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grammar check won't either. Another problem is that even if spell check or grammar check indicates a problem you have to know enough to correct it! If you don't, then these tools are virtually worthless. So, in any case you must know the basics of good spelling and grammar.

It's no use saying that your audience does not care. This is simply untrue in most cases. Also, dangerous to assume that your reader doesn't care in cases where you don't know the person at all. Besides, how can it hurt you to err on the side of good writing practices?

It's also no use saying that grammar and spelling dont matter because everyone will understand you anyway. I'm sure you've seen examples like this:

"cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,

it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!"

Do not conclude from this that it doesn't matter how you write as long as your message in understandable. Can you really be sure that your message will be understood? Consider this example:

"Somthing I was concerned about is will just do what you done with assignments just open up the exam for an amount of time for us to complete it the clas it down."

Do you understand what this student is asking? I didn't! The same thing has happened on essay exams due in large part to poor grammar. If I can't understand you I can't give you credit for an answer. The best way to insure that you will be understood is to write well.

Once again, let me stress that poor grammar and spelling sends a loud, clear message, to the person you are corresponding with, that you do not care. If this is, in fact, the impression you wish to convey, then you should continue to write with poor spelling and grammar! However, I suspect that this is not the impression you mean to convey. So it is in your best interest to show that you care by taking the time to produce a well thought out and coherent document.

I hope that it is obvious by now that I take this issue seriously. I am trying to give you helpful advice that will benefit you not only in this class but in the future as well. In practical terms, the assignments you turn in to me need to adhere to the guidelines I set forth, otherwise, you will lose points. This also goes for discussion boards as well. The point of the discussion boards is for you to engage in thoughtful dialogue with each other and me. By definition, your dialogue will not be thoughtful if you do not put thought into not only what you say but how you say it as well. Expect your posts to be removed for grammatical and spelling errors. Harsh, you say? There's a spell check feature right on the discussion board text box! There is also such a box on the exam text boxes as well as every other assignment. Use it! But, remember it is not foolproof.

Learn more about this author, Kevin J. Browne.
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