FC Community
Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: loulizlee on January 25, 2013, 05:10:59 pm
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1. LESS and FEWER
Although you may not realize it, grocery stores have been using the wrong word at the checkout for many years. When you see a sign saying 20 or 10 Items Or Less, that is incorrect.
"Less is used when comparing quantities that can’t be counted; for example, “I’d like less milk.” If you’re comparing quantities (like bagels, for example) then “fewer” should be used."
To be continued.......
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There, their, they're...
Than, Then...
I see these CONSTANTLY used incorrectly and it bothers me lol. I am a grammar junkie I guess. :P
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This is true. I've not really thought about it before with less and fewer, but you are right.
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I think the only reason they use less is because it rolls off the tongue.
Effect and Affect are often misused because they are close in spelling and definition. Affect causes or influences a change with emotion (I.E. Her tears affected me deeply). Effect is a result of something. (The lights gave the effect an stars in the night sky.)
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You're and Your. It really bugs me when someone says Your instead if You're or vice versa. Another good one is to, too and two. It's like some people are not ever aware of the word too, they just write to all the time. :BangHead:
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English Language is too complicated period no wonder they call it the hardest language in the world especially the words is the same sounds and different meaning,Its just really hard for someone that its not a native tongue.
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You see a lot of errors with "Rise, rose, risen..." and "Lay, Laid, Lie..." as well. The rules behind which word gets used can be tricky!
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Honestly I'm not that much of a grammar *bleep* that it bothers me.
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Affect and effect.
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A lot of people don't seem to grasp the word "literally," but insist on trying to use it anyways. Some seem to confuse it with the meaning of "figuretively."
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Another grammar misuse is when people talk about themselves and someone else. It is common to hear people say:
"Me and my mom are going shopping."
It should be:
"My Mom and I are going shopping."
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These are all good ones. I'm a grammar and spelling junkie, too. I am puzzled by hearing people say it doesn't matter. Recently I read that a company had several hundred jobs openings and did not find a single application that did not contain spelling and grammar errors. My pet peeve is your and you're. It is unbelievable how many high school and college graduates use those two words wrong.
To be continued......
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Desert and dessert - Desert is a hot, sandy place and dessert is a food item usually eaten at the end of a meal.
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It's not the most common, but it really bugs me on the Geico commercial when he says that his coffee cup is computer animated. It may be animated by computers, but things that are made in a computer and animated are referred to as computer generated, not animated. Really bugs me when I hear that.
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I think my pet peeve with spelling and grammar is when I'm reading a written statement (post, memo, etc.) by someone who is in a relatively high position of power or who is trying to "show off" their intelligence then makes an utterly ridiculous mistake that can't just be chalked up a typo. Apparently I'm not the only one either. Some of my managers and supervisors have notoriously poor spelling and grammar skills. Two of them started asking me to proofread their memos before they posted them because they grew tired of people crossing out and correcting mistakes.
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The one that became my pet peeve after someone pointed it out to me is the use of the word "regardless" vs "irregardless". There is no such term as "irregardless" - the word to use is simply "regardless".
However so many people have misused the term "irregardless" over the years, that it's becoming accepted as valid.
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diner and dinner!!!! i have a friend that always texts me and says "diner was good" or "catch you later, time for diner" i always text him back and say "*DINNER" OR " hope you enjoy eating the whole building" ;D
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The only thing more annoying than improper grammar is people correcting improper grammar.
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whether and weather ???
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Your is the worse when people should be saying you're
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I've noticed all of these issues with words and how people use them. I correct my boyfriend only because he asks me to lol. When I see an ad or a job listing from a company where the grammar isn't correct that really irks me. You are advertising a job and you can't even spell or use correct grammar? Take a little time and care please. Truthfully I know that a lot of people have issues remembering or figuring out which words work where.
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I am sure some people are irked with people who correct grammar and spelling. I understand that. The problem these days is that it is getting so bad, it is hard to read what some people write. Many times one has to guess what the writer is trying to say.
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It seems every time I am in a grocery store or department store, etc., I hear someone on a cell phone asking, "Where are you AT?" The 'at' isn't necessary; the question is "Where are you?"
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you know, I always thought aren't was spelled arn't - I feel like I've spelled it that way my whole life and have just now started noticing it underlined in red squiggles >:(
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Ok my biggest pet peeve is the words "lose" and "loose" I have seen these two words interchanged many times and it "drives" me up a wall. I can't stand it. It is especially frustrating that I saw it used in a speech therapy classroom on a handwritten rules poster - one line said "if you do not follow the rules, you will loose your privileges. Well ok then.
