Your least favourite grammar mistakes

token101

du Maurier wrote: »

There are probably erudite and capable but unemployed people grinding their teeth at the thought of this:)

That's not even the worst of it. People send emails to the entire company looking for 'painkillerz cos dey had a pure savage nite. Oopsies'. The best part was 'management' sent a follow up email about office etiquette after this, which contained the following: 'We cannot tolarate people sending emails regarding there activities outside of work'.

Nolanger

Buy two and get the cheapest one free :mad: (should be cheaper)

Fluorescence

Nolanger wrote: »

Buy two and get the cheapest one free :mad: (should be cheaper)

Supermarkets having signs up saying, "10 items or less" when it should be "fewer". Less is for unquantifiable stuff like flour, water or sand (you can't say 1 sand, 2 sands etc). Fewer is for items that you can actually count (eg 1 apple, 2 apples, 3 apples etc).

So simple

Liam Byrne

There are road signs in Galway saying "road liable to flooding"

Surely that should say either "road liable to flood" or "road susceptible to flooding" ? Maybe even "Road prone to flooding" ?

Using "liable" before the "...ing" seems wrong to me.

dxhound2005

fluorescence wrote: »

Supermarkets having signs up saying, "10 items or less" when it should be "fewer". Less is for unquantifiable stuff like flour, water or sand (you can't say 1 sand, 2 sands etc). Fewer is for items that you can actually count (eg 1 apple, 2 apples, 3 apples etc).

Stephen Fry wouldn't like you, see just after 1 minute.

http://youtu.be/J7E-aoXLZGY

Somebody else posted this video before possibly in this thread.

Fluorescence

dxhound2005 wrote: »

fluorescence wrote: »

Supermarkets having signs up saying, "10 items or less" when it should be "fewer". Less is for unquantifiable stuff like flour, water or sand (you can't say 1 sand, 2 sands etc). Fewer is for items that you can actually count (eg 1 apple, 2 apples, 3 apples etc).

Stephen Fry wouldn't like you, see just after 1 minute.

http://youtu.be/J7E-aoXLZGY

Somebody else posted this video before possibly in this thread.

Lol, I do agree with him. It still bugs me though :pac:

MOSSAD

sensibleken wrote: »

If you are completely incapable of understanding a sentence because of a missplaced apostrophe or mispelt 'your' then if afraid its you thats the idiot, not the other person

The mistake doesn't make the sentence incomprehensible. It's simply gramatically incorrect.

seanybiker

coolbeans wrote: »

For those of you who say it doesn't matter, fair enough, that's your opinion but I think you're wrong. For instance, good grammar, spelling and punctuation certainly won't guarantee you a job but it will definitely curb your chances of getting one when you are pitted against more literate candidates for the same position. I know a HR guy who works for New Holland in the UK. He told me straight out that if you can't do the basics properly your application is bin bound no matter how relevant your experience. Fair? Maybe not but that's the atitude of many people and I don't think it's unreasonable. From his POV there are simply too many decent candidates out there and not bothering, caring or even realising that you're portraying yourself as semi-illiterate is a major stumbling block.
I think it also makes you look stupid and in the vast majority of cases people just don't care or see why they should care. That's the really silly bit.

Going for a job then fair enough. People acting all shyte about it on an internet forum can go fook themselves.

Liam Byrne

The King of Moo wrote: »

tp25 wrote: »

tomorrow week

That's not a mistake.
Informal, yes, but widely accepted as being correct.

What would you say instead? "Eight days from now?" (also fine)

The "next Sunday" one throws me.....do they mean this coming Sunday or the next one after that ?

The King of Moo

Liam Byrne wrote: »

The "next Sunday" one throws me.....do they mean this coming Sunday or the next one after that ?

It is confusing .

For me, "this sunday" means the sunday coming soonest (or, "the next sunday:" very easy to see where the confusion comes in!)

"Next sunday" means " the sunday after this coming sunday," or "the sunday of next week."

