


And I can't help but laugh at the term "crumblies".

Only a Scottish lass could come up with that.

Personally I don't see bad grammar as a lack of intelligence per se, but a lack of respect for the reader.

If you want someone to respect and read your writing then is it too much to ask for some readable grammar?

It's not like it's that hard, especially spelling on a computer. I see it as laziness to not check your grammar and correct mistakes, and I'm too lazy to read your bad grammar.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but at least please follow some basic rules.

What do they teach in English class these days?

Now here's my post again...

personally i dont see bad granmar as a lack of inteligence per se but lack of respect for teh reader.you want someone to respect an reed you're riting then is it to much to ask for som readable grammer its not like its that hard specially speling on a computer i see it as lazyness to not check you're grammer an corect mistakes an im to lazy to read you're bad grammar what do they teach in english class these days

Respect your audience...

reply to post by fred3110


WEY AY! Ya reet thear.
A naa wen a git back frum bein awaa a wyl,a cannit undastand a soddin woad.

Likewise,when going away I have to 'moderate' my accent just a tad so people can understand me anall..


It's the same on forums.Everyone has a way they'd prefer to express themselves,but you have to maintain a compromise so everyone can understand.

You just know it's bad when people whose first language isn't English start typing better than you.

Trilateral...instantly forgiven for the 26 remark!

Although I do have to add that I find correctness in any kind of language quite soothing...somehow it makes me feel secure, as long as it's not overworked. It also depends, for me at least, on the voice and accent of the speaker when dealing with spoken language. Brian Sewell, the art critic, for instance, just makes me smile with his outrageously plummy voice! I would love to hear him talk with the words that an average 18 year old would use.

reply to post by Pandapple


Well is something you are forgetting, many of the people in this board are not born with English as their first language.

People like me speak two languages and can decently write my second language English.

Does that makes me dumb or intelligent, no, I am not just as literate on English grammar as I am in Spanish.

I bet that if you have to write in a language you were not born with, you will pretty much will write like a 12 year old to some.

In ATS we have people from all over the world, sometimes is good to take time and figure out that one.

reply to post by Pandapple
Bad grammar in America = bad public schools. If I did not read posts of people who aren't great writers , I would ignore eighty percent of bloggers ,and I would miss out on a good deal of truth. I usually look past the grammar to see if the poster knows the subject on which he is posting and he is telling the truth. Sometimes when looking for information on unusual subjects or experiences information can be gained from the posts of people who are semi illiterate. Most of those who are well educated over here have a limmited range of experiences, and even if they did see an alien they would not post about it for fear of loosing their reputation. Usually the best information is gained from the people who have nothing to lose. Nothing makes me madder than an overeducated liar. It doesn't matter to me how well someone writes if they are deliberately misleading people their posts are of no value.


[edit on 20-6-2008 by eradown]

reply to post by AGENT_T


Haha thats so true! When I'm at college I'll try my best to drop the accent and georide words otherwise I have to repeat everything its so hard sometomes coz a just gan into it without even thinking! Especially when typing I'll go back over everything to make sure its readable to everyone.

Good grammar shows someones intelligence to a degree but it's more of a courtesy...I want people to read this and understand this so I'll make it as easy as possible for them.

If ye with people who tak the same tho ye dont need to watch the grammar as much coz the na wat ye gan on aboot anyway!

My spelling is like crap. And i hate it. I dont like to be a problem for others, so they wount read my posts. But i dont think i am anny more lost then anny others who can spell. When it comes to understanding.

I have a good job. I worked my way from the sement and up to the top flore.

I dont lett my self bother by others mistakes, i know what they meen ,and thats the whole point. The point is not to get upsett by others mistakes. But understanding and seeing past them. If youre clever as you like to think you are.

Getting upset dont solve the problem,but geting to the point dose.

reply to post by spy66


A star for you, I understood every single word in your post, and English is not my first language.

BRAVO.

BTW I use ABC spelling, is pretty good and it helps with spelling, www.iespell.com...

reply to post by Pandapple


perhaps if this were a math forum, it wouldn't matter as much... but since this forum is based on discussions, and conveying your thoughts in a clear manner - grammar, punctuation and spelling are key.

In IQ tests, one's verbal prowess is half of the test. The IQ test is actually divide in to two categories, Verbal and Performance, which is based on things like puzzles and math. They average these two scroes to give you your overall IQ score. So from n IQ perspective, proper grammar usage is an indicator of intelligence.

But a lot of people here are just jerks and will personally attack someone just because they dont agree with him/her.



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[edit on 22-6-2008 by Jbird]