Ignorant is too harsh: 13 grammatical mistakes that instantly reveal people's ignorance

[mfcorey1]

All it takes is a single tweet or text for some people to reveal their poor grasp of the English language.
Homophones — words that sound alike but are spelled differently — can be particularly pesky.
Regardless, you should never choose incorrectly in these nine situations:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/13-grammatical-mistakes-that-instantly-reveal-peoples-ignorance/ss-AAsSriY?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. #6 to this day gets me, none of the others but that one

[leftstreet]

2. How did it affect you?

I HATE #6, too

[Alice11111]

6. Sometimes, I have trouble with that one too.

[Dave Starsky]

11. Autocorrect messes that one up a lot.

I've never had a problem with that, but sometimes Mr. "Smartphone" does.

[Alice11111]

12. Actually, it is always changing meanings and spellings

[Dave Starsky]

17. Isn't technology wonderful?

So helpful and efficient.

My favorite thing in the world is when autocorrect "helps" me, then I backspace backspace backspace to fix it, and then it immediately "helps" me again.

[tblue37]

23. I've been told that my article on "affect" vs. "effect" is particularly clear and easy to read:

http://grammartips.homestead.com/affect.html

[Eliot Rosewater]

24. Reading now, thanks

[Pacifist Patriot]

42. That is definitely one where I tend to give people a pass.

It's generally clear from the context what they mean. With the glorious dynamics of language, I predict the words may become fully interchangeable in a hundred years or more.

[LeftInTX]

65. "Affective disorder" is a real medical term

Both can be used as nouns and verbs

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/affect-effect-grammar.html

[mitch96]

3. I can see this devolving into a "I hate that word/phrase" thread

And I love'em... Mine is the phrase Oh! that's so fun..
Fun needs a modifier.. .like "much" as in Oh! that's so much fun...
The article is geared to writing. My bitch is speech... I also love to listen to non native english speakers mess with the language... My dentist says "Come toward me fine but when she says "come away from me" I want to crack up. I can't though cause I have about two pounds of instruments in my pie hole...
"May I be into helping you please" always cracked me up also...
You?
m

[hedda_foil]

32. You can also say, "That was such fun."

[Saviolo]

92. "different" also needs a modifier.

Something can be different from something, but it can't just be different.

In the case of comparisons "They were different heights" (for example) the "from each other" is implied.

And it makes an amusing dig at someone to say, "Oh... he's different..." but that's basically meaningless.

[csziggy]

132. I'm not sure about that - "Well, that was different" can be a commentary

On an experience that means it was unlike anything you've ever dealt with and implying something unkind.

[Saviolo]

143. It's amuzing, to be sure

To me, that fits into the same category of "Well, he's... different." It's an amusing observation, but doesn't really mean anything.

[Angry Dragon]

4. #10 gives me trouble

[GusBob]

5. Trump has worse ones: heel vs heal

I think he has done that one multiple times

"Houston is heeling"

He also frequently capitalizes letters that should not be, just yesterday

"Why Isn't the...."

The Russian Facebook ads had some funny grammar and stilted syntax, not like the usual ones listed in the OP. BOLO for bots using them

[Alice11111]

7. Bigly

[Leith]

13. I Notice the Awkward Russian Ones, Too

There are definitely some mistakes that native speakers would not commit in text that originates in non-native messages. Without going into detail and tipping the trolls off, they hit the eye like strobe lights when you know what to look for.

[GusBob]

22. Agreed. Suffice it to say they are much different than the 13 above

They are not common grammar errors that even a freeper would make. In their article about the FB ads, the NYTimes pointed out a glaring mistake that no English speaker no matter how ignorant would perform.

I wonder how the Russian bots are working to solve the problem.

"what do you meaning by that? I English speak good!"

[Leith]

79. Actually, That Is a Mistake That a Native Speaker Would Say

"I speak English good."

Most linguists would say that a native speaker can't make a mistake, but I've made them myself in new and uninteresting ways.

[Dave Starsky]

25. The trolls don't care, really.

I read somewhere that Nigerian e-mail scanners don't sweat that their e-mails are rife with ridiculous and obvious spelling errors. They're not targeting educated people, anyway. They would rather focus their efforts on the less educated and, presumably, more gullible.

