You should of “paid” more “attention” to book’s in skool.
UPDATED with someone bustin’ my chops
It’s no secret amongst those who know me that I’m a total asshole when it comes to spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Never in my life have I insulted anyone to their** face…except over this issue. It’s a personal failing and a character flaw that I just can’t overcome, mostly because I don’t want to. I figure, as long as I try to avoid judging and belittling decent people based on things they can’t control, it’s okay to judge and belittle them about things they can.
(It just occurred to me, that would make a great name for a band: Judge and Belittle. Like Hall and Oates, only meaner.)
So there’s with 20 examples of grammar misuse, and it’s fine as far as it goes, but frankly it doesn’t begin to cover everything. We’ll get to what they left off later, but first, I have to commend them for recognizing one of my favorites as #1: using “of” instead of “have.”
As in, “You should of been more careful.” I see it all the time and it makes me crazy all the time. HAVE, people. Have. You should have learned better as a child.
What really gets me about this one is, don’t the people who do this ever notice the contractions should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve? What do they think the ‘ve signifies for crissakes?
They put another of the worst offenders at #6: someone pretentiously using “I” instead of “me.” As in, “The vacation was a lot of fun for my husband and I.” Or, “This project is a lot of work for Susan and I.”
Do people just not pay attention in school or were their teachers stupid? Because I distinctly remember in roughly 4th grade being taught that you have to use the pronoun that would also be correct if you left the other person out of it. “This project is a lot of work for…me.” There you go.
What bugs me most about that one is that people only do it because they’re trying to sound all proper and classy. You know?
By the way, before I go further, I admit I make mistakes sometimes too. Even in public and in writing, right here. My own mother called me out a few months ago on my failure to properly enclose punctuation within quotation marks; I was putting periods and commas after the marks, and Mom The College Professor said I needed to shape up. So I did. I hope you’ve noticed, Mom! See I do listen sometimes.
Back to the list, like I said, they didn’t even get two of the worst offenses on there and for that I shall never forgive them. I’m talking about incorrect use of apostrophes and quotation marks. and I have “had” a lot of “fun” with this in emails back and “forth,” and it hasn’t stopped being hilarious yet. I don’t think it ever will.
Thanks to her blogroll, I discovered my two new favorite blogs in all the world, the first being . They have pics like this:
And this:
The whole “site” makes me “LOL” my ass off.
And then there’s , with equally awesome pics.
And…
Which reminds me of one of the biggest fights I ever had with a man. I had a boyfriend once whose last name was not Williams but was a name exactly like that, a name ending in S. Just like Jones, Collins, or even Lucas. Granted, there was a consonant before the S, like in Williams, BUT STILL. THAT DOESN’T MATTER.
Anyway, his stepmother made him a door decoration thingy that said, and I quote precisely except for the name change:
Welcome To The William’s
He brought this object home. He got some nails and took it to the front door. He hung it. I stood there and tried not to be mean.
I was gentle at first. “Uh, dude, that apostrophe shouldn’t be there.”
At first he actually argued with me about the factual data at hand and whether or not the apostrophe was even really incorrectly used. He wasn’t much of a reader or a writer, and he genuinely thought it was fine because it indicated that the house was his. You know, possessive apostrophe use. Or if there was more than one Williams there, it denoted the plurality.
Oh. My. God.
I told him that would be like making a sign for my door that says Welcome to the Luca’s. Exactly the same. The exact same thing. Not different IN ANY WAY AT ALL, FOR THE LOVE OF JESUS.
Speaking of Jesus! It would be like doing that to him, too! Welcome to Jesu’s!
I use all those exclamation points in the telling of this because I really was that amped up at the time and I seriously had to explain it like that. And that the S on the end of Williams is part of the name just like every other letter in it is, and has nothing to do with plurals or possession or anything else, any more than the letters W and M and L do in the same name.
The honest-to-God truth is that this entire conversation was the most frustrating conversation I’ve ever had in my entire life. No lie. Don’t get me wrong, he was a very nice guy, a very decent and caring individual. Just not good with grammar. And that is something I could not abide because I am a judgmental asshole about this kind of thing.
Anyway, once he figured out that I was right about the actual issue of the apostrophe, he adopted the Scoff Technique: “No one will notice but you, Rachel. Quit being so picky about little things, no one else cares, don’t be such a nerd.”
Yeah. We had a huge fight, the kind of fight you don’t like to tell any details of because it’s just too painful. I tried to make the point that the problem is precisely that no one cares, and it’s the little things that ultimately DESTROY CIVILIZATION!!! but he was having none of it. He was all, “you’re crazy” and I was all “you’re stupid” (what? we were 23 years old) and it wasn’t long after that we broke up.
I will close with my all-time favorite from the Apostrophe Abuse blog, which should also be on the Unnecessary Quotation Marks blog for that matter:
**UPDATE: Ahhh, you have rots to rearn about disciprine! I don’t know why, this just makes me think of that.
Anyway, someone already called me out in comments for a blatant error in this very post, where I said I’ve never punched “anyone” in “their” face. BUSTED! Yeah, that’s wrong. I own it. I really don’t mind having that shit pointed out to me; in fact, if people didn’t do that, I’d make mistakes a lot more “oftener.”
maya,
Remember Jinn’s Mart –
BWAHAHAHAHA!
Years, it hung there; YEARS, I tell you, in a COLLEGE TOWN!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:14 pmDrove me apeshit — even called them about it — to no avail.
Took a change in management and the billboard blowing down to get the punctuation changed.
I tell people that it’s very simple: if it is a place where you would use the word “us”, use “me”. If you’d use “we”, use I.
We went to the store. –>John and I went to the store.
He gave it to us. –> He gave it to John and me.
It’s not rocket science. And this particular offense pisses off my mother like nobody’s business.
