So...I'm a little particular about grammar and spelling and pronunciation.
Don't necessarily know why i'm like this...but i am.
Language is important. It's the sole way to communicate. We should communicate effectively and in the correct manner.
But i've been told that i take it to a whole different level altogether.
My daughter, thankfully, is decent when it comes to using the English language. She's obviously made plenty of mistakes - a couple of them actually stand out in my memory.
Once, she and her friends came over and she said - Let's finish the water and go fastly.
I looked at her, with half a smile on my face and she knew that she'd made a mistake. She didn't know what the mistake was - but she knew that she'd made it.
A few years earlier - I'd picked her up from daycare. And she started telling me about an English test she'd taken earlier in the day. Somewhere during the conversation she said that she and her friend had identical answers. One of the answers was 'beautifulness' !
I was driving and i couldn't believe my ears. She was soooo sure that they both had gotten the correct answer :)
Of course, i corrected her. And she understood.
Nowadays - i tease her with 'beautifulness' :)
She takes it sportingly.
A few days ago we were doing math together - and she said - so, i should minus this from this. And my eyes went wide ! She looked at me and said - what ? And i said - darling, it's supposed to be subtract one from the other...not minus. But the rest of the class also says it like this - pat comes the rejoinder ! Also - other kids interchange substract and subtract all the time. Our teacher also corrects them about this.
But she finally agreed to the correct usage of the words :)
She is no less when it comes to me using the language. She was reading this blog with me a few days ago and she came across -'coz'. I'd used the shorter version of because, and she immediately went - No No No. You cannot use this. Correct this. It's not done. You have to use the correct word. She was behind my life on making the correction :)
Nowadays, she's aware when she makes a mistake. She immediately will stop and look at me and smile. And then she will rephrase it - in a different manner. Just to cover her mistake. I don't even need to tell her what mistake she made...she's cognizant of it.
My siblings too - they are equally fluent in the language and have good command over it. But they also know that i will not hesitate to correct them, if they err.
They know my idiosyncrasy and will deliberately say something incorrect to pull my leg. A favourite of them is to switch a couple of words and then laugh away. They will say -
We will remove 2000 from the bank and then burst into laughter.
We will have him reach us and again start giggling.
Bhaiya, i will withdraw my clothes from the dry cleaner...and again laugh.
Bhaiya, we'll have evening breakfast... and then they will debate that nashta is breakfast - so if we have it in the evening - it is evening breakfast. *faceplam*
Bhaiya, Imli (our pet cocker spaniel) got so many scoldings last night ! And then upon realising her mistake, she said, 'scoldings' is in Dog language bhaiya !!!!!
They know it ticks me off and yet they make it a point to do it. They scold me for always being behind my daughter's life on this particular issue. But to be honest - I'm not 'always' behind her life. It just kinda happens :)
Their point is simple - i should chill and relax a bit, take it in my stride. Not be harsh or strict with Princess on her usage of the language. I understand their point of view - but i also know that she has her full life to twist and maim the language, in any manner that she chooses to. I also know that she or they, can twist it all they want while knowing what they're twisting. I want them to always always always speak and write in the correct manner. I have Speedy and Yummy (formerly Naughty...but that is another story) to think about. They will learn whatever they hear. I want them too to be perfect.
And for all the stuff that they say to me - they also take advantage of their vocabulary skills with others. My elder one - she recently started teaching. One of her students (5-6 year olds) asked her - will you also teach us math ? You know what she responded ? She said - I will also teach you arithmetic. And the child immediately said 'yes yes, of course, we will study arithmetic', with his eyes wide and bright. As if he'd been shown something new and astonishing, something that will blow his mind away :)
One common mistake that people make is to say - Her and me. No No No. It's supposed to be She and I. Another friend grew pretty conscious of my interruptions on this one.
Another common one - using yesterday night vs last night.
Stationary vs Stationery. Both are poles apart !
Someone said - One again time. I mean...Dude ! (I was interviewing someone - He did not get the job)
Someone said - Couldn't able to. Aarrrrgh !
Someone writing - 'Reverted back' ... OMG.
Another said - 'putted back in' and 'parallely working on something'... I tear my hair in frustration !
A kindred soul, who shares my outlook towards good communication, once wrote - Topping up this email to bring to the top of your mailbox !! She's pretty good when it comes to business correspondence - but had a brain freeze, writing this late late in the night. We had a good laugh about it :)
Another time - while referencing 'two nights ago' - she said, 'before yesterday night' or 'night before yesterday'... and then went dead quiet, reflecting on what she'd just spoken aloud :)
Another friend (more friend than ex colleague) recounts what she encounters and goes facepalm everytime -
'Our business to grow your business'
'I need a sponsorer for my event'
From my perspective becomes - 'my prospectus'
An approved ad script came to my sister (after going through multiple levels of checks) - 'He tied his pants !!' Fortunately the person who sent it to her is still alive and kicking :)
I mean, come on guys. Be better !
Princess and I have a deal. She has to write proper and full sentences and words - no acronyms, whenever she is texting me. She can write whatever she wants to the rest of the world - but with me her language has to be correct.
So far, she's choosing to adhere. Let's see how long it lasts :)
PS : The auto correct went bonkers while I was typing this post... hehehehe
and and the grammatical errors are on purpose :)
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