20 examples of grammar misuse

[renaissance]

I could care less about the Redskins. I couldn't care less about the Cowboys.

[Hubbs]

I hate how lately there are people using "an historic" instead of "a historic". Drives me nuts!

I hate that so much.

[Vilandil Tasardur]

I really hate how "literally" is replacing "figuratively."

I also despise that people don't know what Irony is. Funny story.

I got into an elevator once and two ladies (girls?) around 23 walked in right behind me. They were in the middle of a conversation; one was showing the other a necklace that she had on.

As they step into the elevator with me, I hear the girl with the necklace say "My boyfriend gave it to me. He says it used to be his ex-girlfriends. He says that's ironic, but I'm pretty sure it's gold."

True story.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

lol made me think of this thread: Posting Guidelines

[Ford]

1. The one that really annoys me is how people suddenly seem to confuse "have" and "of", as in: "I could of learnt how to write properly." There's no excuse for it!

Pete, Sheffield

This is the first thing that popped into my head when I read this thread's title (e.g. "He should of thrown to Kelly"). Terrible.

I hate how lately there are people using "an historic" instead of "a historic". Drives me nuts!

I think this stems mostly from an incorrect pronunciation of the word "historic". People kind of drop the "h" making it sound more like "istoric" .. giving it a vowel sound at the beginning. If the word was actually pronounced this way, "an" would be fine .. as in "an honorable deed" or something. But it's not.

The one that really bothers me is "Conversate", I can't stand when people say it, it's not a word!

Preach on!

[SkinnedAussie]

I was watching Judge Marilyn (People's Court) one day, when the plaintiff said 'We was conversating outside'. JM said 'No, you were talking!', when the plaintiff said 'Yeah, we was conversating outside' with JM again saying 'No, you were talking!'.

It took two attempts, but it finally got through.

[Mark The Homer]

...

3. That guardian of our language, the BBC, is full of solecisms these days; just one example: 12 pm. There is no such time; "meridiem" as in am ("ante meridiem" means "before noon") and pm ("post meridiem" means "after noon") means midday. The 12th hour is neither before nor after midday. So please, BBC use either midday or noon with midnight the correct term for the other end of the day. This is not being pedantic; in these days of 24-hour days, it is often not readily apparent what time 12 pm might be.

Mervyn, Usk, Monmouthshire

I hate this one. I never know wtf time they're taking about.

...

11. I find the increasing, incorrect use of "literally" annoying.... "I literally went blue with anger!!" "Really?" I ask.

Ned, Wallingford

lol I heard this guy being interviewed after a storm - he said: "It was raining cats and dogs - literally!"

[December90]

how about the annoying term "Same difference"

irregardless of what yall think that one drive I nuts.

[PCS]

Grammar Nazis

Now that was funny and well done.

[KingGibbs]

I hear that Clinton Portis is hosting a grammar seminar this weekend.

[Mark The Homer]

I hear that Clinton Portis is hosting a grammar seminar this weekend.

Another one is the word "that."

Avoid unnecessary words

You can often cut out works like “that”, “functions as”, and “acts to”

Example: “The rhythm of the poem function to create movement.” => “The rhythm of the poem creates movement."

http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/workshop/departments/english.html

[War Paint]

This is something I see a lot. I see people typing "prolly". It's probably.

P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y

[renaissance]

This is something I see a lot. I see people typing "prolly". It's probably.

P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y

Wrong. It's probaly.

"You goin to class today?"

"Probaly"

[War Paint]

Wrong. It's probaly.

"You goin to class today?"

"Probaly"

lol. Go buy a dictionary. You really need one.

[Mark The Homer]

This is something I see a lot. I see people typing "prolly". It's probably.

P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y

Prolly is chat shorthand. I've been using it for years. Like fifteen. I think it's prolly ok.

[War Paint]

Prolly is chat shorthand. I've been using it for years. Like fifteen. I think it's prolly ok.