Basically "this" and "next" really refer to the weeks in which the day falls upon: this week, or next week.

It gets tricky if you say, for example, "next sunday" on a Monday.
You're talking about the day thirteen days from now, but because the coming sunday is still quite far away, people will invariably ask which sunday you mean.

It's confusing, but I, like many, have just got too used to using the system.

bar32

sensibleken wrote: »

If you are completely incapable of understanding a sentence because of a missplaced apostrophe or mispelt 'your' then if afraid its you thats the idiot, not the other person

Don't know if you meant it intentionally to be ironic but there's an apostrophe in "it's" and "that's"!:D

starlit

Punctuation generally. Spaces. The typical ones but most of all text speak! Though spelling wouldn't bother me though I often make typos. My fingers type faster than my brain thinks when putting words and sentences together. So sometimes its runs away with itself or gets ahead of itself when typing and thinking.

It might just be the case of someone making typo mistakes, there is nothing wrong with that. Some forget to add a space here and there if they aren't use to typing or don't use the computer much. So for those that lack computer/typing on keyboard experience then I have no problem with them making typos.

nlgbbbblth

Misplaced apostrophes.

Ladie's toilet.
Saint Jame's.
Can's of coke.

Or this classic

If you find a cheaper price somewhere else then please come back to u's

Liam Byrne

The King of Moo wrote:

the sunday of next week."

That's a whole other debate, since people differ on whether the week starts on a Sunday or a Monday!

Get back in the tin container ye wriggly yokes!

carfiosaoorl

Bad grammar doesnt bother me really people make mistakes when typing. I rarely add apostrophes. I know where they go but its easier to omit them and I know I am comma mad. I put commas in all over the place. The only think that bothers me is people using words like addicting instead of addictive, disoriented instead of disorientated or saying irregardless :eek: wtf

RandomName2

"YOU CAN'T NOT DO THAT!"

I can? Oh, thanks!

Liam Byrne

RandomName2 wrote: »

"YOU CAN'T NOT DO THAT!"

I can? Oh, thanks!

Are you going out tonight ?
No

= not going

Are you not going out tonight ?
No

should = going, but for some unknown reason most people interpret it as if it weren't the opposite of the first scenario

carfiosaoorl

fluorescence wrote: »

Supermarkets having signs up saying, "10 items or less" when it should be "fewer". Less is for unquantifiable stuff like flour, water or sand (you can't say 1 sand, 2 sands etc). Fewer is for items that you can actually count (eg 1 apple, 2 apples, 3 apples etc).

So simple

Humph thanks I didnt know that, you learn something new everyday. I never use the word fewer. I have been educated on boards.

The King of Moo

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Are you going out tonight ?
No

= not going

Are you not going out tonight ?
No

should = going, but for some unknown reason most people interpret it as if it weren't the opposite of the first scenario

See also:

"Would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Yeah, sure." *helps*

instead of the strictly correct...

"Would you mind giving me a hand?"

"No, not at all." *helps*

dxhound2005

carfiosaoorl wrote: »

Bad grammar doesnt bother me really people make mistakes when typing. I rarely add apostrophes. I know where they go but its easier to omit them and I know I am comma mad. I put commas in all over the place. The only think that bothers me is people using words like addicting instead of addictive, disoriented instead of disorientated or saying irregardless :eek: wtf

That's the thing about English, it changes constantly and Irregardless could well become a standard usage. It has a history anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

Liam Byrne

dxhound2005 wrote: »

carfiosaoorl wrote: »

Bad grammar doesnt bother me really people make mistakes when typing. I rarely add apostrophes. I know where they go but its easier to omit them and I know I am comma mad. I put commas in all over the place. The only think that bothers me is people using words like addicting instead of addictive, disoriented instead of disorientated or saying irregardless :eek: wtf

That's the thing about English, it changes constantly and Irregardless could well become a standard usage. It has a history anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

Please no!!!! The "flammable" & "inflammable" confusion is bad enough, without adding in another "is that a native double-negative or not" headwreck.

