Humor Column: The Consequences of Relying on Computer Spell Check Programs

By Mona Pelkey

Excerpts from Students’ Papers

Studies have been done over the years to compare the amount of education verses earring potential. [What? Someone is actually studying the correlation between years of education and numbers of ear piercings?]

Waugh (2007) points out that over time, mangers and leaders develop themselves and acquire specific skills. [Every day I learn something new from my students. I thought mangers were limited to feeding farm animals; I had no idea they had such potential!]

The impact to a firm not distinguishing kills and experience is clear. [It sounds as though this business hires mobsters and mercenaries without first reviewing their resumes.]

It pains me to think of me without ant grandchildren to love. [This sentence, obviously, was written by an ant grandma.]

Still—computer spell check has its uses. At least one of the following errors might have been detected when this person printed the following sign, posted at the local Burger King:

Do to staffing, the dinning room is closed, drive thru is open (homemade sign posted at the local Burger King)

It’s no wonder this writer works in the fast food industry...

And here’s one more. This writer obviously used spell-check, but...

"Life is one of the roughest things I have experienced thus far." (contributed by Lynn Heilman)

I guess that is why students still need writing teachers to run logic-check!

Questions or comments? Contact the author at mpelkey@learningassistance.com.