If there are no colloquialisms in the written word, someone must have forgotten to tell my daughters (and many/most of their generation!) - although you might describe them as 'just incorrect'!
Your daughters must be of the same age as mine when the teachers would inform me that spelling and grammar was not important as long as the meaning is clear.
I disagreed then and I do now and wondered why they thought that. I can only assume they did not know either.
In the context of this thread, one irony is that in a pub (or any verbal communication) there would be no discernible difference between "their" and "they're" (or "there")!
Yet there is in writing.
If anyone gets them wrong, we must assume they don't know; no one would use the wrong spelling intentionally.
However, the point about the pub analogy is that both are very informal/'casual' forms of communication/interaction - and, although one is verbal and the other is written, a good few people write (casually/informally) what they would say in verbal communication.
Like; you no; yoom probly write innit. That's no excuse.
It's also the case that people vary their 'style' according to the situation. Returning the my daughters, both have serious professional roles (one is a barrister) and one assumes that they write professionally is as grammatical correct as they can manage.
Exactly. I would be most upset employing a barrister who could not write properly.
However, what they write in 'informal e-mails' (not to mention text messages and 'social media'!) doesn't bear looking at for an old fogie like myself!
Why do they do it?
Texting is different but we don't want text speak where electrical explanations are concerned.
Do you mean they intentionally write things wrongly?
... and nor is it necessarily a question of ignorance. I rather doubt that I'm the only person whose typing fingers sometimes go into a "phonetic autopilot" mode, and type the wrong one of there/their/they're (or "its"/"it's" etc.), even though I know which should be used, am I?
Typos occur. Don't make excuses when someone corrects you.
... your use of 'what' (instead of that or which) it reminds me of Ernie Wise.
"Like" (which
does sometimes get into written material) is far worse one amongst the younger generations! Also, as from 'ignorance', most of us are far from omniscient when it comes to grammar - had you talking about using "that" instead of "which", or vice versa, I would be the first to admit that I haven't a clue as to which is 'correct' in which situation!
I have heard that nowadays, instead of actually laughing, some youngsters actually say "L.O.L.". Absolutely ridiculous as they obviously did not laugh out loud.
"That" or "which" is more complicated but as for the "what" in question, it is very likely NEVER correct.
Whatever, as I implied, I hope that we are not going to see too much of these discussions in the future.
Writing long threads about it is not the best way to achieve that.
If there is a lack of clarity, then we should ask for clarification, but if it is clear what is meant, I'm happy.
Yes, I know that and you are indeed overly tolerant.
I disagree. That way lies no improvement and the logical outcome of never correcting is a continual worsening of the situation.
Take the sentence:
"They're over there in their office."
Maybe I'm odd, but:
"There over their in they're office." actually doesn't make sense and has to be translated.
After reading "There over their" my mind is already somewhere else wondering - what? Over their lunch? - and why isn't there a comma. Then corrections have to be made.
As I have mentioned elsewhere if I say:
This is a giraffe:
Do you think I am just using the wrong word by mistake, intentionally or through ignorance?
Which ever it is; does it matter and do you know what is meant?
). However, when writing to 'family and friends', she uses more 'relaxed' language (which you might well call 'incorrect' - but see my reply to your next post - when I write it!).