Here’s something that drive me crazy: when someone says I could care less. It’s beyond stupid. What they mean is this: I couldn’t care less. If you COULD care less, then you care, at least a little. It you COULDN’T care less, you care, at most, zero about the topic at hand.
Oh, and don’t get me started about the proof is in the pudding. That is NOT the saying. It is the proof of the pudding is in the eating. You can say salt is in the pudding. You can say the spoon is in the pudding. You can even say -on very special occasions- that my ‘nads are in the pudding. You cannot say that the PROOF is in the pudding without sounding like a TV anchorman.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:23 pmOh dear I can only imagine what you think of my emails I send…because they are littered with everything you mentioned! Let’s face it, I didn’t pay attention in school. ( how many errors in this post?) Don’t answer that!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pmHAHAHAHAHA! RCHL…I so wanna have your babies right now! Would they be RCHL’s babies or RCHLs’
babies’?
whew!
ohOOooo..nads in pudding?…um…yeah. Works for me!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:26 pmNo kidding. What pisses me off even more is when people correct you when you say it correctly:
It belongs to us, dipshit! And no, you CAN’T see in in action. It’s going to stay in its velvet lined case. GRRR!
And also,
*pant*
I edit a lot.
Thank you for this most excellent post, Rachel.
You too, dogette.
AAGGHH! Two, too, to … help!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:27 pmThe misuse of “who” and “whom” (sorry, couldn’t resist the quotes) are what would really get my panties in a bunch if I wore any. Which I don’t, being a guy and all. But if I did (and I don’t) that’s what would do it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pmJust tell your mom you prefer the British style of punctuation and spelling.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pmok…im fickle as shit..now i wanna have 14k babies!
That deserves a gusset award!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pmWhen I read that, I thought you were starting to say that bad spelling etc. was a personal failing and a character flaw. I was bitterly disappointed when I read the rest of the sentence.
P.S. “He led them…” not “he lead them”. LED LED LED FUCKING LED LED LED. Also “lose” vs “loose”.
Exterminate the brutes…
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 pmI’ve gotten into arguments about grammar over IM on several instances. One time, after a lengthy discussion on why I bother distinguishing “your” and “you’re” in casual writing, my friend ended the argument with “your retarded”. He won the argument… Mainly because I was hyperventilating too severely to even see the monitor.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 pmMy HUGEST pet peeve in this grammar/punctuation war (at the moment, anyway) is the improper swapping the the verbs TAKE and BRING. I was taught that if the object is “here,” and it’s going “there,” one should use TAKE. And if the object is “there,” and it’s coming “here,” then one should use BRING. It seems that poor old TAKE is no longer in fashion, and BRING is the winner in about 90% of the cases now. And when TAKE is used, it is mostly used when BRING is the appropriate verb.
And I know, HUGEST is not a real word, I’m using it for emphasis (and because I’m being influenced by my teenage daughter at the moment.) And, of course, Rachel will probably go off on my putting “here” and “there” in quotes, too. Once again, I did it for emphasis. Sorry. Sue me…
(And that’s another one, the improper use of the elipsis. But that rant is for another time.)
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:36 pmOh, and one other thing that really, really bugs me: the so-called word irregardless. It’s a double-negative (ir- means “not” and -less means “without”). Regardless is a perfectly acceptable word.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:37 pmI use improper uses of elipses all the time.
Folks think I’m half daft for doing it.
I like to keep ‘em thinking that way. Keeps them off guard. *evil grins*
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pmHeh, I’m an em-dash maniac myself –truly I am.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:44 pmI hate the misuse of apostrophe’s, too!
The “couldn’t care less” / “could care less” thing always really puzzled me, because we always use the first one over here in the UK.
Oh, and Phil, just because you’re a guy, that doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to wear panties. I wear the crotchless type - I particularly like the black, frilly ones.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:46 pmOf course the subject leads me to Related Peeve #6: Literally instead of Figuratively.
“It was so funny I literally ripped off my own head just to keep from laughing too loudly.”
It makes me seethe. And seething is no way to be.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:49 pmI use ellipses all the time, and love them. They are like the party girls of grammar …
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pmI mean, seriously, how can you misuse something that, by its very definition, is so wide open to the possibilities it practically invites the sentence to bend over and smile?
Oh “my” God! That last one kill’s me! Its’ a “double” whammy.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:52 pmGreat post: really great.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pmDogette:
[fortheloveofgodihopethat'sonpurpose]
ROTFLMAO!
And I have NEVER used that acronym. NEVER!
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:55 pmThere were some “grammar vigilantes” that got arrested here in the US for defacing signs at National Parks:
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:00 pmI can’t even begin to tell you how many Christmas cards we received signed ‘The Smith’s.’
People! It’s ‘The Smiths’! It made my skin crawl every time I read it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 pmI’m known as The Grammar Hammer to most people I know… except for those who also my sister in law. She leaves me in the dust.
The “of” instead of “have” thing makes me entirely unhinged, as does “then” used when “than” should have been. Quick trip to The Land of Pissed Off Pippin. Misuse of apostrophes runs a close-ish second. That last picture up there is literally jaw-dropping in its densely packed stupidity. Wow.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 pmYeah: “The Smith’s”
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:03 pm…? The Smith’s what? Anvil?
Never use utilize when you can utilize use.
Methodology. Pshshshsiiippp! Meteorology – the study of weather. Geology – the study of the earth. Methodology – the study of methods! “What is your method for developing technical training, Rickvid?” versus “What methodology will you utilize for the development of technical training, Rickvid?” See?
Some years ago I was in Boston in deep winter. A group of us were bustling from one T stop to another, all scrunchy shouldered and trying to not get frostbitten schnozzles. We hustled past a lighted storefront that looked to be some sort of AA meeting place. In the window was an 8 X 4 foot piece of plywood, painted white with black lettering on it. Some inspirational thingie I guess. Paragraphs of the stuff.
