[Niall]

6/10. But the point is that such tests on grammar are ridiculous anyway. As I was doing that quiz, those sentences which were wrong were perfectly understandable anyway. Linguistic change and the context of new generations in relation to grammar is that which causes these discrepancies. No-one is wrong, only different.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Niall

6/10. But the point is that such tests on grammar are ridiculous anyway. As I was doing that quiz, those sentences which were wrong were perfectly understandable anyway. Linguistic change and the context of new generations in relation to grammar is that which causes these discrepancies. No-one is wrong, only different.

So why is texting banned on this forum .....

Surely, it's only linguistic change in the context of a new generation being different, causing discrepancies .....

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Omah

So why is texting banned on this forum .....

Surely, it's only linguistic change in the context of a new generation being different, causing discrepancies .....

Using grammar in a non-standard way is different to the use of text speak (a dialect that developed out of convenience due to technological constraints). Just because someone uses a semi-colon in the wrong place, or splits an infinitive doesn't mean that the standard of grammar is getting worse.

It suggests to me that maybe the rules are becoming more archaic and are simply on the way out. I think we should be worrying more about the testing obsession that's become a part of our schooling system, rather than if a child knows whether to use 'may' or 'might' in a sentence. People will learn grammar eventually, we shouldn't worry about it so much.

[Santa's NaughtiNess]

I can't find the quiz.

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

I can't find the quiz.

Spoiler:

[Santa's NaughtiNess]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Spoiler:

Thanks, Niamh.

[Santa's NaughtiNess]

6 out of 10. Not bad.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Niall

Using grammar in a non-standard way is different to the use of text speak (a dialect that developed out of convenience due to technological constraints). Just because someone uses a semi-colon in the wrong place, or splits an infinitive doesn't mean that the standard of grammar is getting worse.

It suggests to me that maybe the rules are becoming more archaic and are simply on the way out. I think we should be worrying more about the testing obsession that's become a part of our schooling system, rather than if a child knows whether to use 'may' or 'might' in a sentence. People will learn grammar eventually, we shouldn't worry about it so much.

The problem with your statement is that people DON'T "learn grammar eventually" and "the standard of grammar IS getting worse" - ask any employer .....

Once the rules are on the way out then what used to be a common language becomes, as it used to be, a myriad of dialects .....

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Omah

The problem with your statement is that people DON'T "learn grammar eventually" and "the standard of grammar IS getting worse" - ask any employer .....

Once the rules are on the way out then what used to be a common language becomes, as it used to be, a myriad of dialects .....

Yes because once people no longer have the collective understanding of the semi-colon, English will of course unravel and die out.

This happens all the time, people worry about the language crumbling and tearing apart at the seems when it well.. isn't it. It's just change, not decay. Change does not mean standards are getting worse, they're just shifting.

300 years ago, there were two different types of 's' that had to be written depending on the word. Do you suppose that the loss of that grammatical rule is a sign of grammar standards worsening too?

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Niall

Yes because once people no longer have the collective understanding of the semi-colon, English will of course unravel and die out.

This happens all the time, people worry about the language crumbling and tearing apart at the seems when it well.. isn't it. It's just change, not decay. Change does not mean standards are getting worse, they're just shifting.

300 years ago, there were two different types of 's' that had to be written depending on word. Do you suppose that the loss of that grammatical rule is a sign of grammar standards worsening too?

Once the rot sets in .....

I note, however, that YOUR grammar, is almost perfect .....

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Omah

Once the rot sets in .....

I note, however, that YOUR grammar, is almost perfect .....

It's not really 'rot' though at all. English has gone through this constant shift for nearly a 1000 years. It's just how this - and all other - languages work.

And thank you, given my score on the test I suppose that demonstrates that grammar isn't something that needs to be tested at all, huh? Even though I don't know all of the specifics I can still accurately write a sentence (mostly anyways)..

Originally Posted by Livia

Speaking as someone who gets through quite a lot of work experience placements, I'd have to say that sadly, change does sometimes mean standards are slipping. When you employ an intern who's just graduated or about to graduate, and they can't write a basic letter, using good spelling, punctuation and grammar, then you have to accept the fact that standards are much lower now than they were when I graduated, and in the scheme of things, that wasn't that long ago.

Fair enough. I'm not sure I agree that it means standards are slipping though, I mean most people my age that I'm friends with can accurately punctuate and write. There's obviously lots of factors that feed into that I suppose, but that's my perception anyway.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niall

Yes because once people no longer have the collective understanding of the semi-colon, English will of course unravel and die out.

This happens all the time, people worry about the language crumbling and tearing apart at the seems when it well.. isn't it. It's just change, not decay. Change does not mean standards are getting worse, they're just shifting.

300 years ago, there were two different types of 's' that had to be written depending on word. Do you suppose that the loss of that grammatical rule is a sign of grammar standards worsening too?

Speaking as someone who gets through quite a lot of work experience placements, I'd have to say that sadly, change does sometimes mean standards are slipping. When you employ an intern who's just graduated or about to graduate, and they can't write a basic letter, using good spelling, punctuation and grammar, then you have to accept the fact that standards are much lower now than they were when I graduated, and in the scheme of things, that wasn't that long ago.

[Urban Cragou]

Originally Posted by Omah

The problem with your statement is that people DON'T "learn grammar eventually" and "the standard of grammar IS getting worse" - ask any employer .....

Once the rules are on the way out then what used to be a common language becomes, as it used to be, a myriad of dialects .....

Feel free to correct me if this is invalid but wasn't grammar was scraped from the syllabuses back in the early 1960s (alongside Latin), as there was a mutual agreement that no one needed to be drilled into a language which they already knew and employers began to complain about 3 decades later regarding the poor syntax of students and starting employees?