Top Ten Grammar Peeves:
- Thread starter Jen
- Start date
I saw that posted on the FB page of an English teacher friend of mine...........by one of his students.
I posted it here mostly tongue-in-cheek.
I posted it here mostly tongue-in-cheek.
Although I try not to, I have made grammatical errors.
I'm saving your post for future reference.
My kids tell me I do the "you know what I mean" thing. I didn't even realize it. I guess I do it to them because it becomes apparent that they aren't listening and I am convinced that what I am saying is important. I must, in my vapid head, think that if I say that they will suddenly listen. I've been trying not to say that because now I'm annoying myself.
I would think that would be perfectly alright because you are trying to get their attention but the one I noted was just a habit that meant nothing of the sort.
Here is one that a member here brought to our attention
Fewer or Less?
Use fewer with objects that can be counted one-by-one.
Use less with qualities or quantities that cannot be individually counted.
Incorrect: There were less days below freezing last winter.
Correct: There were fewer days below freezing last winter.
(Days can be counted.)
Correct: I drank less water than she did.
(Water cannot be counted individually here.)
When referring to time or money, less is normally used even with numbers. Specific units of time or money use fewer only in cases where individual items are referred to.
Examples: I have less than an hour to do this work.
I have less time to do this work.
I have less money than I need.
I have less than twenty dollars.
He worked fewer hours than I did.
lupehernandezdepedajack
Mayor
Dagnabit!!!!
Now I am proofreading my posts.
Thanks a lot Jen.
Now I am proofreading my posts.
Thanks a lot Jen.
Oh, please, lupe............ at least wait until you post to proof.........we can edit!! Do you know how often I find an egregious mistake in mine and have to edit? And besides.......... we aren't writing stuff to be graded here anyway, so no worries. Notice how I do run on sentences with ...... Nothing correct in that. But I do it and will continue to do it. Have you ever read the book "Eats Shoots and Leaves"? It's a book about punctuation. Really.
But I think you wore a mischievous smile when you typed this post. I could be wrong.
But I think you wore a mischievous smile when you typed this post. I could be wrong.
lupehernandezdepedajack
Mayor
u was rite
lupehernandezdepedajack
Mayor
I think the last real book I read was The Stand, quite a while back. Then I started developing old folks eyes and reading is a real effort now. Too much work and not enough reward. I really did like book.
Cotton2226
Mayor
Cotton2226
Mayor
Ditto Lil... when I go to Ajax's in Oxford, grammar is the last thing on my mind! The best food I've ever eaten anywhere Lil!
Cotton2226
Mayor
oh, maybe the owner of the restaurant had to quit school to support the family after his Dad was killed in a car wreck! there are so many things that could have happened for the owner not to have good grammar. Personally, I'm more concerned with the man's character, not his commas etc.
fairsheet
Senator
Although...To anyone applying for a job, I'd suggest that they put their very best grammar foot forward. Poor grammar hints at a couple three things. It hints that someone doesn't read. One can't help but improve his grammar - if only by osmosis - from reading. And if I'm hiring, I prefer the applicant who reads more, rather than less.
Poor grammar hints at laziness, by suggesting that the poor-grammarian can't be bothered with going the extra mile to think a thought through before voicing it, or to look up a word or its usage, before penning it. AND...poor grammar hints at a lack of respect for the person to whom it's directed. The poor grammar is good enough for the poor grammarian, and he's signalling that it's probably good enough for the person to whom he's talking or writing.
And note please - Throughout above, I use the word "hints", not "tells". But then...in important matters like applying for a job or hiring, "hints" are often all we have to go with and on!
Poor grammar hints at laziness, by suggesting that the poor-grammarian can't be bothered with going the extra mile to think a thought through before voicing it, or to look up a word or its usage, before penning it. AND...poor grammar hints at a lack of respect for the person to whom it's directed. The poor grammar is good enough for the poor grammarian, and he's signalling that it's probably good enough for the person to whom he's talking or writing.
And note please - Throughout above, I use the word "hints", not "tells". But then...in important matters like applying for a job or hiring, "hints" are often all we have to go with and on!
Cotton2226
Mayor
Famous People with Disabilities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Bernhardt: French actress (1844-1923) Disabled by a knee injury, her leg amputated in 1914, she continued starring on stage until just before her death. She is regarded as France's greatest actress -- "The Divine Sarah".
Beethoven: Composer, was deaf when he composed his 9th symphony.
Winston Churchill: Had a learning disability.
Walt Disney: had a learning disability.
Edison: Had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve years old and had a very difficult time writing even when he was older.
Albert Einstein: Mathematician/Physicist, had a learning disability and did not speak until age 3. He had a very difficult time doing math in school. It was very hard for him to express himself through writing.
