...but even though my English is far from perfection, there is something I just can't take anymore. -there -their -they're It seems like everywhere I go on the internet (and most likely in a working environment as well if I spoke English at work), 50% of the people have no idea what is the difference between the three. It drives me insane having to go back a few words and read a sentence all over again because I didn't exactly understand what the poster meant. Why is this homonym in particular so difficult for so many people ? The English language is full of linguistic traps that can be quite complex and yet, this is the mistake I see the most often
Ok, You're a hypocrite Always happy to oblige. The one that always irritates the hell out of me is To, Too and Two it bugs me to hell and back when people who should know better are just to lazy to use the correct word.
Don't get me started on the apostrophe. People don't seem to know where to place them. Then they mess up where, were and we're... And spelling, God, their spelling!
I can never understand how people can confuse know and no as well. Oh, and a lot seem to say quite when they meant quiet, and vice versa.
Correct spelling Internet forums Pick one :-/ It annoys me to no end too but we have to live with it. I am no saint myself I keep placing commas like I was writing danish which makes for some stupid sentences.
People are becoming lazy thanks to spell check, I love correctly people and making them feel silly because they can't remember basic language I learnt in school (being honest, typing this I had 4 spelling errors, but thats my typing skills I blame)
Although the points raised so far are fine. My personal biggest gripe is with people who take their thoughts. Break them down into byte-sized chunks. Attempt to form sentences with them. Place them each onto their own little lines. As though they were bullet points. Or the poster was trying to artificially lengthen their post. Without ever considering how much more fluid. And understandable their flow of ideas would be. If a bit of consolidation took place in their writings! Another point of contention: capitalization! Seriously, the first letter of a sentence (or of a proper name) is important, so give it the punctuation it deserves! This'll not just help with reading by others in how it differentiates one sentence from another, but it'll make whatever point you are trying to make that much more credible through purely aesthetic means with minimal effort on your part. It isn't all that difficult to put thought to word, it just simply requires a tiny amount of effort and time on your part, but will do wonders for those trying to read what you've written.
I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.
Then, is it here I have to apologize THE ONLY THING THAT IRRITATES ME A GREAT DEAL IS PEOPLE WHO USES CAPS, IT REALLY IS A PAIN TO READ AS IT FEELS LIKE BEING SHOUTED AT. I really prefer people to stay a bit more quiet, just like my women
The worst for me is people who use "of" in lieu of "have". I could of screamed I could of shouted at him I could of etc etc
the rule I always found annoying is 'I before E except after C' then the word you use the most 'their' doesn't follow the rule.. I hate the rules in english, spanish makes a lot more sense don't get me started on french.. if I wanted my mouth to move that way, I'd go to prison
I look down on those who can't spell or punctuate properly, I think I hate them slightly too. More seriously, there is one that really, really bugs me. My name is Chris. Some people, some utterly infuriating people can't spell it. Even more annoyingly, when needed to write a sentence and something belongs to me they put Chris's and it drives me up the wall. Also, why do people assume the surname Fisher is suddenly Germanised and becomes Fischer!? I don't sound or look German at all! FUUUUUUU-
One quite commonly overlooked error is the correct use and placing of 'I' and 'me' within a sentence. For instance: 'Me and my friends killed a man' is incorrect. 'My friends and I killed a man' is correct. 'A violent psychopath mutilated me and my family' is incorrect. 'A violent psychopath mutilated my family and me' is correct. Right, time to double check this post for grammar mistakes, like I always do .
What I am beginning to hate more than anything else since coming to the USA is 'could of' in place of 'could have'. SERIOUSLY?
