How come Americans are so bad at spelling and grammar?

Yeah, keep insulting the Dutch, that's the best you can do. I'm starting to think you're probably some 18 year old boy. Well, unlike some people, I have life and I certainly have better things to do... so, have fun!

Where in Murrica is Gabrielle72 last post?

Me bump thread, see post.

You aren't that familar with American English as spoken throughout the USA.
There's more to English than accent. Visit urban areas populated with 3-8 million Americans and you'll see a vast aray of types of English spoken.
I am not referring to accent.

If you're Dutch, than you should know that the Dutch populated an area in the Chicago area called South Holland, and Roseland. Many Dutch lived there well into the early 1970s. They then moved to the suburbs.

You might want to read Edna Ferber's book, "So Big". It's a novel about the Dutch farmers who settled a good part of South Holland and Roseland.

True. Even Now York was once called New Amsterdam hehe

You're right, I'm not familiar with all American dialects, although I've heard a good portion of them, at least on TV.

You get your stuff from tv?

A friend was a tv person before she got to print in the area's main newspaper.
I would have never recognized her. When I knew her she was a smart aleck from Oklahoma, and when I got a tape (I forget) re her on the news in her new area, she sounded generic.

Well, hey, I knew she could act.
The deal is, she was always very astute, no matter where she has lived.

I've another friend, part of my smart ass group of girlfriends (SAG), who was up there as a tv anchor. She is a latina. That's nice, but she has alway had an eagle eye and sometimes used it. She had a bunch of tv emmies, if you are counting.

Both of those people can spell if they want to.

They both don't mess us up with there, their, and they're unless it is within their own homes.

You, on the other hand, are waltzing with your own mini takes on people you do not know at all.

I didn't mean TV personalities, I meant ordinary people. Believe me, I don't have much time to watch TV, but I've heard people from different parts of the country speak, both on TV and in real life. I'm aware of the fact that different dialects exist and they are usually not the standard form of the language; that's the case in every country, I think. For the last time, I apologize if I offended anyone with this thread, I admit the title sounds like generalizing, I didn't mean ALL Americans, but the fact is, that phenomenon is quite common here. I just wanted to know why so many people make so many mistakes, that's all. I'm not talking about some fancy stuff, but people should know how to spell the words they use every day; is that too much to expect? It's nothing personal.

Agree, people vary.

I can only say, keep looking.

This might not be wise as people vary.
Smiles. Talk to us about what what you might want to explore.

We're not all grizzly bears.

My friends I mentioned were ordinary people.

You seem to be the one who wants to be extraordinary at all times.

That could be trying to keep up.

It is hard to reach Americans regarding America. It’s not a place so much as a mindset. For myself, I got out of that mindset quite by accident, but it also took some effort. When confronted by contradictions that made me uncomfortable, I did not stuff them away and ignore them.

-- Mark Tokarski

A lot of it is the over the top hype, the grandiose propaganda. The US is a gigantic bauble and a lot of people are interested in shiny baubles.

The funniest thing about all this is that these same people who are kvetching about your kvetching, Gab, were right in there a few years back bitching and moaning about these same "mistakes" that you have pointed up.

Setanta was one of the worst, but he is Major Hypocrisy.

I don't think that the errors you've pointed up are particularly serious. For those who need a lot of edited writing in their life, they'll bring themselves up to speed as necessary.

What has been much worse over a couple of centuries are the silly grammar rules that most kids are taught. I suspect that you were also taught some of these in your English education in the Netherlands.

You sound like some sour-pussed old hag lacking a sense of humor. You have fun, too . . . kiss, kiss . . .

By the way, i think it's hilarious that you consider it an insult to be told that your nation speaks a Germanic language. Hate them nasty old Germans, huh?

Essentially, they do know how to spell them; that spelling does always happen to coincide with what they (or you) may have been taught.

Agreed.

Maybe I sound like some old hag to you because you're too young. Be patient, experience will come. And learn to accept some criticism about your country without insulting the one who points it out.

I never denied it's a Germanic language, but so is English, you know?

Yeah, i know. It derives from Saxon, Angeln, Jutish and Frisian. (I blame the French for a lot of our woes, after the Norman conquest.) Why would you claim, then, that i had insulted the Dutch? In an American phrase with which i'm sure you're familiar, you really need to lighten up.