At The Dullards Club, we wonder how ineffective our educational system is when people think a sentence such as this is acceptable – “I would of gone to the show but I got home late.” How ridiculous is that? It’s bad enough that people don’t know the difference between then and than or the difference between their, there and they’re. Teachers in general are not to blame. Sure, there are some bad teachers, but generally speaking, the villain here is politicians, both local and federal. They are the ones who refuse to provide the resources needed to teach and learn effectively.
Our schools are creating generations of malapropism spouting Norm Crosbys. Younger members should look him up on YouTube. Norm was funny in his day, but a generation of Norms should definitely not be the norm.
Sadly, this problem is exacerbated by social media, which is a key factor in the spread of slang, jargon and bad English, in general. Add to that the derision people face when trying to educate others online. Some think branding people as “Grammar Nazi” is funny, but it only helps dissuade those looking to steer people in the right direction, grammatically speaking. But don’t let it get you down! When you see bad English online, point it out – nicely. Being a jerk about it does not help. As Norm might say, “It only provides a reason for the poorly adjudicated to dig in their heels and continue their proliferate ways.”