I assume the same probably goes for Russian trolls.

[GusBob]

44. Good points, "Dumb it down"

As in the one ad I saw the tag line was "SHARE IF YOU OUTRAGED" a corruption of 'your/ you're not even mentioned in the 13 sins above. It was a mistake made from the tag line to other memes on the same FB page "SHARE IF YOU AGREE" by my guess.

I would reckon the problem is that the Russians are very literate and smart people it's hard for them to dumb things down to American vernacular level dumb

For one thing they use too many words to try and explain a point. The point of one ad was Trump will replace "Happy Holidays" with "Merry Christmas"

Instead of just saying "Bring back Merry Christmas Again" something short and sweet and right up the short American attention span, there was a longer twisted paragraph attempting to explain how liberals are "having me saying happy holidays"

[Dave Starsky]

77. Masterfully played.

This is the best thing I have read in a long time. Thank you for that.

[phylny]

135. I also see this on some Amazon reviews.

That's how I know it's a fake review

[mitch96]

140. Yelp has it's outliers also

restaurant reviews with people from adjoining towns and the a few from far flung places.. .fake
m

[Buns_of_Fire]

84. Trump's a looser. nt

[niyad]

8. amount vs number

who vs that

and, soooooooo many more!

[Salviati]

18. I want the Big Book of GoT Grammar!

[Glorfindel]

9. Coincidentally, I have been keeping a list of similar mistakes I encountered on DU this week

More for my own perusal and betterment than anything else. Generally speaking, I think DU'ers are an exceptionally intelligent and well-read group. Everyone makes mistakes now and then - Lord knows I make my fair share! Here's the list:

effect/affect
reign/rein
then/than
edging on/egging on
bare/bear
your/you're
its/it's
their/they're/there
too/to
mettled/meddled
principal/principle
tenet/tenant

My biggest blunder lately was saying "comma" when I meant "apostrophe." In self-defense, it happened before I'd had any coffee that morning!

[Leith]

10. Some of Them Are Pretty Bad

But others are excusable. Affect and effect, for example.

Errors that grate on my ears:
"He gave it to you and I"
It's ME, you dolts! Would you say "he gave it to I?"

"less calories"
Fewer, damn it!


Even though it's still correct, I just don't like the word "whom." It sounds pretentious. In a generation or two, it will become obsolete.

[Glorfindel]

20. My favorite right-wing stupidity: "We need less government and taxes!"

Do they mean "we need less government and fewer taxes," or "we need less government and we need taxes"?

I hate to disagree, but I honestly don't hear "whom" as being pretentious. I can't imagine saying "to who were you speaking?" or, even worse, "who were you speaking to?" You are right, however. In a generation or two, "whom," along with many other useful and beautiful bits of language, will disappear.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. One That Bugs Me

Similar to your "less vs. fewer". When they reference something as 10 times less. It's not 10x less. It's one tenth, or 10%. There's no frame of reference in 10x less. If something is a 100 and the frame of reference is 1000, then 10x less is negative 8000. If the frame of reference is 50, then we have a real conundrum.

And saying "one tenth" is quicker than saying "ten times less".

[Leith]

76. YES!!

Perhaps they think that people can't understand "one tenth." Maybe they can't. The reason that there is no third pounder at McDonald's is because too many people think that 1/3 is smaller than 1/4.

I hate hearing crap like "ten times less." A commercial has been saying their allergy medicine is better because "six is greater than one." Thanks for the math lesson, Allegra (or whoever it is).

[TeapotInATempest]

51. Yes, me vs. I

I can't stand when people incorrectly use "I" instead of "me". And "less" when they mean "fewer".

I mean, I really can't stand it. I actually tense up. I may need professional help, lol.

[Hortensis]

66. Lol. He did that today, "for Melania and I..."

I didn't tense up, but boy did I notice.

I also have the hangups over "fewer and less" and "many and much."

Another I always notice and feel is a probably a fairly good clue to someone "that" didn't grow up in a highly educated family and "that's" always preferred not to read, though not necessarily ignorant since many college grads use it, is of course "that" for "who." Rump is a person that does that.