My ex-, a copy editor at the time, suddenly piped up, “Wrong way to use an apostrophe!” I stopped, walked back and sure enough, right in the middle was an improper “it’s!” How she picked that up while moving so fast still amazes me.
Finally, “like” and “all.” Rachel! “Well, I was like, ‘ch’yeh!’ And she was all, ‘Duh!’ And he was like all ‘Hey, baby!’ and they were all like “Huh?’”
We professional writers – so much poor grammar and structure up with which we must put!
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pmDILDO!
BWAHAHAHAHA sniff. Heh.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT EDIT:
Let me stipulate, I edit certain scholarly publications, and “amongst” has to be replaced with “among”, stylistically. For that very reason, I love and want to marry the find and change tool in Word 2007.
I didn’t mean to insinuate that it wasn’t grammatically correct; it’s just a ginormous pain in my tukus.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pmYes! I could not agree more! I am widely known among my friends as the grammar nazi. And you nailed most of my pet peeves.
I had to end a relationship once, partly due to her very bad habit of saying “supposeably” instead of “supposedly.” She never noticed that my scrunched up face (displaying discomfort, displeasure, and terror all at once) was actually a grammar barometer of sorts. Just didn’t get it.
Phil - actually when you refer to words as themselves, you should indeed wrap them in quotes. So no need for an apology here, as your quoatation marks were proper and not superfluous.
Another peeve of mine is the failure to properly distinguish between “less” and “fewer.”
There is no such word as “reportedly.” TV people - please replace with “it’s been reported…”
Same goes for “allegedly.”
Though perhaps these bastardizations have become acceptable in the halls of Cambridge and Oxford. I’m old enough to be depressed every time a new edict is announced that tells me the old rules have been supplanted and superseded by newer and lazier rules - the kind that would have meant a failing mark in grade school in the mid 70s. Ugghhh.
And how about proper sayings and cliches? Example: It’s “champing” at the bit, people - not “chomping.” And “home is where the hearth is,” not, “home is where the heart is.”
(As an aside, my friend Big Dumb Dave coined a new phrase, which is quite succinct and eloquent - “Home is where I keep my shit.”)
Rachel, you could cover this subject for a week and it would be so cathartic. Thanks for the vent space.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 pmMy favorite? At a grocery store, a sign by the meat counter was titled, “People: Cooking Methods.” In reality, it was a recipe for cooking fish. The title made it a little too Soylent Green for me.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 pmWhen did “then” start being used for “than?” And, why did you not stop them from doing so? Quit wasting time on the little issues and go for this one big one.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pmWoody
Technically “Jesu’s” isn’t incorrect since “Jesu” is an archaic spelling of “Jesus”.
Anyway, the Unnecessary Quotation Marks thing really grinds my gears too. When I was in college I got in a big argument with a fellow student about whether it was appropriate to put a word in quotation marks for “emphasis”. I kept telling him that the only acceptable use of quotation marks was when quoting someone or when the quoted statement is meant to be taken with irony, but he wouldn’t listen. He insisted that quotation marks could be used for “emphasis” and claimed that he used to do it all the time when he worked as a magazine editor (I know, it shocked me too).
I actually had to pull out my cell phone and dial the UNF English Department to get him to admit he was wrong.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:22 pmMy wife and myself just love your blog.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:23 pmMy dictionary says that “amongst” is British English.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:25 pmmightysam:
Please see my 4:10 edit.
Not a grammar issue.
Jim Carson:
You just shot a sharp projectile in my heart.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pmOh happy dagger …
It should be “anyone to his face”.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pmI see that I have erred [not pronounced AIRED].
I am efforting to rectify….. [five dots are better than three]
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pmI can’t tell which I hate more, people who think an apostrophe means “Look out, here comes an S!” or those “people” who insist on using “quotation” marks where they don’t “belong.” Both are far worse in my book than “you should of done better.” The latter is just lazy, writing what you say instead of what you mean. You have to go out of your way to stick apostrophes or quotation marks where they don’t belong.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:28 pmThe whole “I” when it should be “me” thing really, really drives me up the wall. I, too, remember the nominative pronoun rule from school. If it wouldn’t be correct by itself, it’s not correct!
Rachel, there is one mistake you make that I’ve noticed. It’s very minor, and I would never even mention it if we weren’t on the topic … Technically, compound modifiers that contain an adverb ending in “ly” shouldn’t be hyphenated. For example, the phrase “independently wealthy woman” wouldn’t be hyphenated, but the phrase “somewhat-wealthy woman” would.
I also find some of the differences between British and American grammar annoying. For example, where you would rightly add an apostrophe after a name ending in “s” (Lucas’), they would add an apostrophe and another “s” (Lucas’s).
I could go on and on. You’ve brought up one of my favorite topics. Other than dogs, that is.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:30 pm*Pulls paper covered in equations from the pudding bowl and wipes it off.*
See, Physics Geek, the Proof really IS in the pudding!
*Runs away!!!*
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:32 pmI was once verbally bludgeoned by a former English teacher for incorrectly using it’s. I never forgot that lesson.
What about the excessive use of italics?
I threw a James Rollins book in the garbage because of such stuff. I can’t believe his editor allows those sentences into print!
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmAnd this is “why” we (or at least “I”) love coming here so damned much. Where I live - in the Ozarkian hinterlands of Missouri - I am regularly damned as the “spelling police” and the “grammar cop”; and am told, with alarming frequency, that “It just doesn’t matter. It’s how we do it nowadays. Old rules don’t matter.” It’s very “discouraging”. However, I “persist”.
Thanks for a big “lift” today. I needed “that”.
Oh! I love dashes. I feel that they are the most under-utilized punctuation mark available - and I do all I can to correct that. Everyone “should”.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmRachel - the punctuation in/out of quotation marks is not so cut and dried. You should’ve stood up to your mom.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmGotta disagree, mightysam.
