What grammatical errors bug you the most?

by poppers 95 Replies latest jw friends

  • Scully
    Scully

    Words that bug me: irregardless and irrespective. Irregardless because it's basically a double negative; you can just say regardless instead. Irrespective because it's one of the favorite high-falutin' words that shrinks use to make them feel superior to everyone else, when they could just as easily use regardless.

    Love, Scully

  • Mulan
    Mulan
    My all time more irritating one is nuclear................when they say Nook-you-ler. Can't they read?
    No wonder GW irritates you so!

    AMEN!!

  • Iforget
    Iforget

    Know and now, there and their, hear and here

    On behalf of myself....you are already doing it when you are speaking

    Continue on to...you continue to

    your and you're...this one has been beaten to death in the thread

    cakes are "done" people are "finished"

    less vs fewer is probably my biggest pet peeve There are fewer people here this week at the Watchtower study. There is less water in my glass.

    But honestly I only correct my son and hubby. Hubby doesn't care for it. Son is rolling his eyes as I type.

  • Big Tex
    Big Tex
    On the other hand, a single comma placed in a Bible verse in a language that didn't originally use commas has separated the WTS from other religions. This comma supports THEIR dogma and negates other dogma, even though the original language didn't even HAVE commas.

    9:08 p.m. (CDT)

    I pointed out the ONE punctuation error that destoys the entire foundation of the WTS religion and NO one makes a single comment about it on this thread?

    11:37 p.m. (CDT)

    Such a narrow window of time to make such an encompassing statement as 'no one'. Sorry, but I've got a life off this board.

  • Terry
    Terry

    POLE:

    Here is some evidence showing that I am right and you are wrong (Depending on what you meant to say :)). The rule "double negatives are really affirmatives" was artificially introduced in English - probably by Robert Lowth:

    I keep track by thinking of math. A minus times a minus =a plus.

  • Nancy Drake
    Nancy Drake

    I hate it when people at work shove thier foodstamp card in my face and say, "It DON'T scan; you GOTTA type it in." (The foodstamp cards in Wisconsin are made of cheap magnetic strips that come de-magnetized after someone has used it for about a month)

    You'd be surprised how many times I hear that EXACT phrase in one night.

  • StinkyPantz
    StinkyPantz

    Tairy-

    However, I hardly ever correct anybody anymore unless I really adore them. Then I regard the correction as kindness; like pointing out a tidbit of spinach stuck between their teeth.

    Wow.. you must be totally in love with me.

    Stunkypints:

    It isn't kind to cultivate a friendship just so one will have an audience
    ~Lawana Blackwell

    Wow, I love that!

    Yeah, isn't that a good one? It seems to apply to some people perfectly...

    "Stunkypints"?

  • sleepy
    sleepy

    I cant spoll veri well, so i does not cares wot is right or not.

  • poppers
    poppers

    Wow, thanks people for all of the replies. To update you, not that you really care, I don't have a computer so I haven't been able to keep up with new posts as they come in. So, I'll just comment on a few things that were brought up.

    A couple of times the word pedant came up. Well, since I am a teacher I don't consider the topic pedantic. We try very hard to get students to communicate their ideas as precisely as possible, and good grammar aides in that endeavor. To read something which is well written is a pleasurable experience because the writer has taken the time to thoughtfully and clearly explain to his audience what he is trying to say. The same goes for listening to a speaker. It's one thing to get an idea across regardless of how it's presented and it's another to think and reflect carefully so that idea carries with it the maximum impact. Not having to wade through misspellings and improper grammar goes a long way in creating the most impact. Of course, one must take into consideration the arena in which one is communicating. There are lots of times when it doesn't matter, and in some cases it can even be more effective, but when it is clear that someone is trying to be serious it becomes distracting when poor grammar and misspelled words are used because of hastiness or lack of understanding in how to effectively communicate. Granted, some words are easily misspelled or misused, but knowing which to/two/too, their/they're/there and some of the others mentioned are not that hard to remember. To thoughtlessly use some of these puts the burden on the audience to understand what it is that you as the communicator are trying to say.

    Farkel - I saw your post this morning and was struck by what you pointed out. Not being a JW myself I wasn't aware of the comma placement in the scripture cited. Indeed, such a simple thing can have a profound change in the meaning of what is written, and in this case a critical one. Thanks for pointing it out.

    Quoting oneself in conversation - I've never understood why some people feel that this necessary - so irritating to listen to.

    Fluff thread - to some this is fluff, to others it has meaning. It you find it fluff, so what? I've seen fluffier.

    There are many on this board who are articulate communicators and I commend you all. There are many who are provocative communicators and I accept you all. There are many who are sensitive and caring and I appreciate you all. And there are many who write from the heart and you are all embraced.

    poppers - of the perceived pedantic class (by some)

  • larc
    larc

    When someone says, drive safe, instead of drive safely. The misuse of verbs - it should be I was and they were. So it should read, Bob and I WERE at the game last night. This pronounciation of index. It is pronounced inicies, not indexes. I have heard this mistake on financial programs. When someone says Jehovah Witness instead of Jehovah's Witness. Even worse is referring to them as "the Jehovahs".

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