Grammar Police: To Detect And Correct
written by Laura Pfalz

The term "grammar police" is used negatively or as an insult more often than not. Those who correct spelling and grammar mistakes in forums and chat rooms are often chastized for doing so, even if the corrector didn't mean to do any harm. Often the recipients of such corrections see "grammar police" as being arrogant or showing off, and in turn the recipient feels "dumb" or even "inadequate". People don't usually like to be corrected, especially in casual settings (such as chat rooms and forums), however I feel that this in itself is a mistake. The way we learn and grow is to obtain proper information and facts. If a teacher never corrects a student, the student will never learn or become properly educated. And yet just about everyone resists being corrected, for fear of looking "dumb".

There are people who feel the need to flaunt their intelligence. More than likely they're simply insecure about their intelligence level, and therefore feel the need to make others feel bad for making a mistake. At the end of the day though, that is their issue and doesn't concern you at all. However, there's no reason to cut off your nose to spite your face. Learning proper grammar and spelling are the building blocks of communicating. We live in a world where we type almost as much as we talk, and for some of us, the amount we type far exceeds how much we talk. Despite the anonymity when using the internet, there's no reason to give up on writing properly. Debates are very common when you're online in chat rooms and forums, and points come across so much stronger when written well.

I feel the need to address writers specifically for a moment. Although I encourage anyone who has the desire to write to do so no matter what, there is no excuse for not incorporating proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation into the end product. Rough drafts are made so that a writer can write very openly, creatively, and organically without getting bogged down with the mechanics of writing. But it concerns me when I see writers turning rough drafts into final drafts, as is. Typos and mistakes happen, however it is easy to spot when a writer has simply mis-typed something and when they just don't realize that it's incorrect. There are many books and resources online which can help you learn the mechanics of writing. Bringing professionalism into any field of work will make goals so much more attainable. The more you practice proper grammar, the easier and more natural it will become.

Grammar police may have good or bad intentions when they correct you online, but since inflections are lost in translation when talking over the internet, take the criticism with a grain of salt and take the correction to heart...instead of the other way around.