Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
That's my problem, you see; for me poor grammar and spelling distracts so much from the story that I can't concentrate on it. I take the view that those things are a writer's toolkit, and a writer who doesn't know how to use their tools correctly really isn't worth reading. I actually see it as insulting to the reader for the author not to take the trouble to get them right.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
Grammar isn't a little nicety that isn't really necessary--it's not just a bit of extra gloss. It's the structural underpinning that facilitates communication. You need the structure if you want other people to be able to understand the story you're trying to tell. And if you don't care about communicating with others, why bother writing at all?
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I couldn't possibly agree more, with both of you. Nothing kills my interest in and enjoyment of a book as quickly as consistently bad grammar and spelling. The odd mistake is fine, but there's simply nothing as off-putting as basic mistakes made over and over. To me, anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by teh603
Grammar went out with Said Books (since repetition and most other poetic devices are BAD and should never be used in prose). People write for effect now, not perfect grammar.
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No-one's asking for
perfect anything, but if their grammar and spelling isn't at least very decent, then they'll end up having exactly no effect on me.