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Local News

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Weekend column: There's no excuse for poor spelling
Legacy Kitchen & Bath
By LAURA REINEKE

Given my background in obsessive-compulsive editing (classmates called me “Miss Dictionary” throughout junior high), as well as my chosen career path (magazine journalism), it's no wonder I'm such a stickler when it comes to proper spelling, grammar and mechanics.

One of my biggest pet peeves growing up was the incredible number of grammatical inaccuracies I came across every day.

I loved my classmates dearly, but it pained me to see the misplaced apostrophes on their homemade locker signs. I struggled not to grimace when friends used the phrase “I seen it” in daily speech.

I tried to be fair; after all, I spent my entire childhood reading and writing. Other kids my age didn't have the experience with the English language that I did, and I reasoned that increasing age and maturity would surely turn them around.

When I finally moved to college, I was thrilled at the prospect of being around people who believed in the laws of grammar to the extent I do. Sadly, I found they are ignored by the masses at Ohio University to the same extent that they are in Fostoria.

Bulletin boards across campus are covered in posters and flyers riddled with typos. E-mails from extracurricular activity organizers are written with no regard to sentence structure or capitalization, and misplaced apostrophes still consume public signage.

Mastering proper usage is not easy, and I'm not suggesting one has to instinctively know when a word should be hyphenated, or whether or not book titles are underlined, to gain my respect. In the same way I struggle with the finer points of macroeconomics, there are people who just don't get the difference between “affect” and “effect,” and that's okay. The abbreviations common to Facebook wall posts, text messages and IM conversations aren't a big deal, either, when confined to their appropriate realms.

But when you've written something that's meant to be seen by less forgiving eyes -- an English paper, a flyer, even an e-mail -- there is nothing more important than following grammar rules.

This is true for a number of reasons. Chief among them? It's not hard.

In this age where Spell Check and Grammar Check come standard on every computer, and where the entire dictionary can be accessed by a single keystroke, there is no excuse for basic errors but laziness. There are bound to be mistakes you overlook, but that's why you should always have someone on hand for a cursory read-through.

I've often heard fellow students complain about low grades they receive on papers. “I totally answered all the questions but the professor gave me a C+ because of bad grammar. It shouldn't matter, as long as my ideas are good!”

False. When your “good ideas” are buried inside sentence fragments and cushioned between too many ellipses, it matters. When your language use makes you look like an idiot despite a master's degree and a steady income, it matters. When your mistakes and inconsistencies only further perpetuate our country's grammar ineptitude, it matters.

There should not be a disconnect between a good idea and the caliber of that idea's expression, and this applies to everything from this column to the sign outside McDonald's. I'm begging you: Save my sanity! Use Spell Check!

Laura Reineke is a sophomore at Ohio University and a 2007 graduate of St. Wendelin High School.
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2 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Lynn R CLINE wrote:
Grammar
“ I agree with Laura about the useage of good grammar. You are judged by your grammar and vocabulary.
In spite of one's accuracy, bad grammar can damage or destroy a perfectly accurate paper.
Possible remedies would include: lots of reading, text books on good grammar, vidoe tutorials and, even, watching the subtitles on DVDs.
Just a thought.
LC-72 ”
Sunday, October 05, 2008 5:16:30 PM
Kyle M wrote:
I agree
“ I agree with you...and it seems to be increasingly harder to find someone on common ground about this! "I would of done it." Their, there, they're. It's, its. It all makes sense. It's not tough. It's amazing that I actually get made fun of when I spell things correctly over instant messenger and facebook. Anyway, just wanted to show support for a fellow grammar stickler. ”
Sunday, October 05, 2008 4:59:23 PM
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This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

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The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

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With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

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The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.