What's the most annoying common grammar error, and why is it using apostrophes to pluralize words?

[mom2rtk]

I have a few! People saying "I seen" is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Also, saying "would of/should of/could of" and the whole mix-up of your/you're and there/their/they're.

So much easier to just go with woulda/shoulda/coulda.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yeah that's one sooooooo many people mess up. Most people will pretty much always say "My husband and I" even when it should be "my husband and me". "my husband an I's" instead of "my husband and my" is one I don't see too often. The correct way not a really natural phrasing, to be fair

But wouldn’t it be “my husband’s and my”?

 

[mom2rtk]

I have too many grammar pet peeves to list, but the worst offender is, "prolly!" I saw someone use it twice in the same post on FB yesterday, so I know it wasn't just a typo, ugh! And in case you don't know what I'm talking about, you prolly think it's a word too

I might let it pass from a 12 year old, but I retain the right to judge any adult using it. There was a poster here who was old enough to be a grandparent who used it a lot. Nails on a chalkboard.

 

[Kennywood]

 

[Threehearts]

It's not new and it's super common in the northeast US.

I'm not sure that mitten pronounced mi-en with the missing t's is a New England thing. I grew up in New England and never heard kitten and mitten pronounced that way until a relative returned from school in Utah. She came back saying IN-surance, living room suit (not suite), jewel-a-ry and all children were kiddos. I visited my family member several times in the great state of Utah and never gave a thought to anything beyond the friendliness of the people and my first bite of funeral potatoes. Yum! I celebrate regional differences in usage which is completely different than spelling errors and egregious grammatical mistakes.

I worked with lower income families for many years and I will tell you that correcting spelling and pronunciation was low on the priority list. I remember going to a student's apartment and seeing him and his younger siblings sitting in a circle at suppertime. The lights were off and they were eating canned beans. I asked him what was going on and he said his mother was working, he was watching the 3 little ones and the lights were off to save money. That boy is now a college graduate and small business owner. There is only so much a child can absorb in the formative years. For him, it was math, science and survival.

 

[nursejackie]

I’ve held this is in for so long thank you for the opportunity to air it out.

Apart and a part of are two different things! You cannot say “thank you for being apart of my life“ to say you’re happy they are in it, or do you actually mean you want them to leave?

/endrant

Every day and everyday

 

[BamaGuy44]

But wouldn’t it be “my husband’s and my”?

The way I worded my reply was confusing. I was talking other situations where people say “He went with my husband and I” when it should be “my husband and me”

But for possession you’re right. “My husband’s and my”

 

[BamaGuy44]

It’s easy enough to Google.

So it’s not breaking any rules and it’s not wrong, you just don’t like it. Got it. Just making sure there isn't some rule of grammar I wasn't aware of.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Every day and everyday

That's a good one. Similarly, "alot" is not a word, but you see it all the time. I'm guilty of that myself.

 

[JoanneAZ]

That's a good one. Similarly, "alot" is not a word, but you see it all the time. I'm guilty of that myself.

No but, it’s a thing… imaginary but, it’s a thing.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

So much easier to just go with woulda/shoulda/coulda.

Yes!

 

[Moliphino]

I'm not sure that mitten pronounced mi-en with the missing t's is a New England thing. I grew up in New England and never heard kitten and mitten pronounced that way until a relative returned from school in Utah. She came back saying IN-surance, living room suit (not suite), jewel-a-ry and all children were kiddos. I visited my family member several times in the great state of Utah and never gave a thought to anything beyond the friendliness of the people and my first bite of funeral potatoes. Yum! I celebrate regional differences in usage which is completely different than spelling errors and egregious grammatical mistakes.

I worked with lower income families for many years and I will tell you that correcting spelling and pronunciation was low on the priority list. I remember going to a student's apartment and seeing him and his younger siblings sitting in a circle at suppertime. The lights were off and they were eating canned beans. I asked him what was going on and he said his mother was working, he was watching the 3 little ones and the lights were off to save money. That boy is now a college graduate and small business owner. There is only so much a child can absorb in the formative years. For him, it was math, science and survival.

I'm from New England, born and raised. I say ki-in. I have some friends from NJ who have also said it's very common there (themselves included).

 

[mom2rtk]

Not using the letter 't'. When I hear someone, especially on TV, say 'ki en' or any word similar to that it's like hearing fingernails being scraped down a blackboard.

It's not a grammer issue. But it is grating. 2 of my 3 kids had speech therapy for several years in grade school, and learning to hit that medial T was one of the things they worked on.

 

[mom2rtk]

Every day and everyday

YES! My first job out of college was at the advertising agency with the Walmart account. I was a lowly account support person, but tried to speak up when the commercials listed "every day" low prices. I wrestled with whether to point out it was wrong. I did, and nobody even cared. Stayed the same. I'm still disgusted more than 30 years later. Lol.

 

[prairie_girl]

That's a good one. Similarly, "alot" is not a word, but you see it all the time. I'm guilty of that myself.

Even worse is allot. Yes it’s a word, but not when it’s meant to be a lot.

 

[Imzadi]

I think the use of apostrophes in plural words began with all of the tech acronyms, DVD, DVR, CD, etc. People weren’t sure how to pluralize them and started using the apostrophes. Apparently it was contagious.

I also think the use of apostrophes in plural words began around the same time, but for a different reason. I'm pretty sure I remember seeing the three CD set compilations of songs of various eras as advertised on TV commercials as "songs of the 60's," "disco songs of the 70's," and "love ballads of the 80's," and such. I remembering wondering back then if that's how one correctly pluralizes the decades instead of 60s, 70s, and 80s.

 

[Imzadi]

Improper use of an ampersand in place of "and".

"I'm a fan of Captain & Tennille. They're groovy & amazing!"
First usage is correct, the second is incorrect.

I do that.

I actually thought that the ampersand was a shortcut way to type "and", using one letter instead of three. (I don't do this in writing formal letters.) I stand corrected.

Texts and Tweets are exempt here, since one is informal and the other is limited.

Interesting, as I type out "and" in texts and it's quicker and easier than having to hit the caps button and then the alternate symbol keyboard to find the "&".

 

[Dan Murphy]

I do that.

I actually thought that the ampersand was a shortcut way to type "and", using one letter instead of three. I stand corrected.



Interesting, as I type out "and" in texts and it's quicker and easier than having to hit the caps button and then the alternate symbol keyboard to find the "&".

I have a friend of mine who always uses the plus sign (+) in his emails in place of the word and. Drives me up a wall.
Dan + Marie.

 

[seashoreCM]

Sometimes I will reply to a thread, creating a perfectly useful, informative, and on-topic reply where the actual purpose of my reply was to call attention to someone else's grammar or spelling error.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

Considered acceptable by whom? People get it wrong so often that we know what they mean and just let it slide? Not on my watch! Same thing with "literally". Supposedly now it's "accepted" to use it for emphasis, even though that's not what the word means. Back in my day, words had meanings! *shakes fist at cloud*

Oh I agree 100% but sometimes I just have to bite my tongue and not fight every, single battle--especially at work