No not everybody is going to have perfect grammar, they are only required to do their job well.

30% of my staff are ESL and of course their grammar is not perfect

Another English major who writes for a living and I also don’t really care. I remember how snobby my mother was about my friends’ grammar, and how she was always afraid I’d turn out like them - it was pure, unadulterated class and status anxiety. We projected our class and education by the content, accent, and syntax of our speech and writing. It now seems so…fearful and small.

My teenager’s grammar is not what mine is. He uses “ain’t”, which I was never allowed to do, and when he is with his friends he will definitely say things like “where you at”, as the PP above mentions. His written grammar, and spoken grammar in class and with grandma, is much more standard.

Language does evolve. We evolve, too, and hopefully stop fearing the end of culture, humanity, and civilization because people do things differently than we do.

Anonymous wrote:Am I just getting old (late 40s), expecting my professional colleagues to write and speak with proper grammar? I cringe every time I hear or see sentences like this: Please let Carla and I know…… Me and Larla will be presenting….
These are people who should know simple grammar. Is it just not expected anymore? Or has grammar evolved so that this is now acceptable? I’m not perfect and don’t expect others to be perfect but this is very basic grammar.
Ready to be flamed…..

Now people have given up entirely and say, “Larla and myself will be presenting.”

These people should have went to alimentary school, it’s the principal of the madder and all. Go ahead an call me caddy but at lease I learned to use stationary to write a letter, can tale time on a clock and still use a paper desk calandar congradulations and big suprise never use runnon sentences so thanx “Fairfax county Public schools”!

Anonymous wrote:Am I just getting old (late 40s), expecting my professional colleagues to write and speak with proper grammar? I cringe every time I hear or see sentences like this: Please let Carla and I know…… Me and Larla will be presenting….
These are people who should know simple grammar. Is it just not expected anymore? Or has grammar evolved so that this is now acceptable? I’m not perfect and don’t expect others to be perfect but this is very basic grammar.
Ready to be flamed…..

This is ridiculous. You need to get a life. This is a desperate need to be better than others seeping out of you in a pathetic way.

I have a grad degree in English and I am unbothered by this kind of thing. I'm certainly not cringing or going around obsessing that "these are people who should know simple grammar" (which isn't really all that simple -- language evolves -- and if you had more than a basic grasp of it you might understand that).

Funny how no one seems to care about their grammar and usage and spelling unless and until there’s a reason to care like submitting a resume, a proposal, a college essay, an important letter.

Then there’s a mad rush to find someone to proofread, edit and make suggestions. I am that person. Please be kind to me. The majority of my colleagues are grateful, but if you are going to be insulted or even slightly offended, ask someone else. I take a very light hand with my edits and suggestions and avoid the temptation to simply re-write your work.

I was banned from helping my 3DC (now adults) with any writing-related homework or school projects around their respective second grades; I was deemed mean and strict.

Getting subjective and objective pronouns wrong is not a new problem.

Anonymous wrote:It's probably getting worse, yes. I do sometimes read emails and wonder how someone makes it do advanced adult age without being able to clearly communicate in a basic, clear manner.

I do notice for myself that my spelling is getting worse- I usually catch the error, but still. The digital age is getting to me, too.

Same but I'm worried it's early dementia or Alzheimer's. The digital part is affecting my attention span.

To the OP, it drives me bonkers to see/hear people use I instead of me.

They don’t teach it. Even the teachers don’t have proper grammar. It’s awful how uneducated many people sound.

no, it isn't.

idk how people managed to graduate high school with their lack of grammar knowledge.

If you’re a high school teacher and you ask me where I’m at, I’m silently correcting your grammar and feeling like an old school marm.

It depends upon your line of work. If you’re in the English department of a University these are real problems. If you’re in customer service at a bank or gym - these errors are no big deal.

It's probably getting worse, yes. I do sometimes read emails and wonder how someone makes it do advanced adult age without being able to clearly communicate in a basic, clear manner.

I do notice for myself that my spelling is getting worse- I usually catch the error, but still. The digital age is getting to me, too.

Agree it’s just the ongoing dumbing down of America.

People are just dumb.

Am I just getting old (late 40s), expecting my professional colleagues to write and speak with proper grammar? I cringe every time I hear or see sentences like this: Please let Carla and I know…… Me and Larla will be presenting….
These are people who should know simple grammar. Is it just not expected anymore? Or has grammar evolved so that this is now acceptable? I’m not perfect and don’t expect others to be perfect but this is very basic grammar.
Ready to be flamed…..