Signalling unusual usage.
Use–mention distinction.
Titles of artistic works.
Nicknames and false titles.
Are all acceptable uses; however, of note:
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 pmYou’ve given me a website upon which to hurl my greatest peeve… FALSE QUOTES.
Everytime I go to the grocery store, I’m forced to see their sign on the lottery scratch game machine that reads Machine does not give “change”
One of these days I’m going to snap and insist to talk to the manager about this disgrace.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pmYeah, I knew there were other uses, I just couldn’t remember them. But the point remains, using quotation marks to emphasize a word is not grammatically correct.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pmCan someone tell me whether the use of “Meantime” to start a new segment in a television news program is proper english? I hear it used frequently here in the Philadelphia metroplex.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pmJim Carson beat me to it, the use of “myself” in lame and incorrect ways. Blech! Wuss talk, that’s what it is.
I’m such a grammar nerd that I once dreamed up a plan to mail K-Mart and other stores big boxes of apostrophes to put on all their womens and mens department signs. But I’m lazy, so I just resort to ineffectual fuming and grumbling.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pmYou mean like saying, “South Korea, meantime, is stepping up imports of feed grains”?
As far as I know that is grammatically correct. Though “meanwhile” is probably more advisable.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 pmhave’nt red the comment’s accept for 14ks’:
yes, I remember the sign, but the whole Cougs thing always got hubby’s hackles up. He doesn’t like the shortening of it.
back on topic: the thing I’ve noticed more lately is than/then. People don’t seem to understand the if/then relationship anymore.
and yes, I remember learning that shit, but some of the time I just don’t feel like taking the time to correct my mistakes.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pmIn college, I was on my first date with this very attractive girl. As we were getting a little more comfortable after dinner, she was describing her relationship with her extended family. At some point in there, I said “So your Uncles doted on you.”
Blank stare, followed by “huh?”
When I had to explain the word “dote”, my interest in her quickly faded.
More recently, I somehow keep finding women that like to say things like “anyways”, or use “drug” as a past tense for the word “drag”. You know a date isn’t going to amount to much when you spend half of the evening cringing every time she starts to talk.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pmI was always told to use “I” when referring to someone else and myself. The rule you gave is one I learned within the past year (I’m in the 40’s).
“Susan and I went to the store.”
“The store was closed when Susan and I arrived.”
(both correct)
“They came to see Susan and I.”
(incorrect)
I get annoyed with people putting a comma before “or” and “and” when a list of items is being given. There is a grammar mistake in your very first sentence even.
Commas take the place of the “and” or “or” in use. Substitute the comma for the word and the above reads:
(No Rachel, I do not normally nitpick your grammar and punctuation. I just used that as a convenient example.)
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 pmBut you didn’t say “gramatically correct” at 4:22 p.m.: you said “appropriate” and “acceptable.” (And I am QUOTING you, so these quote marks are okay either way.)
Which, as defined in the three style manuals I use and what I could thus far find online, it is.
EDIT: And there’s another one. “OK” has to be changed to “okay” when I am editing.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pmWhen I saw your headline, I got that fingernails on the chalkboard feeling.
When I saw your topic was grammar mistakes, I thought I would have to chastise you roundly.
Then I saw that it is one of your biggest pet peeves, and used only to make a point.
So I don’t get to chastise anyone today
I have a friend who insists on using “I use to” or “I was suppose to”. I can not get her to put in that d for anything.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 pmI wonder what politicians do when a word is spelled or punctuated wrong on a tele-prompter. I’ll bet it’s really interesting. Yeah, really neat, yeah, just really interesting.
Oh, hey!
SPEAKING OF WHICH………….
That Sarah Palin woman is speaking at the RNC tonight. We should all watch closely and then write about her……….um………..her….diction! Yeah, her diction!
We should DEFINITELY talk about that TOMORROW, maybe in a post by RACHEL!!!!!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:56 pmThis one’s kind of subtle, but important none the less:
Wrong:
In fact, “doing that thing with your tongue” is possessed by the pronoun “you,” so the proper usage is:
Your welcome.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pmGet out of my head! I was just telling someone about my hatred of people who cannot distinguish between ” There”, “They’re” and “Their”. Neanderthals.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm“They put another of the worst offenders at #6: someone pretentiously using “I” instead of “me.” As in, “The vacation was a lot of fun for my husband and I.” Or, “This project is a lot of work for Susan and I.””
I was actually taught that “susan and I” is the correct way, so that’s how I use it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 pmSemantics. This discussion is about the proper use of grammar. Given that, the words “appropriate” and “acceptable” should automatically imply “grammatically appropriate” and “grammatically acceptable”. I couldn’t remember the other uses (though in fairness, I suppose I should have come right out and said that I couldn’t remember the other uses in order to avoid this very problem) but my point was that using quotation marks for emphasis is definitely not grammatically correct. Or appropriate. Or acceptable.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:05 pmOkay sam, I’ll bite.
Source, please?
Everything I can find reveals that the use of quotes as emphasis marks are grammatically acceptable in the specific circumstances I outlined above.
Thanks.
Wait … aren’t the quotation marks you used in your reply to me placed there to provide emphasis?
Or are they quotes used for emPHAsis?
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 pmSeeing more of the comments on here, I thought I’d mention the word I see used incorrectly the most frequently at work, aside from the obvious ones already covered.
“Broke”
As in “Use other entrance. This door is broke.”
The door is penniless? This surprises you?
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:12 pmbrought and bought
honed in on (instead of homed in on), not grammar I know but still annoys me.
Saying that something is as pure as the driven snow when it is pure. Driven snow is not pure.
Spell checker is the worst thing!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:14 pmSpeaking of spell check:
Spell Check Poem
Also know as…The Pullet Surprise Can Did Ate
(Read it out loud!)
