10 Common Grammar Mistakes Even Smart People Make

Palmpilot said:
The rampant spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors on the Internet are distracting, and like fingernails on a chalkboard to people who know the rules. Obviously I don't expect people who don't care about it to start caring, but it makes us feel better to complain about it.
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I mispel things just to **** pholks like u off! Go phind something worthwhile to due...
 
Saw a sign this morning.... Grage sale....bicycles, $20 each or two for $50.....:rofl:

Folks I can't make this stuff up, haven't started drinking yet....
 
"Close proximity" - Is there a "far proximity"?

...and, to paraphrase George Carlin:

"Near miss". Isn't that really a hit?
 
Jeff Oslick said:
...and, to paraphrase George Carlin:

"Near miss". Isn't that really a hit?
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I love George, may he rest in peace.

My all time favorite (and the first time I heard it was live in concert. :thumbsup:)

"Hot water heater"? If the water is hot, then why in the **** do you need to heat it? It's a "cold water heater" morons.
 
Didn't read the whole thread, but practically everything the author talks about is a pet peeve of mine. I was sure he was wrong about "impact" though, and checked: Merriam-Webster has an entry for "impact" as a verb, even in the figurative sense he says makes you look bad.

OTOH, I predict that in 20 years or so M-W will have "loose" as a variant spelling of "lose". :rolleyes:
 
azure said:
Didn't read the whole thread, but practically everything the author talks about is a pet peeve of mine. I was sure he was wrong about "impact" though, and checked: Merriam-Webster has an entry for "impact" as a verb, even in the figurative sense he says makes you look bad.

OTOH, I predict that in 20 years or so M-W will have "loose" as a variant spelling of "lose". :rolleyes:
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Verbifying nouns has a respectable history in the English language: I once heard an English teacher point out that Shakespeare did it:

"It out-Herods Herod."
 
Next up proper use of commas, colons and semicolons.
 
bnt83 said:
Next up proper use of commas, colons and semicolons.
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April 6-Today, I learned, the comma, this is, a, comma (,) a period, with, a tail, Miss Kinnian, says its, importent, because, it makes writing, better, she said, somebody, could lose, a lot, of money, if a comma, isnt in, the right, place, I got, some money, that I, saved from, my job, and what, the foundation, pays me, but not, much and, I dont, see how, a comma, keeps, you from, losing it, But, she says, everybody, uses commas, so Ill, use them, too

April 7-I used the comma wrong. Its punctuation. Miss Kinnian told me to look up long words in the dictionary to learn to spell them. I said whats the difference if you can read it anyway. She said its part of your education so from now on Ill look up all the words Im not sure how to spell. It takes a long time to write that way but I think Im remembering more and more.
Anyway thats how come I got the word punctuation right. Its that way in the dictionary. Miss Kinnian says a period is punctuation too, and there are lots of other marks to learn. I told her I thought she meant all the periods had to have tails and be called commas. But she said no. She said; You, got. to-mix? them! up: She showd? me" how, to mix! them; up, and now! I can. mix (up all? kinds of punctuation- in, my. writing! There" are lots, of rules; to learn? but. Im' get'ting them in my head: One thing? I, like: about, Dear Miss Kinnian: (thats~ the way? it goes; in a business, letter (if I ever go! into business?) is that, she: always; gives me' a reason" when-I ask. She"s a genius! I wish? I cou'd be smartlike-her; Punctuation, is? fun!

April 8-What a dope I am! I didn't even understand what she was talking about. I read the grammar book last night and it explains the whole thing. Then I saw it was the same way as Miss Kinnian was trying to tell me, but I didn't get it. I got up in the middle of the night and the whole thing straightened out in my mind
​
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes.
 
Palmpilot said:
I cut and pasted the thread title from the headline (although I do know how to spell "grammar").



There was actually one thing I learned from the article: I didn't know that the past tense of "lie" (as in "lie down") is "lay." (I checked the Merriam-Webster site, and that's correct.)
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But in the future tense it means that you're a pervert. Unless you have a really hot date planned. :)
 
"Me and Suzi are going flying in the morning." This is so prevalent that I heard a kindergarten teacher say it yesterday.
 
LDJones said:
Go ahead....axt a question....
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They say it...Axe...Just axe me I will tell you....Drives me nuts.

I want to know when..i before e except after c...stopped being correct....

As for spelling..My spelling sucks...My math skills suck...If anyone has a problem with it

EXCUSE ME
as Mr. Robin Williams would say......:lol:

Tony
 
1600vw said:
They say it...Axe...Just axe me I will tell you....Drives me nuts.

I want to know when..i before e except after c...stopped being correct....

As for spelling..My spelling sucks...My math skills suck...If anyone has a problem with it

EXCUSE ME
as Mr. Robin Williams would say......:lol:

Tony
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I believe that was Steve Martin's line.
 
It is crap like this in a pilot forum that affects my affect.
 
1600vw said:
As for spelling..My spelling sucks...My math skills suck...If anyone has a problem with it
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Speling fanatics need to git a life.

On the other hand, folks who can't be bothered with the difference between math and arithmetic should be shot. :D:lol:
 
Bill Jennings said:
I grew up in Pittsburgh, and it's amazing how many natives pronounce it Pixburgh.
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Well, they're native so wouldn't that make them right? ;)

Cairo, IL is pronounced like Karo syrup by the locals. Pronounce it like the city in Egypt and the locals will tell you "that's a city in Egypt"

Versailles, MO pronounced "ver-sales" by locals.

Berryville, AR is "bur-ville"

Arkansas City, KS is pronounced "ar-Kansas." Similarly the Arkansas River in Kansas is "ar-Kansas." Say "Arkansas" in that region when referring to either is tantamount to burning a flag. People would literally get p*ssed.
 
San Jose Illinois is pronounce San Joe's by everyone around or the locals.....

A lot of people pronounce the S at the end of Illinois when the S is silent...
 
Soda or pop...We call it Soda here in central il. but pronounce it sode with a long E... In Chicago they call it Pop...
 
"Lay down Sally"

Everyone knew exactly what he meant and maybe Eric has been partially responsible for the Lay/Lie misuse over the last 37 years or so.

Lay/Lie is one that I could care less about! ;)

Everyone knows what you mean so "it doesn't matter and what if it did?"
 
timwinters said:
"Lay down Sally"

Everyone knew exactly what he meant and maybe Eric has been partially responsible for the Lay/Lie misuse over the last 37 years or so.

Lay/Lie is one that I could care less about! ;)

Everyone knows what you mean so "it doesn't matter and what if it did?"
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I think Dylan started it "Lay lady lay" even earlier.
 
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