Can anyone write in English??

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

The advert is so badly written, and it seems quite childish, and this make me assume there might be reasons for it, and perhaps we shouldn't automatically start taking the P.

I have to say, from an artistic point of view, it's a pretty picture of their gelding, nice composition with the hills in the background and the soft lighting. It reminds me of an old painting.

 

[crazyhorse4727]

As being someone who has direct family members who have learning difficulties, and dyslexia, I think its terrible that people should make fun of something like this. To me it deems as an indirect form of bullying.
I had a read through the ad, and with a little bit of common sense its easy to understand.
I know we don't know this persons situation or if anything is wrong with them, they could just be bad spellers. But maybe instead of rattling on about how the youth of today won't learn. When infact that could be a fifty year, old who knows their over horsed.
I know a lot of nice people has defended the ad writer, but for the few that didn't, maybe you should realise its this judgemental, hitler view that is wrong with the world. As we all have imperfections, some more obvious than others!

 

[Daytona]

I don't quite get why there is post after post after thread about grammar and spelling...??? Is this a horse forum or a university English lit forum...???? Who actually gives a flying tosh if someone mis spelt a advert...???? If you want a job as a proof reader go get one and stop picking other peoples advert, responses on forums and what ever else to bits..!!

Grrrrr rant over , but It really does annoy me.

 

[Tammytoo]

If this person could have written a more grammatically correct advert I am sure he/she would have done so. To pull apart the advert without knowing the person is bullying, pure and simple.

 

[ArabianGold]

I have a very good friend who is dyslexic, she is a wonderful friend, loves her horses dearly, and looks after her little boy like his an angel but fact is she just can't spell. She spells words exactly how they sound. It's very simple really and when she sends me a text I actually find her way of doing things a lot easier sometimes.

She is aware that she can't spell and when I read messages back to her we have a giggle about it and she tries to remember for the next time how to spell something, but I would never poke fun at her about it.

Give this person a break, yes it is funny and it's hard not to have a giggle but they are only human, not everyone can be smart arses.. ;-)

Adios... and Merry Christmas

 

[M_G]

Just come across this advert on horseymart. I am a touch confused to say the least! Why anyone would sell a 20 year old horse for starters, but I can barely understand the advert at all! What do you think? http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_20_yrs_15_2_hh_grey_west_yorkshire/advert/200772

I managed to read it.. Sounds like someone trying to be as honest as possible about the horse in order to find the right home.

If only we were all as perfect as some posters on here eh *rolls eyes*

 

[Shilasdair]

Yes, people have learning difficulties such as dyslexia - but that's not an excuse - and they ought to put the effort in to ensure that their message is clear to their target audience.
There are things I'm not too good at and don't enjoy - braking when driving for example - so I guess that gives me carte blanche to mow down the good citizens of Hades? (Bad citizens?)
S

 

[BillyBob-Sleigh]

And breath!

It's really bugs me when people have such bad grammar!

QUOTE]

**Whispers that shouldn't it be "Breathe"??**, if you are going to knock people for bad grammar you might want to check your own?

Being dyslexic myself i find it a struggle some days, mainly trying to decide between words like Advice and Advise, Whether and Weather.

But if i was going to type a ad in the hope of selling/loaning a horse i would ask someone to proof read it.

LOL - well spotted!

Also, on a separate subject, what does she mean by "bake beans" .

 

[PingPongPony]

Perhaps their first language is not English..? I have liveried at yards with some polish girls, etc. Could you write an advert in French for instance..??? No I doubt it very much. So if they are perhaps not British I'd say that's a pretty good effort inmy eyes..!!! Still a shame to sell a 20 year old though.

I'm Polish I’m currently in my second year of GCSE's in an English grammar school and so far I’m getting B's in English Literature and English Language. I'd be able to write an advert grammatically in English and if in doubt I would either get another person to proof read it or simply type it into Word that would pick out any mistakes and grammar etc. I think that even if they are not English and/or have learning difficulties; they know that, therefore should have made more effort to put the advert together nicely. Either way, someone hasn't put much effort into this ad.

