Advice!!!!!!!!

[jazzielady]

It's espresso not expresso.



I spend more time than I should reading in coffee shops and most people get this one wrong.

Too true!

 

[kaytieeldr]

How about this one: Where's he at? Where did you leave it at? Where did you stop at?
Where are you at? Leave off the 'at' people, the sentence stands without it, it's redundant and you've dropped a preposition at the end of a sentence- this is a no-no!!!

Ah, thank you for allowing me to once again post my favorite sentence that violates this rule not once, not twice... but FIVE times: "What did you bring that book I didn't want to be read to out of up for?"

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Oh good, there's two threads like this...

Like I said on the other one... some people are good at some things, some people are not-so-good at them. Luckily for most of the people posting on here, the things you're not-so-good at aren't on public display for people to nitpick.

Well I knew this post was coming. Look- I get that some people are not good spellers. However, when you come on here asking for "advise" on whether or not the letter you sent to the "Principle" looks okay and it is full of spelling errors it makes me roll my eyes. Everyone can use spell check. If you don't want to use it on message boards that is one thing, but when you post letters that you have actually sent to people and you can't be bothered to make sure that they actually make sense then I do not feel bad. That is just laziness in my opinion.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh good, there's two threads like this...

Like I said on the other one... some people are good at some things, some people are not-so-good at them. Luckily for most of the people posting on here, the things you're not-so-good at aren't on public display for people to nitpick.

Well I knew this post was coming.

I knew it too - see my 'flame suit' warning back on page one of this thread.

As I said earlier, it's NOT merely about the spelling. It's complete misuse. When you USE the wrong word, it's confusing to the reader. I'm too tired to try to translate intent. If you want me to understand what you're saying, use the correct words. I didn't write our language; I didn't create the rules of grammar. It's not my responsibility to educate someone who didn't learn or doesn't care enough to use the proper word. If someone isn't sure if the word they're using is right - spelling, meaning, or whatever - use a word you know is correct. It's simple.

When you're using written language, yes, you're assessed partly on your thoughts and partly on how you deliver those thoughts.

As for two threads on the same topic? Well, yes, many subjects are discussed periodically and repeatedly. That other thread is either not extremely current, or the OP on this thread is stressed enough by one specific misuse to have started a new thread. The rest of us merely jumped on her bandwagon with our own peeves. I, for one, thank her for the opportunity.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

While we're at it, it's accommodate. Double c, double m. You book accommodations - not acomodations, accomodations, acommodations or, my personal favorite, accomidations. This was a pet peeve of my journalism professor in college. He has since passed away so I feel the need to continue his accommodate crusade!

 

[kaytieeldr]

While we're at it, it's accommodate. Double c, double m.

Oh, I know a pnemonic (can that be singular) for this one; or at least a memory trick: "two cots, two mattresses"

 

[JamieW]

You want an apple, not and apple.

"An" and "And" are two different words that don't mean the same thing. Trust me.

This drives me up the wall.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Oh I am with you on the whole lose loose thing. I am far from the grammar police but come on! Oh- and if I read about one more parent who called or wrote a letter to the "Principle" I am going to scream!

I guess he/she isn't everyone's "pal".


I haven't seen lose or loose much. I usually think that omission of a double letter is a typo. As well as an extra letter.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's fiancee, not finance

Only if she's a girl. Otherwise "he" would be a fiancé.

Voilà! There's that fancy French messin' with the English language again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, I thought of another one: when you mean 'absolutely, positively', the word is "definitely"... not "defiantly"

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Wow, I never knew this! I just Googled it and you're exactly right!

I learned something new today!

I see someone beat me to it.

I have to say that I consider this board to be a nice remedial English class. I have had some errors sneak in that I didn't realize were wrong.

I still don't get the advise/advice confusion.....

Isn't the "s" pronounced like a "z" and the "c" like an "s". I don't see how that can be messed up.

My favorite is affect/effect---the only way I can remember is from my tv days...SFX is shorthand for special Effects..."effect" is the noun and "affect is the verb. And yes---I have to step through that to remember so that I use the correct word.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Oh, I know a pnemonic (can that be singular) for this one; or at least a memory trick: "two cots, two mattresses"

Couldn't resist...your word looked incorrect but I couldn't remember the correct spelling. It is "mnemonic". Though no idea why it begins with a silent "m".

 

[Magic Mom]

Thank you. That's been bothering me also.

