Students Failing Because of Poor Grammar

Slashdot ^ | 2/1/10 | timothy

[Clint Williams]

innocent_white_lamb writes

"30% of freshman university students fail a 'simple English test' at Waterloo University (up from 25% a few years ago. Academic papers are riddled with 'cuz' (in place of 'because') and even include little emoticon faces. One professor says that students 'think commas are sort of like parmesan cheese that you sprinkle on your words.' At Simon Fraser University, 10% of students are not qualified to take the mandatory writing courses."

[Clint Williams]

(Too) many FReepers would also fail such a test. The New Illiteracy Project is succeeding.

[DYngbld]

What you be talkin about at.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I’m so happy I was educated in the time when these things were important. I’ve told my children countless times that it doesn’t matter how smart you are if you cannot communicate your ideas effectively.

Kudos to Mr. McVey my high school college prep English teacher for vocabulary lists that would make me break out in a cold sweat every week!!

[pnh102]

As long as these people are not waved through then there is no real problem.

[Hoodlum91]

“I get their essays and I go ‘You obviously don’t know what a sentence fragment is. You think commas are sort of like parmesan cheese that you sprinkle on your words’,” said Budra.

---

“I go”? I think I may have uncovered part of the problem.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

You’re not kidding - there is a lack of spelling skills as well and this isn’t just a problem for teens. I know many adults who do not know the correct useage of your/you’re and there/their/they’re - of course affect/effect are a bit harder but the misuse of your and their drives me crazy!

[PGR88]

I’m afraid these students have met their Waterloo....

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Haha -good catch

[Jeff Chandler]

it doesn’t matter how smart you are if you cannot communicate your ideas effectively

Paging President Bush . . .

[a fool in paradise]

I prefer a waterloo to the waterless variety.

[cripplecreek]

Its, it’s, and its’ are my Waterloo.

[max americana]

Simon Fraser U? One of the 2 univs’ in Vancouver. Damn expensive. Unfortunately, I’ve met grads’ who keep spelling definitely as “definately”.

[petercooper]

W is much more articulate than the dolt that currently occupies the WH.

[nina0113]

One professor says that students 'think commas are sort of like parmesan cheese that you sprinkle on your words.'

Once upon a time, I gave a comma-deficient co-worker a pile of comma confetti with which to do just that. I told him that wherever he sprinkled them, it couldn't come out worse than not using any.

I like to think of the atrocious writing coming out of schools as the Nina-Full-Employment Act.

[Jeff Chandler]

I’m afraid these students have met their Waterloo....

Waterloo near Liverpool? In Belgium? Siberia? Sierra Leone?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

And anyways.... it grates on me like irregardless - lol

[svcw]

it seams to me that people get to hanged up on allot of technical stuffs, when their is much more to worry about, well anyways. Thats what I thunk.

[cripplecreek]

fo’shizzle

[FoxInSocks]

Its, it’s, and its’ are my Waterloo.

When would you use its'?

[Dutchboy88]

This is hugh and series.