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I find it funny, and don't notice it most of the time, however, when you see it over and over again, you just have to shake your head and say, not again...
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i may be wrong but i think the usa is the only country that freely makes up words to use when we want i think other countries have a group of people that control what words are used
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im not big on correcting it, but my mother n law is mrs proper and it drives me crazy :BangHead:
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1. LESS and FEWER
Although you may not realize it, grocery stores have been using the wrong word at the checkout for many years. When you see a sign saying 20 or 10 Items Or Less, that is incorrect.
"Less is used when comparing quantities that can’t be counted; for example, “I’d like less milk.” If you’re comparing quantities (like bagels, for example) then “fewer” should be used."
To be continued.......
I do believe this is true and what's even sadder is the FACT THAT MOST AMERICANS PAY NO ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!!
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it drives me nuts when people say irregardless.... there is no such word! it's "regardless"
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What bugs me no end is that for at least 50 years of my life people plead guilty but a few years ago someone decided that it should be pleaded guilty. It just never sounds right when I hear it.
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I think I read somewhere that the problem is the use of plead vs. pled. Originally, the past tense of the word was pled. Then the word plead, present tense, became interchangeable with pled. So I guess someone thought it would be more understandable to add an -ed to plead to form the past tense. However, I'm with you. I think it is about as clear as mud!
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I have been meaning to say on this thread that I do not correct anyone on their spelling and grammar in person, except maybe my husband, especially in a group of people. However, I have frequently been the proofreader in college study groups or my workplace. I thought maybe a forum such as this one might be a good place to talk about the subject instead of pointing out errors after their posts. For example, today one that caught my eye was "waist" used for "waste." This makes me believe that some people just don't want to take the time to look up the correct word.
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I know someone who uses the word seen for the word saw as in "I seen that" instead of "I saw that". That one really bothers me.
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Too, to, and two are my biggest pet peeves. ESPECIALLY when they say "me to" it's the only set that really irks me.
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Being a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, it used to bother me when former President Bush (W) used to use the term "nucular" weapons versus the correct "nuclear"...
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I have noticed another word used in this Forum that is frequently misspelled. The word "referral" is often misspelled "refferal."
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There's one that really bothers me. When I was in English class in probably Jr. High, we were taught some of these common mistakes and one that the book pointed out confused our class because none of us ever heard the misuse. However now that I'm an adult, I've been hearing it much more often, and amongst friends that I'd think would've known the difference... Lend and Borrow. To lend is to give out whereas to borrow is to take. It isn't "Can you borrow me your umbrella?" it should be "Can you lend me your umbrella?".
A misspelling that I often see (which I can easily understand why, although it really annoys me when I see it it text books and / or journal articles) is "absorbtion". Even though you "absorb" something, and it is "absorbed", the correct spelling of the noun is "absorption", with a 'p' instead of a 'b'.
What gets me is that sometimes these mistakes are made so often that eventually they get normalized into the vernacular. For example if you were to look up "Theater" and "Theatre" you'll see that most places say they are interchangeable or that Theater is the American spelling of the British Theatre (oh thank you online dictionary... No, theatre is correctly spelled :BangHead: ) But there actually used to be a difference in definition... Theater is the building whereas Theatre is the art form. "I am taking a theatre class at the local community theater." However since it's been misused so often that now theater is used for both definitions in American English.
Another grammar mistake that has now become the norm is the use of punctuation inside quotes. It used to be proper to place punctuation outside of quotes if the quotes were used to define some composition, for example when using quotes around a song title. So the following used to be proper grammar: I am listening to The Ohio Players' song "Fire". Notice the period outside of the quotation marks since "Fire" is the name of a song and the quotes are framing that piece of composition. However now it is being taught to always include the punctuation inside the quotes regardless of whether the quotes are denoting a quote from something (like repeating what a person says) vs. defining an object of composition (like a music title, the title of a magazine article, or when you want to isolate a single word or a general phrase that isn't a direct quote of someone / something). Even though I know it's correct to place the puncuation inside the quotes all of the time, I still use the form that I was originally taught...
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Frequently misused words: Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.
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I frequently hear young people on Judge Judy say that someone "borrowed me" some money instead of "loaned me" some money. I wonder if that is a regional thing. Sometimes certain parts of the country have their own colloquialisms.
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Frequently misused words: Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.
I totally agree!!!
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I frequently hear young people on Judge Judy say that someone "borrowed me" some money instead of "loaned me" some money. I wonder if that is a regional thing. Sometimes certain parts of the country have their own colloquialisms.
You're right. She's pretty strict on vocabulary with some who go overboard with certain words or phrases.
