How do students get through school when they can not (or can barely) construct and punctuate sentences?

Question

Years ago, I gave up reading the local newspaper (on a daily basis) because the lack of punctuation made it too difficult.  At first, I thought the editor must have been on vacation to let newspapers go on sale that way, but I learned it was a daily event.  (Even) now, no matter what newspaper or internet article I try to read, they share a common problem - the lack of proper sentence and paragraph construction. 

When I was in grade school, we were brow-beaten to learn that stuff.  We had to do it!  (And) when no other student seemed interested in learning to diagram sentences, I was challenged by that and learned.  

To read questions and details on Yahoo!Answers (and elsewhere) is strong eveidence (to me) that our school system is failing.  It seems, no matter what the educational level, people can not (or don't take the time to) construct questions, sentences, and paragraphs properly.  Why?

Elise1mds · Accepted Answer

Blame the Internet, if you like, or parents, or cell phones, video games, or even the kids themselves. There is no easy answer. I used to work at a newspaper with a person who was pursuing (and now has earned) a degree in Journalism... and he had the word "committee" pasted to his computer because he couldn't remember how to spell it. My editor let me proof his articles because it took her too long to do it while she was on deadline - and he was older than I was! 

I think teachers try, but like you said... students aren't interested. Why should they be, when they can get on the Internet or their cell phones n tlk lk ths? y use cmms r vwls wn u cn rd ths? AARRGHHH!!!

Paragraphs seem to be completely beyond anyone's grasp (what's a topic change?), questions are anything that end with a question mark (or seven), and capital letters are a thing of the past. Have you visited the Books & Authors section of Y! Answers? There are tons of people there dying to be published who can't write a legible sentence (oops sorry, big word there). 

Anyway... I don't know how they get through. I wish I did. I wish I could motivate the world. Maybe you and I should start a non-profit organization for the managers of the world who are required to write reports on a daily basis and call it "English for the Educated but Ignorant."

Thanks for letting me rant!!!!

livengood · Answer

Dr D's taught me the great thing about english language in only 2 letters (yet extra alphabets than that). no ask your self we human continuously locate our heritage books bloodied by technique of wars. we misread each and every thing that concerns over a tadpole of an epping comma. sickeningly so romeo and juliet. thanks to all wordplayers answering.

How do students get through school when they can not (or can barely) construct and punctuate sentences?

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