Grammar Pole of the Weak: Pleading Your Case

Did you know that in legal situations, we don’t plead guilty or not guilty? We plead guilty or not guilty. It’s an important distinction between pleaded and pled that many people miss out on because their emotions get the best of them when it comes to remembering how to use those two common English words correctly.

An argumentative essay on spelling mistakes

Everyone knows how difficult grammar can be. Punctuation, context, etc. But not everyone is willing to put in the effort to make sure they get it right. One such common mistake I’m noticing more and more often is the spelling difference between pleaded and pled.

The word plead means, to address (a person) urgently; or ask earnestly, which implies that one is giving some sort of an explanation or argument to try and change another’s mind or get out of a bad situation. If you plead your case with your teacher, for example, you would be trying to convince them to change their mind about something on which they are already set.

Pleaded is also a verb, but one that means to beg or urge in prayer or request. The only man who can save you now is your father, she pleaded. If you have ever been in trouble and needed something from your parents, then you understand what it feels like to plead with them for help. You’ll use plead most often when talking about asking God for something – it’s part of daily prayers around many families’ dinner tables and houses of worship.

An opinion piece on bad writing

Poor grammar is one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society, but it often goes unnoticed or ignored. Most people know that they should not use run-on sentences or end a sentence with a preposition, but they do it anyway. Just because nobody ever mentions bad grammar regularly doesn’t mean that it isn’t an issue.

It may not be as important as other problems like racism and sexism, but bad grammar has also influenced how people judge others before even speaking to them. I have come across plenty of evidence suggesting that poor grammar does hold back some individuals from success both personally and professionally due to discrimination for being poorly educated in writing skills,

resulting in a denial of jobs, admission into schools, or other opportunities reserved for those with upper-level English skills.

While there are always examples of exceptions, I find it disturbing that in 2017 people still lack a basic understanding of grammar and syntax. If our society places such high importance on reading and writing as it does math and science, why do so many struggles with simple topics like comma use or proper verb tenses?

It’s something that shouldn’t be ignored and I believe we can change how people think about it by bringing awareness to its implications in daily life. We shouldn’t accept poor writing skills just because nobody has ever mentioned how harmful they are. Bad grammar is not something to ignore!

Unfortunately, English is an evolving language which means we will continue to see new words appear every year. However, that doesn’t mean you should accept them as correct grammar usage when they’re not!

A product review with a ‘bad grammar’ tagline

Pleaded or pled? It seems like a no-brainer to get this one right. In pleading, you’re asking for leniency. In pleading, you are guilty. Pleaded is better than pled. If you ever want to use the word plead in that form again, know what you’re doing!

We know what you’re thinking. But James, it’s just a word. Nobody cares. Well, guess what? People will care about your poor grammar, and here’s why. When people communicate with each other, they rely on those around them to be able to pick up on subtle cues that indicate when a mistake is being made.

These small things are called implicatures (pronounced in-plush-cut-runs). With every utterance of a sentence, speakers implicate certain aspects of meaning. If someone makes an error in their sentence—say, misusing plead—that can result in an implicature that suggests guiltiness.

Keep browsing Law Scribd for more updates.