This board is about reading how about a sub-forum for grammar?

[snipenekkid]

This is a genuine thought not a joke. But most of use, while we read, it has been decades since we last spent time learning the skills needed to write well. I don't me tell stories but just proper grammar, sentence structure and paragraph construction.

I know my grammar is horrid even though once upon a time it was excellent. I have just forgotten most all the rules. I use run-on sentences all the time. I don't believe I can create a proper paragraph today. I try to express myself as well as possible but punctuation is a challenge on the best of days and often I am in such a rush to post and go, I don't really re-read prior to posting leaving some genuinely pathetic comments. I know what I was trying to express but, well, I doubt anyone else does.

So maybe we could app benefit from a section where those who know better can help those who ask? As long as it remains civil and with the understanding people ask because they either forgot how or never really knew how to write well.

I also think re-visiting the things we learned as kids can only improve our appreciation of the books we read. It can also help recognize those books which are written so poorly that they could potentially decrease a person's IQ. :P Then again I like good profanity laden pulp fiction as much as the next guy. I like it even better when "those words" are used in proper sentences.

I think there simply must be enough regulars along with the casual visitor who has the ability to help the rest of us that this sort of thing could be of interest, maybe? Or maybe I need to up my meds?

[GeoffC]

Reading that^^^^I can see, perhaps, why you may need one. But most of us make mistakes whilst typing. I wonder if the mistakes you made, in your little submission above, were deliberate?

Not that I disagree with your suggestion.

[snipenekkid]

Richard,

Well, aren't you the little ray of sunshine a site needs. So very helpful to the conversation. But a perfect example of the sort of abusive comment that would be counter productive to anyone participating in such a forum. Especially when I clearly state my remembrance of what is correct has waned in the decades since I last cracked open a text on correct grammar.

Thanks for illustrating one of my points.

[HarryT]

As a stop-gap measure, you could perhaps create a thread in the Writers' forum to ask grammatical questions. That would certainly be an appropriate place to ask.

[snipenekkid]

thanks for the suggestion Harry. Heck move it if ya think it might be better there or later when I can come back for a while I'll open a thread there.

[Worldwalker]

I think Harry is right about the thread idea. I haven't seen an enormous number of grammar issues here, not enough for a full forum, but I have no doubt that there are people who, like you, have questions to ask. Incidentally, as one of the resident "grammar Nazis" I'll be happy to answer questions in such a thread.

Aside from that, the Web is full of sites eager to help improve one's grammar. For a start, I would recommend Grammar Slammer and Common Errors in English. I wouldn't say they're the best websites out there, nor even necessarily the most comprehensive, but they do at least provide somewhere to begin.

[DaleDe]

In addition I would add that many of our posters do not use English as their primary language. While perhaps they would like to improve their English grammar I think their primary purpose is just to make themselves clear.

[ATDrake]

I think that everyone who wishes to improve their command of the English language should print out and pin over their computer Bob the Angry Flower's Quick Guide to the Apostrophe, You Idiots, now also available in handy full-colour wall-poster form.

Although that's really more of a punctuation issue.

[Jellby]

For talking about the English language, or practically any other language, you can join the WordReference forums

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

In addition I would add that many of our posters do not use English as their primary language. While perhaps they would like to improve their English grammar I think their primary purpose is just to make themselves clear.

It's noticable, though, that many people for whom English is a foreign language have considerably better grammar than many of the native speakers!

[Billi]

Originally Posted by Jellby

For talking about the English language, or practically any other language, you can join the WordReference forums

¡Muchas gracias, Jellby, for this link!

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's noticable, though, that many people for whom English is a foreign language have considerably better grammar than many of the native speakers!

: ouch:

[LCF]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's noticable, though, that many people for whom English is a foreign language have considerably better grammar than many of the native speakers!

That's perfectly normal. When I first came to Germany I was speaking "Hochdeutsch" (High-German) and all the Germans looked strange at me.
Then I started to speak like them (kinda slang'f ya 'now what I mean) and everything went smoother.
Also, for a native speaker the access to a discussion in English is almost unlimited. If you are not a native speaker, you often need to have a certificate showing your English level, and no one gives such a degree without a solid grammar knowledge. Thus most of the NotNativeSpeakers posting have an advantage in the "rules" area.

[Freeshadow]

well I expressed my personal wish of improvement in my sig.

apart from that, questions about gramatical or idiomatic differences in english often appear in the writers' forums since a lot of the authors is interested in feedback of potential or existing non-native english readers.
topics wich have been mentioned so far (examples)

AE/BE/CAN/AU differences
abbreviations via apostroph usage
older or uncommon words

[WT Sharpe]

Thank you Worldwalker, ATDrake, and Jellby, for those wonderful links!