W
Word Nerd In SC
I use Microsoft Word 2003 for both word processing as well as for editing my
messages in Microsoft Outlook 2003. I usually shrug off the grammar check
and notifications, because they are usually not helpful, but after I saw
this, I had to send a suggesting the Grammar Check check properly. I.e.: I
had used the phrase "for whomever", and it was underlined with the little
green squiggly line. Just out of curiosity I went to see what it said, and
this is what followed upon choosing "About this sentence":
"Who" or "Whom"
Use "who" or "whoever" as a subject in a sentence. Use "whom" or "whomever"
as an object or after a preposition.
Instead of: Whom reads the magazine?
Consider: Who reads the magazine?
Instead of: Tell it to whomever lost the book.
Consider: Tell it to whoever lost the book.
Though the rule given is not as in depth as it could be it is correct. The
examples are cringe-worthy. The second set is completely wrong. "To
whomever" IS a prepositional phrase and "to whoever" should be forever
forgotten! Do not tell a person to "consider" a grammitically incorrect
sentence over a grammatically correct sentence.
It's a software program with amazing capabilities, but if the sky's the
limits and if it is to be made to assist with EVERY aspect of a project, it
should be done properly. There are people in this world, many of them
students and possibly future Microsoft employees, who depend on these editors
to assist them toward a better grade or a better presentation. Do you really
want to hurt them like that?
You may not think it matters, but in my last year of high school I wrote
what would have been a perfect paper, but I spelled the word "tale" (as in
the tragic tale of...) t-a-i-l. All of the strange corrections and
suggestions the program offers--all of the incorrect corrections, too--and it
did not catch the contextual error I made, because I used the wrong
homophone; I misspelled the word I needed to use, but the way I misspelled it
was still a real word.
It could be argued that Grammar Check should not be available to students,
because one of the objectives of writing a paper is to do so while using
proper grammar and spelling, but students who are good and proficient in
grammar still need help. People in businesses need the assistance--they do
not normally keep a grammar text book at their desks, and I sometimes have
brain farts and cannot remember or confuse myself as to where a comma should
or should not be.
You may say I am just holding a grudge and using Microsoft as a scapegoat,
but I am not. I do take full, embarrassing responsibility for that mistake.
However, with the number of businesses buying your products and being loyal
customers (partly due to the proprietary nature of the Company's software)
one might argue you are obligated to try to achieve the intelligence,
thought, and effort that is reflected in some aspects of your products in all
aspects of your products.
IF I AM PAYING FOR THE COOL, FUNKY EASTER EGG in the Excel program that
"rolls credits" for the programmers, etc., and whatever else might be hidden
in the programs, I expect to be paying for the same efforts to be made with
the tools and features that are made OBVIOUS and readily available to all of
your users who are not fortunate enough to have stumbled over the hidden
items of your programs (is it fair that they pay for that, the hidden items
are on their computer, and they do not even know it or how to access them
versus KNOWING they have a grammar check and using it and it be wrong???).
I sincerely hope this suggestion will benefit both Microsoft AND its
Customers in the near future.
----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...8&dg=microsoft.public.word.application.errors
messages in Microsoft Outlook 2003. I usually shrug off the grammar check
and notifications, because they are usually not helpful, but after I saw
this, I had to send a suggesting the Grammar Check check properly. I.e.: I
had used the phrase "for whomever", and it was underlined with the little
green squiggly line. Just out of curiosity I went to see what it said, and
this is what followed upon choosing "About this sentence":
"Who" or "Whom"
Use "who" or "whoever" as a subject in a sentence. Use "whom" or "whomever"
as an object or after a preposition.
Instead of: Whom reads the magazine?
Consider: Who reads the magazine?
Instead of: Tell it to whomever lost the book.
Consider: Tell it to whoever lost the book.
Though the rule given is not as in depth as it could be it is correct. The
examples are cringe-worthy. The second set is completely wrong. "To
whomever" IS a prepositional phrase and "to whoever" should be forever
forgotten! Do not tell a person to "consider" a grammitically incorrect
sentence over a grammatically correct sentence.
It's a software program with amazing capabilities, but if the sky's the
limits and if it is to be made to assist with EVERY aspect of a project, it
should be done properly. There are people in this world, many of them
students and possibly future Microsoft employees, who depend on these editors
to assist them toward a better grade or a better presentation. Do you really
want to hurt them like that?
You may not think it matters, but in my last year of high school I wrote
what would have been a perfect paper, but I spelled the word "tale" (as in
the tragic tale of...) t-a-i-l. All of the strange corrections and
suggestions the program offers--all of the incorrect corrections, too--and it
did not catch the contextual error I made, because I used the wrong
homophone; I misspelled the word I needed to use, but the way I misspelled it
was still a real word.
It could be argued that Grammar Check should not be available to students,
because one of the objectives of writing a paper is to do so while using
proper grammar and spelling, but students who are good and proficient in
grammar still need help. People in businesses need the assistance--they do
not normally keep a grammar text book at their desks, and I sometimes have
brain farts and cannot remember or confuse myself as to where a comma should
or should not be.
You may say I am just holding a grudge and using Microsoft as a scapegoat,
but I am not. I do take full, embarrassing responsibility for that mistake.
However, with the number of businesses buying your products and being loyal
customers (partly due to the proprietary nature of the Company's software)
one might argue you are obligated to try to achieve the intelligence,
thought, and effort that is reflected in some aspects of your products in all
aspects of your products.
IF I AM PAYING FOR THE COOL, FUNKY EASTER EGG in the Excel program that
"rolls credits" for the programmers, etc., and whatever else might be hidden
in the programs, I expect to be paying for the same efforts to be made with
the tools and features that are made OBVIOUS and readily available to all of
your users who are not fortunate enough to have stumbled over the hidden
items of your programs (is it fair that they pay for that, the hidden items
are on their computer, and they do not even know it or how to access them
versus KNOWING they have a grammar check and using it and it be wrong???).
I sincerely hope this suggestion will benefit both Microsoft AND its
Customers in the near future.
----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...8&dg=microsoft.public.word.application.errors