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pmOh God! I am a Jones. I KNOW!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pmShannon in AZ: The use of a serial comma is completely acceptable and still commonly used. The important thing about this issue is the consistency of use. If someone is going to write an article, book, post, etc., they should apply the serial comma (or lack thereof) consistently each time it’s applicable.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:20 pmAnd don’t even get me started on flight attendants. I DO think they DO believe they DO use the word ‘DO’ properly.
I think they’re eye-poppingly overpaid soda jerks who use superfluous language to arrogate the authority to get that fat guy to sit the fuck down. Amazingly, it works.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 pmIts, it’s.
Your, You’re.
To, too, two.
Their, there, they’re.
The misuse of these words drives me crazy. I cannot stand to see them used incorrectly. I want to commit murder on their teachers every time I see it!
The local TV stations are the worst in KC. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen incorrect spelling, incorrect use of apostrophes, and poor grammar. Aren’t these people supposed to be professionals?
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 pmI do not know if the rule has changed but many, many years ago when I was in grade school both methods were considered correct.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:26 pmThe question, “Can I help you?” annoys me. I do not know whether the person asking is capable of helping me or not.
It is apparent though, that most folks in this comment thread could indeed help me with my grammer and punctuation.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:28 pmSome of the things being mentioned are not errors but examples of personal/corporate style preferences.
“OK,” for example, is correct by AP style.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pmThis past weekend I was flipping through channels and landed on VH-1. The information header let me know that this was “80 Hours Of The 80s”. (Dish Network information header.)
At first I was really happy because that was my generation but every time VH-1 cut to commercial break, the graphic read:
80 Hours of the 80’s
After four commercial breaks, I decided that I could not stand it anymore and turned to a different station. I’m still so annoyed that I’m thinking of writing a strongly worded letter. I have not done so, yet, because I predict I’ll get something back along the lines of, “Whatever! Grammar police!”
Spelling, grammar, punctuation is a big thing with me, as well. While I’m certainly not perfect, I can’t even stand to DATE someone who can’t get the simplest rules down. Seriously.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pmRight. I am aware of that.
I said that I have to change certain words due to stylistic requirements when editing twice already.
I didn’t say they were grammatically incorrect.
Now the problem comes when you are using APA, CMS, AP, Barron’s, Wright’s, etc. and have to remember which style (or rulebook) applies to which publication. Oh, and never mind all the sub-styles for individual journals … God bless web-based EndNote.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pmGod I miss Mr. Language Person. Rachel could be his air.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:37 pmGrowl! I just remembered another one that riles me up:
“all intents and purposes”
NOT
“all intensive purposes”
My God that one makes me insane. It’s right up there with the use of, “irregardless”, that someone else brought up.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:44 pmI caught your drift, 14 Karat. I didn’t mean to imply that you were saying yours was the correct version. I was just trying to point out that some of this is drifting into the arena of preferences.
Thankfully, I only have to worry about AP style at my job–and any additional variations our clients might want to add. I wouldn’t even try to juggle multiple style guidelines. In fact, in my freelance work, I actively avoid any job that says “must know CMS.” There’s precious little of my mind left, I don’t want to clutter it with more style rules.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:45 pmNo one has mentioned “lay,” as in “go upstairs and lay down.” This makes me wince every time I hear it, which is often, because the huge majority of people use it incorrectly. I imagine it will come to be accepted usage in another generation. Fortunately by then I’ll be dead, and laying in my grave….
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 pmOh yeah, Girl Thursday.
I wish like hell my department would standardize so I could better help my graduate students and faculty. Nobody quite gets the notion that “just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Did you know that will standardize your bibliography, and thus your publication, to a style you specify?
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 pmOh, Joe, you are so slo…
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pmUmmmm … yeah.
If you were “laying down upstairs” I’d check you for a pulse.
And you would be “lying” in your grave, because someone else had placed you there. Hopefully. Or else there is something you haven’t told us about your baser proclivities …
EDIT: OOPS! Got a tad too witty too fast … Thanks, BillC!
Source:
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm*sigh* All this grammatical wit has me swoony. I want to marry, and bear children with, Rachel and 14k. At the same time. Got a sneaking suspicion they won’t go for it.
Oh, and Sarah Palin. Dang it. I’m going to need a bigger house.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm14 Karat, I take it you work at a university? I’m sure it’s difficult convincing people in that environment that they’re incorrect about anything. At least in the publishing world clients will often defer to an editor’s expertise on grammar and style.
I’m checking out EndNote right now!
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 pmNo, 14 karat, you are wrong. I should be “lying in my grave.” I could be laying tile, laying a trail–both transitive verbs, but since there’s no object in the “grave” sentence(I am not laying my grave, but lying in it), I must lie, not lay in my grave. I fear you are one of the majority. But perhaps you are joking, as I was….
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:04 pmAt this time we’d like to ask that all passengers refrain from the use of portable electronic equipment.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:11 pmJim Carson: I’d love to do a post on flight-attendant-ese. Someday. But not AT THIS TIME.
Nope, I get it totally (or nobody has ever corrected my writing/grammar), and I didn’t notice the addition of the “a”.
Sorry, I was intoo much of a hurry to toss off a witty little number.
What can I say? I’m a dumbass.
But now that I think about it more, people frequently “lie to lay” in the climate where I work.
But you can also say, “yesterday, I lay in the grave. I had lain in the grave for many hours. Today, I am going to lie there again.”
And, “he will lay the corpse in the grave. Yesterday he laid the corpse in the grave, but had to dig it up. He had laid the corpse in the grave, but today he dug it up.”
Clear as mud.
Or correct me if I am still mistaken, BillC!
The fear of incorrect usage of lay/lie is why I just tell my kids to shut up, leave me alond, and go to bed.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:13 pmAre you sure it wasn’t “your crazy” and “your stupid?” I see that constantly!