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I see words like "greater than" or "less than" as meaning just that. If you are in the grocery store and buy 14 items, I can see you going to the "15 items or less line". If your buggy is filled to capacity, then have the common sense to know that going to the "15 items or less line" is wrong. Yet people will do just that. :wave: :wave:
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Frequently misused words: Could of, should of, would of (regardless of the coulda, shoulda, woulda saying) should be could have, should have, and would have. "Could of" just doesn't make sense, if you think about it.
People confuse "could've" with "could of"... they sound the same but "could've" ( a contraction of "could have") I do believe is grammatically correct. Could of... makes no sense...
I'm grateful to have come across this forum, its comforting to know I'm not the only one who still thinks these things are important:) My own grammar was much better until I moved to a small town, rural area of VA. For the past 7 years I've heard many puzzling sentences, sayings and words such as "took and said" and "testess" (Tests)... basically every grammatical mistake mentioned here was a typical everyday conversation, I was constantly reminded of how terrible the school system must be...
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These are all good ones. I'm a grammar and spelling junkie, too. I am puzzled by hearing people say it doesn't matter. Recently I read that a company had several hundred jobs openings and did not find a single application that did not contain spelling and grammar errors. My pet peeve is your and you're. It is unbelievable how many high school and college graduates use those two words wrong.
To be continued......
I agree 1000%.
As a teacher of students who learn English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language, I want the students to start off on the right foot and learn punctuation, spelling and writing well. I think it is crucial. Now I don't expect them to know how to spell every word, so I do not give spelling tests. I spend more time giving them the tools to find out how to spell a word and use it correctly in a sentence.
Spelling and punctuation count. Consider the following:
A. It's time to eat Grandma.
B. It's time to eat, Grandma.
Join my quest! Let's eliminate the grandma eaters of the world! I will be happy to proofread your work. You can find me online.
You might even be to able to make an educated guess at my g-mail.
I received a note from my foster son's teacher and oh my God! She misspelled/misused 9 of 13 words in the note.
The handwritten note reads as follows:
You're sons' continence has bin changed to April 3th 2:15
Plasee call me if you're cant com than. Thx.
She is a kindergarten teacher, but still.
I requested the vice principal join us for the conference and he did. Afterwards, we had a meeting of our own. I had all intentions of moving my son to a difference class but the vice-principal replaced the teacher. I was the tenth parent to raise concerns about this teacher. I show the note to the vice-principal and he laughs. Then he asks, "Can I keep this?"
Back to the topic. The rules are not always the same. In England, they use possessives and contractions a bit differently.
For example they use:
1) Jack's going to the store for Jack is going to the store.
2) It's James's book. (I was taught to write, "It's James' book."
I admit freely, I still have trouble.
I have tried to research the correct use for it's, its'.
Again, I was taught:
It's = It is
Its' = possesive pronoun. The dog chases its' tail.
I see alot of people use its (without the apostrophe) The dog chases its tail.
I can't find definitive answers on the internet.
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theres alot of slang words anymore :cat:
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1. LESS and FEWER
Although you may not realize it, grocery stores have been using the wrong word at the checkout for many years. When you see a sign saying 20 or 10 Items Or Less, that is incorrect.
"Less is used when comparing quantities that can’t be counted; for example, “I’d like less milk.” If you’re comparing quantities (like bagels, for example) then “fewer” should be used."
To be continued.......
I did not realize that there was a right and wrong way to use less and fewer in a sentence. Good thing to know! I am trying to get some part-time virtual work as a proofreader and this is something I definitely need to know. Thanks for the information. It is always interesting what you can find out by reading what is posted on the forum.
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I dont have a problem with it unless I have no clue as to what is meant. Some of the words that people text with is weird. I'm not one for texting too much but I do use speech to text and some times there are alot of off the wall things. I will say one thing and it says something way out there.
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That's a good point, I can't help but wonder what made you think of it...
I often use the term I could care less. My daughter always corrects me and says no moma its I couldn't care less.
Or she will say you could or you couldn't. :- :)
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"I could care less" seems to be a phrase that has gotten so much use, it almost appears to be accepted. To me, this is a term that you could figure out if you think about it. "I could not care less" means it is impossible for me to care about it. "I could care less" means that you COULD actually care less; in other words, you really do care. You can remember it by thinking about the word "not."
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Thanks for the info on fewer versus less- I wasn't aware of that.
I hate when people use "irregardless"
That ISN'T a word!!! Stop using it people!!!
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what about conversate?? All of my life I've been told this is not a word, some teachers have told me it is a word but most have said no.....
