Please participate our academic questionnaire from University of Birmingham

We have the same issues here. It seems that our educators keep giving students a pass even though they are illiterate. Don't they know that continually lowering the bar is only considered an achievement when performing the limbo!

 

You've 10 smilies in your post, is that a record?

My brother in law was head of science of a large East London school in the eighties. He witnessed the decline in attention to spelling and grammar, when those in power decided it "inhibited" the development of children. He said it would have cut out a lot of work for him, but he did carry on with correcting it in submitted written work, though many of his colleagues did not.

If you've been engaged in recruitment you would be aware that for most jobs in retail, where staff are being recruited, many of these will be meeting the public, engaged in some clerical work, some calculations etc., so a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy is required.
We weren't just recruiting "cannon fodder," but hopefully offering some a career, where there was a possibility of advancement. All my supervisors were promoted from within. We never advertised for "supervisors," far better to train up our own people which gave the rest some encouragement.

When did I mention post-graduates? You're having a larf.

 

I was being sceptical, surely any group would have "proof read" any openly published statement, I know I try as an individual but I'm not a post grad (left school at 16) and although my spelling and grammar can be flawed, I fink eyev'e dun alwight?

 

As someone remarked on the spelling of later posts.

I think the first was a "copy and paste," not that it matters.

 

Thank you! hope I can post the link soon~

 

Can some one point out to me the problem regarding spelling/grammar.

I know it's probably quite possible to be a genius these days but not be able to spell, or get your conjunctions mixed up with underpants, but I'm still at a loss to work out what all the fuss is about.

 

I am with Pete on this one , where is the spelling or grammar faux pas ?
If they have made an error it's not very polite to make such a fuss over it . What is the penalty these days for a misplaced apostrophe , 10 or 20 strokes of the birch

 

100 lines for you...

“I must remember to add appropriate question marks”

 

I’ve read through most of this. I’m sure the direction this thread has taken has come as a surprise to the OP! Not quite what you expected @GardensurveyUOB ?

As a pedantic ex editor, my own take on this is that at post graduate level a secure command of English should be the bare minimum requirement. No confusion of what is being asked should occur. It should be clear. I know that many people struggle with dyslexia and I have every sympathy. One of my own children is so affected and he went on to get a science PhD from a top university. He eventually realised his spelling and grammar should be and needed to be correct. The same applies to the person who set these questions . If unsure he/she should seek advice and accept corrections from someone of trust. It’s a hard old world but academic work at a high level demands the highest standards.

 

"Far be it from me to name names,"

Never mind, misplaced apostrophes, or the inappropriate use of speech marks, it's the Preposition Police, "you need to look out for."

Whoops!

 

I find giving it a "bang" on the top sometimes helps.

 

For my part, I’m not in the slightest bit bothered whether or not folks can spell, use correct grammar etc. I’m certainly not perfect in that department. What concerned me was whether or not the request was a genuine one. This was based on the fact that there is a missing word in the thread title, when rightly or wrongly, one wouldn’t expect that of a postgrad, that’s all.

 

Thanks for pointing that out @Freddy, to be honest I'd not noticed, I'm one of those that reads things and my brain puts in anything that might be missing.