Grammar Pet Peeves

[als463]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

The communication specialist for my local school district (where I live, not where I teach) posted on facebook that an event happens on Monday's and Thursday's....I cringed. I wondered if I should send her a polite PM, since it's her job. But I didn't.

You definitely should. I'd be embarrassed to say I attended that school if the people in charge can't get something basic like that correct. I'm cringing with you.

[ASTalumna06]

In the electronic filing system we use at work, the application has "drawers" that are set up according to each department. It's essentially supposed to mimic a paper environment and the filing cabinet system.

We received an instructional email the other day from someone high up in home office, and throughout the email, she referenced the DRAW we need to open:

"Please select an ImageRight draw and file type…"

I thought it was just a mistake, but she used the word 4 more times throughout the email. The worst part: in the area of the application with the drawer dropdown, it literally says "Drawer: " right next to it.

[AOIILisa]

Originally Posted by als463

Things that irk me regarding grammar:

*Not knowing the difference between your and you're.
*Not knowing the difference between their, there, and they're.
*It's not conversate. It's converse.
*When someone tries to call someone else a moron while doing something completely moronic. An example: Your an idiot. *face palm*

I second all those and I'll add another category: people who try to use a common expression and get it wrong. For example, "Wallah" for "Voila!" and phased for fazed. Or someone who waits with baited breath, not bated breath. And how about "this passed week"...gahh.

I think you can distinguish people who read lots of books from people who don't read at all by reading their Internet posts. If you're a reader, you are more familiar with good grammar and spelling than if you don't read at all.

There's a facebook page for the tiny town in Maine where I grew up called "You know your from Rumford Maine ,if" and that pretty much sums up what you'll read there. Not everyone who posts there is a total hick, though, there were a lot of jokes about how the 8th grade English teacher, who was a legendary and terrifying grammar tyrant, is probably spinning in her grave at the title of the page!

[TonyB06]

[QUOTE=AOIILisa;2298541]I second all those and I'll add another category: people who try to use a common expression and get it wrong. For example, "Wallah" for "Voila!" QUOTE]

I just laughed out loud at this ...."Wallah"

I dislike it when people fail to properly use the infinitive. The car does not need washed. The car needs to be washed.

There, Wallah! all better now.

[tinydancer]

And along this same line, it annoys me when people say jagwires instead of jaguars. I just heard this several times on sports radio.

[dukemama]

When people use "loose" instead of "lose" I want to scream. You'd be surprised how many otherwise intelligent people make this mistake.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by dukemama

When people use "loose" instead of "lose" I want to scream. You'd be surprised how many otherwise intelligent people make this mistake.

It's especially annoying (and entertaining) when someone calls another person a "looser". Oh, the irony.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by dukemama

When people use "loose" instead of "lose" I want to scream. You'd be surprised how many otherwise intelligent people make this mistake.

A top VP in our office ALWAYS uses loose for lose. It makes me nuts! Can't say anything, but it makes me nuts!

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

It's especially annoying (and entertaining) when someone calls another person a "looser". Oh, the irony.

I died.

[wildcatpride]

An assistant principal at the school where I used to teach sent out an e-mail once about the upcoming lockdown drill and our "code" to signal a lockdown drill: an announcement that would say, "Lock down, lock down, lock down." (Clever code, obviously.) Anyway, his e-mail said, "You will know that you need to proceed into the drill when you hear an announcement saying 'Look down, look down, look down.'"

I'm half afraid for a number of the teachers I work with to e-mail parents, judging by some of the errors in their e-mails among the staff.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by #GreekBetches

You moms are all so stuck up. Get off here right now!!

Uh.. what?

[Phigirl04]

I'm really starting to question the teaching of Language Arts in elementary schools.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by Phigirl04

I'm really starting to question the teaching of Language Arts in elementary schools.

It's worse in middle school. They are all about reading novels and those online book quizzes. Then I get them in high school and they can't write or punctuate. I have to go over the basics and reteach them every year.

[ASTalumna06]

I saw this shirt online today. It makes me sad. I hope these weren't mass-produced.

[StealthMode]

^^^Hates winter. Loves this shirt.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by StealthMode

^^^Hates winter. Loves this shirt.

Noooooooo! Notice the thread it's in.