I have always felt that proper English, proper grammar and proper sentence structure is important in both the business world and on a personal level.
Anytime you are writing any correspondence to a client, a subcontractor or a friend, or simple talking to them for the first time, what comes out of your mouth, or what you have written, will make a lasting impression on them.
I am amazed at some of the emails and text I receive. Many are hard to read because of so many grammatical mistakes. I think one of the main drivers in this continuance of bad grammar is that our communications via text, twitter and email are short, and hardly ever proofread. Mark Twain once wrote "I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one." Twain meant that he had rushed the letter, not going back to make it more concise and coherent.
For the folks that have been with Williams Company for a long time, they know that my all-time favorite grammar blunder is "Where you at?" When I hear someone say it, I always look around and see who notices. If it is a Williams Company setting, I usually get a smile from a few folks.
So just for clarity, the proper English for the statement "Where you at?" is
"Where are you?" Now you know!
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