It has been a game within my immediately family forever to gleefully nail someone when a grammar or pronunciation mistake is made. It’s all in good fun, and it comes about because we know that proper grammar and pronunciation are important.
Keep in mind that this game goes on only within the confines of the family. However, I know someone who without any thought or consideration will correct people on these issues. A mutual friend complained to me about this. Maybe he thinks he’s doing a favor, but it’s belittling to some.
Jim, if I’m not getting a joke, feel free to bitchslap me, but the example should read as “I appreciate your doing that thing with your tongue.”
Doing is a gerund–the -ing form of a verb functioning as a noun. The possessive your is used, not the contraction of you and are.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:21 pmevvybuns:
The kids and I have a game similar to that.
It’s called, “Stump the Fat Man.”
To play: I throw out a general spelling, grammar, math and history homework question, and if Mr. M can get it before Becs and the short man, that’s 10 minutes of unpaid farm chores. If he misses and the kids can’t answer, that’s 10 minutes of unpaid beyond-the-norm household chores. If they can answer, they get to pick one of us to do chores for them, and if they get far enough in the positive, they get to choose a fun activity to do with one of us, whether we like that activity or not.
It’s fun, educational, and forces us to spend time together, despite our schedules. I have actually taken time off work, with the child out of school, after a “Stump the Fat Man” marathon.
We don’t play as often as we used to, but when we do, hooh-boy!
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:38 pmAs a computer programmer, it annoys me when people say, “terminating punctuation should be within the quote”. I say: no, it shouldn’t.
If the quote is a fragment, the punctuation does not belong with it:
He said, “clean and recompile”.
If the quote is a complete sentence, then the punctuation belongs with it:
“He said to clean and recompile.”
All the English majors who say I’m wrong — and that would be most of them — have never tried feeding this line to a C++ compiler:
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:39 pmchar *str = “Hello world;”
In light of the fact that “no one else cares,” I find it amusing that your blog comments are written by a number of fictitious people.
In circumstances when a person finds out that he missed someone else’s birthday, he often responds by wishing that person a “Happy belated birthday.”
That drives me up a wall.
The birthday was NOT belated! The wishing of a happy birthday was belated. It should be “Belated happy birthday.” Yet, I feel if I bring it up, the person will just roll his eyes or ignore me entirely. Next time I’ll laugh and laugh as if he’s making a word usage joke until everyone is uncomfortable. It’s the best solution, I’m pretty sure.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:40 pmI was chatting with a friend and she was talking about ordering a boxing match on PAPER VIEW.
I nearly fell out of my chair laughing! I said, “Don’t you mean Pay Per View?”
“Huh?”
I correct my girlfriend’s grammar all the time but English is not her native language and in fact, she wants me to correct her mistakes because she truly does want to speak and write correct English.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:40 pmAlright, your crazy. We “get” it.
I would of walked away from a chick who spends to much time worrying about a boyfriends grammar or lack there of.
I could care less if someone’s to hung-up on a little thing like “grammar”. People for who this is a big deal need to get they’re priority’s straight.
If a repair-man came to you’re house to fix the hot water heater, would you of worried more about his ability’s to fix it or his grammar on the repair form’s?
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:41 pmEvvy, can I bitchslap your buns?
I have a remarkable talent for being outrageously funny to one out of every thousand people.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pmWhat’s the difference between a man and a hen? A man can lay an egg on a hot stove without getting burned.
I’ve notice many people are saying “had went” when they should be saying either “went” or “had gone.” “We had went to the store.” Another error is the phrase “somewhat of a . . .” They will say, “He is somewhat of a jerk.” It should be, “He is something of a jerk.” (I don’t know if he is or he isn’t.) This is something of a pet peeve of mine.
I also don’t care for the current practice of saying that someone “sustained” an injury. According to James Thurber, the late Harold Ross, then editor of the New Yorker, felt the same way. He once raised his arm over his head, and told the reporter who had used this phrase, “If you ever break your arm and you can do this with it, you are sustaining a broken arm.”
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:48 pmThis is exactly why I get annoyed with people who want English to be the official language of the US. People get all bent out of shape about things that just don’t matter. Can you imagine if the force of law were used to enforce these pet peeves?
Remember that there is no such thing as an official English anywhere on the globe. There is no definition of the language, neither for vocabulary nor grammar.
Also remember that the first grammar primer was written by a nut who thought that the perfect language was Latin. He created rules for English in his primer that had never existed before, such as the rule against split infinitives. English doesn’t really have an infinitive, we only have a translation that is similar to an infinitive. The ability to put an adjective between a verb and a preposition is a feature not a bug but this nut job thought that since an infinitive can’t be divided in Latin, then we shouldn’t be able to split one either. You might just as well make a rule saying that a noun can’t be split from its article.
He made several other ludicrous rules like that. Most grammarians and experts on English do not object to split infinitives but that doesn’t stop grade school teachers and other pedants from declaring they aren’t allowed.
The only requirement in English is to be understood. If you choose to look educated, that’s your own business, but it’s not a requirement and to many people it’s just not important. They live happy lives and they are the ones that cause our precious language to develop and grow into a very powerful and expressive tongue.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:50 pmHollowpoint:
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:51 pmYou want I should call up the English Department again? : )
Kidding. Anyway, I have this from the University of Calgary:
And here’s an example of why quotation marks should not be used for emphasis:
Erm, no. Those quotes are an example of the “use-mention distinction”. That is, the distinction between using a word or phrase, and mentioning a word or phrase. For example, consider these two sentences:
- Cheese is derived from milk.
- “Cheese” is derived from Old English.
