Grammar Nazis

[gweimer]

Somehow, this just belongs here.

[nofi]

 

[uwe]

LOL, they did that great scene justice.

Speaking of grammar nazis:

A Harvard graduate goes to a bar and is approached by a sexy blonde who asks him huskily: "So where did we go to school to?" He answers haughtily: "I don't recollect that we met at school. But I graduated from Harvard and that is where at least I learned to avoid ending sentences with a preposition." The blonde, undaunted, with the biggest smile imaginable: "Ok, another try then. So where did you go to school to, asshole?!"

[the mojo hobo]

Around here they would say: "Where did you go to school at?"

I'm glad though that others are paying attention, but it probably won't stop the degradation of the language. It is common to see postings on forums and blogs using horrible grammar. If American schools still teach grammar, it seems the students are not learning it.

Things that irk me:
"try and" when they mean "try to"
"your" and "you're" used interchangeable.
"could of" instead of "could've"

I'll think of more.

[uwe]

Mistaking "your" and "you're" is forgiveable I think, because since they have identic pronounciation your brain sometimes just doesn't click. I'm aware of the difference and would never mistake the two consciously but if I type something quickly in private or business it does happen.  Same thing with "to" and "too".

I'm pretty good at "loose" and "lose" though. Memorizing the sentence "Loose girls lose their virginity early." helps. No, that is NOT from English class.

[Denis]

Mistaking "your" and "you're" is forgiveable I think, because since they have identic pronounciation your brain sometimes just doesn't click. I'm aware of the difference and would never mistake the two consciously but if I type something quickly in private or business it does happen.  Same thing with "to" and "too".

I'm pretty good at "loose" and "lose" though. Memorizing the sentence "Loose girls lose their virginity early." helps. No, that is NOT from English class.

That "your" and "you're" sound the same but are completely different is one of the beauties of the English language!
Other common usage errors include:
a) "to", "too" and "two"
b) "there", "their" and "they're"

[Pilgrim]

That "your" and "you're" sound the same but are completely different is one of the beauties of the English language!
Other common usage errors include:
a) "to", "too" and "two"
b) "there", "their" and "they're"

As an occasional grammar Nazi, my opinion is that no literate person should use any of those words incorrectly.  That level of word usage is extremely basic.

This is one reason that my grad students sometimes are dismayed at the papers I return to them.

[uwe]

"there", "their" and "they're"

That is one of my most common errors. Guilty as charged. They're there with their luggage. 

[rahock]

I hear people use such bad grammar sometimes I just have to stop an aks them why they had did such a thing .
Rick

[Dave W]

The difficulties of learning English grammar, spelling and pronunciation:

Today, away from me you fly,
Though, yesterday, to me you flew,
So now I am disposed to cry,
Though heretofore I never crew.

Another:

I wonder what would help my cough;
A cup of coughey should,
At least it wouldn't bump me ough,
And it might do me gould.


An old Bennett Cerf poem:

The wind was rough
And cold and blough;
She kept her hands inside her mough.
It chilled her through,
Her nose turned blough,
And still the squall the faster flough.
And yet although,
There was no snough,
The weather was a cruel fough.
It made her cough,
(Please do not scough);
She coughed until her hat blew ough.

[OldManC]

A slip here and there can expected (especially for a non-native speaker), but over the last 25 years I've found the degradation of the English language to be horrendous. Whether it's the old standbys or the insanity of an apostrophe now being used for every word ending in 's', the thing that bothers me the most is that almost nobody seems to care or even worse, have noticed. (Except for we grammar Nazis, of course!)

[nofi]

bad grammar and spelling in general are rampant in printed material as well, especially on the web. i guess human editors and proof readers don't exist anymore.

[Pilgrim]

A slip here and there can expected (especially for a non-native speaker), but over the last 25 years I've found the degradation of the English language to be horrendous. Whether it's the old standbys or the insanity of an apostrophe now being used for every word ending in 's', the thing that bothers me the most is that almost nobody seems to care or even worse, have noticed. (Except for we grammar Nazis, of course!)

Bingo.  If it ha's an 's at the end, put an apostrophe before the 's.

[Denis]

bad grammar and spelling in general are rampant in printed material as well, especially on the web. i guess human editors and proof readers don't exist anymore.

They all got laid off when newspapers started folding...

Bingo.  If it ha's an 's at the end, put an apostrophe before the 's.

Unless the name ends in an "s" already, in which case the apostrophe can go after the "s", in which case the addition of an "s" after that apostrophe is optional (at least it used to be when I was in college).
Example: Denis' Thunderbird will not be ready until Saturday at the earliest.

[Pilgrim]

Using the common thinking, why not play it safe?

Deni's' Thunderbird will not be ready until 'S'aturday at the earliest.