[TeapotInATempest]

71. *I* didn't grow up in a highly educated family

At least not formally, that is, as we were poor. However, we were always surrounded by books and always reading, so you might be right about that part.

[Hortensis]

125. Should have phrased it better. Sounds like your family was more

educated than many, or most, even if not formally. In any case, the patterns of more cultured language are going to be imprinted a lot more by reading than, say, by growing up among relatives who don't and who really only attended college because that's what people like them do.

[reflection]

63. Whoops, posted mine below but didn't see you'd already covered it.

I'll try to make less mistakes next time.

[procon]

14. All of them irk me.

That's the beginner's stuff that kids are supposed to learn in grade school. How to teachers pass kids on to a higher grade level without making sure they know the basic language skills they must have as an adult living in a high tech information age?

[mythology]

21. Yes "how to teachers" do that?

But we live in a world where two of our last three presidents have been linguistically challenged, so perhaps basic language skills are overrated.

[BigmanPigman]

95. I taught the same lessons to both my 6th and first graders.

It is called Daily Oral Language. They all loved it. I would write a sentence incorrectly and they would get "table points" for each corrected error. I was the only teacher at my school who did this. Spell check has made Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling "unnecessary" as far as state curriculum writers are concerned. Even my 6 year olds knew the difference between desert and dessert, super and supper. However, even a teacher friend sent me a birthday card and wrote "your" instead of "you're" three times in one card. Our educational system has changed and modeling good grammar, etc. doesn't exist at home.

I still get confused with may/might and lay/lie/layed. Also when a sentence begins with "If I..." and "I wish..." and is followed by singular or plural "was/were".

I went on a DU rant last night when I was corrected after my spell check wrote something incorrectly after I had typed it correctly. I have to correct my auto spellchecker at least three times after I write anything and I still miss the incorrect changes. It infuriates me!!!!! I will type "its" as it should be and Samsung tablet spellchecker changes it to the contraction "it's". AAARRRRGGGGG!!!!!

[procon]

99. I know, I finally turned off the damned autocorrect.

I still have auto cat correction, though. It comes with two cats that sprawl across the keyboard or try to grab my fingers as I type. The hair they leave behind is a feature, not a bug.

[USALiberal]

109. I imagine I would not like hanging around with you. nt

[marylandblue]

15. I make a lot of those mistakes in emails and texts

Even though I know all the rules. Something about the need to get the words out quickly makes my brain fart.

[LuckyCharms]

16. Whom ate my sangwich? n/t

[Thirties Child]

19. That instead of who drives me nuts.

She's a person who hates 45. NOT She's a person that hates 45.

[Glorfindel]

26. Healthy instead of healthful, as in, "be sure to choose healthy vegetables."

As if I'm probably going to pick out sick ones if I'm not reminded?

[ProfessorGAC]

37. Hey, I Ain't Eating Any of Your Sick Vegetables!

I only want the healthy ones!

[Orrex]

48. Yeah, good luck with that one. Ditto with hopefully vs. hopingly

Whether or not these were exclusively correct at one time, that ship has sailed.

[Glorfindel]

86. I think the problem with hopefully is that English doesn't have the word "hopably"

No one confuses regretfully with regrettably.

[Orrex]

100. You're correct, supposably!

[TeapotInATempest]

52. OMG, yes!!

Drives me up the wall.

[Spider Jerusalem]

33. Yeah, that one gets under my skin as well

you'd think that people would realise it sounds off; a person is not a thing.

[Dave Starsky]

39. I work in analytics, so I see that A LOT.

Use "who" whenever you are talking about people. Use "that" whenever you are talking about inanimate objects or concepts.

"We have 42 salespeople who..."

"We have 18 teams who..."

"There are 22 file servers that..."

As with anything else, there are gray areas. "Nebraska has 32 branch offices who/that..." I tend to default to "who" whenever what I'm talking about is dependent on the actions of people.

"Nebraska has 32 branch offices who met their sales targets for last year."

"Nebraska has 32 branch offices that need to upgrade their signage. These are NOT the same offices who met their sales targets for last year."

[LeftInTX]

69. I'm guilty...never knew about that one

[LisaM]

27. #12 drives me CRAZY.