The first refers to cheese as a substance. It’s using the word. The second refers to cheese as a word in itself. It’s mentioning the word.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:55 pmAm I the only one who screams inside when the word “that” is used to refer to people? I was always taught that “who/whom” refers to people and “that” is used to refer to things. Suppose I’d asked “Am I the only one that screams inside…” Would it make your hair stand on end? It does mine. I think the substitution of “that” may result from the inability to differentiate between who and whom. Rather than chance being wrong, use “that” instead. Makes me crazy, but I didn’t earn the name Grammar Nazi by ignoring such things.
I’ve just about given up the battle on this one, since it has become ubiquitous, these days.
Here’s another huge peeve that nobody else has mentioned:
The reason being is …
I find this a totally pretentious error. The speaker wants to sound erudite by using a gerund construction, then totally blows it by adding another verb. Arrrrghhh!!!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 pmRe: “anyone to their face”:
The plural possessive pronoun has gotten some currency as a substitute for the nonexistent non-gendered possessive, or the awkward “his or her”. In traditional usage, “his” is correct. I don’t have a problem with it, or with “their”. I suspect it’s a point of which the language is changing. But if Lucas house style is to be “his”, don’t anyone mess with me about the sexist biases of the English language.
We’ve largely lost the distinction between “like” and “as”, because of that Winston commercial, in spite of the best efforts of my 5th grade English teacher.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 pmHollowpoint:
That made I “head” spin trying to read you’re comment but it’s “was” funny.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 pmImpure Metal,
That is absolutely disgusting.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 pmYou want I should call up the English Department again? : )
Kidding. Anyway, I have from the University of Calgary.
And is an example of why quotation marks should not be used for emphasis.
Erm, no. Those quotes are an example of the “use-mention distinction”. That is, the distinction between using a word or phrase, and mentioning a word or phrase. For example, consider these two sentences:
- Cheese is derived from milk.
- “Cheese” is derived from Old English.
The first refers to cheese as a substance. It’s using the word. The second refers to cheese as a word in itself. It’s mentioning the word.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:00 pmOh yah, how could I forget about the, “not to”, rule that SO many do not follow?
Incorrect: I was told to not do it.
Correct: I was told not to do it.
To be or not to be.
It was not written: To be or to not be.
“Journalists” and “reporters” do this all the “time” and it annoys me to no end.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:03 pmMaking English the official language of the US does not mean the government would be legally enforcing proper grammar. That’s just silly.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:04 pmMy pet peeve: hearing sportscasters tell how a team has “resiliancy.” It’s resiliance, dumbasses.
Also, going into a store where they have a sign that says, “10 Items or Less.” General rule: if you are speaking about an undefined amount of something, then it’s less. If it’s a defined amount, it’s fewer. So the signs should say “10 Items or Fewer,” or even better, “10 or Fewer Items.”
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:17 pmAnother grammar thing that always bugs me is the proper use of semicolons. It bugs me because I can’t figure that shit out!
I know what a semicolon is for, but I can never seem to figure out when I should be using one, so I always go with a comma instead. But by the end I’m left scratching my head and wondering whether I’m overusing commas or not.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:18 pmThat reference is hilarious. Transvestites are funneh.
And might I point out from your University of Calgary reference:
Rules do change, mightysam. Part of my job is keeping up with them.
Regardless of the exact rule you used, you are proving my point. I don’t see any discussion of “use-mention” at the site you referenced; that came from me, and the site I referenced, which included sparing usage of emphasis quotes.
So is the site (reference manuals), which outlines both “use mention” and “emphasis” as acceptable options when used sparingly, correct or incorrect?
I don’t use quotes for that purpose, but I do believe it is acceptable within the confines of American grammar.
And from you reference, a tee hee:
Even if that is the official spelling of the word “skeptical” in Canada … LOL! That’s funny!
And use used? Somebody please help me with that one, my head is all ’splody thinking about it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:19 pmMagically invincible,
And totally fake. Glad you liked it.
Rachel, thanks for fixing that size-thing on my splody-head; I was just on my way to thumbnail it, as per usual.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 pmotcconan, I think sportscasters, especially John Madden, are responsible for much of the lazy grammar and usage we hear today. I’m certain that Madden is responsible for the disappearance of past or past-perfect tense. “Did you see that? If he makes that catch, they have a new record!” Not “If he had made that catch…” Too complicated to use correct form, so just ignore it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:26 pmMy big peeve, can and may. I will often answer the question “Can I help you?” with “I don’t know, are you able.” Many people will look at me blankly after this exchange.
Here, in the armpit of Ohio, the word suit is commonly misused for suite. It’s not uncommon to see signs advertising “Bedroom Suit $xxx”. The people will also pronounce the word as suit when speaking “We just bought a new bedroom suit.” When they talk about hotel rooms they will use suite, they do know the word.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:37 pmLet’s not forget that question marks and exclamation points go outside of the quotation marks.
OMG, Bunny 42: The who/that thing drives me crazy, too!
Skyler, I agree with you that it’s difficult to have a completely standardized language because all languages are always evolving. I also don’t think language should be used as a weapon against people. However, I do think that it is important to have a standardized written language so that you can always ensure readers understand what’s being said. I think it is important to eliminate as much doubt as possible about what you’re writing.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 pmRachel,
This is loosely related, but I’d like to see you do a post on all of the things people don’t know/don’t understand/get wrong about the U.S. government. I’ve found that more and more people don’t know: that the U.S. is not a true democracy, why the electoral college was established, why D.C. delegates don’t have voting rights, etc.
There is just as much ignorance about these things–supposedly learned in school–as there is with grammar. But much more dangerous …
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:48 pmCan someone put me right on the difference between affect and effect?
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:52 pm“I need to hit up an ATM Machine.”
UURRGGHH!
Dial.
Ring.
“Hello, Department of Redundancy Department.”
“Yes, another Asshat Terminology Misunderstanding sighting at the Automatic Teller Machine.”
