Grammar Misuse

[DWx]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7595509.stm

Thought this was quite interesting. Never realised I make that many mistakes.

[joesteph]

As a high school teacher, these are the ones I often find as errors in social studies term papers:

1. The one that really annoys me is how people suddenly seem to confuse "have" and "of", as in: "I could of learnt how to write properly."

4. If you do something to change a situation, then you "effect" a change. If your circumstances are changed by an action, then the change has caused an "effect". You cannot "affect" a change in something, nor can you be "effected" by one.

12. The proper use of "its" and "it's" seems to confound many people, with "its" being a possessive and "it's" being a contraction of "it is".

I was surprised that I didn't see "your" and "you're" listed. It's a fairly common mistake in writing.

[bushido_man96]

Nice reminders, I suppose. I like to think that I have fairly decent grammar usage.

[DWx]

1. The one that really annoys me is how people suddenly seem to confuse "have" and "of", as in: "I could of learnt how to write properly."

I know I definitely don't do that one. A teacher in high school threatened not to even take my papers in if I did it again.

[ninjanurse]

I correct my young students all the time when speaking in class! Especially the "I"-"me" thing...it drives me crazy!!!!!

[Tiger1962]

With the increased usage of slang and especially now with text messaging, I believe this is going to become even more widespread.

(I hope that was proper English usage) - OMG OMG - LOL - LOL)

[bushido_man96]

I always got hit with the "may I" or "can I" thing. I never miss it now.

[KamasandSais]

My grammar error is usually the *blank* and I/me rule.

[KarateEd]

With the increased usage of slang and especially now with text messaging, I believe this is going to become even more widespread.

When I was student-teaching last year I "intercepted" a few notes in class and they were full of text-message abbreviations.

[DWx]

I always got hit with the "may I" or "can I" thing. I never miss it now.

I had an RE teacher who used to drive me nuts with this. Every single time you asked to do something, like "Can I open the window?" or "Can I go to the toilet?" she'd just be like "I don't know, can you?"