That's one thing I don't understand. I can see using "ur" instead of "you're" (it does annoy me) when typing a real short chat. However, "prolly" isn't that much shorter to type than "probably". It's only two less letters. I believe that there is a large portion of the country who probably thinks the word is spelled "prolly".

[Enter Apotheosis]

Has anyone else noticed people using 'rehaul' instead of 'overhaul' to describe the Shanahanification of the team lately?

[Mark The Homer]

That's one thing I don't understand. I can see using "ur" instead of "you're" (it does annoy me) when typing a real short chat. However, "prolly" isn't that much shorter to type than "probably". It's only two less letters. I believe that there is a large portion of the country who probably thinks the word is spelled "prolly".

But typing "bab" is kinda awkward.

I think you have a point though, re spelling. It must be hard to learn to spell correctly when you constantly see words spelled incorrectly.

[81+83+84=Posse]

3. That guardian of our language, the BBC, is full of solecisms these days; just one example: 12 pm. There is no such time; "meridiem" as in am ("ante meridiem" means "before noon") and pm ("post meridiem" means "after noon") means midday. The 12th hour is neither before nor after midday. So please, BBC use either midday or noon with midnight the correct term for the other end of the day. This is not being pedantic; in these days of 24-hour days, it is often not readily apparent what time 12 pm might be.

Mervyn, Usk, Monmouthshire

[/i][/color]

Wow, that is a stretch. And even so I don't think it is an incorrect use of grammar.

[renaissance]

Prolly is chat shorthand. I've been using it for years. Like fifteen. I think it's prolly ok.

That's one thing I don't understand. I can see using "ur" instead of "you're" (it does annoy me) when typing a real short chat. However, "prolly" isn't that much shorter to type than "probably". It's only two less letters. I believe that there is a large portion of the country who probably thinks the word is spelled "prolly".

I use prolly quite often in my master's level papers. You got a problem with that?

Another pet peeve of mine is people saying something like "6am in the morning". "Ugh I'm so tired I woke up at freaking 6am this morning!" Oh yea, well one time I woke up at 9pm in the morning. So take that!

[China]

Another pet peeve of mine is people saying something like "6am in the morning". "Ugh I'm so tired I woke up at freaking 6am this morning!" Oh yea, well one time I woke up at 9pm in the morning. So take that!

That's one used by the people in the Department of Redundancy Department.

Another one they use is HIV virus. Um, hello? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, so that's like saying Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus. :doh:

[December90]

That's one used by the people in the Department of Redundancy Department.

Another one they use is HIV virus. Um, hello? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, so that's like saying Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus. :doh:

Sounds like ATM Machine and SAT Test...

[SonOfWashington]

Wrong. It's probaly.

"You goin to class today?"

"Probaly"

[Rufus T Firefly]

I guess the one pet peeve that I have is when people use the phrase "I could care less" when they mean, "I couldn't care less".

Thank you. What gets me about that one is how often people try to correct me, as if I am making the mistake.

That and "should of/should have" popped into my head immediately when I saw the thread title.

How about one sports-related? RBIs. There's no such thing as "Runs Batted Ins". RBI is already plural.

[Perky72]

The most dangerous current error that everyone should stop ASAP is "noone" for "no one". "noone" is not a word. That drives me up the wall, and I'm seeing it more and more.

Thank you. What gets me about that one is how often people try to correct me, as if I am making the mistake.

That and "should of/should have" popped into my head immediately when I saw the thread title.

Yeah, that's a big one.

How about one sports-related? RBIs. There's no such thing as "Runs Batted Ins". RBI is already plural.

This one I'm iffy on, because RBI is not necessarily already plural.

A single Run Batted In = RBI

Runs Batted In = RsBI, if the s has to refer to the words of the acronym, and one must distinguish a single Run Batted In from Runs Batted In

But RBIs (if "RBI" is sort of its own entity, not just an acronym) = RBIs

Might just depend on whether the acronym can be pluralized on its own. I think as a general rule they can be so RBIs seems okay. For example compare to PITA/PITAs (for Pain/s in the Ass), or BMOC/BMOCs (for Big Man/Men on Campus).