I Am a … Grammar Nerd!

February 3, 2014

There, I’ve said it.

It does not require a 12-step program, nor do I need a sponsor. Although <wait for it!> perhaps the offenders might need a program or sponsor or mentor …

How do you know if you’re a grammar nerd? Well, the folks at Grammarly shared this quick assessment:

To quote George Takei, “Oh, Myyy!”

I’m ALL 10. In fact, I posted this as a Facebook status in July 2013:

I’m sure some of you are scratching your heads, wondering what the fuss is all about. Lemme ‘splain [why yes, I DID do that on purpose!] …

This is more than the usual misuse of there/their/they’re, to/two/too, weather/whether, and so many more … it’s an anti-grammar epidemic of stellar proportions!!

My job as a paralegal is to act as the second set of eyes for all documents that leave my attorneys’ desks. There are few things as frustrating or upsetting – professionally speaking – as

  • seeing that your client’s name, any party name, (oof!) the judge’s name, or even your attorney’s name is misspelled on a filed/recorded document;
  • realizing that a misplaced or forgotten comma has changed the intent of a document; or
  • noticing a missed zero, comma or other key factor in a financial document;

and the list goes on.

Sure, it’s their signature on the document; but we all know what flows downhill …

Of course, there’s the other side of the discussion: shoddy writing and language skills reflect poorly on you. Now, I’m not saying we all have to have Masters degrees (have I mentioned that I’m working on my 2nd one?), but I believe that in order to be taken seriously by peers, colleagues, prospective employers, educators … heck, anyone with a clue … it is imperative to use good grammar (and spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.) at all times.

If you follow this blog or my Facebook / Twitter posts, you know I cannot abide laziness in writing – specifically when it comes in the form of a cover letter or introduction asking me to consider the author for a job or as a submission for a grade from a classmate in my grad program. Look, I’m not talking about the errant typo – it happens to all of us. I’m referring to correspondence and documents riddled with mistakes that make me weep.

The following excerpt is from a final paper submitted in a graduate program:

Unacceptable!!! This is graduate school – real-freaking-life here. People need to take more pride in what and how they write.

End.of.discussion.

I am a Grammar Nerd and damn proud of it!!

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