I see grammatical errors: a writer's superpower




We all have our super powers - that kid sees dead people, others see dirt in every corner of my house, and me, well I see (and hear) grammatical errors. They are everywhere - embossed on the side of a box of tea, inked in the newspaper, and when I'm listening in on bus conversations my ears bleed. 


It might be genetic, but more likely learned. My parents grew up in that era (aka the olden days) when kids learned grammar, punctuation, and ... wait for it ... spelling! My dad was a stickler for the I vs. me (which many people get mixed up) and my mom - well, I pity the po fool sales clerk who uses the redundant phrase: these ones.   


The who/that particularly irks me, and it's there are not there is (or the abbreviated convenience of there's) - people really!


Here's a couple of grammar nerds who took to the road to police the written text and correct people's grammar and punctuation (I hear people love when you do that!).  They were chased, banned from a national park and at one place someone threatened to break their sharpies legs.  CBS did a feature about their adventures of taking correct grammar to the mean streets! (it's a great video but I couldn't embed it here so check out the link). They wrote a book about their quest called - The Great Typo Hunt 


And lest you think I always use perfect grammar and punctuation I remind you that I've never met a comma I didn't splice


Weird Al Yankovich highlights another one of my pet peeves - the lack of the 'ly' ending.
  


Which grammar or punctuation error gets your verbs all in a knot?


Hope you have a grammatically correct week.

Comments

The Wicked Lady said…
Ooh, which to choose. I too pull my hair out when I hear the incorrect use of 'I' vs 'me' -- especially when it's 'I'. As in "She gave it to Ted and I" GAAAH! (It's so easy, people, take out the 'Ted' and see how it sounds).

Misused apostrophes are so common now it's hardly worth getting one's knickers in a knot.

I also cringe at the word 'healthy' instead of 'healthful', the word 'competency' instead of 'competent', and the verbing of words like 'impact'. Verbing wierds language.

And if we're talking usage, I get all bent out of shape when I see "gender" written on form instead of "sex".

Am I getting old?
Jan Markley said…
Wow, lots to choose from Wicked Lady, the verbization of words is an interesting one. You're not so much getting old, just grammatically persnickety!

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