Never, never, never say, "come talk to Joe or I". Just. Don't.

I work with freaking lawyers and they get this wrong all the time, and it boggles my mind. How did they earn advanced degrees if they can't even conquer this tiny point of grammar?

[spooky3]

127. I have a friend with a doctorate who makes this error.

What bothers me about it is that I think if they just let themselves say what "sounds right" rather than adopt a pretentious "correction", they wouldn't make this mistake. And, it's so easy to avoid by removing the other person's name--they know it's silly to say "come talk to I."

[MontanaMama]

28. My mom used to charge us

a dime for each grammatical error back in the day. She was hard core! To this day, I sweat a little bit when using lay vs lie. I think I get it wrong about 50% of the time. My mom is isn't around to bill me, however.

[cwydro]

43. My mom had a thing about lay versus lie too.

I still remember.

She's no longer here to remind me.

[MontanaMama]

53. I'm curious...

was your mom a stickler for good grammar in general? My mom was, and I used to think she was so mean!! Now I am glad she did what she did and I wish she were here so that I could thank her. I am appalled at how my child's teachers often speak. Poor grammar seems to be acceptable!

[TeapotInATempest]

67. "I wish she were here"

She did a good job with your grammar, obviously.

I, too, wish I could thank my mother!

[cwydro]

102. Yes she was.

To the day she died, we'd both laugh about bad grammar on TV or elsewhere.

I miss her very much.

[MontanaMama]

105. She sounds like a feisty one!

I'm sorry she's not with here with you. You guys would have a field day with Dotard's 70 word vocabulary!

[cwydro]

106. Died at 90 in February.

She was horrified by his election.

[samnsara]

129. and dont forget 'hanged' vs 'hung'

[wryter2000]

138. Omg

That one makes me want to scream

[TeapotInATempest]

56. I blame my mom, too.

She was also hard-core and I'm glad, frankly.

As a result of my upbringing, my son tells me I'm a grammar nazi. I can live with that.

[MontanaMama]

57. That's awesome.

He knows you care that he doesn't speak like a moron!

[TeapotInATempest]

60. Well, he's 25 now

And a socialist. He believes language is always evolving (which is true, of course) and that grammar rules are a way to oppress the poor and less-educated (which may be true? I don't know.). I remind him that my mother was the daughter of immigrants and knew the value of speaking properly. He seems to think that proves his point.

That kid. I do love him.

[OldHippieChick]

91. LOL! I wasn't that hard core w/ my son, but I have to admit

he is a grammar Nazi now and I understand when other people roll their eyes after being chastised by him. I hate it the most when he corrects me!! LOL!

[frazzled]

29. Number 12 is inexcusable, and the most widely abused

I hear it all the time—in conversations, on TV, even in the movies—and from people who should know better. It's inexcusable because it's so easy to get right that there is no excuse at all to get it wrong.

Just drop the other person's name and you'll easily see whether to use I or me:

Mom made John and me an extra-special dinner.

If John weren't there you'd say "Mom made me ..." , not "Mom made I ..."!

[ProfessorGAC]

38. Me Thinks Your Wrong!

Sorry, i just had to.

[USALiberal]

110. inexcusable??? Really. It bothers you that bad? nt

[samnsara]

131. i had a teacher once explain it that if you say 'me' in front of a name...

...it turns out sounding like 'mean'....'me and john'= 'Mean john'...

[Irish_Dem]

30. The English language is undergoing a big change.

Very noticeable to those of us who are older. At a young age we were taught penmanship, spelling and grammar.
Today those topics don't seem important. And the rapid and brief response communication modalities (internet and social media) seem to preclude editing or review.

Language usage is not carved in stone, it changes over time.
I am seeing a significant change in my lifetime.

[csziggy]

133. I blame it on the Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961)!

When the First Edition of Webster's New International Dictionary (1909) was produced, the editorial board was attempting to codify correct spelling and usage of words which included correct grammar.

The Webster’s New International Dictionary (second edition, 1934) continued that intention.When the Third Edition was being developed, the scholars made a change in philosophy. Rather than deciding which usage was more "correct" they provided definitions in the order of most common usage and introduced new usage and new words into their lists. Part of this choice was determined by the feeling that "correct" English usage was already covered in the Second Edition of 1934 so that edition was (and is still) considered to be definitive for classic English grammar.

