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Grammar is Your Friend

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If you are over the age of 12 I expect you to know the difference between “your” and “you’re.” And I expect you to use them correctly – ESPECIALLY if you’re going to post your thoughts publicly on a blog or social media site.

If you use these (and other words) incorrectly and not according to grammatical standards, I will consider you illiterate. Sound harsh? Well, I think it’s time to get tough on people who abuse the English language.

I currently have 2 Brazilian house guests who were enrolled in English courses from the time they arrived in NYC. Eager to learn the language they have immersed themselves in studies only to be met with incompetent instructors (one who believes that a comma should separate a subject and a predicate – and if you don’t know what those are I don’t want to know you) and inconsistencies. How are people from other countries expected to learn English when Americans don’t know the difference between “there,” “their” and “they’re????”

This infuriates me. I know my grammar isn’t always perfect, but I try. And if I get stumped, I look it up. There are great sites out there that are easy to follow and make the explanations easy (try Grammar Girl, or if you want to laugh AND learn try The Oatmeal).

In this world of social media, we are constantly putting our words out into the world. It’s a representation of who we are. And most of you are complete idiots. Sorry.

 

Photo Credit: sodahead.com

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Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

He's been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle, "an SF cult hero":SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York.