Regardless = without regard
Relevant = with relevance
Irrelevant = without relevance

So Irregardless should = with regard, makin both the "less" and the "ir" superfluous, as they cancel each other out.


Can we all start speaking in a sensible language that doesn't "evolve" to make communication more confusing and unclear ?

skregs

"Your least favourite grammar mistakes" is a sentence fragment. Fúck you, OP

IsMiseLisa

While I don't run round the internet correcting dodgy grammar, I do value good grammar - especially in a more formal setting. I also don't understand the hatred towards those who value grammar. It doesn't make you an idiot or a troll. 'S nothing wrong with using correct grammar.

LH Pathe

those who don't know the difference between your n you're because its so common n might lead to were for we're, n so forth

RobbingBandit

skregs wrote: »

"Your least favourite grammar mistakes" is a sentence fragment. Fúck you, OP

You forgot your (.) there Mr High and Mighty.:p

Loomis

coolbeans wrote: »

For those of you who say it doesn't matter, fair enough, that's your opinion but I think you're wrong. For instance, good grammar, spelling and punctuation certainly won't guarantee you a job but it will definitely curb your chances of getting one when you are pitted against more literate candidates for the same position. I know a HR guy who works for New Holland in the UK. He told me straight out that if you can't do the basics properly your application is bin bound no matter how relevant your experience. Fair? Maybe not but that's the atitude of many people and I don't think it's unreasonable. From his POV there are simply too many decent candidates out there and not bothering, caring or even realising that you're portraying yourself as semi-illiterate is a major stumbling block.
I think it also makes you look stupid and in the vast majority of cases people just don't care or see why they should care. That's the really silly bit.

Attitude.

MOSSAD wrote: »

The mistake doesn't make the sentence incomprehensible. It's simply gramatically incorrect.

Grammatically.



I don't mind things like that. They're usually the result of a typo that we all make. Browser dictionary plugin ftw.

Like most have said, it's mixing up entire words (your/you're e.t.c.) that annoys me. One that drives me mad is definitely and defiantly. They aren't homophones so there's absolutely no excuse for mixing them up.

coolbeans

Bugger

pickarooney

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

Attitude.



Grammatically.



I don't mind things like that. They're usually the result of a typo that we all make. Browser dictionary plugin ftw.

Like most have said, it's mixing up entire words (your/you're e.t.c.) that annoys me. One that drives me mad is definitely and defiantly. They aren't homophones so there's absolutely no excuse for mixing them up.

Pretty sure people type 'definately' (for whatever reason) and their phone corrects it to defiantly.

Liam Byrne

Mr Anderson wrote:

Like most have said, it's mixing up entire words (your/you're e.t.c.) that annoys me. One that drives me mad is definitely and defiantly. They aren't homophones so there's absolutely no excuse for mixing them up.

pickarooney wrote: »

Pretty sure people type 'definately' (for whatever reason) and their phone corrects it to defiantly.

Would it be their homophone that's doing that ?

Loomis

pickarooney wrote: »

Pretty sure people type 'definately' (for whatever reason) and their phone corrects it to defiantly.

Possibly. But I've seen it around before smartphones were in the picture.

Edit: I just did a little test there; typing 'definately' gets auto-corrected to 'definitely' on my phone so I don't think that's much of an excuse.

pickarooney

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Would it be their homophone that's doing that ?

I've seen even really butch phones do it.

If I type 'definatly' in Firefox the spell checker says 'defiantly' but the problem is not really with the browser there.

Mindkiller

Grammer miss takes are a diamond-dozen in this doggy dog world. People who make them shouldn't of taken there education for granite.

Nolanger

James's hospital is not technically wrong but it should really be James' hospital.

Liam Byrne

Mindkiller wrote: »

Grammer miss takes are a diamond-dozen in this doggy dog world. People who make them shouldn't of taken there education for granite.

