Spelling and grammar, people, please!

I realize that no spell check will tell you the difference between 'there' and 'their' and 'they're'.   The expression is 'could have' not 'could of'.  If you want to use a contraction, then it is 'could've'.  Remember "I before E except after C".  Verbs should match the subject as best as possible.  They 'do'.  It 'does'.  I could go on, but I'd rather not.  

I understand that English can be difficult if it is a second language for you.  I understand wanting to write on the forum in an abbreviated way, but some care takes very little extra time.  I think current colloquialisms are great - lol, cuz, etc.  And punctuation between sentences makes it much easier to follow your thoughts.

My writing is not perfect either.  Sometimes I change what I'm typing but don't review the whole sentence to make sure it makes sense or that the tenses match.  I did that just today but it was too late for me to edit my remark by the time I saw it again.  Note that you can enter your comment, review it, and then you have 15 minutes to edit it.

If your professional communication looks like some of the stuff (that's a technical term) written here, you are not presenting yourself in the best possible way.

Just sayin'....

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  • Problem is some realtors never had higher education and they are completely oblivious to the English language. 

  • I was going to say I wanted to "way" in on this but, yes, I know it is weigh in.  My take on these groups were that they were more peer based and I'm really not writing for an asset manager or a client but yes, they could be on one of these forums.  I was just reading a blog from a WELL KNOWN blogger and he misspelled a word.  It happens.  If I'm blogging, I am more careful then I am with posting on these forums, I've screwed up. Having said that, I have far bigger concerns than to wonder if the post I wrote is properly constructed. I always review my posts and I still miss things.  When we have a hot topic, I would rather see a "spelling error post" than one that says, "I'm tired of reading these negative posts" which seems really simple to me, don't read them.

    But the best thing of all is we get to express ourselves, share info and no one should feel like if they miss a comma or their grammar is a little off, they can't share information.  If you go ballistic over spelling errors or improper grammar, don't like the content of a post - problem solved, don't read it.  Just like this post, I like that it caused a bit of controversy. Hey, I open to step up my content but it doesn't make or break my day and I would never want anyone of us to feel like they shouldn't post because they are concerned about spelling and content.  Do you best and then go sell a house.

    • Man...I meant to say, "do YOUR best and then go sell a house."  my apologies...happens a lot, even when I read  stuff for proofing...that's why they used to have proof readers!!

      • Barbara, your you-your mistake is a great example.From reading your entire post we can deduce that you are not illiterate and that its just another of the many common mistakes we make when firing off quick posts into informal chats. This is why I seldom bother to go back and make corrections. I have problem fingers from some accidenmts  (see that ?) and I hit multiple keys. Most people do not type these quick replies with the same process they would use if composing an important letter or composing a contract.  Again, this topic is great. Think about our occupation. We are communicating important information to clients. We have to clearly explain contracts.  25 years ago a man came to me and wanted my help to buy a FSBO. The seller was a flaky sort, and we didnt trust him. It was a fairly complicated transaction due to all the contingencies. This was mostly freehand using an addendum instead of a fill in the blank association approved contract form. I guess at that point I was practicing law without a license, lol. Sure enough the seller tried to back out and we ended up in court. The judge asked if I had authored the contract, then complimented m. He told my client that he was lucky to have me, and the seller was ordered to complete the sale. Now, this isnt about how great I am. Its about the contract---I wrote it so that a 5th grader could understand it. It did not have look like an atty prepared document with 'big words'. It communicated exactly what we wanted and there was no room for any other interpretation. For the last 24 years Ive done everything with that in mind. Construct everything so that the intentions of all can not be misconstrued. A single word can change the outcome.

        • Clear communication is the purpose for writing - right?

          When I began to study copywriting one of the first things I learned is to write at a level that any 7th grader could understand. "$40 words" are only there to impress - and my purpose is not to impress, but to communicate.

          As for typos, our brains seem to be wired to overlook them. Incorrect words, on the other hand, put up stop signs.

          I just wrote an Active Rain post about confusing advise with advice. For many of us, that error is like fingernails on a blackboard. All communication stops while we cringe.

          Another one real estate agents seem to stumble on is the difference between prospective and perspective. I have no idea why. After all, have you ever met with a perspect?

          By the way... Do you ever think that those attorney prepared documents are meant to leave things open to interpretation? Kind of like IRS regulations?

  • This is not rocket science. Take the time to at least proof read what you wrote. Spell check has been a God send for me. I am the worst speller ever!! and I speak Texan, so my grammar is a bit off. BUT when I read some of the comments that are written in the public forums, and the comments for property listings, I know why the public views us as only a step up from a used car salesman in professionalism. Step it up!! It will produce more respect and MONEY if we can at least sound like we have a 6th grade education. We all make dumb mistakes but double words, skipped words, gross misspellings and grammatical mistakes should be minimized. Simply proof reading your work, or better yet have someone else proof read it. This is just common sense.( I proofed this, 5-6 times and I bet there are still mistakes)

  • Cece - What some people don't realize is that wrong words interfere with communication. When you use a wrong word it's like putting a stop sign or a pot hole in the middle of the message. The flow is gone.

    How do they hope to be understood if others are looking at the words and wondering what in heck the writer meant?

    Other times they might know what was meant, but just think the writer is uneducated.

    I once wrote to our local newspaper editor to tell her that it isn't "should of" but she continues to write "should have" in that manner. And then there was the headline: "Spring Splender."

    That publication is a classic study in the problem you present. A reader is often required to read a sentence 3 or 4 times to figure out what it meant, because tenses don't match, modifiers are in the wrong place, etc.

    To those who criticize you for caring about all this: "Why do you bother to write if you don't wish to communicate clearly?"

  • OH my, photos are so interesting. Douglas yours is a stack of Money, shows where you are coiming from. It relfects do whatever it takes to make the buck. In doing so you are missing Cece's point - we convey a sense of professionalism in many ways. A big way is in how we speak and how we write. Our written words especially say a lot about our professional behavior and that is what Cece is bringing up here amont other things.

    • I am checking with Cece right now to see what your professional behavior is, lol "amont other things" 

      I know you work for free and love all every day. Bless you, that is what the world does, work for free, lol

      Since 1984 in this business, I have just now learned that we all work for free, and like it.

    • I completely agree.  I don't think it is too hard to check one's writing and eliminate obvious mistakes - although some will always creep in!  As an English ex-pat there are many American uses of words that initially puzzled me - for example, the first time I heard an airline pilot announce that we would be landing at Dulles airport "momentarily".  I assumed we were landing and taking off again straightaway!  I later understood he meant "in a moment".

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