this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
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ChatGPT cannot do punctuation grammar correctly even if you forced it (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I asked it about how to use etc with three dots in an example followed by a brand new sentence starting with a capital letter afterward.

It told me : / In standard usage, "etc." is typically followed by three dots and then continues with a lowercase letter. If you are starting a new sentence, you do not add additional dots after "etc." /

Then I begged it to give me an example of that rule. One such as:
I love swimming, soccer, etc... I also love eating animals.

And it just couldn't do that. It kept typing 4 dots or single dot or no dots at all, and it can't even recognize what it typed every single time. Lol try it yourself

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

So I can imagine there might be several things going on here, including the way in which you prompt it. Trying to dissect exactly what's happening would require more info, and more experimentation.

For the record, using three periods after etc is considered incorrect in formal writing. Grammar books will be pretty unanimous in saying you should only use 1 period ("etc."). If your prompt is asking it to "correctly" do something that its training data says is "incorrect", I could see that causing problems.

On the flip side, chatGPT isn't designed to use/enforce "proper" grammar. It's simply regurgitating patterns based on how people use it in the real world (again, based on the training data). If the training data has lots of inconsistencies and counter-examples, it would seem logical that it might show up in the output, too.

And finally, it could just be how well you design the input prompt. In my own trial (also using free 3.5 model), it was very consistent in using it properly, even though I had suggested it do otherwise:

Input:

Tell me how to use "etc" properly in a sentence, punctuating it with three dots. Give me multiple examples that show how to correctly use it at the end of a sentence and in the middle of a sentence.

Output:

Certainly! "Etc." is an abbreviation for "et cetera," which means "and so on" or "and others." Here are examples of how to use it properly:

At the end of a sentence:

  1. I enjoy various outdoor activities: hiking, biking, camping, etc.
  2. She has a wide range of skills: coding, graphic design, project management, etc.
  3. The conference covered topics like artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, etc.

In the middle of a sentence:

  1. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes, such as pizza, pasta, salads, etc., to cater to different preferences.
  2. Our team includes experts in software development, data analysis, user experience design, etc., ensuring a well-rounded approach to projects.
  3. The museum features art from different periods—Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, etc.—providing a comprehensive cultural experience.