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Some common mistakes in English

  • 08-06-2010 10:19pm
    #1
    randylonghorn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,509 ✭✭✭✭


    Confusion between "their", "they're" and "there".

    Their = belonging to them.

    They're = contraction of "they are", thus the apostrophe, often used to indicate a contraction.

    There = the other one. :p (Most often, at or in that place, at that point)

    "There they sit, their heads held up like peacocks, thinking they're God's gift to women!!"




    Confusion between "of" and "off".

    Difficult to define, in fairness, as both words can have several functions.

    ‘Of’ is mostly used as a preposition, 'off’ is usually used as an adverb. "Of" is far more common.

    That said, sentences and familiarity are the best guides to these two.

    "The cheek of them, to tell their teacher to 'f*** off!'" :eek:

    The turn of the tide, the way of the cross, the nape of the neck. Of these two girls, I prefer the blonde. All kinds of everything remind me of you. Men of Ireland, the poems of Keats, a bag of nuts, the dawning of the day. (Often has a possessive element.) Think well of me, though rejected of men I lived a life of virtue.

    Off the scale, off the table, feck off!! (Now, now, Fr. Jack!!). To mark off the days, to take a week off, to mark off 5% (which would be a discount of 5% ;)).


    A real Irish one is to use "of" instead of "have" ... Please avoid!!

    "I would of have killed him if I got my hands on hiim!"

    It comes from the way we pronounce it ... just say the sentence quickly a few times to yourself.




    It's and "its".

    It's = contraction of "it is".

    Its = basically, everything else.

    This is counter-intuitive, because we know that the hat that Mary owns is Mary's hat, so we presume that the dog lifted it's leg against the lamppost ... but it didn't ... it lifted its leg, if its owner didn't hurry it along in time.


    Even getting these few right tomorrow would save many an examiner from reaching for the Rennies!! :D



    (Feel free to add!)


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