“We’ll send someone with a gag, a roll of duct tape and a dictionary right away, ma’am. Don’t let the Absolutely Tarded Meathead out of your sight.”
Click.
Oh yeah — cite, site and sight.
“When you cite the source, don’t let the site where you found it out of your sight or you may lose it.”
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 pmThe wind velocity of Gustav affects (verb) the residents of the state of Louisiana; its effects (noun) can be felt for months afterward.
Okay?
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pmOK, I just can’t leave this grammar post!
Some others that drive me crazy:
— “e.g.” and “i.e.” Most people think they’re interchangeable .. and most don’t know what they really mean in the first place.
– “female” I hate it when people use the word “female” instead of “woman.” This is becoming especially popular in hip-hop culture. I recently heard a woman say, “I’m a hard-working female.” Well, so is my dog. So is the connector for my garden hose. If the female you’re referring to is an adult human, the word is “woman.”
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 pmGirl Thursday:
Like Asian and Oriental … and, ect.
Tee hee.
Oh, and i.e. vs. e.g.:
I know they’re both Latin, but damned if I can remember what they stand for.
I DO know that i.e. is used for “in other words”, while e.g. is “for example”.
At least, I damn well better be using it right!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 pmBut one can effect change.
Meaning that one can put change into effect.
Now refer to 14K’s splody-head.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:11 pmevvybuns;
And affect can be used as a noun, such as “she was chosen for her blase’ affect”. But that is rare, as is effect as a verb.
And I think that makes it a transitive verb, correct? With all kinds of f**ked up rules and crap?
Thus, the common, and most widely accepted, usage is as I posted.
EDIT: Yeah, evvybuns, I has a ’splody. And now, off to a spodie.
I love this post, RCHL! It’s educational, entertaining, and a most welcome diversion to the political crap that’s making me totally whacked. I wish felicity was here to enjoy it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:17 pmMost of my pet peeves have been covered already, but I’ll add a spelling one:
It’s separate, not seperate. Think separate apart.
Another one is the proper punctuation used for the word “however.” I’ve done QA in the past (hated it) and cannot believe how many MTs get it wrong–even the old timers. There are at least 3 correct ways, 4 if one includes capitalizing it at the beginning of a sentence:
“The patient, however, declined the exam.”
“The patient has been coughing; however, there has been no sputum production.”
“However else things may appear, the patient tolerated the procedure well.”
I’m glad that’s off my chest. Thank you!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 pmYep, 14 K, you have it right!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 pmAh, yes: effect vs affect.
“The patient’s affect was affected by the effect of Effexor, effecting the proper response effectively.”
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 pm14K, oh, yeah, effect is used almost exclusively as a noun, but I was just pointing out how it may be used properly as a verb. I don’t see it often, but it’s out there just enough to create confusion. Goddam language.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 pmHidden Gusset, heah!
AWESOME!
See ’splody above.
I know, and thanks! I was just trying to give ~Paules the simplest answer possible: if I am not mistaken, English is a second language for him (correct me if I am wrong, please, and no offense intended, ~Paules; it was just something that popped into my head as a possibility while I was defining the terms).
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:29 pmOh, dear. When it comes to English and this comment thread, there is no such thing!
Goddam language.
Offense? No wa-a-a-hay.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 pmAMEN, evvybuns, my friend. No wonder immigrants balk at the prospect of learning English. I even have a hard time keeping up with the ever-evolving grammatical nuances.
Hell, there’s even an internet for TXT and LOL speak.
Sigh. I has an old.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:47 pmSkyler–
FYI, the Articles of Confederation did make English the official language. You may argue that that has been superseded, but you cannot argue that this country has never had an official language. You can never argue reasonably that no country has had an official language. The fact that a language changes over time does not mean that the language does not exist.
To say that grammar, spelling and punctuation are not important is to say that communication is not important. These rules are not arbitrary. They exist to facilitate communication. That is the ostensible purpose of language.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pmIf it makes you feel any better, I read that Shakespeare uses their for singular object of indeterminate gender.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 pmIf you know of any recent changes that allow the use of quotation marks for emphasis, I’d love to hear about it. Because every source I’m aware of says that it’s incorrect.
If your point is that it’s acceptable to use quotation marks to emphasize a word, I don’t really see how I’m proving that point.
Look again.
Use quotation marks to enclose a word that you are discussing as a word:
They didn’t use the exact phrase, but that is the definition of the use-mention distinction.
At this point I can only assume that you are using a different definition of “emphasis” than I am.
Again, if you know of a source that says so I’d love to hear about it, because every source I’m aware of says the opposite.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 pmmightysam:
I think you might be right, and that we are arguing nuances of the same point. I love it when we do that. Don’t forget, I did say this:
By emphasis, I mean to emphasize the word and set it apart as a unique attribute of the sentence: “special importance or significance given to something, such as an object or idea.”
By using quotes to set aside ANY word, you are giving it special emphasis within the context of that sentence.
It is my understanding that at one point, quote marks were used ONLY for quotes. But as the common vernacular has expanded, nuance, slang, ironic quips, bastardizations of terms, etc. have increased, and so has the acceptable use of quotes within the language in order to clarify such. Since I began reading/editing, the appropriate use and placeage of the comma, colon, and semi-colon have changed, as well as the use of quotes. In fact, as one time (in whatever style it was I was working) titles were actually underlined rather than italicized. Then exclusively italicized. Now, they’re in quotes.
So not emphasis of everyday objects, as the examples at the top of the page show, but emphasis that the word/phrase in question is not used in an everyday sense.
Is that at all clear?
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:59 pmFrom the transcript for Sarah Palin’s speech at the Republican Convention:
Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay … he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Obtained from
I’ve been worried that terrorist states might accumulate innovative, translucent weapons.
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:02 pmI blame Hooked on Phonics for everything that is poor grammar and spelling related.