Common misuse of the English Language examples

Dris | 19:44 Sun 13th Mar 2011 | Phrases & Sayings

108 Answers

Now obvious 'typos' are exempt.We all all make them.

ect for 'etc' .

of cause for of course .

Any more glaringly obvious ones?

Premonitions - Joke

Word game.

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daoji

No, it's Lie-berry. Everyone knows that :)

scrunge999

@DT - I can't get too worked up about the split infinitive. It is often thought that the rule was introduced by Dryden in the 17th century, who reasoned that if Latin didn't have them, neither should English. However, according to Wikipedia this may be a myth:
http://en.wikipedia.o...m_classical_languages

For me, English is made all the richer by the famous split infinitive in Star Trek.

DTCwordfan

I know what you mean scrunge but, for most, when you correct them, they read better. The example I used, I actually wrote today in something I am working on.

"and I began to gently caress her" or "and I began to caress her gently"

scrunge999

I agree DT, I think it comes down to what sounds better - sometimes I'd use a split infinitive, sometimes (OK most of the time) not.

I presume that in your example, 'gently' is being used as an adverb and not a euphemism :-)

DTCwordfan

yes

daoji

Irregular verbs, drived, bringed....

DTCwordfan

shows my innocent mind, I must remember that euphenism though - pretty amusing!!!

THECORBYLOON

A lot of folk write "alot of".

karenmac60

My boss once asked me to go through a list and 'put an asterix' at certain entries. She didn't get it when I replied that it would take a long time to draw all those wee Gauls, wouldn't I be quicker just putting a star :)

grasscarp

I hate, get off of the bus

MarkRae

Agreed. Inside of and outside of are bad enough, but off of is just plain ignorant...

And don't get me started with the extremely irritating American habit of preceding every very with "go ahead and"...

seadogg

Many moons ago I used to be irritated by poor spelling and grammar in shop windows but one learns to grin and bear it. What does irritate is the number of teachers who cannot write our language well.

Gmackematix

One common example is when people write "should of/would of/could of" when they clearly mean "should have/would have/could have". Many are unable to spell the "definite/separate/desperate" trio. My boss gave a lecture the other day that made me wonder if he used to be a grocer as every plural contained an unnecessary apostrophe ("Goal's and objective's").

DaisyNonna

I realise that it is now widely accepted but I shudder at different to and different than.
To take something off someone is also upsetting. A person is not a Christmas tree, said my English teacher.