Grammar pet peeves

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  • IrishDaveRed
    IrishDaveRed Posts: 36 Member
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    Starting a sentence with "so".

    What's wrong with that? I see a lot more mistakes where it should be at the start of a new sentence but isn't.

    "I like food so I eat it." Incorrect
    "I like food. So, I eat it." Correct.
  • habibti
    habibti Posts: 56 Member
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    Using an adjective when an adverb is called for.

    "Don't take it personal." "Think different." "Treat yourself good." "Shop local."
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
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    your and you're
    its and it's
    there and their
    lose and loose
    affect and effect
    too and to
    definitely and definatly...

    (I keep coming back to add more!)
  • IrishDaveRed
    IrishDaveRed Posts: 36 Member
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    "This is the last and final call..." Can it be the last call without being the final call?

    "They have got some great deals at..." How does the "got" add to the sentence? What changes if it is dropped?

    "French Champagne." Champagne is in France. There is no other type of Champagne.
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
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    Oh! Oh! Got one more!!

    I SAYS!!
  • IrishDaveRed
    IrishDaveRed Posts: 36 Member
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    "Gotten" grates to my UK ears but apparently is not always wrong. But "got" is often sloppy.

    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_gotten_correct_grammar
  • tabooski
    tabooski Posts: 89
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    wrong usage of the word: your, you're, their, there, they're.
  • Anastacia1119
    Anastacia1119 Posts: 157 Member
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    too, to, and two
    bye, buy, and by
    there, they're, and their
    your and you're
    where and wear
    here and hear
    probably- Prolly
    definitely- Definately
    good/well
  • snoopytwins
    snoopytwins Posts: 1,759 Member
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    Amongst the many already herein listed:

    "I'm going to Walmarts/Krogers/etc." There is no "s" on the end!!!!!!!!!!
  • tladame
    tladame Posts: 465 Member
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    Apostrophes and quotations where they aren't needed.

    Merry Christmas from the Smith's
    (From the Smith's what?)

    "Big" Sale
    (Whom are you quoting?"

    Of all my spelling, grammar, and punctuation pet peeves, these are two of my biggest!

    There is a Tahoe Joe's here with a big mural on the wall with a description next to it. I counted at least six instances of 'it's' instead of 'its'. I nearly broke out in hives just looking at it.

    Unnecessary quotation marks crack me up. Perhaps people think it looks more "professional". :wink:
  • tladame
    tladame Posts: 465 Member
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    Amongst the many already herein listed:

    "I'm going to Walmarts/Krogers/etc." There is no "s" on the end!!!!!!!!!!

    ^^
    This! When I hear 'JC Penneys' or 'Nordstroms', it bugs me a little.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    When people say, "Should of" or, "Could of"
    .....It should be, "Should've" and "Could've"
    It's a contraction from "Should have" and "Would have" !

    Or the more obvious....your, you're, were, we're, where, their, there, they're
    The list goes on!
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
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    Amongst the many already herein listed:

    "I'm going to Walmarts/Krogers/etc." There is no "s" on the end!!!!!!!!!!

    ^^
    This! When I hear 'JC Penneys' or 'Nordstroms', it bugs me a little.

    I never do that with Walmart or Target or stores like that, but I totally do with department stores. Note to self quit pluralizing (is that a word?) department store names.
  • ssilvey726
    ssilvey726 Posts: 107 Member
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    My degree is in journalism. I have been a copy editor for over five years.

    Do you see what I did there? That was my biggest pet peeve.

    "Over" is a measurement of height. "More than" represents a numerical measurement.

    Using "over" in that situation denotes that I have been a copy editor for above, or on top of five years. That is not grammatically correct.

    It should read, "I have been a copy editor for more than five years." That's a very common mistake that many people make, including writers who make a lot of money to be grammatically correct.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    How about "I axed her a question". it is ASKED.
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
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    This is more of a usage pet peeve than a grammar pet peeve. Lately I've noticed that car dealers never have "sales"; they only have "events." Clearance event, instead of a clearance sale. Summer sales event vs. a summer sale. Presidents Day event vs. Presidents Day sale. I'm guessing they do this because the FTC has some definition of sale that they don't actually meet . . . like an actual reduction in prices.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    The pronunciation 'birfday'

    People who call out other people on their grammar mistake and it contains grammar mistakes.
  • Shelbert79
    Shelbert79 Posts: 517 Member
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    "I seen that"
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
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    "I seen that"
    i hurd dat.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    Probably when people go out of their way to make me feel like an idiot even though my point has clearly been made and correct my grammar. :laugh: Jus' Sayin' ! I always mix up there/their without thinking, Oops!

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