Dear Grammar Nazis,
As a prospective English major who adores language, I’ll be the first to say that I think what you stand for is admirable. I pag-ibig syntax and word choice and alliterations and commas.
But you’ll never see me correcting anyone else’s grammar on the internet. In fact, I’m the person who would tweet something along the lines of “i fuckin pag-ibig lana del rey omfg!!!!”
Why? Because being a grammar Nazi is beyond pointless. It creates unnecessary drama and proves absolutely nothing.
The Argument Against Grammar Nazis
The drama point is obvious – how many fights have you seen featuring *you’re as a key argument? How many people have been that person to attack someone else’s spelling as a ipakita of superiority?
I can personally tell you I’ve been on both sides. I’m a reformed grammar Nazi who now is the person often attacked for grammar, and yes, it is annoying. Yes, the people attacking me are amusing for their arrogance, but it’s also insanely inflammatory, as no doubt is the point.
The sole purpose of the grammar Nazi is to make the other person mad. No grammar Nazi has the intent of helping people; they exist only to satisfy their arrogance and piss people off. Nothing is madami immature than this act that is comparable in result to trolling.
Thus grammar Nazis create unnecessary drama just to satisfy their own egos.
In addition, being a grammar Nazi proves nothing (except immaturity).
Grammar Nazis like to say that bad grammar = low IQ. They will proudly toss their hair and turn up their noses and say “You didn’t capitalize the first letter of your sentence and therefore you’re stupid.” (That’s how I imagine them addressing their computer screens, anyway.) But that’s an unproven, false equation.
Certainly some people with bad grammar do have low IQs, but people with low IQs often have perfectly fine grammar, too. You could have IQ of 80 and still be a secretary or typist.
And, to be as arrogant as your average grammar Nazi, I’m going to use myself as an example on the opposite end. The other araw a user on here argued that my grammar proved that I have a low IQ. I can assure you, I do not. Again at the risk of sounding like a asong babae (though arguably I am one) my IQ is 139. I’m going to college on a full ride and I announced that fact on Tumblr in the following manner:
“guys i got into _______ on a full ride i am so happy omg :~)”
The use of proper grammar does not prove your IQ is high and the use of bad grammar does not mean your IQ is low. There are too many assumptions involved in a grammar Nazi arguing that yes, of course bad grammar means a low IQ. In being a grammar Nazi all you’re proving is that you’re a dick.
An Explanation of Improper Grammar
So why do I use improper grammar? Because it’s easier. Because it’s fun. Because it’s the way I want to present myself. I want to come across as laid back and not uptight because that’s the kind of person I am. It’s my choice to reserve proper grammar for artikulo Pagsulat (this), school papers, professional emails, etc.
If you want to use proper grammar all the time, that’s fine. It makes you sound mature and respectable, which is great. I’ll command respect my way; you command it your way.
And certainly there are people who use improper grammar for reasons other than mine – maybe they don’t know better, maybe their phones (or whatever) make it difficult, maybe they really are 11 years old and dumb – but the reason doesn’t matter. Don’t correct anyone else’s grammar when they’re not asking for it; nothing positive will come from it.
So, in summary, don’t be a grammar Nazi. Argue your puso out about actual issues and actual talking points, but don’t make grammar one of those issues. Stop being a control freak, stop trying to make everyone else conform to your standards. Take the internet a little less seriously; after all, the purpose of social media websites is amusement.
Yours truly,
An Intentionally Atrocious Tweeter
P.S. The flippancy was intentional as ironic. No offense intended. xx
As a prospective English major who adores language, I’ll be the first to say that I think what you stand for is admirable. I pag-ibig syntax and word choice and alliterations and commas.
But you’ll never see me correcting anyone else’s grammar on the internet. In fact, I’m the person who would tweet something along the lines of “i fuckin pag-ibig lana del rey omfg!!!!”
Why? Because being a grammar Nazi is beyond pointless. It creates unnecessary drama and proves absolutely nothing.
The Argument Against Grammar Nazis
The drama point is obvious – how many fights have you seen featuring *you’re as a key argument? How many people have been that person to attack someone else’s spelling as a ipakita of superiority?
I can personally tell you I’ve been on both sides. I’m a reformed grammar Nazi who now is the person often attacked for grammar, and yes, it is annoying. Yes, the people attacking me are amusing for their arrogance, but it’s also insanely inflammatory, as no doubt is the point.
The sole purpose of the grammar Nazi is to make the other person mad. No grammar Nazi has the intent of helping people; they exist only to satisfy their arrogance and piss people off. Nothing is madami immature than this act that is comparable in result to trolling.
Thus grammar Nazis create unnecessary drama just to satisfy their own egos.
In addition, being a grammar Nazi proves nothing (except immaturity).
Grammar Nazis like to say that bad grammar = low IQ. They will proudly toss their hair and turn up their noses and say “You didn’t capitalize the first letter of your sentence and therefore you’re stupid.” (That’s how I imagine them addressing their computer screens, anyway.) But that’s an unproven, false equation.
Certainly some people with bad grammar do have low IQs, but people with low IQs often have perfectly fine grammar, too. You could have IQ of 80 and still be a secretary or typist.
And, to be as arrogant as your average grammar Nazi, I’m going to use myself as an example on the opposite end. The other araw a user on here argued that my grammar proved that I have a low IQ. I can assure you, I do not. Again at the risk of sounding like a asong babae (though arguably I am one) my IQ is 139. I’m going to college on a full ride and I announced that fact on Tumblr in the following manner:
“guys i got into _______ on a full ride i am so happy omg :~)”
The use of proper grammar does not prove your IQ is high and the use of bad grammar does not mean your IQ is low. There are too many assumptions involved in a grammar Nazi arguing that yes, of course bad grammar means a low IQ. In being a grammar Nazi all you’re proving is that you’re a dick.
An Explanation of Improper Grammar
So why do I use improper grammar? Because it’s easier. Because it’s fun. Because it’s the way I want to present myself. I want to come across as laid back and not uptight because that’s the kind of person I am. It’s my choice to reserve proper grammar for artikulo Pagsulat (this), school papers, professional emails, etc.
If you want to use proper grammar all the time, that’s fine. It makes you sound mature and respectable, which is great. I’ll command respect my way; you command it your way.
And certainly there are people who use improper grammar for reasons other than mine – maybe they don’t know better, maybe their phones (or whatever) make it difficult, maybe they really are 11 years old and dumb – but the reason doesn’t matter. Don’t correct anyone else’s grammar when they’re not asking for it; nothing positive will come from it.
So, in summary, don’t be a grammar Nazi. Argue your puso out about actual issues and actual talking points, but don’t make grammar one of those issues. Stop being a control freak, stop trying to make everyone else conform to your standards. Take the internet a little less seriously; after all, the purpose of social media websites is amusement.
Yours truly,
An Intentionally Atrocious Tweeter
P.S. The flippancy was intentional as ironic. No offense intended. xx
