Which grammatical mistake do you find most annoying?

[polymath]

Padma - "one of my pet peeves is people who write "should of" instead of "should've" or "should have"."

Mine is similar, but it's people who say 'might of' instead of 'might have'.
I have taken this one step further as a protest. If someone asks me 'did you do such-and-such' I often reply "might of have", or even "might of have done."

 

[duke o' york]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
The two that kill me are people that pronouce the silent "t" in often, and people that say axe when they mean ask!

On this side of the pond the "t" in often is pronounced.

I hate people who say "from whence". What does this mean? Whence means "from where", just as hence means "from here" and thence, well you get the picture. So "from whence (he came, usually)" means from from where. Are you you stupid?
Please note irony here and don't point it out.

I voted for apostrophes though. It seems to have come from initials, as someone has already pointed out, and from numbers.
PC's means personal computer's as in "my personal computer's been f**ked up by Microsoft", and not "the company have personal computers at a range of prices".
18's doesn't mean eighteens either! 4 * 3 is four threes and not four three's!

Also, as I have mentioned already on this site (possibly several times), I can't understand why people think the top level of Civ is called Diety. This would be understandable if it didn't happen so often!

 

[Pongui]

I was burning with private shame to think I kill people like Alcibiaties of Athenae with my vocal "t". Now duke o' york tells us that "t" is vocalised. Curiously, my Canadian ears don't notice people's usage either way, likely because there's no standard here.

 

[Pillager]

Another one that I've just thought of is the misuse of ---self.

It should be used only for emphasis - e.g. I did it myself - or with the English equivalent of a reflexive verb - I wash myself, I dress myself, etc.

That's reminded me of another irritation: the confusion of e.g. and i.e. Roughly translated, e.g. means 'for example', i.e. means 'that is (to say)'.

/rant.

 

[Rodgers]

"Mine is similar, but it's people who say 'might of' instead of 'might have'.
I have taken this one step further as a protest. If someone asks me 'did you do such-and-such' I often reply "might of have", or even "might of have done.""

Polymath - I believe that on both sides of the Pennines that seperate us people have a tendancy to drop their "h"s. Therefore, people who you think are saying "might of" could actually be saying "might 'ave" - which is still incorrect in terms of pronunciation but possibly correct in their choice of word

Another I have thought of is the insertion of " " markes around utterly inappropriate words. Usually market traders are to blame here - eg "carrots" 20p p/lb. What are they? Ironic vegetables? Or mock carrots that are in fact made of some sort of carrot substitute?

 

[knowltok2]

Well I voted There/They're/Their, but upon further reflection, I would change that to the numbers for words thing. That or the all caps, and or lack of punctuation.

On the random caps that someone mentioned: Sometimes this happens to me, and I don't know why. I never used to do this, but every once in a while I will insert a capital letter at the beginning of a word for no reason. Usually I catch it and correct it, as I certainly know better, but a few do slip through. It could be a sign of early onset insanity.

Oh yeah, one other thing that annoys me is people who don't check their grammer and spelling on important stuff. An internet post is one thing, an assignment you are turning in for a grade, or a project you are giving to the boss is another. A resume is the worst, unless perhaps it is letters I have seen in the past from borrowers trying to save their home from foreclosure. You'd think a little double-checking and something better than frayed notebook paper with crossed out words would be used to save your most important possession.

Fortunately I am no longer in that part of the business.

 

[gr8ful wes]

eye kant spel
its lisdexia i think

I also don't care too much about capital letters.

 

[heliogabalus]

Foreigner speaking:

Vott is sis sing called "splitting infinitives" again, dear gentlemen and gentlewomen? I've heard about it often (t voiced), but I was never able to connect a concept with it. Make some mistakes for me so I'll know...

knowltoK: The sudden onset of capital letter insertion into your words probably means you're turning into a German. Do you experience the "Vot?" too?

 

[Dralix]

An infinitive is a form of a verb, used with "to" for example "to go." Splitting the infinitive refers to putting a word in between the "to" and the verb. Perhaps the most infamous example of splitting the infinitive is "To boldly go where no man/one (depending on which version) has gone before."

 

[duke o' york]

The classic example is Star Trek's "to boldly go where no man has gone before". The infinitive in English comprises the "to" part, and the actual verb, and they should go together. To explain, to walk, to ricochet, to spam. The only exception is when a verb is made up of another part of speech. To parallel park, for example. To park is the verb itself, but parallel, although an adjective, becomes part of the verb. So a split infinitive is when an adverb is inserted into the two parts of the infinitive.

To carefully tread, to tediously waffle on, to foolishly boast.

should be:

To tread carefully, to waffle on tediously and to boast foolishly.

They are quite rare to be honest, and the famous example from above has been remedied for the new series of Star Trek: Enterprise.

[edit] - Woo! déjà vu!