The point is that the above aren't grammar mistakes, they're woeful language errors and - in my case anyway - lead to the poster's point being dismissed (apart from the above which was obviously a pisstake)

tatumkelly

affect and effect :mad:

chinwag

Loadsamoney wrote: »

Most of them seem to stem from laziness/leaving school at the age of 14.

Really???

Capt'n Midnight

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Annoys me when people can never spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Especially since it usually starts with a capital S.

mickrock

mikemac1 wrote: »

Are you going to do it?
I amn't

Are not I?

stovelid

Generally speaking, when I see a poster mocking the grammar of a well-meant or non-trolling post (except stuff like clearly jocular puns on a misplaced word or something), I just file them under wanker and pay little attention to their posts after that.

Dudess

OP, practise what you preach - the title should be "Your most hated grammar mistakes". "Your least favourite" implies people have favourite ones.

Liam Byrne

Dudess wrote: »

OP, practise what you preach - the title should be "Your most hated grammar mistakes". "Your least favourite" implies people have favourite ones.

I was just about to post the same point!

born2bwild

I correct spellings and grammar for a living; I try to ignore them when I'm not in work.
That works for me.

chinwag

My only issue with a small minority of posters is little or no punctuation - I struggle hard, sometimes with little success, to digest such posts.

Otherwise, I agree that it is simply out of order to comment on grammatical errors in posts.

Apart from being bad mannered, such sneering comments can take away from the whole spirit of posting and could well result in a loss of some excellent posts on forums like this.

Nolanger

It's hare brained (nothing to do with hair).

Fluorescence

Dudess wrote: »

OP, practise what you preach - the title should be "Your most hated grammar mistakes". "Your least favourite" implies people have favourite ones.

I have a favourite - people shortening "and all" to "anal". It never ceases to amuse :P

dxhound2005

fluorescence wrote: »

I have a favourite - people shortening "and all" to "anal". It never ceases to amuse :P

Do people do that alot?

Fluorescence

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Do people do that alot?

They do on facebook, yeah. Poor, uneducated alots :P

Dudess

chinwag wrote: »

My only issue with a small minority of posters is little or no punctuation - I struggle hard, sometimes with little success, to digest such posts.

Otherwise, I agree that it is simply out of order to comment on grammatical errors in posts.

Apart from being bad mannered, such sneering comments can take away from the whole spirit of posting and could well result in a loss of some excellent posts on forums like this.

Yeah I do hate when there are zero full stops or commas or dashes to indicate a pause - it makes something so hard to read, and in fairness you pause when speaking so you should know to indicate pauses in writing. But that's punctuation anyway, not grammar. Very extreme text-speak looks imbecilic also.
Otherwise, once I can read and understand what's being said, that's all that matters for me. And I certainly wouldn't point out errors. There are people here with dyslexia and learning difficulties - not everyone finds it easy to grasp the tenets of language.
I'd prefer a post littered with errors by someone who's dyslexic, to one correctly written by some **** going on about how dyslexics are just lazy and lying, with no back-up other than "in my opinion" (even though that's not an opinion, it's a lie).
I often find the posts of grammar nazis aren't particularly well written either. And remember: you're pretty much guaranteed to fall victim to Muphry's Law...

Johro

I have this annoying thing whenever I look at anything written or typed, the errors in punctuation or spelling or grammar just glare at me. This is before I've even read and understood what's expressed, I see mistakes first. I can scan a page and point out the mistakes before I'd be able to tell you what it was about. It's a curse really. On the other hand, if you want me to proof read anything for ya, send me a PM.
By the way, I'm not saying I don't make mistakes.
And I do agree with the post above mine.

Liam Byrne

dxhound2005 wrote: »

fluorescence wrote: »

I have a favourite - people shortening "and all" to "anal". It never ceases to amuse :P

Do people do that alot?

Ahem!