Annoying mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation

born2bwild

Hi, If like me, you find yourself getting annoyed by poor spelling, bad grammar and awful punctuation, you could remind yourself that there are more important things in life, go to the pub and/or just RELAX!

Alternatively, you could start a thread devoted to complaining about all of the above.

So I'm going to start with this:

Disinterested/uninterested.

Please stop confusing these - a judge is disinterested concerning the outcome of a court case - he is not uninterested.

Disinterested is impartial
Uninterested is bored.

Now this one:

I've just been buying a house:

The house is 'comprised of three bedrooms and a kitchen'

Don't use 'of' after 'comprise' the house comprises three rooms;
the whole comprises its parts.

But then again, if you're reading this thread you probably already know this.

All I can say is that no-one else will listen to me!

NADA

Ah now this topic is huge!!!! I'm sure I'll think of more and more as the day but I'll start off with a few of mine. I don't get annoyed as such but there are certain things that I find ammusing.

I love the way Irish people say "I do be" instead of "I am" in certain instances for example in (1).

(1) I do be in Drogheda often.
or
(2) I am in Drogheda often.

For me (1) = (2) no?

What also irritates me for some reason and it probably shouldn't is people who say "yous" instead of you for the second person plural personal pronoun.

I wasn't aware of the difference between disinterested and uninterested myself :eek: Oh well can't win them all.

Can't think of any more of these at the moment but I will!!!

Faith

NADA wrote: »

I love the way Irish people say "I do be" instead of "I am" in certain instances for example in (1).

(1) I do be in Drogheda often.

That's because of translation from Irish to English. In Irish, if you literally translated, you'd get "I do be", rather than "I am". I can't think of an example though.

_blank_

Yeah, everyone should talk and write The Queens English.

People like this really, really irritate me.

English is NOT a clearly defined, static language. It is constantly evolving, and people in many different parts of the world speak it differently. It's what makes English very interesting, to me. We don't have an Acadamy looking to preach to us the "proper" way to speak English or write English.

"I do be" isn't wrong, it's just a different way of expressing an idea. You understand what people mean when they say it, don't you? Language is a tool for people to express themselves, and English with is myriad nuances, accents, pidgins and dialects is, in my opinion, the worlds most beautiful in it's freedom of change, evolution and allowable formations.

Learn to love these little differences instead of berating people who use them.

I do be in town of a Saturday morning sometimes, and I do love hearing the different accents the people do have.

DublinWriter

born2bwild wrote: »

Hi, If like me, you find yourself getting annoyed by poor spelling, bad grammar and awful punctuation, you could remind yourself that there are more important things in life, go to the pub and/or just RELAX!
...All I can say is that no-one else will listen to me!

Of course they won't, with glaring misuse of capitalisation IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF YOUR POST!

Deciding to speak a language is like deciding to be a member of a club; you abide by its rules*. If you don't agree the you have the freedom to opt out at any time and join the legion of txt spkrs and other sundry grunters.

(If you think you caught me out because I didn't use the possessive apostrophe in the "its" in that sentence, then I suggest you step outside and fetch yer coat).

Aurora Borealis

It's a case of descriptive grammar i.e. how people actually talk or prescriptive grammar, how people ought to speak.

Both are just different schools of thought in my opinion. That said I do cringe sometimes when I see blatant spelling or grammar mistakes but I am a bit of a Hitler when it comes to such things and I do try to keep myself in check.

Language in all its registers, dialects etc is ever evolving and the field of linguistics is all the more interesting for it.

born2bwild

DublinWriter wrote: »

Of course they won't, with glaring misuse of capitalisation IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF YOUR POST!

Deciding to speak a language is like deciding to be a member of a club; you abide by its rules*. If you don't agree the you have the freedom to opt out at any time and join the legion of txt spkrs and other sundry grunters.

(If you think you caught me out because I didn't use the possessive apostrophe in the "its" in that sentence, then I suggest you step outside and fetch yer coat).

Oh yeah, I think I wrote 'If' and then went back and wrote 'Hi'

Why would you use an apostrophe in 'its'?

The descriptive/prescriptive difference is the next post is interesting - but for me it's partly mood based; if I'm in a bad mood I prescribe, as in: "That's wrong you moron! Why can't you spell?" If the sun is shining I get pretty descriptive about things.

tbh

DesF wrote: »

Yeah, everyone should talk and write The Queens English.

People like this really, really irritate me.

English is NOT a clearly defined, static language. It is constantly evolving, and people in many different parts of the world speak it differently. It's what makes English very interesting, to me. We don't have an Acadamy looking to preach to us the "proper" way to speak English or write English.

"I do be" isn't wrong, it's just a different way of expressing an idea. You understand what people mean when they say it, don't you? Language is a tool for people to express themselves, and English with is myriad nuances, accents, pidgins and dialects is, in my opinion, the worlds most beautiful in it's freedom of change, evolution and allowable formations.

Learn to love these little differences instead of berating people who use them.

I do be in town of a Saturday morning sometimes, and I do love hearing the different accents the people do have.

m8, ttly agree. as long as ppl cn undrstnd, wots the prblm?

tbh

born2bwild wrote: »

Why would you use an apostrophe in 'its'?

to signify the contraction of "it is".

_blank_

tbh wrote: »

m8, ttly agree. as long as ppl cn undrstnd, wots the prblm?

Death to txtspk.

That isn't English, it's an abomination.

h8red

I really can't stand when people use then instead of than.

"Xbox360 is way better then PS3"

It's f***** than!!

Aurora Borealis

I find it kind of cute. Akin to people using them instead those. Love it!!