The Grammar Police Thread

[OoohShiny]

What is this then/than confusion that has been mentioned??

Lots winds me up but 'I can't speak to...' bugs me a lot - it should surely be 'I can't talk about...'?

Lack of double-space gaps after a full stop also annoys me - without them, paragraphs are a lot more difficult to read easily.


I wish my grammar was better, and that I could learn the technical terms and correct applications - everything I know, I know from practical usage and paying attention when reading, rather than through edyukayshun!

 

[yssie]

@the_mother_thing highlighted my biggest peeve: “I could care less”. Don’t be so lazy with your expressions that they don’t make sense!

Billboards and store signs with improper apostrophes baffle me - you paid how much for that thing, and yet couldn’t be bothered to run it by your fifth grader first?

“I’m gonna go lay down”. Nails on a chalkboard

 

[Maria D]

Loose instead of lose.

You did not loose 10 pounds. I do not care how much you exercised and dieted, you did not loose those pounds!

 

[bludiva]

+1 to all the above. Arghhhh! Our mom trained us from a young age in the ways of the grammar nazi. She is not a native English speaker so she had to actually learn grammar which they oddly didn't teach us in school outside of a short module on diagramming sentences.

Anyway, my sister gave me a copy of this book once, I think some of the folks on this thread would get a kick out of it.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/293593/woe-is-i-by-patricia-t-oconner/9780525533054/

 

[JPie]

“Irregardless” is not a word!

 

[redwood66]

What is this then/than confusion that has been mentioned??

Lots winds me up but 'I can't speak to...' bugs me a lot - it should surely be 'I can't talk about...'?

Lack of double-space gaps after a full stop also annoys me - without them, paragraphs are a lot more difficult to read easily.


I wish my grammar was better, and that I could learn the technical terms and correct applications - everything I know, I know from practical usage and paying attention when reading, rather than through edyukayshun!

Ahh but you used the word "than" properly in your last sentence. Many people would put "then" instead.

They may even speak it as well, which to me is worse. Then = time, than = comparison.

Sale instead of sell is another one.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

“Irregardless” is not a word!

Exactly!

 

[LittleRed]

I nodded in agreement at all of these. The biggest buggers for me, because I see them the most, are:
“I” and “me” used incorrectly
Using “they” when one is talking about *a single* person. He, she, him, her, it..... pick the appropriate one.

That said, all my grammar police is in my head, nice and silent. It seems we (spread across all generations) have let proper english slide for some reason. I find that to be a shame. I’ve heard grammar, and even penmanship, aren’t taught in schools any more. They should be part of the basics of an education in my opinion. Also, using my phone with autocorrect sure has done a number on my spelling. And after all my talk, I definitely make my fair share of spelling and grammar mistakes.

Who else used to read the dictionary for fun when she was young?

 

[AGBF]

My boss, who is European, always says:
Everybody ARE going to like our new product!
Instead of Everybody’s going to like our new product.....
But she speaks 4 languages! I can’t pick on someone who speaks more languages than I do right?

Anyone who makes mistakes in a second language is automatically exempt from the grammar police in that language. God told me this personally.

 

[AGBF]

When did "snuck" become a word? For as long as I can remember people who had gotten into or out of someplace surreptitiously had sneaked in (or out). Suddenly "snuck" is ubiquitous.

No one uses "rang", "sang", or "sank". The bell rings or it rung. Someone sings or she sung the national anthem. The boat sinks or it sunk. Why does no one say the boat sank in the Hudson River? Why does no one say that someone sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at a football game?

AGBF

 

[yssie]

Anyone who makes mistakes in a second language is automatically exempt from the grammar police in that language. God told me this personally.

What else has God been telling you Deb?

 

[737liz]

I am from the US. My partner is a Brit. I cringe when he says "I've got" instead of "I have". Both are correct, depending on which side of the pond your grammar loyalties lie.

Ooohh! Grammar Vs grammer.

Another baffling mistake I see in the UK is "brought from Harrods", instead of "bought from Harrods". I would say one third of classified listings that attempt to use that phrase get it wrong.

 

[Dancing Fire]

To, too, and two
They’re, their and they’re
Could of/would of instead of could have/would have
Than, then
Except, accept
Effect, affect

But I am a teacher so I see it all!

Do teachers ever use the wrong gammers?

 

[jaysonsmom]

I just saw comment written about someone being “conceded”. I think they meant conceited!

 

[Slickk]

Do teachers ever use the wrong gammers?

Ohmygoodness, yes! Our Principal even sends out emails with errors! Gasp!

 

[Nikki1415]

“I could care less ...”. It’s “couldn’t care less”.

Another one I often see one in jewelry postings (because I don’t read a lot of other ‘for sale’ listings) is someone who “sales” something. One sells something, or something is for sale.

Ebay jewelry postings "carrot" or "carot" instead of "carat".