The Third Edition, on the other hand, was used to demonstrate how the language had evolved. I was in Library Science School in the early 1970s and that edition was still extremely controversial. The professor I had for Reference recommended that any library that had the room and the budget should keep both editions out for the use of their patrons.

Permissiveness
In the early 1960s, Webster's Third came under attack for its "permissiveness" and its failure to tell people what proper English was. It was the opening shot in the culture wars, as conservatives detected yet another symbol of the permissiveness of society as a whole and the decline of authority, as represented by the Second Edition.[8] As historian Herbert Morton explained, "Webster's Second was more than respected. It was accepted as the ultimate authority on meaning and usage and its preeminence was virtually unchallenged in the United States. It did not provoke controversies, it settled them." Critics charged that the [Webster's Third] dictionary was reluctant to defend standard English, for example entirely eliminating the labels "colloquial", "correct", "incorrect", "proper", "improper", "erroneous", "humorous", "jocular", "poetic", and "contemptuous", among others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster%27s_Third_New_International_Dictionary#Permissiveness

Over the past thirty years the pace at which language has evolved has accelerated - to the point that a printed dictionary could not be expected to keep up. An advantage for the internet is that many sources can be referenced and vast quantities of information cross-referenced easily, something that could only bee dreamed about when I was studying references back in the day.

As an example, Wikitionary can not only keep up with the most current usages and definitions, it can also provide scans of the pages from the 1913 edition of Webster's New International Dictionary for people to consult: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Webster_1913

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster%27s_Dictionary#Webster.27s_New_International_Dictionary_1909
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster%27s_Third_New_International_Dictionary

[Irish_Dem]

142. People influence language. Language influences people.

Interesting, we can pinpoint the origins of the major shift in language usage. People given more power to alter the rules of language.

Somewhat ironic, the more widespread the availability of grammar and spelling rules via the internet, the more they are ignored. Personally, I tend to dislike a rigid rule set which makes me feel fenced in and restricted. However, the purpose of language rules I would think is to promote clarity and comprehension. When reading material written in the new style, with little adherence to standard language rules, it leaves me trying to guess at the meaning of the content.

[csziggy]

146. I suspect the era of "correct English" will be short period of human history

Barely noticeable over time.

I read a lot of old wills, letters and documents as part of genealogical research. Spelling and grammar are widely variable over most of the time period I have covered - 1600 to current day. Around 1850-1900 usage became more standardized depending on the person and their educational level but prior to that the variations in use and spelling resembled what we see today on the internet to an amazing degree.

Since computerized grammar and spellcheck software tend to be "learning" from current usage they will not standardize usage to the old norms. They may create new norms but I doubt it - they tend to learn from average users, not from the erudite ones so will trend towards the less rather than more educated usage.

I don't really see anything wrong with this. Language should reflect the actual use rather than some artificial construct of ideal usage - so long as clarity is retained. All clarity and comprehension needs is a common basis of usage.

On the other hand, variation in usage in different groups add spice to our language. As an example, the language usage by the young man in this story is decidedly non-standard English but his use of language certainly livens the story and enhances his narrative!

This 12-Year-Old’s Girlfriend Told Him That He Made Her Pregnant, And He Had The Best Response Ever

[Irish_Dem]

147. I think you are 100% correct.

Good point.

Most of our ancestors, even recent ones in terms of historic time, were illiterate. Probably why our grandparents and parents saw correct penmanship, spelling and grammar as a privilege and point of pride. Once the majority of the population became literate, pride of language no longer important. So those traits no longer exist in terms of language usage. Except by a small group of wordsmiths, people who make a living putting one word in front of another.

I have given up on the notion of common basis of usage. Instead I think of it as two similar but separate languages. The new style is like a foreign language, and sometimes I have to ask a young person for a translation.

Thanks for the attached narrative.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

31. I wish I could add faze vs. phase to that list!

[cwydro]

45. Yes.

See that all the time here.

[Dreamer Tatum]

34. Hypocrisy vs Hypocracy

Won't name names, but it happens all the time.

