Grammar Police (What ticks you off?)

[Fuzzy_]

Laying what on your side?

I suppose you meant "lying on your side."

But that would be dishonest.

Fuzzy has been corrected for this many times. It will take another decade to really sink in.

 

[ConanTheBarber]

But that would be dishonest...

... only partly mitigated by upright posture -- rite, Fuzz?

 

[10silverdollars]

degradate for degrade
dimunition for diminution
mute for moot
reoccur and recur; each means something different and may be correct

 

[ColonelLingus]

nothing because I understand its the internet and comments are filled with peoples thoughts and opinions; not term papers.

 

[Fuzzy_]

"Test your metal."

 

[Calboner]

This morning I came across the phrase "based off of" used in an academic publication. I may have to return to bed for an indefinite period of time.

 

[chicagosam]

Fuzzy has been corrected for this many times. It will take another decade to really sink in.

I feel your pain.

 

[Novaboy]

This somewhat fits this thread.

 

[ActionBuddy]

Thanks for posting that, Novaboy... I just sent a copy of it to my Turkish friend who is trying so hard to learn English, but complains that the language is so complicated, (as if his isn't!)... I think he will get a good laugh from it, and realize that he is not alone in thinking that English is really weird!

A/B

 

[Industrialsize]

OK here's one from grammar junkies. Continuous Continual. How are their definitions different, or are they? Go.............

 

[ConanTheBarber]

I think continuous and continual are so often used interchangeably that one can virtually consider them of equivalent meaning.
However, sticklers can find distinctions that most people would be hard pressed to express.
Continuous describes duration over time without interruption.
"The continuous babbling of the brook outside her window was a consolation all through that summer."
Continual describes duration over time with intermittent interruption.
"There were continual rainstorms that summer that often spoiled the quiet of the evenings."

 

[Fuzzy_]

He jumped off the cliff.

versus

He jumped off of the cliff.

What say you?

 

[Novaboy]

He jumped off the cliff.

versus

He jumped off of the cliff.

What say you?

"He jumped off the cliff" is correct. The "of" is redundant. (According to my English teacher partner...who is rarely wrong, just ask him, he'll tell you the same thing!).

 

[Novaboy]

I love this sentence.

The experiences he had had had had no effect on his behavior.

 

[Calboner]

I love this sentence.

The experiences he had had had had no effect on his behavior.

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ronin001]

People who use the term Grammar Police, tick me off

 

[ConanTheBarber]

He jumped off the cliff.
versus
He jumped off of the cliff.
What say you?

For me, both are correct, but "off of" is low diction.

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bridgetown bison that Bridgetown bison buffalo, buffalo Bridgetown bison.
(Would still be difficult for a non-native speaker.)

This reminds me of a tongue twister I learned when studying French:
Ton thé, t'a-t-il oté ta toux?
This simply means: Has your tea taken away your cough?
But the phonetics were impossible: toe-tay-ta-teel-otay-tah-too.
Even uninstructed francophones could have trouble deciphering the meaning.

 

[Shackleford]

degradate for degrade
dimunition for diminution
mute for moot
reoccur and recur; each means something different and may be correct

For the life of me, I can't remember the program, but on a TV show I was watching some years ago, one character tried to correct someone who had said "mute point," and the person who originally said it explained that it wasn't incorrect, as a "mute" point was one not worth talking about.

 

[ActionBuddy]

"He jumped off the cliff" is correct. The "of" is redundant. (According to my English teacher partner...who is rarely wrong, just ask him, he'll tell you the same thing!).

Agreed.

 

[Neller]

For the life of me, I can't remember the program, but on a TV show I was watching some years ago, one character tried to correct someone who had said "mute point," and the person who originally said it explained that it wasn't incorrect, as a "mute" point was one not worth talking about.

Might've been Friends where Joey calls it a "moo point". It's like a cow's opinion, it doesn't matter.