Grammar: It's Awesome

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Every writer has at least one grammatical pet peeve. What's yours?

Two Spaces Between Sentences

Unless you’re using a typewriter, there is no need for two spaces between sentences. Indeed, with most fonts it looks incredibly ridiculous: huge bullet holes marring those lovely straight lines of text. It’s a holdover from typewriters and the days of monospacing, where an “l” took up as much page space as an “m” did. Now, with proportional spacing, an “l” uses less space than an “m” and hitting the space bar once is enough. At least, unless you’re using Courier, but why would you do that?

Please, please, make the change to single spacing between sentences.

Misuse of the Apostrophe

I see it everywhere. Book’s. Used car’s. Unless that book or car is in possession of something, no apostrophe belongs in there.

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This is what’s wrong with America. In at least two ways.

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added by brianp 09/24/2008

See: It's and Its

As a subset of the apostrophe issue, its and it’s are not interchangeable. It’s is short for “it is.”

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The misuse of contractions drives me insane. We’re vs. were (!), they’re vs. there vs. their, you’re vs. your…come on, people!

added by mswen 08/29/2008

Literally

I know it’s not a grammar thing, but I hate it when people use “literally” when they mean “figuratively.” I will literally punch the next person who says that they are literally drowning in options.

added by Mitch_Kocen 08/29/2008

Redundancies

Scattered everywhere are signs reading “ATM Machine.” Since the “M” already stands for machine, this is wrong unless referring to the machine that builds the machines.

See Also:

PIN Number

LOL, used in any form by someone past puberty.


BFN, CU L8R. K?

added by perry 08/29/2008

Refrigerator is a brand name

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Damn, kids. It’s an icebox for goodness sake. Next thing you know, they’ll call the pneumatic water closet a toilet or something.

added by donnyc 09/03/2008

Pronoun Misuse

“Each person has their own room.”

Um, no.  It’s “each person has his/her own room,” idiot.

added by jilliancyork 09/07/2008

It’s a mute point!

added by AliK 09/07/2008

I have a problem when.....

I’m starting to “talk” to a new person who I may want to “date” and they send me text messages with grammatical or spelling errors.

I said, “It was great meeting you!” and he says, “Like wise, you to.”

Eh….he’s cut.

added by Chelsea 08/29/2008

Less vs. Fewer

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How can Morgan Freeman support such bad grammar?!?

added by Chromie 10/09/2008
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added by brianp 09/24/2008

Ridicule

They’re just haters.

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Leigh undercover.

added by brianp 09/24/2008
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Yes, one more!

added by brianp 09/25/2008
 

Ending Sentences with Prepositions

To demonstrate, I’d like to share my favorite word nerd joke (slightly paraphrased):

A woman is on vacation in Boston and ends up in a neighborhood bar. A local girl turns to her, asking, “Where are you from?” The woman haughtily responds, “I’m from a place where we don’t end our sentences in prepositions.” Without blinking, the local girl replies, “Oh I’m sorry. Where are you from, bitch?”

(Sadly I’ve committed this atrocity on occasion. For some reason public schools have decided to stop teaching this rule and sometimes I fall into bad habits.)

I knowz my grammers?

I have a million grammar pet peeves, but the worst is when people spell it “grammer.” It happens WAY more than it should.

added by Susie 08/29/2008
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added by Susie 08/29/2008

Me & Jim are going to the store

Need me say more?

added by Shawna 08/29/2008

Your Vs. You're

I don’t really understand why this perplexes so many people. Every time I see someone write, “I hope your having a great summer!”, I die a little.

added by Jordan Forrest 08/30/2008

Your a moron?

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added by Jordan Forrest 08/30/2008
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added by brianp 09/24/2008

-- versus ;

Misuse of the em dash (—) and semicolon (;). Let’s not even get started on hyphen versus em dash.

added by aliciak 08/29/2008

Irregardless of what this says

You’re still a moron for using it.

added by davidh 09/03/2008

Split Infinitives

“To ever split infinitives is bad.” – Wilde

To me, this is a stupid rule and I agree with Churchill that it “is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.”

added by brianp 09/12/2008

Pretentious and Wrong

I laughed and then cried when my girlfriend told me about this pretentious ass of a classmate she had.  Apparently, his facebook slogan is the following: “Nobody is as debonair as I.”  Putting aside for one moment how toolish that statement is, it’s way worse because the personal pronoun he uses is incorrect.  A lot of people do this probably because they think “I” sounds “more classier” (sic!) than “me” to finish off a sentence.  If you’re going to be pretentious, at least maintain strict adherence to the standards of good grammar, sons of bitches.

added by chubbuni13 09/12/2008

Irony's making a comeback

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added by chubbuni13 09/12/2008

"There's like 60 people in line for that movie already..."

…There ARE, there ARE, there ARE 60 people. ARE.

Thanks.

@

added by aubree munar 09/12/2008

Nonsense Words and Noncount Nouns

Supposably is not a word. It never will be a word. It was never retired as a word. Yes, I understand that you are able to suppose something, but that will never mean that anything is ‘supposably’ anything else. For the love of a thousand Hindu gods…

In addition, there is no such thing as a pizza with three cheeses. Just like those three cheeses can’t be consumed by three mouses. Cheese is a noncount noun. So is soap. You can’t have a package of soaps, or a line of fragrant soaps, or too many soaps from which to choose. You can only have a thousand bars of soap. The same applies to tea. Would you like to choose from our selection of fine teas? No, I would not, but I will look at your tea selection. I’m sorry people, but you can’t have soups, juices, coffees or breads.
And it is virtually impossible for anything to pass “like sands through the hour glass” (I’m looking at you, Days of Our Lives). The days of our lives may only pass like sand through the hour glass.

added by flossie 09/12/2008

A woman without her man is nothing.
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman—without her, man is nothing.
A woman: Without her, sandwiches suck.

OR:

I helped my Uncle Jack off a horse.
I helped my uncle, Jack, off a horse.
I helped my uncle jack off a horse.

added by brianp 09/24/2008

 A Lot is TWO words!

added by ethwiny 09/25/2008

Shoulda

“I should of” instead of “I should have.” Also “would of” & “could of.”

I’m very bitter.

added by brianp 10/02/2008

Pretentious and Wrong - #2

Uh, hey there guy who wrote the following:

Pretentious and Wrong

I laughed and then cried when my girlfriend told me about this pretentious ass of a classmate she had.  Apparently, his facebook slogan is the following: “Nobody is as debonair as I.”  Putting aside for one moment how toolish that statement is, it’s way worse because the personal pronoun he uses is incorrect.  A lot of people do this probably because they think “I” sounds “more classier” (sic!) than “me” to finish off a sentence.  If you’re going to be pretentious, at least maintain strict adherence to the standards of good grammar, sons of bitches"

Guess what.
“No one is more debonair than I” IS the correct pronoun.
In order to follow the rule, many make the mistake of relying on sound.
However, if you complete the sentence “No one is more debonair than I {am},” you will find the correct pronunciation.
Sad that you made a silly ass of yourself.
And that INCLUDES writing “sic” on a grammar nazi page.

Loves and correctness,
mme bookling

added by mme bookling 10/08/2008

Amaized!

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Since everyone already hit my personal peeves I’ll just post some lolcats to drive home the point.

added by Hi Liner 11/20/2008

He is looking for his possessive noun.

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added by Hi Liner 11/20/2008
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Discussions

3456291610480

I am sending this one to our whole editorial department! We cry over these things.

-620741328

Love this! My biggest pet peeve is when people misuse ‘good’ and ‘well.’ I correct them constantly.