grammer! #### common errors and pet hates.

[southbucks3]

So we all get our knickers in a twist about the grammer/grammar mix up, I am sure it has been done before, but can we air our least favourite clangers.
I will kick off with my most hated.

Loose and lose are not interchangeable.
Finnish people do not end things.
There, their or they are, if necessary contract they are to they're but never to there. (The use of more commas in this sentence would have been rather dull.)
Inappropriate and over use of "one" as in "one must use soft loo roll."

To my own annoyance I persist in trying to introduce an extra c after the x in exercise, however I often omit the c in excited, with ludicrous result!

This is just for fun as always.

[Guest55]

can we air our least favourite clangers

I love them all from Major Clanger to Tiny

Don't forget to watch the new episodes which you can also catch on iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Clangers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of my favourite 'errors' - children 'appearing' for exams ... are they usually invisible?

[mad?]

Oooh yes

Less is not fewer.
Definite/ly.
DC do not appear for or write exams, they sit them.
Constant abuse of ellipses.

And I always fail with misspell

[Sally-Anne]

A small ad in the local paper some years ago: "For Sale: 5 birth camper van."

I did have to stop and ponder on that concept for a while!

[scary mum]

I have the same problem with exercise. I also can't spell occasion. I want to spell it "occaision". There is one I am curious about - people on here often refer to their child "appearing" for an exam. This is something I never came across before this forum - usually it is "sitting" or "taking". Is it an old fashioned term? Also having a seat at a school - I would say a "place". Maybe it's just me?

Just seen Mad's post. I hate the less/fewer thing - it really, really grates on me, but I understand (from my equally pedantic husband) that it has become acceptable to use less where fewer might seem correct. He may be winding me up of course...

And then there's the fact that whenever I type "I'm busy" I seem to type "I'm busty"

[southbucks3]

A small ad in the local paper some years ago: "For Sale: 5 birth camper van."

I did have to stop and ponder on that concept for a while!

perhaps their family had grown in number by so many after all those births they could no longer all fit inside the caravan.

Reminded me of another advertising blunder, drawers not draws.

Guilty of over using ellipses..............

[loobylou]

Less/fewer irritates me too.

Loose for lose seems to be the norm for everyone I work with - highly irritating; also councillor for counsellor.

If I type "your" into my phone the predictive text wants me to then type in "having". I can't think of any context when it should be "your having" rather than "you're having".

[mad?]

If I type "your" into my phone the predictive text wants me to then type in "having". I can't think of any context when it should be "your having" rather than "you're having".

Oooh Loobylou that would drive me potty!

[yoyo123]

Loose/lose
Apostrophies in plurals
Advice/advise
And your for you're.

[kenyancowgirl]

can we air our least favourite clangers

I love them all from Major Clanger to Tiny

Don't forget to watch the new episodes which you can also catch on iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Clangers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of my favourite 'errors' - children 'appearing' for exams ... are they usually invisible?

This made me chuckle! I think I also read on here a lot that "my child gave an exam", (not as in an auto"in"correct for have...), which also sets my teeth on edge.

The other one that I was reminded of recently was "could of and should of" instead of could have/should have.

My spelling nemesis is desperate. I always have to sit and ask myself whether it is desparate, as in separate, and then remember that it isn't!