i know.. it irritates me to. we have been brought up with UK English in our schooling in India. and now after the exposure to the Internet, we have started using US English:)
CC..that was a very good example:))
but i wonder what our kids will be using in the next generation???

This life cycle ends for this planet very soon...the next generation wont be able to mature in the physical sense...so it wont really matter...but as for grammer being an indication of intelligence..there is nothing that can be farther from the truth..I have meet individuals that where EXTREMLY intelligent that wan not able to finish high school...but they understood human interaction and common sense...whereas I have met individuals with high level degrees..that seemed as stupid as a box or rocks..so its the individuals in life that have to classify grammer and spelling as a sign of intelligence that dont understand TRUE intelligence

[The use of] grammar is not an indication of intelligence, and I don't think it was intimated as such in the previous posts. Good grammar is applied to enable understanding of the written word.

If someone is unable to write properly, then it follows that they will not be understood correctly by the reader, which then leads to misunderstandings, often through ambiguity. e.g.:

a) Gladly, the cross-eyed bear.
b) Gladly the cross I'd bear.

Where a) refers to a bear named Gladly who needs spectacles and b) refers to someone who'd happily carry a heavy load. Both sentences sound the same, but mean completely different things and are written to illustrate their meaning!

Human beings alone are born with the natural ability to read, write and articulate language. Being educated is not necessarily the same as being intelligent. Being educated to an acceptable level in order to communicate effectively should be the goal of educational establishments, like schools.
Children will learn what they are taught, good teaching or bad.

CC x

Hi,
Have just caught up with a week of "postings since last contact" and laughed at myself reading this thread....I can be so formal with the written word, but the spoken word is much more friendly and sociable.

I cringe when I hear people say "could of" or "would of" etc instead of "could've" and "would've". They don't know that the "of" sound is actually 've, the shortform for "have".

And.... pronouncing the "ing" as INK as in "something". I hear it all the time and wonder where it originated, probably verbal laziness, because when they write, they would naturally spell the "ing" ending to words, not "ink".

My mother was very strict with correct pronounciation and grammer with speaking and writing and I passed it onto my children.

Anyway, the education system today is based on spelling by sound to encourage students to expand their vocabulary, with possible correct spelling as their studies progress. We live in hope! But typos don't count!

Lotsa,
Gillian

Come on, maybe people are tired, in a hurry, not paying much attention, maybe they don't speak English that well ....