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what about conversate?? All of my life I've been told this is not a word, some teachers have told me it is a word but most have said no.....
It is a word that gained popularity by 2000. It is still used today but only by a minority of the population.
Is it a word? Yes.
Is it commonly used? No.
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I heard an expression the other day that reminded me of something that seemed to be going around when my daughter was a teenager. Someone requested someone else to "itch" their back. That would mean you were saying "itch my itch." I wonder where that came from.
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What about orientate? As in, "New employees must orientate themselves to their jobs."
According to the online dictionary, its' usage is correct.
To me, it just sounds wrong. ???
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Take comfort in knowing those of you are not alone in the workplace when identifying the misuse of words, spelling and grammar. I've read numerous letters and emails through the years and it seemed the higher people were on the company ladder, the more unreadable were their (not there) messages.
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I never thought about it really. But you are right. I think now it would look strange for the 10 items or less line to say 10 items or fewer.
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I remembered another one after writing a reply on a different thread... "Can" and "May". "Can" means to have the ability to do something whereas "may" means to have the authority or permission to do something. My friend's father used to bug us all of the time when we'd call. If we asked "Can I speak with Jason?" he'd always reply with "I certainly hope you can," and would just stay on the line until you actually asked the question with "May" instead.
And as I was writing this reply, I noticed another one that many misuse / misspell... "used to" and "supposed to". Often times, people will say (or write) the verb without the "ed" at the end even though they usually are using the phrase in the past tense (or at the very least, present perfect tense which would also require an "ed" ending as in "I have finished,"). The problem is that the "ed" sound from the verb gets mixed in with the "t" sound of "to" and so the person won't use the "ed" at the end of their verb.
One last confusion that I see often (esp. when I was interviewing for jobs) is when they'd say "We're happy about you joining our company." Here there isn't necessarily a grammatical error; the problem is really about what semantic they are trying to convey. It is like the previous example "It's time to eat Grandma." Technically it is grammatically correct whether you have a comma in the sentence, but the semantics of the sentence change depending upon which version of the sentence you use. Similarly, by writing "We are happy about you joining our company" means that they are happy about you personally. If you were a top-notch person in your field, then this is probably what they mean; were Bill Gates to join Apple, then this sentence is probably what they want to convey. However if the applicants for a position are very similar, then it is not necessary you they are happy about, but rather the fact of you joining the company. In that sense, the correct sentence should be "We're happy about your joining our company," where "your" is the possessive of the noun "joining" that is really what they are happy about. Similarly, an interviewer usually means "I am excited about your inquiry into this position" and not "I am excited you inquired into this position." They are more excited about the inquiry rather than that the inquiry was made by you personally.
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Where's the Beef! Cool. What. Psych. Weird. Boss. But-hey, if ya feel it. :bs: Ya gonna say it. :BangHead:
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Where's the Beef! Cool. What. Psych. Weird. Boss. But-hey, if ya feel it :bs: ya gonna say it. :BangHead:
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Grammar girls! I am so with you all. I used to cringe when I heard a grammar mistake. >:( I got over that.
I almost always can spot typos, and find it amusing when I find it in books or on billboards where the whole world can see them. :confused1:
I am one of the ones who enjoyed diagramming sentences when I was in school. :D They don't even do that anymore. ::)
I love words and hate when they're mispronounced. I cringe when I hear the word 'realtor' pronounced 'realator.' 'Nuclear' pronounced 'nucular' is a cringer too. :BangHead: I'm lovin' this subject.
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I like Facebook as a means of keeping up with family and friends, but I shudder when I read some of the posts. Slang is slang but it doesn't mean it's correct. If your intention is communicating so others can understand it, write it correctly. So much that I read defies understanding.
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I think my biggest issue is when people are posting something that is relatively short and yet they don't spell check it. I understand if you write a long, 5 page post that missing a few words in there is easy, but when it's one sentence and you spell something wrong, it sorta frustrates me cause it's so easy to check.
Irony is one people seem to just throw around. "It's so ironic that my boyfriend is at the same movie I went to see." No, that's a coincidence, not irony.
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I am one of the ones who enjoyed diagramming sentences when I was in school. :D They don't even do that anymore. ::)
Yeah, I also enjoyed diagramming sentences. That was so useful to see how proper sentences are constructed, which words modify what other words, etc. I still remember that for extra credit, we could diagram the Preamble to the US Constitution. It's too bad that they don't teach it anymore... I think our class was one of the last in our school to teach it; when my sister was in the same English class (with the same teacher) 4 years later, the school had stopped teaching it. :angry7:
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I didn't realize schools don't teach diagramming sentences anymore. How do they teach sentence construction now? No wonder kids can't read and write nowadays! As was pointed out, you can check misspellings easily, right on this post form. A squiggly red line appears under misspelled words.
