[Cuechick]

We are all avid readers, this much we all know is true. Still, I am amazed at some of the mistakes
I see on some of the boards (not only this one...) but I also hate when people correct others grammar in a public forum.
So, I never say anything. I just saw one of my biggest peeves on the amazon board and it inspired this post.
I admit I am far from perfect (I need my spellcheck!) and hope to learn a thing or two by starting this discussion.

Here are my two biggest, both of which I have seen on the Amazon board very recently...

1) There is no such word as: alot it is a lot, two words.

2) You do not ask for "advise" this is a verb, as in "If you're looking for a great ereader, I would advise you to buy a kindle."
The word as a noun is advice, as in "I need some advice about buying a Kindle."

 

[drenee]

Octochick,
You're killing me.

 

[ScottBooks]

Doesn't 's make anything plural?

 

[Guest]

Doesn't 's make anything plural?

This is my #1. Nothing else even comes close.

A distant second is to/too/two.

 

[drenee]

A distant second is to/too/two.

I would not have guessed that. LOL!

 

[Mikuto]

There, their, and they're, as well as your and you're.

These are big offenders to me, because they're not something you can generally spellcheck away.

 

[Guest]

There, their, and they're, as well as your and you're.

These are big offenders to me, because they're not something you can generally spellcheck away.

They're my #3.

 

[Neekeebee]

Mixing its and it's.  I can't believe how often people get it wrong in print.  Sometimes it seems like they just type in whichever one they feel like.  I find myself yelling: "People, if you're going to get it wrong, at least be consistent about it!"

OK, deep breath...

N

 

[ScottBooks]

They're my #3.

What's #8?

 

[Guest]

Mixing its and it's. I can't believe how often people get it wrong in print. Sometimes it seems like they just type in whichever one they feel like. I find myself yelling: "People, if you're going to get it wrong, at least be consistent about it!"

OK, deep breath...

N

This is the one of which I an occasionally guilty--specifically using "it's" when it's supposed to be "its." I catch it about half the time I do it.

 

[Mikuto]

Mixing its and it's. I can't believe how often people get it wrong in print. Sometimes it seems like they just type in whichever one they feel like. I find myself yelling: "People, if you're going to get it wrong, at least be consistent about it!"

OK, deep breath...

N

When I reread things that I've written in the past I usually find that I'm guilty of this. Usually because I'm trying to make something possessive and doing it wrong, or just typing so fast I don't catch the mistake.

 

[Guest]

What's #8?

The basis of all Discworld magic.

 

[Annalog]

There, their, and they're, as well as your and you're.

These are big offenders to me, because they're not something you can generally spellcheck away.

I would add you to the list with your and you're. I often see you used when your would be correct.

"I am going to put a comfortable saddle on you horse." (Example of incorrect usage.)

"I am going to put a comfortable saddle on your horse." (Example of correct usage when speaking to the owner of the horse.)

"I am going to put a comfortable saddle on you, Horse." (Example of correct usage when speaking directly to the horse.)

I realize that in posts and chat the missing r could easily be due to an oversight while typing too fast. Those do not bother me. However it does bother me when I see it in a publication that is supposed to be professionally written.

The basis of all Discworld magic.

Anna
EDIT: Used bold instead of quotes. I am too compulsive!
EDIT: Previous example was taken from published product documentation. However, since practically every product is mentioned on KB somewhere, I removed the example as someone might have thought it was referring to their post. I have finally thought of an example that hopefully is read in the educational and illustrative intention with which it was written. (Yes, I know there are posts about horses on KB. Please realize that the sentences above are not from or influenced by any posts on those threads. I frequently suffer from "foot in mouth" disease [the inadvertent saying of something taken not as intended], but fortunately have not had "hoof and mouth" disease. )

Because I suffer from "foot in mouth" disease, I am very thankful for the ability KB provides for me to modify or remove my own posts.

 

[Leslie]

Being a professional editor, I could give endless examples of mistakes I see over and over.

But then I realize, if people weren't making these mistakes endlessly, they wouldn't need me, and I would be out of a job.

So bring on your misused apostrophes, misspelled words, split infinitives, periods outside of quotes, and all the rest....I love 'em all.

L

 

[Guest]

My problem with the superfluous apostrophe is that in ten short years it has become so prevalent and widespread that it doesn't look odd to most people.  Damned Internet. 

 

[Vegas_Asian]

My problem with the superfluous apostrophe is that in ten short years it has become so prevalent and widespread that it doesn't look odd to most people. Damned Internet.

I used to grade the work of high school freshmen, who use things like BTW (by the way) or IMO (in my opinion) in school essays, tests, you name it. Yes, its sad.

 

[katiekat1066]

My biggest pet peeve that seems to make it into books most often is breath/breathe - Usually breath for breathe is the error.  Drives me nuts.  I have to admit that I had never thought a lot about they're/there/their and your/you're until I got on line and they were mangled so much!  I think I was blessed before that 

Katiekat

 

[Neversleepsawink;)]

BTW, its funny i am a offender of alot of thing's two?

Just kidding. 

 

[Leslie]

I have thought of starting a movement: WANC - We Are Not Contracting - and eliminate all contractions from the English language. Then the apostrophe could be reserved for possessive only and maybe everyone would get it right...except, then the obvious exception, it's and its (its is possessive without an apostrophe) would be highlighted and it would probably be wrong more often than it is now.

L

 

[Xia]

Oh, I've got a long list of them. Some have already been mentioned.

But I cringe whenever I see "should/would/could of" - the proper usage is should/would/could have, not of! I see that one everywhere, but not much around here because that's one of the mistakes that people who actually read don't usually make.

-X-