 

[Bertolie]

Yes, people have learning difficulties such as dyslexia - but that's not an excuse - and they ought to put the effort in to ensure that their message is clear to their target audience.
There are things I'm not too good at and don't enjoy - braking when driving for example - so I guess that gives me carte blanche to mow down the good citizens of Hades? (Bad citizens?)
S

The difference being that you CAN brake whilst driving (hopefully ), people with learning difficulties such as dyslexia CANT spell!!

Saying that, if my daughter wanted to place this advert she would either a) get someone to proof read it for her, or b) get someone else to write the advert in the first place!

 

[YorksG]

If the writer of the advert had put it on the forum themselves, then I think it would have been acceptable for others to comment. Given, that yet again, a forum member has taken it upon themselves to trawl through a horse selling website, to find ads to be shocked, annoyed, amused at and to belittle, I think it would be better to not comment on the Ad. Not our business so to speak.

 

[ArabianGold]

If the writer of the advert had put it on the forum themselves, then I think it would have been acceptable for others to comment. Given, that yet again, a forum member has taken it upon themselves to trawl through a horse selling website, to find ads to be shocked, annoyed, amused at and to belittle, I think it would be better to not comment on the Ad. Not our business so to speak.

"fair comment me thinks" or should that be "one would say that is a spiffing good point" for all those who pick at bad grammar ;-)

 

[assuan]

I suffer from Dyslexia, as does my OH.

I have worked hard to overcome my difficulties and think that I now do very well, to the extent where I would almost say that I've taught myself not to be dyslexic. And I do say taught myself because when I was at school I wasn't given any extra help or support, it's purely down to my own hard work.

Back in the day, I knew I had an issue, so when writing anything, I always wrote it out in Word beforehand to correct MOST spelling and grammar problems, before copying and pasting to where it was needed. (haven't with this post!)

This person clearly has a learning difficulty or is just lazy and couldn't be bothered. Having learning difficulties is not an excuse, in my opinion (originally wrote IMO), however that doesn't give anyone the write to mock them, but then, it's quite often the tone of the forum.

Too many over opinionated people who think they are right and everyone else is wrong. Look at the post the other day with the person who taught their horse to rear on command...... she even got accused of being a troll, plenty of people teach this to their horses. Just because some people have no ambition to teach their horse the airs, why does that make other people who do wrong. Going now, starting to rant.

 

[assuan]

oh no.... I forget the ? in the last sentance after the word wrong.

Quick everyone grab the pitchforks and flaming torches.

 

[meandmyself]

I think when you're posting something on the internet- were the written word is usually the only way of communicating with people- then it pays to be as clear as you can.

In the case of the advert, the person should perhaps have asked someone else to check it over before posting it. I find that badly written adverts put people off.

Dyslexia is used as an excuse far too often now by people who don't actually have it. They just can't be bothered to learn. I'm not saying that is the case here (advert or thread), just that it does happen. I struggled at school with spelling and grammar but put the time in to learn.

I hope that the horse finds a good home.

 

[billy2]

Interesting thread. Could I just say that proofreaders aren't generally employed anymore - they go insane fairly quickly in this day and age (I'm writing this from Broadmoor!) I can see both sides of this discussion, but could I just ask if anyone would be quite so tolerant of bad spelling or grammar if, say, it caused a loved one's death (ie on medical records or notes?)

 

[mulledwhine]

They WANT ' timewaters ad novices 'm fluid

Sorry I thought that the above might make sense to some

Such a sad advert

 

[mulledwhine]

Not a dig at pepole with reading difficulties btw, I think anyone posting their horse for sale should at least make sure ther advert makes sense

 

[mulledwhine]

' their' sp

 

[SpruceRI]

No, I'm sure no one would be tolerant! Which is why in this country we NEED to teach correct grammar, spelling and punctuation otherwise we are and can be misunderstood.

