Why Sloppiness Is Killing Your Job Search

From generations to generation grammar has been a big part of the English language. It has also changed since it first develops. From texting complete sentences like “See you later” to “C U l8r” or from using the spelling two and using the number form of it to replace that. Using slang word such as those can ruin a person’s reputation. In the stories of The Joy of Texting by Lynne Truss and I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why. by Kyle Wiens, both show some main similarities for it uses of correct grammar and why it should be that way. Grammar can make or break a person and could cost serious chances in life.

Firstly, students are not getting enough practice in writing and it is taking away their ability to write. In Source G, Clive Thompson mentions “Facebook encourages narcissistic blabbering, video and PowerPoint have replaced carefully crafted essays.” (Source G). Since schools have switched over to more of an engaging learning environment, rather than formal essay writing, students are not getting enough writing practice which results in poor understanding of the English language. Secondly, teens are misusing the English language via texting, social statuses, blogs, etc. In Source G, Clive Thompson states “texting has dehydrated language into ‘bleak, bald, sad shorthand’…An age of illiteracy is at hand, right?” (Source G). Thompson believes teens are slowly drifting away from the formal English language and are creating their own shorthand meanings. This highly emphasizes how the younger generation is misusing the English language and it is taking away their ability to formally write and they are falsely practicing the English language. Thus, technology is taking away one’s ability to write formally and acknowledge the roots of the English

Students aren’t making nearly as many spelling mistakes due to spellcheck but are now using the wrong word or preposition in their writing. Stanford researcher Andrea Lunsford creates an interesting point when she asks if students are losing the taste for more complex English. This is something we don’t want to lose the ability to do.

Society today is quick to judge and state what is wrong and what is acceptable by the public. While some differences between Spelling Matters and Use Your Own Words are obvious, the similarities are relevant. Anne Trubek says that perhaps it is time to change or alter grammar rules to match the current generation and culture. We should advance our guidelines about what is proper and improper along with what is happening right now with the language. While Mikita Brottman says, “bad spelling can be a godsend—a way of weeding out those who are thoughtless and inattentive to detail” (p. 219).

We as a society are evolving with each generation to come. We are getting stronger, faster, and smarter. Just as cell phones are no longer square blocks with numbers on them and TV’s are not in black and white, writing itself has also evolved. Once upon a time many wrote and spoke in a Shakespearean form of language and over the years it has evolved into something we call modern English. In recent years, technology has advanced greatly and cell phones have become one of our primary use of communication. With cell phones came a new form of writing called text messaging. Text messaging is used to send short, concise messages to anyone around the world. Often times text messages involve the use of abbreviations which stand for different things and also involves frequent use of emoji’s as a form of expression. This form of writing is now considered informal writing and is not acceptable in academic settings. In Michaela Cullington’s essay “Does Texting Affect Writing?” she touches on both sides of whether texting is hindering students writing or if it’s actually having a positive effect. She then makes is clear that she believes most students are educated enough to know when text speak is appropriate and when it’s not so therefore it has no effect on students. Although, I agree with her thesis, she lacks credibility due to her insufficient evidence. In addition, I also believe

A piece of writing is much more than just words on a page. Just as a potter carefully molds and carves every detail and shape into a piece of art, so does a writer. Each comma, dash, antecedent, and fragment is picked cautiously. Each grammatical choice brings to pass a different rhetorical effect creating an irreplaceable and unique piece of art filled with fine detail. Rhetorical grammar is the clay of a potter. One must have it to begin and it has a variety of options to choose from. A person’s ability to understand and use grammar is as the technique owned by the craftsmen. Just as clay can be brittle and weak, so can grammar if used incorrectly or not to its best ability. The most amazing work is not made simply by chance but because of

Facebook encourages narcissistic blabbering, video and PowerPoint have replaced carefully crafted essays, and texting has dehydrated language into “bleak, bald, sad shorthand” (as University College of London English professor John Sutherland has moaned).” (Source 7) this quote says that technology is to blame for kids today not being able to write, and she uses Facebook and texting as an example. My opinion, I think he’s right because we use different types of speech while doing or talking or even making a status because we feel like that is the thing to do, when it would be easier if you just use this type of speech for everything that you do. For instance, would you talk to your parents the way you talk to your friends, or would you talk to the principle like he’s your pet dog? There is a purpose for these different types of speech but at the same time, I believe that most of the reasons are irrelevant.

