I followed an intriguing link from one blog to another this week, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the link I followed was to the blog of an author that I like and respect. However, he lost me when I noticed two HUGE grammatical errors in the second sentence of the first paragraph. I'm certain the author had a valid point he wanted to communicate, but I was too busy trying to fix his errors in my head that I couldn't even finish his post.
I also take a little too much snarky pleasure in reading the flyers/info letters that come home in my kids' backpacks each week. I secretly want to circle every typo and grammatical faux pas with a fat, red pen and send it back to the school office. Anonymously, of course. Last week, I read a couple of things out loud to John (Mr. Editor) and we were both dumbfounded at the misuse. It scares me a little (frankly, a lot) because some of the people who write those letters are the ones teaching my children!!! I'm sure if I offered to write all the correspondence that goes home from school, someone would take me up on it, but then what would we do for evening entertainment? Arrogant, much?
I think some of my grammar geekiness came from my mother. Here are some things that were drilled into my head growing up.
Me: Can I walk down to Robin's house?
Mom: I don't know. Can you?
Me: (rolling eyes) May I walk down to Robin's house?
Mom: Yes, you may walk down to Robin's house.
Me: Me and Robin want to make some cookies.
Mom: Who?
Me: Me and Robin.
Mom: Who?
Me: ME AND ROBIN!!!!!!!
Mom: Who?
Me: (rolling my eyes) Robin and I.
Mom: Robin and I what?
Me: Robin and I would like to make some cookies.
Mom: Sure, just make enough to share.
Me: I'm done with my homework.
Mom: No, you're not done. Meat is "done". You are finished.
Mom, you'll be happy to know that Sarah has two teachers who are sticklers about not being "done" but "finished", and about "may" instead of "can", and that I also correct my children when they say these things.
Don't even get me started on typos! Check out the typo I found on the Pei Wei take-out menu. Seriously, Pei Wei??? Don't you think spell check would have caught that???
Disclaimer: I use incorrect grammar sometimes and I rarely use spell check before publishing posts on my blog.