 

[Holly Hocks]

I detest bad grammar and spelling, and often see a lot of it on this forum - when people don't know the difference between their, they're and there, it drives me nuts.
But when I read this advert I really felt sorry for the seller. I think it's quite clear that the seller has some form of difficulty with spelling and grammar, be that learning difficulties or otherwise. I don't feel that anyone should be mocking this person who is quite clearly being honest and wants to find a good home. I hope they find a lovely home for the horse.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

sounds to me the owner is foreign thats how it comes across. trying to write English

 

[Mithras]

I think its a lot more than learning difficulties/not attending school. Its something fundamentally done wrong in the education system. I often mark postgraduate university assignments, and the number of spelling mistakes in them is shocking. This is people who already have degrees. Things like misspelling commonly used words like there and their, and lose and loose, not knowing when to use capital letters and therefor using them at random, no paragraphs, and so on. Funnily enough, it doesn't seem to affect the students for whom English is a second language so badly - well there are obviously ones who are fluent and others who struggle a little, but the ones who are fluent are more numerous and tend to have better English than the average British student!

 

[imaginegenerous]

I wouldn't like to say if the ad poster was either dyslexic/didn't learn properly at school etc but I would agree that anyone who has learnt English as a second language tends to write more formally (can also apply to the spoken word). I got an A for A-level English and I still have to think about where and were

 

[imaginegenerous]

Sorry phone's got a mind of it's own! I usually manage to get the where and were right but I still have to actively think about it.

I do think that had I written the original advert and I was a little unsure of my spelling/grammar ability I would have asked someone to check it but I guess that's not always possibly and not everyone is aware that their writing skills aren't perfect.

Looks a nice horse though. Hope it finds a good home.

 

[Mithras]

I wouldn't like to say if the ad poster was either dyslexic/didn't learn properly at school etc but I would agree that anyone who has learnt English as a second language tends to write more formally (can also apply to the spoken word). I got an A for A-level English and I still have to think about where and were

To me, that advert didn't speak to me of obvious dyslexia, which from my experience, although not an expert, there is usually a bit of a pattern of characteristic mistakes to. It spoke to me more of an inability to read and write effectively. I don't like to see dyslexia being used as a catch-all excuse for any failure to read and write effectively, it is a genuine condition and often people with it make attempts to present well. And lets face it, a lot of those who don't have good reading and writing skills were disruptive at school, there were certainly a good few examples of mine, and damned annoying they were for those of us who were interested!

Although I agree that the desire of the writer to find a good home for her horse shines through! So in that, I hope she succeeds if she can no longer keep him.

 

[Rose Folly]

In my youth I knew one illiterate person - a older fellow worker in a restaurant. She was probably in her late 40s.We all admired how she got by by native cunning, great charm, hard work, and a splendid list of excuses as to why she couldn't read what was asked of her. That was one person.

Thirty years on, I can think of 8 people straight off who can't read or write - and they are all under 30. I think that has to say something about our educational system. We had a lodger a few years ago who taught English, and his spelling and punctuation were unbelievably bad. He was very hurt because, in an application for a new job, the interviewers commented on his lack of skills. He was not dyslexic. He had just been taught very poorly, and here he was teaching, or trying to teach, the next generation. It makes you shudder.

Anyway, poor old grey gelding. Hope he finds a good home somewhere.

 

[sleepykitten]

Wow!

I didn't expect this to open such a can of worms. My husband is dyslexic for what it's worth, but he gets someone else to help him if he needs to write anything down.

I just can't stand bad grammar and punctuation, I feel it reflects badly on our society. If you can't do it yourself, get some help!

 

[Ladyinred]

Wow!

I didn't expect this to open such a can of worms. My husband is dyslexic for what it's worth, but he gets someone else to help him if he needs to write anything down.

I just can't stand bad grammar and punctuation, I feel it reflects badly on our society. If you can't do it yourself, get some help!

Fair enough. But if your husband is dyslexic and had to write something on his own, complete with mistakes, how gutted would you and he be to see someone making fun of him on an internet forum?

Whatever your feelings on the subject maybe it is time you remembered that other people have feelings as well.

 

[sleepykitten]

Fair enough. But if your husband is dyslexic and had to write something on his own, complete with mistakes, how gutted would you and he be to see someone making fun of him on an internet forum?

Whatever your feelings on the subject maybe it is time you remembered that other people have feelings as well.

Fair enough,

but can I just say that we have no proof that the advertiser IS dyslexic!!, If the advertiser had said so, and I was deliberately belittling them, then fine, but there is no evidence that they are.