While we're on the subject, it's moot point, not "mute point". Seriously, there's no such thing as a "mute point".

Thank you! You can say moot point, or if you are a Joey fan you can say moo point but it is not a mute point.

 

[Kimberly]

Advice Advice Advice! Not ADVISE!
Sorry I had to get that out. It makes me nuts to keep reading that over and over again.
Back to your regularly scheduled Dis.

It's "advise" (at least according to some people )here, just as well as habour, theatre, etc...

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

Wrong use of "apologies" & "apologizes" drives me up the wall. The underwriter where I worked at one time turned those words around all the time. I cringed when I read the memos she'd send to agents; I can just imagine what they thought of our company. I refused to word my memos & letters the way she wanted me to just because I don't talk the way she did/does. Her memos would start out "My apologizes for...." when she should have used the word apologies.

Needless to say, she was one of the reasons I quit. I knew my job & as long as I did it well she didn't need to stick her nose in it!

Another peeve is using "axe/ax" for "ask".

 

[walden]

It's "advise" (at least according to some people )here, just as well as habour, theatre, etc...

LOL. You just illustrated why I try never to jump on the spelling errors of others (see I just avoided a split infinitive) because I often use British/Canadian spelling unless I concentrate really hard, and if I comment on a spelling or grammatical error there will always, just always, be a spelling, typo, or grammatical error in my own post. It is just kismet -- or perhaps I mean Nemesis.

You meant to type *harbour*. Welcome to my world! There are strange forces out there waiting to get at the grammar police.

I have a recent LOL at grammatical errors. In another forum I frequent someone just posted that they were "sorry for the earthquake." Err, no. They were sorry for the people negatively affected (not effected) by the earthquake. They were not sorry for the inanimate geographical event called an earthquake.

Then there is serve and service; lay, lie, laid and lay; and I and me; and she and her . . .

I do sometimes make deliberate spelling errors with people I know and trust to understand me. Example: when I (occasionally) type "speshull snowflake" I mean it as code making fun of the concept that some people think that they have the most amazing, unique*, child in the world and are not bound by the rules that govern the rest of us.

I usually skip typos and grammatical errors by others. I make enough of my own and am strangely addicted to commas and semi-colons.

*"Unique" of course means the "only one in the world," and children are that. It does not mean unusual, cute, or rather fancy. My SIL refers to a mass produced piece of decor as unique if she has not seen it before. Um, no.

 

[kaytieeldr]

My favorite is affect/effect---the only way I can remember is from my tv days...SFX is shorthand for special Effects..."effect" is the noun and "affect is the verb. And yes---I have to step through that to remember so that I use the correct word.

Oh, here's another one for which I have an 'easy tip'! Affect is an Action word, i.e. verb!

Couldn't resist...your word looked incorrect but I couldn't remember the correct spelling. It is "mnemonic". Though no idea why it begins with a silent "m".

Eh, no problem. Thanks! I must have been thinking of the silent "p" in pneumoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!

 

[Darsa]

I LOVE YOU GUYS

 

[JessicaR]

One more sorry if it was mentioned but it is dessert not desert.

I was taught, two servings of dessert, please add the extra s for the second serving.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Well I knew this post was coming. Look- I get that some people are not good spellers. However, when you come on here asking for "advise" on whether or not the letter you sent to the "Principle" looks okay and it is full of spelling errors it makes me roll my eyes. Everyone can use spell check. If you don't want to use it on message boards that is one thing, but when you post letters that you have actually sent to people and you can't be bothered to make sure that they actually make sense then I do not feel bad. That is just laziness in my opinion.

I'm a fantastic speller and I don't have kids, so it wasn't me who posted a letter for people to read. Not sure if that was specifically directed at me or just a general "you" but figured I'd address it anyway.

Like I said, some people excel at spelling and grammar and communication. Others are math geniuses. I'm grateful for the things I'm good at and have compassion for those who struggle because I'm really glad that we don't communicate in math terms on a daily basis.

I really don't think that people are purposely misspelling words or using the wrong word choice on purpose just to tick off people on a message board. I'm not flaming anyone. But like I said, I'm happy that the things I'm terrible at aren't on display for the whole world to see.

Oh, I know a pnemonic (can that be singular) for this one; or at least a memory trick: "two cots, two mattresses"

Couldn't resist...your word looked incorrect but I couldn't remember the correct spelling. It is "mnemonic". Though no idea why it begins with a silent "m".

You beat me to it