One word usage mistake I noticed this morning: Threw and through - threw means something is tossed, and through means in between or it could mean finished, as in, I am through with this book.
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diner and dinner!!!! i have a friend that always texts me and says "diner was good" or "catch you later, time for diner" i always text him back and say "*DINNER" OR " hope you enjoy eating the whole building" ;D
LOL. Good one.
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Okay. Riddle me this. Why do people say small, little at the same time? "It was a small, little house." I hear so many people using both words together. It's redundant. Init? :confused1:
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It is redundant. I also hear a lot of "each and every one" of you. Some redundancy must be because people can't think of enough words to fill in.
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Is there a spell check thing on this posting system? I find all manner of editing tools but don't see one for spell checking... just wondering if there is one here somewhere that I don't know of...
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The only thing more annoying than improper grammar is people correcting improper grammar.
Ha, ha. You're right. I do this all the time to people and it's SO not appreciated. :-X
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I would have to agree that "affect vs. effect" are very common mistakes !!! I make them to =( And when people say "my mom and me" not "my mom and I"
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It depends on how you are saying something about you and your mom. You say "My mom and I went shopping" or "My friend went shopping with my mom and me." In other words, you would say it the same way you would if you took "my mom" out, I.e.; "I went shopping" or "My friend went shopping with me."
Also, this site has a sort of built-in spell check. If you spell a word wrong, a red squiggly line will appear under it. However, it still might be misspelled since some words sound alike but are spelled differently. My favorite spell check is proofreading.
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does spelling count?
like people put than instead of then or their instead of they're and stuff..
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Does spelling count where? I think spelling always counts. But if you are asking if your posts are deleted because of misspellings - the answer is no. You can always check for the red squiggly lines underneath a word.
I do think punctuation is important. I hate reading comments with several lines and no punctuation. However, today I found an example of punctuation in the wrong place that made me laugh when I should not have been laughing. It was in an online obituary notice where the funeral home had provided a guest book. The obituary was for a relative of a friend of ours. Part of it read: "I cannot conceive, your being gone from us now." Is that something like laughing from nervousness at a funeral?
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Weather, Whether - Weather is what the meteorologist always predicts wrong, Whether is used when making a choice.
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1. LESS and FEWER
Although you may not realize it, grocery stores have been using the wrong word at the checkout for many years. When you see a sign saying 20 or 10 Items Or Less, that is incorrect.
"Less is used when comparing quantities that can’t be counted; for example, “I’d like less milk.” If you’re comparing quantities (like bagels, for example) then “fewer” should be used."
To be continued.......
Thanks for the information!! Especially for me whose native language isn't English.
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Those are all important ones that I have to remind me not to make!! Thanks!!
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one thing in grammar usage that drives me up the wall is someone saying that they 'borrowed' money or something to someone... where did this ever come from and why in the world is it in common use in some places? I can't imagine anyone condoning such horrendous and inane use of the language like this.
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1. LESS and FEWER
Although you may not realize it, grocery stores have been using the wrong word at the checkout for many years. When you see a sign saying 20 or 10 Items Or Less, that is incorrect.
"Less is used when comparing quantities that can’t be counted; for example, “I’d like less milk.” If you’re comparing quantities (like bagels, for example) then “fewer” should be used."
To be continued.......
That is so true!!! Now, maybe we should tell the GROCERY STORES!!!!
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To, too and two drive me crazy sometimes when I see some people post things on facebook. Also there, their and they're.
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On the Fusion Cash forum site, "suck" is one of the most misused words in the English language. :o
I'm just sayin'.
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How about the use of the: there, their, and they're
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I have long since given up on people speaking correctly.
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My grocery store got it right, which impresses me.
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I have seen several instances on Judge Judy lately where people said, for example, "I borrowed him some money" instead of loaned (as someone just posted). I don't have any idea whdfd that came from, either. Judge Judy always corrects them.
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Glad to know that Judge Judy demands proper grammar!! Heck, maybe sending some off to a little jail time for lousy word usage could clean up things a bit!! LOL ;D
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Canceled or cancelled?
Color or Colour?
Favorite or Favourite?
Maybe certain spellings are correct in this country where a different spelling might have been taught in schools in other countries. I don't know. I guess it's no big deal as long as I get the message.
:heart:
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The spelling examples cited are proper in England, where they also prefer 'tyre' to tire for the round rubber things our cars roll on... ;D