Our
View: Horrible grammar detrimental
to grades
Technology
has created a plethora of benefits for
human existence. Communication is immediate,
complex mathematical equations are solved
in seconds and tons of information is
accessible with the click of a button.
But nothing comes without a price. English
grammar is bearing the burden of our
advancement. With the emergence of text
and instant messaging people have begun
using abbreviated phrases and improper
grammar to communicate messages quickly
and easily.
Although faulty grammar is acceptable and often necessary in effectively communicating
a conversational tone when sending a friend a brief message, these bad habits
are creeping into the classroom and are hurting students’ grades.
One of the most commonly misused grammatical symbols is the ellipsis. The ellipsis
is a symbol, shown with three little dots after a sentence, used to indicate
an omission. Although many people use this symbol to indicate they are leaving
something out while discussing
something with friends, too often students use ellipses in formal essays, reports
and even newspaper articles.
The exclamation point is another example of a symbol lost in the confusion
of bad grammar. People often use exclamation points while trying to emphasize
something about which they feel passionately, but students have been carelessly
throwing exclamation points in papers before giving careful consideration about
how to make their message stronger without using unnecessary punctuation.
Often
it is much more effective to use imagery and colorful words to make a sentence
powerful. It also gives students the opportunity to flaunt long, impressive
words that usually remain in their inactive vocabulary.
The most egregious grammatical sin students often commit is using capital letters
when they are inappropriate. When sending someone online a message or text
messaging a friend something urgent, capital letters may be useful in communicating
importance.
This custom may serve an important purpose when chatting with friends,
but using capital letters to add emphasis to a phrase is inappropriate outside
of cyberspace. Using all capital letters in a professional document indicates
a sophomoric understanding of the English language and can be detrimental to
a student’s image as an intellectual.
Students have become lackadaisical while typing important documents, often
expecting sympathy from their peers and professors. Although most people can
decipher the jumbled technological jargon, teachers should not have to struggle
to understand papers submitted by their students.
The students of Cal State Long Beach should take pride in the fact they have
been accepted into a respected university. Being accepted into a university
is an honor and should serve as an affirmation of students’ abilities
and
CSULB faculty has high expectations of student basic knowledge and capabilities.
College students are expected to be familiar with basic spelling and punctuation.
It is absurd to think that several professors outside the English department
would have to dedicate class time to reinforce the principles of paragraph
structure and essay writing.
It is important for students to remember to carefully proofread and spell check
their essays before submitting them.
Although some professors may have lenient policies regarding spelling, grammar
and other English related mistakes, people in the professional world do not.
In order to rid ourselves of these bad habits, which can hinder our success
in the future, we must reinforce the principles of English grammar by practicing
writing and diligently scanning our documents for errors. By becoming more
careful, scrupulous writers, we can not only become more successful in the
future, but grades will improve. |
