More Ammo for the Grammar/Word Police: For those who like to point out mistakes, here's some info.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

For those who like to point out mistakes, here's some info.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1k02dA/:16T9Hpcsy:DTikZ5Zm/qz.com/432285/20-misused-words-that-make-smart-people-look-dumb

SmittyOne Loc: California

jerryc41 wrote:

For those who like to point out mistakes, here's some info.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1k02dA/:16T9Hpcsy:DTikZ5Zm/qz.com/432285/20-misused-words-that-make-smart-people-look-dumb

The one grammatical mistake I hear so often, and it just nauseates me, is "I don't think that....". I automatically know that they are not thinking at that point, at least not in the grammatical sense. Now, I am only a high school grad, with two year ged college, courtesy U.S.A.F., and even I know better than tell someone that I don't think.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

SmittyOne wrote:

The one grammatical mistake I hear so often, and it just nauseates me, is "I don't think that....". I automatically know that they are not thinking at that point, at least not in the grammatical sense. Now, I am only a high school grad, with two year ged college, courtesy U.S.A.F., and even I know better than tell someone that I don't think.

I don't never make no grammatical misseaks. Mt spleing is alllways peerfict also.

SmittyOne Loc: California

boberic wrote:

I don't never make no grammatical misseaks. Mt spleing is alllways peerfict also.

You might want to check on an upgrade for your spelling checker. Ha

whitewolfowner

SmittyOne wrote:

The one grammatical mistake I hear so often, and it just nauseates me, is "I don't think that....". I automatically know that they are not thinking at that point, at least not in the grammatical sense. Now, I am only a high school grad, with two year ged college, courtesy U.S.A.F., and even I know better than tell someone that I don't think.

When I worked at Kodak when I was in my 20's they set up their pay scale where you got so much an hour for being on the pay roll; say $8.27 an hour. The they added about 45 cents an hour for coming to work, so if you came to work you got paid $8.72 and hour. That was it; no extra for actually working and no extra for even thinking. Made for very lazy employees. Sounds ridiculous but that was the attitude at the company. And you wonder why Kodak went down the tubes!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

SmittyOne wrote:

The one grammatical mistake I hear so often, and it just nauseates me, is "I don't think that....". I automatically know that they are not thinking at that point, at least not in the grammatical sense. Now, I am only a high school grad, with two year ged college, courtesy U.S.A.F., and even I know better than tell someone that I don't think.

Actually, the statement "that . . ." isn't incorrect at all because what one really means when he makes such a statement is the entire statement coming after the "that" in question, written or understood, is what's in question, not just the word "that."

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

jerryc41 wrote:

For those who like to point out mistakes, here's some info.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1k02dA/:16T9Hpcsy:DTikZ5Zm/qz.com/432285/20-misused-words-that-make-smart-people-look-dumb

Thanks, Jerry. That link really nailed it. Some of them are my pet peeves in grammar. I see it all the time and almost everywhere. Ex: then vs. than,
bring vs. take, further vs. farther and the one I see and hear most often is fewer vs. less. Even on TV ads like TROP 50 orange drink. Their bottle says less calories and on their TV ad it was being said by the actors. However, I've noticed recently that they've corrected the TV ad and now the woman says "fewer" calories. Also, your vs. you're, I see a lot. Speaking of "a lot", ALOT is not a word!!! Yet.
I feel better now. Thanks again, Jerry.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

TomC. wrote:

Thanks, Jerry. That link really nailed it. Some of... (show quote)

I like seeing the sign in my local Hannaford supermarket, "14 items or fewer."

jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

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malawibob Loc: South Carolina

I believe that the two most misused items on UHH are: to for too and loose for lose.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

The ones that peeve me the most and copywriters should all know better are terms too often seen in advertising: "...something costs 'X' times less than 'Y'..."! Their fifth grade math teachers taught (or should have taught) them that "times" is always a multiplier, not a reducer; the second but not seen quite as often is "... (something for sale) at a 100% price reduction". Is it free?

FredCM Loc: Central Illinois

What? No one caught the grammar error in the first paragraph? " If this were the only problem," Uhhh, WERE the ONLY problem? And then in the second paragraph he talks about using a grammar expert. See ironic vs. coincidental.

tenbanshee Loc: Woodstock, IL

It sure is a good thing that all of us are perfect and never do or spell anything wrong. LOL

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

JCam wrote:

The ones that peeve me the most and copywriters should all know better are terms too often seen in advertising: "...something costs 'X' times less than 'Y'..."! Their fifth grade math teachers taught (or should have taught) them that "times" is always a multiplier, not a reducer; the second but not seen quite as often is "... (something for sale) at a 100% price reduction". Is it free?

That annoys me, too, but I suspect they think we're too stupid to understand anything else. I hate it when someone says, for example, that the diameter of the earth is 100 times smaller than the diameter of the sun. That's a very bad way to discuss science. Why not just say the diameter of the earth is 1/100th the diameter of the sun?

wilikioti Loc: Deep South, USA

jerryc41 wrote:

For those who like to point out mistakes, here's some info.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1k02dA/:16T9Hpcsy:DTikZ5Zm/qz.com/432285/20-misused-words-that-make-smart-people-look-dumb

I suppose this is why the English language is considered the hardest to learn. Too many words sound alike and some even spelled the same. The words I see most mis-used is Their, There and They're. BTW, I made part of my living in the field of technical writing and always had a proof-reader that would correct and OK my work. Still, mistakes were printed. It happens.