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Original poster

Grammar mistakes that drive you crazy

250 replies

SpoiltMardyCow · 23/01/2016 15:11

I have two:

He hung himself. Instead of he hanged himself.

It was so fun. Instead it was either "such fun" or "so much fun"

What are your grammar bug bears?

OP posts:
liz70 · 23/01/2016 18:02

"I see tumble drier instead of dryer all the time."

I was always under the impression that either spelling was acceptable?

DieSchottin93 · 23/01/2016 18:03

tigermoll"loo-tenant" is actually closer to the original French word than the British pornunciation, quite how they got "leff" from "lieu" I'll never know Grin

That said it does annoy me when people pronounce "in lieu of" as "in loo of" Angry

katmanwho · 23/01/2016 18:04

Is it like flier and flyer?

wowfudge · 23/01/2016 18:05

Ah, drier is a comparative whereas dryer is a noun.

katmanwho · 23/01/2016 18:05

Fryer and frier.

Not to be confused with Friar.

Trickydecision · 23/01/2016 18:07

Ilovesooty , Yes! So often on here you see "she gave it to my DH and I" .
It seems to be an attempt to sound genteel. A verbal crooked little finger.

19lottie82 · 23/01/2016 18:07

Loose / lose

Brought / bought

Borrow / lend

Arrrrrrgh!

bibbitybobbityyhat · 23/01/2016 18:07

None drive me crazy.

I have been shocked to see the word "been" used instead of "being" several times on here, though. That is not a grammatical error but quite a severe misunderstanding. An example would be "and he was been unreasonable because he ate all my biscuits".

bibbitybobbityyhat · 23/01/2016 18:10

TheBouquets - youse/youze is regional/dialect thing though isn't it? I don't agree with wanting to abolish all of those!

lazyarse123 · 23/01/2016 18:10

I PACIFICALLY hate 'of' in place of 'have'. I know this is usually spoken and not written, but still extremely annoying, also 'fink' instead of 'thing. Sorry gone off thread there into my own little rant.

HarrietVane99 · 23/01/2016 18:18

People who write definately instead of definitely....or even worse, defiantly. No. just NO.

I think 'defiantly' is probably an auto-correct of 'definately'. 'Definately' wouldn't happen if people were more aware of words and their meanings. Finite, infinite, definite.

Grandmamoses · 23/01/2016 18:20

Katmanwho, you are right, there is nothing wrong with the phrase. Perhaps I didn't make it clear that I was quoting that as being correct.

You are also right regarding the countable and not countable.

ilovesooty · 23/01/2016 18:24

Pacifically? Hmm

Incorrect use of discreet and discrete annoys me too.

cariadlet · 23/01/2016 18:33

I hate the word "refute" being used as a synonym for "deny". You hear it a lot on the news - politicians or business people "refuting" claims. No, you aren't disproving the claim; you are just saying that it isn't true.

Similarly, "reform" used instead of "change". Of course the government is going to call changes to the Welfare system, NHS etc "reforms". But reform is a loaded word that means a change for the good. Neutral reporters shouldn't be using it.

And it goes without saying that could of, should of, would of are like nails on a blackboard. Urgh.

Topseyt · 23/01/2016 18:37

Oh yes, the pacify/specify old chestnut.

Pacify = soothe, calm, make peace.
Specify = be definitive.

Definately always gets my goat too. It is definitely, and most certainly not defiantly.

Why can't people understand that defiant means in a mood to defy, to be stubborn over something. Grrrrrrr!

Topseyt · 23/01/2016 18:40

Oh, and why couldn't I have remembered to put a question mark in the appropriate place in that last paragraph?????????? Blush

MadeMan · 23/01/2016 18:42

"Similarly, "reform" used instead of "change"."

Yep.

I hate the use of 'concur' when a simple 'agree' will do just fine.

Nataleejah · 23/01/2016 18:43

I has, i likes... Wtf?
English isn't my first language, but i knew this is unacceptable since primary school.

anonooo · 23/01/2016 18:44

They-their as singular - but apparently it has been officially recognised as legit somewhere....and also is used by some gender-fluid people too.

CerseiHeartsJaime4ever · 23/01/2016 18:47

His and He's are regulars on my Facebook wall.

I don't know if this is wrong either but a lot of presenters are now asking their guests "what do you think TO that?"

katmanwho · 23/01/2016 18:51

Pacifically

See - I wasn't sure if that was meant to be ironic or not?

CerseiHeartsJaime4ever · 23/01/2016 18:52

Actually, to, two and too annoy me as well. That's another FB regular!

MamaLazarou · 23/01/2016 18:56

Needs done

And

Needs gone

liz70 · 23/01/2016 18:57

"drier is a comparative whereas dryer is a noun."

"Drier" is also a noun, as an alternative spelling of "dryer".

HarrietVane99 · 23/01/2016 18:58

They-their as singular - but apparently it has been officially recognised as legit somewhere....and also is used by some gender-fluid people too.

I'll tolerate it when the sex/gender of the person referred to isn't known, or, as you say, they are gender fluid. But it bugs me when someone says, for example, 'There's this woman I work with... they always leave their dirty mug in the kitchen.'