 

[leukolenos]

-Using the word gift as a verb

THIS. Why?! Why is this happening?! I see this everywhere and it absolutely drives me crazy. I’m so glad I’m not the only one irritated by this!

 

[Matata]

From my hometown paper, the vagaries of AP style changes. It contains one of my pet peeves: when "more than" and "over" are interchanged.

https://mailtribune.com/tempo/the-f...ust-might-be-enough-to-reenergize-this-debate

 

[missy]

THIS. Why?! Why is this happening?! I see this everywhere and it absolutely drives me crazy. I’m so glad I’m not the only one irritated by this!

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/gift-as-a-verb

 

[clumberlove]

I nodded in agreement at all of these. The biggest buggers for me, because I see them the most, are:
“I” and “me” used incorrectly
Using “they” when one is talking about *a single* person. He, she, him, her, it..... pick the appropriate one.

That said, all my grammar police is in my head, nice and silent. It seems we (spread across all generations) have let proper english slide for some reason. I find that to be a shame. I’ve heard grammar, and even penmanship, aren’t taught in schools any more. They should be part of the basics of an education in my opinion. Also, using my phone with autocorrect sure has done a number on my spelling. And after all my talk, I definitely make my fair share of spelling and grammar mistakes.

Who else used to read the dictionary for fun when she was young?

I only disagree with you on the "they" part. If you don't know the gender of the person being discussed there is no other appropriate pronoun is there? They can be a singular and multiple pronoun, like you.

Separately, what really annoys me tends to be management speak. My boss says things "needs done". What is wrong with adding the words "to be"? It's 4 letters, 2 syllables, surely you're not too busy?

Also action as a verb. This does not need to be actioned it needs to be done!

Impact is a noun. You were not impacted by something you were affected.

 

[missy]

I only disagree with you on the "they" part. If you don't know the gender of the person being discussed there is no other appropriate pronoun is there? They can be a singular and multiple pronoun, like you.

Yes i thought exactly the same thing. We are supposed to use "they" when referring to a person who does not identify as male or female.

 

[LittleRed]

Ahhh..... I just can’t see it. “They” is nothing but 3rd person plural to me. But that’s ok. Things change and I’ve obviously not changed with it. Maybe I’m entering my “crotchety old lady” years.

 

[missy]

Ahhh..... I just can’t see it. “They” is nothing but 3rd person plural to me. But that’s ok. Things change and I’ve obviously not changed with it. Maybe I’m entering my “crotchety old lady” years.

No, don't beat yourself up about it. It's hard to keep up sometimes with all the rapid changes. It can be confusing.

https://lgbtrc.usc.edu/trans/transgender/pronouns/

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/they-them-questions-answered

 

[clumberlove]

Ahhh..... I just can’t see it. “They” is nothing but 3rd person plural to me. But that’s ok. Things change and I’ve obviously not changed with it. Maybe I’m entering my “crotchety old lady” years.

I will admit that I don't use pronouns a lot in written language. I work in science so I generally write in 3rd person impersonal!

 

[AGBF]

Yes i thought exactly the same thing. We are supposed to use "they" when referring to a person who does not identify as male or female.

I will never do that. I am a feminist, but as my husband and I agreed when we got married: "grammar first". It would kill me to write that way.

 

[missy]

I will never do that. I am a feminist, but as my husband and I agreed when we got married: "grammar first". It would kill me to write that way.

Dear Deb, I would never want that to happen and I support you and what you need to do. There is a chance you will never have to use gender neutral terminology so you might not have to be concerned about it. However if you do I am sure you will find an acceptable way to enjoy a conversation with a gender neutral person. Of that I have no doubt.

It comes down to respecting them as individuals and you are a very respectful person.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Commas. They are a beautiful thing! Useful for separating ideas in an organized manner so one can figure out what's going on. A properly placed comma can provide clarity or change the meaning of an entire sentence. My boss treats commas as a rare and valuable thing, to be used only in instances of extremity. I have been known to go into his office, a sentence he's written highlighted, and say, "If you were going to dip into the world's supply of commas and place a few in this sentence, where would they go?"

P.S. - I've just realized the spell check on this iPad isn't turned on. Who knows what I've actually posted that needs to be corrected?!

 

[DAF]

So, we all know that when something is very cute, we say "Aw" and add as many Ws equal to the amount of cuteness present. Aside from all of the things mentioned so far in this thread, lately I've been seeing "Awe" and I cringe. Has anyone ever seen the movie "Idiocracy"? I couldn't sit through it when it was first being shown on cable around 2006 because I thought it was so ridiculous. Now I look where America has gone and I believe it may come true. Life imitating art?

 

[VRBeauty]

Using “gift” as a verb. It may not be technically incorrect but it bugs me nonetheless.

ETA I see Missy has already mentioned this. I dislike this enough to leave my comment here anyway!

 

[msop04]

should of & could of

My GOD! This drives me absolutely nuts!!