Tiptoeing (is that a real word?) very gently and not wanting either to take sides or offend anyone ...
* I think dyslexia is a very real and debilitating illness/condition
* I also believe that, unfortunately, it is used as a convenient 'get out of jail free' card by many people (who don't actually have the condition) to excuse lazy/sloppy writing and thinking
>>>I also believe that, unfortunately, it is used as a convenient 'get out of jail free' card by many people (who don't actually have the condition) to excuse lazy/sloppy writing and thinking<<<
I agree, this will also happen, the same with any other condition, how many people have a day off work with a bad back and then back to work the next day with no ill effects.
I've been reading with interest all the comments on grammar,etc At one time grammar and spelling were an important part of the (primary) school curriculum but then things changed-content was more important in an essay. We had a book called First Aid In English with exercises in apostrophes, to,too and two,there and their etc.etc.It certainly gave the children a good grounding.Schonell's Spelling List was an excellent spelling book starting with three-letter words and finishing with really difficult words. Unfortunately they were considered old hat and taken out of the classrooms. I was glad when dyslexia was recognised and action taken-a lot of children had a rough time at school through no fault of their own. It doesn't really bother me when I hear bad grammar-more important things to worry about but I can understand how some people feel .
Quinie, well said, I can often find bad grammar a tad irritating myself, (when I actually notice it) however I don't point it out to people because they could well be suffering from the same type of difficulties as myself, live and let live, we aren't all perfect.
Got a nice one in an e-mail from the States this morning - fragent for fragrant. I had to do a double-take, thinking it was fragment. What a tangent - or is that tagine?
I agree with the comments about apostrophes...though, from time to time on AB, we all miss typing the ' in words like hasnt, havent etc.
RATTER- you didn't read my post properly at all. If you do, you will see that I am not critising bad spelling or even bad written use of grammar etc, nor was I commenting specifically on Dyslexia (I merely stated that was one reason for some people's poor spelling), I was critising bad use of ENGLISH- spoken for the most part.
e.g. ' I could of gone to town after all'.
At no point did I say the only thing dyslexia afflicts you with is poor spelling.