Grammar Police (What ticks you off?)

[Novaboy]

I mentioned this one before, probably: his-self and their-selves.

When people use "I" when they should use "me."

"It happened to him and I."

"This is a present from George and I."

A similar incorrect use that really makes me cringe...and it's said all the time.
The incorrect use of he/him she/her

"Her and I went to the movies." instead of "She and I went to the movies."

Or worse, "Her and me"

 

[185248]

 

[328982]

This may already have been submitted. However, a peeve of mine is 'people that'. People who write 'people that' instead of people who(m) are making my teeth itch.

One should write or say, "There were those people whom she supported, and those people who supported her."

Agreed, though the misuse of whom grates on me more than the misuse of who (or that). In other words, 'the people whom supported her' would be worse than 'the people who/that she supported'. The latter is careless but forgivable in speech whereas the former is very wrong and (possibly) trying to sound posh.

 

[palakaorion]

What dusts me most are pedantic folks who belittle speakers for using colloquial grammar in personal spoken conversation.

Example: my spoken English is a lot less formal when I'm around family and longtime friends. Otherwise I've been accused of sounding uppity. (I come from a fairly informal rural area.) I would never dream of raking them over the coals for speaking the way people commonly speak. Unless they launch into hateful epithets, at which point I politely exit the conversation.

 

[Fuzzy_]

Redundant dialogue writing:

"What?" Susan questioned.

"Help!" Susan exclaimed.

And possibly this one:

"Huh?!" Susan interrobanged.

 

[trackjock13]

I work at my college's newspaper and I cringe every time I see bad grammar and/or punctuation on the Internet. (Yes, including LPSG)

Here are some things that tick me off:
1) Not knowing the difference between "every day" and "everyday"

2) Everyone's favorite: your and you're

3) Possessive names: "The Smith's had a party." WRONG "The Smiths had a party." RIGHT!

What are some things that tick you off as part of the Grammar Police?

Ending a sentance in a preposition. "where are you going to?" ugh. Guess it bugs me...sort of. lol

 

[FRE]

Ending a sentance in a preposition. "where are you going to?" ugh. Guess it bugs me...sort of. lol

"Where is he at?" has become common. When I was in school, we were taught that that is wrong and that the "at" should be deleted. There is no need for extraneous words which add nothing to the meaning.

 

[Calboner]

"Where is he at?" has become common. When I was in school, we were taught that that is wrong and that the "at" should be deleted. There is no need for extraneous words which add nothing to the meaning.

Country boy Zeke gets a scholarship to go to the state university. On his first day on campus, he is unable to find the library. He accosts a student who looks as if he knows where he's going and asks him, "Excuse me; can you tell me where the library's at?"

The other student says, "I see that you are new here, or you would know not to end a sentence with a preposition."

Zeke replies, "I beg your pardon. Let me rephrase that. Can you tell me where the library's at, ASSHOLE?"

 

[Fuzzy_]

"That could of been great."

 

[ConanTheBarber]

"That could of been great."

Ha!. That should uv been "that could uv been great."

 

[185248]

Jack And The Been Stork

 

[ALOT of it]

Personal pet peeve: "I seen it"

Irks me even when I'm not paying attention.

 

[inspectordickins]

I defiantly can't stand people who misuse the word "literally".

 

[FoxRiver]

People that use 'of' instead of 'have'. As in 'I could of used that'. It's not a huge deal but I notice it a lot.

 

[NIMBUS]

People that use 'of' instead of 'have'. As in 'I could of used that'. It's not a huge deal but I notice it a lot.

Drives me mental, as well: 'could of'/'would of'/'should of' instead of 'could've'/'would've'/'should've' or 'could have'/'would have'/'should have'!

Likewise 'I was like'/'he was like'/'she was like'/'we were like' instead of 'said' or 'thought'. You weren't 'like' anything, you retards.

 

[FRE]

Drives me mental, as well: 'could of'/'would of'/'should of' instead of 'could've'/'would've'/'should've' or 'could have'/'would have'/'should have'!

Likewise 'I was like'/'he was like'/'she was like'/'we were like' instead of 'said' or 'thought'. You weren't 'like' anything, you retards.

What about "prolly" instead of "probably"?

Here are some shortened forms commonly used in Australia and New Zealand:

mossie
brolly
barby
trady

They also have sparkies and panel beaters.

 

[NIMBUS]

What about "prolly" instead of "probably"?

Here are some shortened forms commonly used in Australia and New Zealand:

mossie
brolly
barby
trady

They also have sparkies and panel beaters.

Brolly is extensively used in the UK as the diminutive form of umbrella (it's probably more common than the proper word). Not so the other three, although barbie is sometimes used.

Sparky (electrician) is also very common in the UK, in the same way as chippie (carpenter), brickie (bricklayer) and others. Panel beater is a recognised trade in its own right (my dad employed a number of panel beaters - I've never heard them called anything else).

Agree with you about 'prolly' - although it's very infrequently heard in the UK.

I wouldn't call any of those grammatically incorrect, though, they are just diminutives or colloquialisms.

 

[Novaboy]

For the group here.

 

[Fuzzy_]

"Shouldn't he have been hired?"

Is sounds somewhat acceptable with the contraction but it doesn't seem right without it ("Should not he have been hired?").

It seems the negative should go beside the auxiliary, as in "Should he not have been hired?" or "Should he have not been hired?".

 

[Mikehard9]

I lived in a bedsit when I was in London. As I understand it, a bedsit is, as some had already mentioned, a bedroom and sitting room all in one.

A bedsit is different from an apartment, a bedsit usually have a place for the occupant to cook in - mine certainly did - but the washing-up part may be a bit iffy.

Some bedsits come with a basin, and the occupant could clean his crockery and cutlery in that basin. That same basin would be used for washing his hands and face.

What makes a bedsit different from an apartment would be the existence of an attached bathroom. I had to share the bathroom cum toilet with the other occupants of the house; that makes my room a bedsit. Had I had my own bathroom cum toilet, it would be an apartment, and it would have commanded a much higher rent.

yeah a bedsit is ONE room with BED and SITTING area , sometimes a sink in corner with a toaster, mini oven or something to cook on ....living eating , sleeping and cooking in one room .....with a separate bathroom,toilet area shared with other people .