Language Rant

[mbarrick]

What ever happened to using case correctly? What compels people to type in ALL CAPS, or no caps at all, or with RANDOM words CAPITALIZED? And punctuation? What about punctuation? I can live with a misplaced comma or the occasional misused semicolon, but no punctuation at all? Consider the readability of the following passages:

there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face on the throne of england there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face on the throne of france in both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the state preserves of loaves and fishes that things in general were settled for ever

THERE WERE A KING WITH A LARGE JAW AND A QUEEN WITH A PLAIN FACE ON THE THRONE OF ENGLAND THERE WERE A KING WITH A LARGE JAW AND A QUEEN WITH A FAIR FACE ON THE THRONE OF FRANCE IN BOTH COUNTRIES IT WAS CLEARER THAN CRYSTAL TO THE LORDS OF THE STATE PRESERVES OF LOAVES AND FISHES THAT THINGS IN GENERAL WERE SETTLED FOR EVER

There were a King with a LARGE jaw and a QUEEN with a plain face, on the throne of England. There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a FAIR face, on the throne of France. In BOTH countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were SETTLED for ever.

Thiers a king w/ a lg jaw and a queen w/ a plain face on the throne of england. theirs a king w/ a large jaw and a queen w/ a fair face on the throne of france. In both countries it was clearer then crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loafs and fishs, that things in general were settled 4 ever.

There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.

Yeah, I've been reading bulletin boards again. I've got to stop doing that. I need instead to spend more time reading correct English out of real, printed books before my own language skills deteriorate.

In case you are wondering why the passage sounds familar, it is the second paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities.

Comments

Reason No Punctuation There

[logik.livejournal.com]

Sucks syntax. Order style is out of. Punctuation what need do I have! To read more interesting to much more when syntax its missing. To punctuation use more makes difficult it too syntax avoid! Periods maybe except.

Re: Reason No Punctuation There

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

This message has been brought to you by the Yoda School of Smart-Ass.

[bitogoth.livejournal.com]

i'm quite guilty of this. i think it's a result of needing to be exceedingly correct when editing and writing. my informal writing is much more akin to my use of punctuation and capitalisation in my poetry... (in other words "i'm so misunderstood! don't stifle my creativity! *hand*staple*forehead*) ;}

That's it.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to eat your head now.

[evilyn13.livejournal.com]

i know that in my own lj i never bother with punctuation, or even good grammer for that matter :P
but i like it to be more about my free flowing thoughts than actual essay format literature.
alright i am just lazy :)

the nerve...

[seymour-glass.livejournal.com]

yeh what's with those losers who don't use capitals??? or even worse use ellipses for periods...i usually punctuate correctly within the sentence, in spite of my unorthodox style...i think the absence of capitals was influenced by e e cummings, and in the fact i wrote poetry that way...and hey i'm a little lazy too...my worst habit is the absence of paragraphs...my writing is generally one big box of stream of consciousness...i think that is more infuriating...ha ha...i keep up my reading and fortunately i can write correctly when it is needed...which i am compelled to do at work...i think one distinction between our generation and the ones that follow is that we were taught proper grammar first, and then some of us choose to take shortcuts in our writing styles...many younger people today have never learned proper grammar, or perhaps even been taught proper grammar; their writing is a reflection of that lack of education...

there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of england; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of france...in both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the state preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever...

Re: the nerve...

[seymour-glass.livejournal.com]

s/b "or perhaps have even been taught proper grammar"...got to be careful when discussing grammar...ha ha...