Grammarians UNITE!

[AllChookUp]

What drive me nuts the most?

Improper use of the ' for punctuation. It shows possesion, not plurality.

Like when you drive by a grocery store and see a sign in the window stating:

" Banana's on sale "

Banana's WHAT on sale?!?

 

[Reinbeau]

Your and you're are the two that drive me crazy, as well as their, there and they're. They are not interchangeable!

 

[Opa]

Quote:
There not?

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[Chicken Salad]

their, they're, there, JennsPeeps-

As a fellow English Vigilante I totally understand *pats JennsPeeps on the noggin*. My 12th grade high school English teacher - god save Mrs. Christie - had a diction list that had to be learned, worshiped and abided by. Web pages, txt msgs and even newspapers are enough to drive one to drink.

How's about....(are you ready for this one?)

Unloosened. She unloosened his shoelaces.

And we won't even start on "orientated."

 

[BeckyLa]

Having acquired my BA in English, I admit that the lack of proper grammar along with total misuse of words used to really bother me. Then I remembered that schools don't teach such things anymore. Now it's usage that is seen as correct. If you finish reading the paragraph with a reasonable idea of it's intended meaning, it is correct.

With this in mind, I have come to the conclusion that I can either sit in my recliner with a cup of hot tea and read my grammar books or I can get on here and enjoy people with the hope of having some idea of what they are talking about. So, I just go with the flow...

 

[Buff Hooligans]

If you saturate your mind with good spelling and grammar by reading yourself silly when growing up, your mind automatically knows what's right.

But, there are all types of people in the world, and maybe someone who's clueless and careless with grammar can whip my butt doing arithmetic in his head. Takes all sorts.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I don't think the point of this thread is to attack other BYCers. That was clarified in the original post. The point is for people who enjoy grammar and language to get together and gripe about their pet peeves.

When I'm on BYC, I go with the flow, too (though it doesn't mean I don't go

to myself once in a while...). By the way, I am awful at math...I got good grades in it, but only with hours and hours of painful studying. It didn't come easily to me, so I appreciate everyone who can instantly comprehend all that "numbers stuff."

***
Off-topic note: Buff, your sig line made me go

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I have seen students use text speak in academic papers! I tell them I am tempted to fail the whole paper for one ur.

My mother was an English teacher who used to get aggravated over nausea. Nauseous versus nauseated. Forty years ago the official definition of Nauseous was a thing which made you feel nauseated. When people would say, "I feel nauseous." My mother would say, "Your english is nauseating, but you don't look nauseous to me." Which of course, would prompt them to expound on their feelings not having any real idea what she said.

Finally, when I was in college the definition in Webster's changed to include the common misuse as an acceptable use of nauseous. My mother was horrified. She never accepted her defeat.

 

[spatcher]

Never fear! Text Messaging will straighten it all out! LOL

 

[redhen]