[Alea]

35. Some words need to be misspelled or grammar natzis would get bored

[cwydro]

46. You spelled nazi wrong.

[Alea]

49. That was bait lol

[USALiberal]

111. You got trolled! nt

[cwydro]

112. Lol!

All good.

[USALiberal]

115. :-)

[alarimer]

40. Ignorance? or bad autocorrect?

I'm not sure a single mistake is indicative of anything other than haste.

[cwydro]

41. We see them all here.

Too funny.

[madinmaryland]

47. Irregardless drives me crazy. It's regardless. Period.

[doc03]

50. I am almost 70 years old and in my experience some of the most ignorant

people I ever met used perfect grammar.

[hunter]

88. Yep.

And people entirely unable to "think outside the box."

I've encountered a few Evangelic Christian "young earth" Creationists in that category.

They are very good at following THE RULES, especially rules that make no sense.

[doc03]

90. I had a retired teacher tell me last week the Civil War had nothing

to do with slavery it was "States Rights". I said yes a state's right to have slaves. I asked her just what were those "States Rights"
they were fighting over other than slavery and she was lost for words. Only that she was a teacher for 40 something years and knew
more about it than me.

[underpants]

54. There list effected me alot

[MontanaMama]

55. You're living

dangerously!!!

[underpants]

58. We both are you and I. Its how we role.

[MontanaMama]

59. Aaaaggghhhhhh!

Stop it!

[underpants]

61. Your right. I'm some one whose better then that.

[MontanaMama]

83. I need a drink.

[underpants]

89. LOL

You're a good sport.

[reflection]

62. Less vs. fewer seems to trip up a lot of people as well.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/less-or-fewer

[kag]

101. Does it ever!

My husband laughs at me because I constantly correct the grammar of people on TV.

[mountain grammy]

64. Like nails on a blackboard for me

these grammatical mistakes, but I've learned to live with it. The one thing I can't stand is when a noun is used as an adjective to promote idiot America.
I believe the day is coming when someone will use the term "Democrat Party" and I'll grab him/her by the neck and tell him/her, nicely of course, it's the Democratic Party, you illiterate dirtbag.

[TeapotInATempest]

70. What I don't understand at all

Is why Republicans seem to believe that using "Democrat" instead of "Democratic" party is an insult. Why do they do that? They seem to think it's clever, but I can't figure out why.

[mountain grammy]

73. Because it is an insult

and they have an aversion to the word "democratic." Here's one take on the subject:

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-maher-sees-subtle-dig-in-republicans-who-say-democrat-instead-of-democratic/

Also, an old thread from DU

https://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7623802

[Glorfindel]

122. That's one reason why I will never call their sorry asses anything but "repukes"

NOT GOP, NOT Republicans, just repukes. Even that is more than they deserve.

[mountain grammy]

123. That's what they are.

Saw another one on the DU thread.. repubic and that's also more than they deserve.

[underpants]

93. It's an inside joke for them going back to Joe McCarthy

Limbaugh says it all the time.

Their world (especially talk radio) is one of inside "jokes" and legend/lore that is hard to understand at first by an outsider. Yes I take one for the team and listen some. The first 10-15 minutes of Hannity's show both incredibly dullard and littered with so many references/jokes/code words it's almost like another language.

[phylny]

136. My Congressman does this frequently.

On occasion I correct him and tell him it "makes you appear to be uneducated."

[Neema]

68. Weary vs. wary. Totally different meanings. Also people who pronounce the word realtor as reel-a-tor

drive me nuts.

[TeapotInATempest]

72. Ok, I have to say I love this thread

but I may have to leave it. I can only listen to nails on a blackboard for so long. You people are killing me!

[MineralMan]

75. There are no ignorant people on DU. They're elsewhere posting their nonsense.

[TeapotInATempest]

78. Oh, I know that!

It's the deliberate misuse that's killing me.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

74. There's nothing more beautiful than someone declaring "Your an idiot" on the internet.

Although I will give them some credit for saying "Your an idiot" versus "Your a idiot."

[tymorial]

80. I always give a pass on its and it's

The same with affect and effect.

Spell correct can cause the misuse.