 

[Pillager]

Do you know what an infinitive is? If not - it's the dictionary entry for a verb - e.g. to play, to eat, to do.

When an adverb is combined with the verb to add extra meaning to the verb, people often place it between the 'to' and the verb.

For example, I was too tired to even try to understand.

Here, an intensifier 'even' is being added to the verb 'to try'. Because we are using an infinitive, 'to try' should not be split - it may be two words but it is one item. Therefore, even should go before (or sometimes after) the verb.

I.e., I was too tired even to try to understand.

The problem doesn't exist in other languages, because infintives in English consist of two words. In French, for example, the infinitive is the standard ir/re/er ending (e.g. jouer) so there is nothing to split.


Hope you've understood.........

 

[knowltok2]

Originally posted by heliogabalus
knowltoK: The sudden onset of capital letter insertion into your words probably means you're turning into a German. Do you experience the "Vot?" too?

Well, I have said, "Vee haf vays of making you talk." I never thought much of it, but I guess when you put it together it sounds pretty bad. Maybe I should see a doctor. I had chicken pox when I was a kid, is becoming a German worse than that? Are there medications and treatments? Will I loose the ability to participate in a line?

 

[polymath]

I don't know about that, knowltok, but a few choice German expletives of the WWII kind really brighten up my day.
Schnell, SchweinHund! Raus! Kartoffelkopf!
Or, to steal from crap reporter Peter O'Hanrahahanrahan (The Day Today):
"Ich nichten lichten...."
(Supposedly "I do not like", just cracks me up! I find myself surfing the web and muttering that a lot.)

 

[heliogabalus]

dralix, duke, pillager: Wow, 3 explanations within 4 minutes! Thanks. Now I understand why I didn't know the split infinitive - I probably have never heard anybody using it.

knowltok: I played a Prussian headwaiter in a highschool play when I was on exchange ("Hello Dolly"). They all complimented me on the skilfully studied and imitated accent afterwards...

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you which abilities you may lose or which new super-powers you might gain, being a born (-again?) German myself. The only thing chicken pox did to me was to itch badly and to give me lots of time to read, overall a positive balance. What do you mean with

"Will I loose the ability to participate in a line?"

?

Is it a common stereotype that Germans are too rude to wait in an orderly queue at bus stops and post offices? Or are you afraid you will forget how to linedance and only be able to do walzer and polka from now on?

Gute Besserung!

 

[knowltok2]

Originally posted by heliogabalus

knowltok: I played a Prussian headwaiter in a highschool play when I was on exchange ("Hello Dolly"). They all complimented me on the skilfully studied and imitated accent afterwards...

->><<-

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you which abilities you may lose or which new super-powers you might gain, being a born (-again?) German myself. The only thing chicken pox did to me was to itch badly and to give me lots of time to read, overall a positive balance. What do you mean with

"Will I loose the ability to participate in a line?"

?

Is it a common stereotype that Germans are too rude to wait in an orderly queue at bus stops and post offices? Or are you afraid you will forget how to linedance and only be able to do walzer and polka from now on?

Well I was refering to queing. I have heard this but have yet to observe it. I personally doubt it is much true, but figured I'd insert it for comedic value. Not all of my insertions along such lines live up to my expectations and usual high standards, and this may be just such a case.

 

[heliogabalus]

Well I was refering to queing.

What exactly do you understand by "queuing"?

 

[duke o' york]

The ability to wait patiently in an orderly line until it is your turn to see the bank manager/have your goods checked at the supermarket till/get on the bus/whatever you were queuing for.
The British are famously good at this, even to the point where people will not audibly complain if someone was to push in ahead of them. Muttering and rolling of eyebrows is of course obligatory at being jumped over in the queue.
There are three degrees of people in the British queue:
Those who will stake their place in the queue and adhere to it rigidly, never trying to gain places but never allowing anyone else in front, and
Those who don't really mind if the person in front of them spots a friend and invites them to join them in the queue, as long as this doesn't mean that you miss the bus or don't get served. They will harrumph if someone just charges in though, and
Those for whom the queue is a challenge in which to pit their wits and reflexes against their fellow men. They will each have their strategies, whether by standing out of the queue but conspicuously close to the front so that when the bus arrives they can make a diagonal gambit and sneak into third or fourth place or by ensuring that maximum décolletage is displayed as they approach the bar and attempt to catch the barman's eye from afar.
Pubs are the best places to see the British queuing system break down, and post offices on giro day are the best examples of this system.

 

[Finvola]

I didn't see my biggest hangup listed here yet..

It drives me nuts when people say "your" when they actually mean "you're" Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

 

[knowltok2]

Originally posted by duke o' york
Pubs are the best places to see the British queuing system break down

All's fair in a bar. As a former bartender my attention is caught by good looking women, good tippers, regulars, and money in hand.

In that order.

 

[duke o' york]

Yeah, that's why we strange ugly stingy men with big pockets all hate you k2.