I do not know why, but these things bother me when I read them. I am not just talking about text messages on cellular phones — I understand that the medium itself is scarcely conducive to good writing (although I authorize anyone to slap me if they ever receive a text message from me containing any of the grammar mistakes or misspells listed below). I am talking about electronic mail messages, letters, blog posts, scientific preprints, CVs, internal departmental memos, and other (semi)official documents which eventually become part of public record.
In these cases, I think some minimal attention should be expected of the writer. Unfortunately, the more of these I encounter, the more I worry that they may display the same carelessness in other areas of relevance to me. And, while I am willing to cut some slack for the occasional poor grammar (it can happen), modern spell checkers make it difficult to forgive misspells.
So, these are my favorite grammar/spelling pet peeves (in parentheses the correct version):
10. Recieve(d) (received).
9. Wierd (weird)
8. Definately (definitely)
7. Accessable (accessible)
6. Belive (believe)
5. Independant (independent — I know, both dependant and dependent are acceptable, but only independent is correct. Hey, I did not make the rules…)
4. rite (A religious rite is one thing, the religious right another).
OK… ready for the top three ?
3. Plural’s (It’s plurals for Pete’s sake, nothing here belongs to Mr. Plural).
2. Who am I kidding here ? (I know, whom has been in a coma for decades and should perhaps be humanely put to sleep, but I just cannot bring myself to do it).
And now for the one that really drives me nuts…
1. Its simple: if you write it’s instead of its and vice versa, the sentence loses it’s meaning (It’s simple… its meaning. Same goes for you’re versus your, their versus they’re).
Which one(s) have I left out ?
Tags: Miscellaneous, Silliness
Exponential Book 
July 16, 2012 at 12:47 pm |
Here’s one: illogical interchanging of they’re, their and there…
I agree with it’s and its being on top of the list though.
July 16, 2012 at 4:33 pm |
JACOP – just another crabby old professor…
July 16, 2012 at 5:10 pm |
Hey, hey, whom are you calling “old”, now ?
July 16, 2012 at 4:40 pm |
Not using the accusative in sentences such as “this week was exhausting for my colleagues and I” instead of the correct “and me”. Drives me nuts.
July 17, 2012 at 4:56 pm |
I’d been writing weird incorrectly most of my life (~30 years), and you were the first one to correct me. I can’t believe no one else told me that was the incorrect spelling before that…
July 23, 2012 at 9:47 pm |
Common, no one uses the word “whom.” EVER.
Your to piky sumtime Dr. Bonlamborghini. You no wat they mean anyways. Its the massage that cunts!
July 24, 2012 at 3:44 pm |
Tsk, tsk… it’s e-v-a-h, not “ever”…
July 24, 2012 at 3:36 pm |
Oh how I hate the misplaced apostrophe. In my kids’ daycare, they have these daily sheets where they list what the kids ate, when they slept, etc., and if they need more supplies.
One of the sheets says “Please bring more diaper’s; wipe’s, etc.” I feel little tremors of disgust every day.
Also, at my gym, there’s a board with various notices and weekly nutrition challenges. One week it said “Eat more egg’s”. Nobody noticed or nobody cared, and on day 3 I had to go and erase the mofo apostrophe… I got some weird looks.
Re Cherish’s comment — I am appalled by the fact that nobody at the elementary school corrected my eldest kid’s spelling. He’s very good now (starting 7th grade), but they stopped correcting spelling and basic grammar in 3rd or 4th grade, which is way too early.
And I second the above comment on the “despicable me” — some people are so terrified of using “me” that they indiscriminately use “I” even when it’s clearly inappropriate.
July 24, 2012 at 3:42 pm |
My favorite gym sign: “Membership let’s you in at any time of the day”.
July 28, 2012 at 10:06 pm |
Loose used in place of lose. (E.g. “The star looses mass to its companion..”) Arrgghh.
July 30, 2012 at 1:56 pm |
Agreed. It is very annoying.
July 30, 2012 at 1:49 pm |
“Here Here” instead of “Hear Hear” drives me batty
July 30, 2012 at 1:54 pm |
OMG this is just insane 🙂 Do you see it often ?
August 2, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Unfortunately, yes.
August 1, 2012 at 10:26 am |
alot (a lot)
August 2, 2012 at 1:51 pm |
You’ll like this alot: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html
August 2, 2012 at 7:21 pm |
‘Good’ used as an adverb in place of ‘well’. How are you? I’m good. UGH
August 4, 2012 at 7:29 am |
That sounds very Italian American… “How you doooooin’… I’m doin’ gooood” 🙂