The rest of the list however grinds my gears. Especially alot, then/than, and the persistent use of like and um.

[NNadir]

81. When I was a young man, I almost never made these mistakes.

Last edited Sat Oct 7, 2017, 05:57 AM - Edit history (1)

I am old enough to remember a time when we did not have computers, and many of us, not even those historical devices called "typewriters."

As an old man, who types and reads very fast, I make them all the time, particularly when writing. Either I think faster than I type, or I'm completely senile.

I don't have much use for people who confuse typos with intelligence and education though.

[TeapotInATempest]

82. Right, typos are a different matter entirely

They just happen sometimes.

[QED]

85. I always trip over insure vs. ensure.

I checked a dictionary and that didn't help.

[lunamagica]

87. Spelling the South American country Columbia, instead of Colombia

It's ColOmbia, nor ColUmbia.

That one irritates me more than it should.

[MindPilot]

94. Saw "Braking News!!!" here on DU a couple days ago.

I assumed it was going to be a slow news day.

Break -- like breaking news, or break a window

Brake -- the mechanism that stops your car

[MichMan]

126. Yep, that one presses my button too

I am a member of quite a few automotive forums. People are always posting about having problems stopping their car because the breaks are acting up.

I feel like replying "Did you break your brakes?" but restrain myself as I don't want to be that guy

[petronius]

96. On the last one, I feel like "peek" may be the more common stand-in for "pique"

Rather than "peak." But what do I know? I speak good English, so I don't make these mistakes alot...

[politicaljunkie41910]

144. That last one left me stymied as well. The 'pique' portion was awkwardly worded INHO.

Either the author left out a word or he's just plain wrong as far as I'm concerned.

[SaintLouisBlues]

97. How about could of or would of instead of could have or

would have? I just stop reading at that point.

[spooky3]

98. Loose vs. lose nt

[Kingofalldems]

103. This is HUGH!

[cloudbase]

104. She went out to dinner

with her boyfriend wearing a dress.

[mfcorey1]

107. Please stand to your feet.

If you're standing, are you on your feet?

[USALiberal]

108. Bad grammar should never bother normal people. Why the whining I have no idea. nt

[cwydro]

113. I don't know.

Some of us care about the English language?

[USALiberal]

114. Some too much. If I can read a sentence and understand what they meant, I am fine. nt

[cwydro]

116. Well gud for yew.

[USALiberal]

119. Wow, I understood what you meant and didn't whine about it! It works!! nt

[samnsara]

130. i think because some of us have such a horrible memory of those...

..English teachers! So when we hear bad grammar it dredges up visions....

[left-of-center2012]

117. 'Who' and 'whom' are the only ones that trip me up

[Mendocino]

118. No one

It's not noone or no-one. Noone always reminds me of Peter Noone or Danny Noonan.

[Weekend Warrior]

121. Its the falt of are pubic education system.

[Oneironaut]

124. That MSN article is extremely douchey.

I've always found correcting peoples' grammar (especially in real life) to be 1000x more annoying than the original mistake. It's usually obvious what the person meant. On the other hand, grammar nitpickers are 9 times out of 10 pretentious douches.

[samnsara]

128. yay i gots them alllswrite

[EarthFirst]

134. "I seen it!"

You did what?

This one drives me up the wall!

[womanofthehills]

139. so my grandaughter grows up speaking well

and all of a sudden starts saying "I seen" because she is hanging around with kids saying "I seen."

[wryter2000]

137. What makes me crazy

Me and him had lunch. Could anything be more ignorant?

OTOH I make a lot of those mistakes the way one would a typo. I know the difference perfectly well. Occasionally I miss one in proof reading.

What really stumbles me is lose versus loose and choose versus chose.

[Initech]

141. Weird Al got this one!

[nuxvomica]

145. Heard the "lay/laid" mistake on the radio today

Clueless Leader read this as part of his weekly address:

"When the shooting began, a mother laid on top of her daughter to shield her from gunfire."

I should be "lay" not "laid". I don't know why people can't get that right. But it may not be Clueless Leader's fault. I bet the speech was written by known idiot Stephen Miller.

[JoeStuckInOH]

148. "insure" vs "ensure"... I read articles all the time mixing these up.