To wonder why the words "to" and "too" cause such confusion.

[sleepyjane]

I know it's not a first world problem but it's something that bugs me. I notice it a lot on social media, and it's not in the minority. Perhaps i'm TOO easily annoyed.

[NotUmbongoUnchained]

Because people are idiots

[TheQueef]

Aaaaaand you have a lower case I in your I'm proving the rule.

[Clevs]

'Of' and 'have' seem to get mixed up too much for my liking as well! eg. 'should of' instead of 'should have'.

[PickAChew]

Because autocorrect is an idiot.

[PuppyMonkey]

Because typos.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Most posts anywhere now are no example of good literacy and random complaints do little other than to highlight ones own errors/language use failures. Just saying.

[SpikeGilesSandwich]

I've noticed loads of people on here using loose instead of lose, I'm not sure whether it's just a typo or people really don't know the difference.

[FlibbertyGiblets]

Muphry's Law just happened. Snurk.

[sleepyjane]

Yes "loose" and "lose" are another slight wind up, as is "woman" and "women". I don't really see it on mumsnet i might add, so predictive text can't be an excuse.

[Birdsgottafly]

Some people struggle with literacy. Lots are let down by our 'education' system. Others don't think that posts on SM matter, so write them without much thought/don't proof read etc. As well as autocorrect.

There are lots of campaigns that you can get involved with that are protesting about the standards in schools in certain areas, if you can be arsed, that is. The same campaigns also tend to argue about the rise in child poverty, free school meals being withdrawn, benefits being cut. Jump in any one of them.

[iklboo]

Brought & bought are creeping in too

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Why use a horrible term like 'nazi' in that illogical and misplaced context? Your post is an example of what I was referring to Whatever and yes, when you correct people who haven't asked you to do so, you deserve opprobrium.

Perhaps check your own posts before pouncing on the 'post message' button?

[backaftera2yearbreak]

Not once was I taught the difference between to and too at school. Learnt at university.

[toffee1000]

LyingWitch unfortunately the term “grammar nazi” is used all over the Internet, not just here/by Whatever.

[FittonTower]

Some people, like me, struggle with spelling. Some people have over-zelous auto corrects. Some people are in a rush. Some people don't know which is the correct ones. Some people dont care which is correct.
If I were you I'd try to get over the minor annoyance it causes you and try not to make any assumptions about the writer - there are so many reasons why they made the could've made the mistake.

[ALongHardWinter]

Not just 'to' and 'too'. I find the number of people who don't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're' staggering. And don't get me started on 'affect' and 'effect'......

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

toffee that is indeed unfortunate; it doesn't surprise me that it's 'all over the internet' because everything is. Any tiny little thoughts that spring into people's heads have to be spewed out to an audience. An indictment of the illiterati-infestation.

'Nazi' is a vile term to use in all but its true context and anybody decent wouldn't use it. It says a great deal about the quality of people really.

[NFATR]

It seems as well that almost nobody can spell lose and losing. Every post on here about weight seems to be "loosing weight"

[WipsGlitter]

Looks at of people don't seem to know when to use gone and when to use went.

"They have went about this the wrong way."

[LimonViola]

I don't think people prioritise learning how to use their language correctly, which is a lifelong endeavour.

What I don't understand is how someone can continually get the same word wrong, over and over again, when they're seeing it used correctly by others! I wonder if the total disaster zone that is 'there, they're and their', 'affect and effect' etc. is because so many people get it wrong they're not seeing the correct version very often to learn from.

It's very irritating, I'm aware I do judge others for really poor use of English. Mine is far from perfect but some people seem so incapable of using the language to even a primary school level it does make them come across very badly.

[LimonViola]

Interestingly, I have a few friends whose native language is Spanish or Polish, and their English is absolutely impeccable. Better than most native English people I know. Including a wide, varied and appropriately used vocabulary. It's very impressive to someone like me who is monolingual.

[PerfumeIsAMessage]

Pleased to see you aren't nearly as smug when it comes to punctuation OP.

[himalayansalt]

So much of it is down to autocorrect. I hate the autocorrect on my phone more than almost anything else in my life.

[toffee1000]

Limon languages are taught in a much more systematic way in other countries, and other education systems don’t allow pupils to drop subjects at any age, they carry them all on to 18. English is (usually) the first foreign language taught.