“You’r eyes light up my day.”

I saw this sentence today and felt like a new level of grammatical/spelling error has been reached by whoever wrote this. I have often seen people confuse “your” and “you’re”, but for someone to almost invent a new word to communicate something makes me feel a little frustrated. To me, it seems like we are losing a certain part of communication through language, something that made it fluid and graceful. Grammar and spelling rules may not be for everyone, and I’m not criticising anyone for their grammatical or spelling errors, but I get the impression that many people are a lot more careless with these aspects of language than they used to be. Because of this, I feel like the power words used to possess – the power to paint a picture, to take someone to an altogether different world – is being diminished.

I view language somewhat like a ballet dancer, and admire its elegance. As much as words can be used to harm, they can equally be used to convey ideas, evoke thoughts and to heal. To me, basic grammar and spelling are essential in using language to its full potential, just like pointe shoes are needed for a ballet dancer to dance on the tip of her toes. Well fitting pointe shoes support and protect her, and when this is combined with her skill, a beautiful dance results.

Language can be beautiful too, and I feel that part of that beauty is attributed to correct use of grammar and spelling. I recently read an article that raised an interesting idea: teenagers are following their own rules of spelling and grammar when communicating with each other. This may be true, but I feel that ‘your’ has a lot more beauty (and seems to show a lot more care) than ‘ur’.