What’s your biggest grammar pet-peeve — and your weakness?
For our Friday TOTD, I’m inspired by some of the readers’ comments that frequently get posted in response to other readers. Those comments pick on the writing flaws — the spelling errors, the grammatical mistakes, the word usage.
Some have argued that picking apart the writing of another reader is borderline troll-like behavior, since it doesn’t respond to the content of the post, but rather can belittle the writer. If done gently, it’s a worthwhile reminder to us all of the value of good English usage.
Just yesterday, for example, a reader reminded us of the difference between rein and reign. Yet another reader made a point of commenting on a reader’s correct usage of its (instead of it’s). I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for me to find other examples among our story and blog comments.
My pet peeves include people who confuse irony and coincidence. I also shudder at the construction “centered around,” as in, “The council member’s objections centered around the report from the mayor.” (It’s centered on, people. Centered on.)
I am vulnerable to typos. I have occasionally messed up on synonyms. Otherwise, my writing is prefect.
How about you? What grammar/spelling issues drive you nuts? And where are you vulnerable? This is your chance. Get it out of your system!
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
The term “foreseeable future.” There is no such thing (see Strunk and White). The term users are looking for is “near future.” Ask anyone who was in the twin towers whether there’s such a thing as the foreseeable future.
Not so much written grammar, but we live in the “Land of a 1,000 aint-got-no’s”. I twitch when I hear someone proudly proclaim, “I ain’t got no .”
Inproper use of tense is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me, such as, “I seen” instead of I saw.
…and whatnot. Ugh!
Oh Kurt, Kurt — you shouldn’t get me started. As an English major I have compiled a life-long list of exasperating instances of sloppy usage and just plain butchered grammar and syntax. Here’s a surface scratch.
-”Orientate” or “orientated” - no such word
-”Irregardless” - no such word
-”End result” Redundant. How about just “result.” What other kind of result is there?
- “There’s 20 reasons that won’t work,” or “There’s a lot of them left.” Try There ARE, if the object is plural.
-”Should have went,” or should have ran that program” Try the perfect tense, “Should have gone” and “should have run.” I hear this all the time.
-Mostaccioli pronounced “MUSKaccoili.”
- “Belle Fontaine” prounounce “Bell Fountain.” (I know, give up — vintage St. Louis or “St. Luss,” as so many prounounce it…)
-Using “I” instead of “me” as an object, such as following a preposition, as in “Call Julie and I” or “That’s fine with your father and I.” People who do this think they’re being grammatically correct, and they’re not. Then, a lot of people throw in “myself” when “me” works better. “Me” is not evil.
-Yes, it was I (nominative case here, btw) who flagged the use of “it’s” for possessive, instead of the correct “its.” Most people miss this.
-Use of “disinterested” when you don’t care, or are not concerned. “Disinterested” means you are objective or unbiased. It has nothing to do with whether or not you care.
- And of course, (speaking of caring) the one goofed up about 95% of the time: “I could care less.” If you could care less, then you care, or are concerned. If you don’t care, it’s “I couldn’t care less.”
These are just a few. I have at least several dozen more, but this is a start. Thanks for this topic.
A lot. Not alot. I hate that!
Confusion of to/two/too, your/you’re, thier/there
I HATE it when people spell it loose instead of L-O-S-E.
English Troll - I am with you on the improper use of tense. Pretty much all of my in-laws speak this way. It rubs off on me sometimes when I am around them…and it makes me want to cry.
Where you AT?
I hate the misuse of the apostrophe. some use it every time there is a plural word, and some do not use it to indicate posession. Also, the misuse of the various forms of two, to and too and there, their, and they’re.
Eck-Specially! There is a guy doing an Auto-Tire commercial on the radio that says this. Eckspecially Pacifick!