How often do we as employees consider our use or misuse of grammar, spelling and punctuation in the workplace? Proper usage of grammar, spelling, and punctuation results in the use of Standard English. Standard English is known as the correct form of the English language. Is our misuse of Standard English in our workplace reflecting negatively upon us? Brad Hoover, the CEO of Grammarly, says, “Companies looking to hire top talent should consider grammar as one predictor of a candidate’s aptitude and success.” (Hoover). Many people may find the use of non-standard grammar trivial however, this is not the case in a professional atmosphere. Non-Standard English in the workplace provides no benefit to either the employee or employer and has only negative consequences. The use of non-standard English in the workplace will negatively affect our communication, image, chance for promotions and even our pay in the workplace.

Wide varieties of technologies, from social media to the printing press, have changed the way people speak and write english.

Growing up we’re told repeatedly that, “grammar is important, and you will need it in college.” As I sit in these lectures, however, I see that claim hasn’t fazed anybody. I sit in an English class expecting to read these great, well put together papers, and I get the same writing level I saw my senior year in high school. I should expect this, I mean, no kid is going to magically learn the rules of writing over the summer. I didn’t. It took nine grueling months of an English class that, quite frankly, was hell on earth to learn most of them. The class was the toughest class I have ever sat through, and yet, I’m blessed. I’m in my second semester as a college student, and Sandra Stebbin’s English class has saved me more times than I care to count. It’s time for the United States education system to start taking grammar seriously. This is a huge concern, because our future leaders can’t afford to have writing skills equivalent to a 7th grade middle school kid.

Ever wonder how good grammar can lead to success? Think about it like this, say you just sent an essay to the college of your dreams, and you’ve worked on that essay for weeks fixing it, making sure the grammar is perfect. Finally the letter you been waiting for is here, and you’re so nervous and scared to see what it says. Once you open it you see that you’ve gotten accepted, and they’re amazed with the grammar used in your essay, and that they’ll love having someone with that good of a grammar at their college. Good grammar doesn’t only lead to good success, but great opportunities in life which is better for our future.

It has been found that “68 percent of teachers… say digital tools make students more likely to take shortcuts and not put effort into their writing” (Campbell). We all know that technology has had a tremendous glow up through the years, but what we do not realize is how much harm this advancement is causing. On one side of the issue, professionals say that social media allows relationship building and people are more open about themselves. On the other hand, some educators argue that people use social media with no purpose and can cause problems later in life. Primarily, social media is making students struggle with writing because of the way its users socialize and are comprehending ways that are not grammatically correct. Additionally, social media is giving power to its users to start controversy with others. However, professionals claim that participating online allows people to open up and become more social; unfortunately, their statement is invalid and flawed. Overall, people who use social media in their everyday lives are having problems in their future.

A real audience forces most students to reconsider how they word their ideas. To avoid looking illiterate, most students will consult their teacher or a grammar and usage book to make sure they are adhering to good grammar guidelines. By writing online students feel motivated to do their best. For example, George Mayo, a Maryland middle school 8th grade teacher, found this to be the case. According to Morgan,“Mayo remarked that the level of motivation in his class soared when his students found out that pupils as far away as China were participating.” Therefore, social media can writing by motivating students to do their best.

We use abbreviations and emoji’s to get our point across. As college students we send so many texting messages that we do not realize that we hold on to those habits of using incorrect spelling and full sentences. Using this way of communication so often has caused college students to carry it over to formal writing projects. Texting is another form of writing, some would believe that it will help with our writing skills but at the same time it making us lose our depth when it comes to writing. Students don’t use a much detail when it comes to writing papers. Grammar gets affected and we get in the habit of abbreviating our words which do not help enhance our writing at all. This articles just goes through saying that texting reflects on a lot more than just students language skills.

In today’s era, technology has become the main form of communication. With social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and texting, there are not many face-to-face conversations anymore. Everything is being typed out instead of actually being said. This may lead to someone thinking that correct grammar usage should be prevalent, since everything is being written out instead of spoken. Instead, the exact opposite is happening. Correct grammar is not usually seen on social media sites, especially Twitter. Twitter is a fast pace website and people are hitting “tweet” before even reading what they have written. Twitter also has a character limit of 160 characters per tweet. Many people have much more that they want to say than they can fit in 160 characters. I propose that fast pace sites with a character limit, such as Twitter, will have more grammatical errors than sites without a character limit, such as Facebook.