Goya: Spanish painter (1746-1828), at age 46, an illness left him deaf. He went on to create the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Alexander Graham Bell: Had a learning disability.
Stephen Hawking: physicist/mathematician, has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
Milton: English Author/poet (1608-1674), he became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
George Patton: This World War II General had a learning disability.
Nelson Rockfeller: Former Vice President: had a learning disability, dyslexia.
President Roosevelt: At age 39, his legs were paralyzed by polio. He became governor of New York state and was elected president four times.
Harriett Tubman: Abolitionist (1830-1913), as a child she was struck by an overseer. The blow fractured her skull and resulted in narcolepsy for the rest of her life. She rescued hundreds of slaves on the underground railroad.
Werner Von Braun: Had a learning disability and often flunked his math tests in high school.
George Washington: Had a learning disability. He could barely write and had very poor grammar skills.
Woodrow Wilson: U.S. President from 1913-1921. Had a learning disability, he was severely dyslexic.
Other famous people who have learning disabilities: Cher, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Greg Louganis, Bruce Jenner, H.G. Wells (Thanks for this information from Eve Nichols, Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Bernhardt: French actress (1844-1923) Disabled by a knee injury, her leg amputated in 1914, she continued starring on stage until just before her death. She is regarded as France's greatest actress -- "The Divine Sarah".
Beethoven: Composer, was deaf when he composed his 9th symphony.
Winston Churchill: Had a learning disability.
Walt Disney: had a learning disability.
Edison: Had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve years old and had a very difficult time writing even when he was older.
Albert Einstein: Mathematician/Physicist, had a learning disability and did not speak until age 3. He had a very difficult time doing math in school. It was very hard for him to express himself through writing.
Goya: Spanish painter (1746-1828), at age 46, an illness left him deaf. He went on to create the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Alexander Graham Bell: Had a learning disability.
Stephen Hawking: physicist/mathematician, has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
Milton: English Author/poet (1608-1674), he became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
George Patton: This World War II General had a learning disability.
Nelson Rockfeller: Former Vice President: had a learning disability, dyslexia.
President Roosevelt: At age 39, his legs were paralyzed by polio. He became governor of New York state and was elected president four times.
Harriett Tubman: Abolitionist (1830-1913), as a child she was struck by an overseer. The blow fractured her skull and resulted in narcolepsy for the rest of her life. She rescued hundreds of slaves on the underground railroad.
Werner Von Braun: Had a learning disability and often flunked his math tests in high school.
George Washington: Had a learning disability. He could barely write and had very poor grammar skills.
Woodrow Wilson: U.S. President from 1913-1921. Had a learning disability, he was severely dyslexic.
Other famous people who have learning disabilities: Cher, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Greg Louganis, Bruce Jenner, H.G. Wells (Thanks for this information from Eve Nichols, Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario).
Interesting, Cotton. Just so you know, I was not dissing anyone with a learning disability. I saw that on Facebook and posted it more tongue-in-cheek than anything. The point still remains that we, as English speakers should do our best to be able to write our language. As I posted to Lupe, the phrase "eats shoots and leaves" can be referring to either a panda bear OR to someone who comes into Burger King, has a burger, shoots everyone there, and then leaves..............depending on whether commas are present or not. That's a pretty huge difference, don't you think? Whether we are Tom Edison ........ or Jen or Cotton, it behooves us to do the best we can with our language so that people can understand what we are trying to say.
I disagree with this in so many ways. Most people who use bad grammar do not have a clue they are so how could the person be lazy and as far as disrespect to the reader....only those with gigantic ego.
snip from Cotton Personally, I'm more concerned with the man's character, not his commas etc.
Really who could disagree with this.
This imo is a wonderful thread and I think we are all appreciate, some more than other, Jen starting it. Hope it doesn't discourage anyone from posting though, since I have seen some posts on here that make a lot more sense with bad grammar than good.
fairsheet
Senator
I specifically qualified that none of this "tells" us anything for sure. It's all and only about what it "hints". And...we can whine all day about how unfair it is that people misjudge us. But at the end of the day, there's no walking back the judging.
And frankly...I don't see this as being about undue "egos". I routinely talk to young people who employ slang, lingo, and/or vernacular - even as their resumes and backgrounds suggest they DO know better. The obvious impression I'm left with, is that they think "I'm one of them". My ego doesn't demand strict adherence to hierarchies, chains of command, and strict role stratification. But...for the sake of pretty basic efficiency and function, it's important that they realize that I'm the boss and they aren't. If they're too thick to understand this - they ain't gettin' the job - no matter how "unfair" that may sound.
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