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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

66 replies

sleepyjane · 23/03/2018 16:56

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.

OP posts:
NotUmbongoUnchained · 23/03/2018 16:57

Because people are idiots

TheQueef · 23/03/2018 16:57

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

Clevs · 23/03/2018 16:58

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

PickAChew · 23/03/2018 16:58

Because autocorrect is an idiot.

PuppyMonkey · 23/03/2018 17:00

Because typos.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/03/2018 17:01

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 · 23/03/2018 17:02

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 · 23/03/2018 17:03

Muphry's Law just happened. Snurk.

Original poster
sleepyjane · 23/03/2018 17:10

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.

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 23/03/2018 17:11

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 The same campaigns also tend to argue about the rise in child poverty, free school meals being withdrawn, benefits being cut.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 · 23/03/2018 17:12

Brought & bought are creeping in too

WhateverHappenedToMe · 23/03/2018 17:44

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/03/2018 17:51

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 · 23/03/2018 17:54

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

toffee1000 · 23/03/2018 17:55

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

FittonTower · 23/03/2018 18:00

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 · 23/03/2018 18:06

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 · 23/03/2018 18:10

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 · 23/03/2018 18:13

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

WipsGlitter · 23/03/2018 18:17

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 · 23/03/2018 18:21

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 · 23/03/2018 18:22

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 · 23/03/2018 18:24

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

himalayansalt · 23/03/2018 18:25

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

toffee1000 · 23/03/2018 18:27

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.