I fully admit that I have committed some of the grammatical crimes listed above. But it’s not for wont of want. And I think that’s the key.
I don’t think Mr. Stern is suggesting that he holds the key to “proper” communication. He is offering corrections for the sake of respectful communication. We are, after all, a nation of laws. In theory.
As for the idea that the rules of grammar are inflexible, those who seek to remind us of them will no doubt acknowledge the tao of Yogi Beara: “If the world was perfect, it wouldn’t be. “
“Did you mean: Yogi Berra,” asks Google
Excellent. Here are a few random thoughts:
Exception to rule 17: It’s is the contraction of it is.Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of it. “The cat’s licking its paws. It’s getting them really clean.”
“’Chomping at the bit’ doesn’t mean anything.” Actually it means you’re likely to break a tooth.
And here are a few you missed:
Horses are hung. Criminals are hanged.
Excess is an adjective and indicates too many of something. Access is a verb and means to enter.
Accept means to take possession of of something being given to you. Except is used to indicate an exclusion.
And Robert, it’s Yogi Berra, not Yogi Beara.
And let’s not forget effect (a noun meaning a result or outcome) and affect (a verb meaning to influence). The rainy weather will affect her hairdo; frizzy curls will be the effect.
That last one evades me in a regular basis. As fort he great yogi Yogi, damn Google for allowing misspellings. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to (with?) it.
Maybe you were thinking of Yogi (Smarter Than the Average) Bear
DJS once nailed me for saying “motor” when I meant “engine.” Or something like that. Those terms are not synonymous, if you really wanna nit pick.
Someone ought to tell Bayerische Motor Werke. I think motor is one of those words that’s been so misused that, rather than fighting it, it’s best to accept it . . . and motor on.
Don’t question zee Germans.
14. If “kilometre” were an English word, it would be pronounced “ki-LAH-mit-ur”. Perhaps it should be spelled “kilo-metre”. (Someone should write an article about that sort of thing.)
23. I must be missing something here; perhaps some examples of misuse would be in order. While “significant” certainly doesn't mean “large”, I have trouble seeing “real” as a reasonable definition. “Substantial”, on the other hand, can mean “real” (of course it usually doesn't).
31. An ellipsis can sometimes be found adjacent to a period. I suppose this might be mistaken for four dots.
I have seen people pour over documents so often I don't even bother to point out it's supposed to be pore over.
I would also like to add that “Nip it in the Bud” is the correct phrase when trying to say something akin to “stop this before it gets worse.”
“Nip it in the Butt,” on the other hand, is something Marv Albert got in trouble for.
You don’t have to be a horticulturalist to know this.
To "beg a question" is a logical fallacy of formal debate. An argument begs the question when it assumes a position still under debate to be true that has not been conceded by the opposing side. It is not synonymous with suggesting or raising a question.
An engine is a type of motor, but not the other way around. A motor is any machine that imparts motion. An engine is a motor that specifically converts thermal energy into mechanical energy by combusting a fuel.
The traditional phrase may indeed be "champing at the bit". However, considering that champ and chomp are synonyms, I would submit that “chomping at the bit” is an intelligible phrase that means the same thing.
Don't forget than and then. It seems that very few people know the proper usage of those words. "It's time to go then, I'd had more than enough"
I also hate when people can't spell quite and quiet properly. There's a big difference between the meanings of the words and I see them spelled wrong all the time. It's easy enough to get wrong if you type quickly, but do some editing before sending that email! It's similar to lose and loose in my opinion.
Anyway, great list. I'll second the earlier comment about it's and its.
I have found Americans to be amazingly illiterate, most seem to stop learning new words long before adulthood. Meanwhile the level of ignorance in Britain has reached staggering heights. Have you endured a chat with a Londoner recently?
Jeff, your article is spot on, except for number 27 as ‘kgurnsey’ pointed out earlier. English is a language that is replete with contradictions, incongruities and broken rules, but it’s all we have!
There is an exception to the #31 rule.
An ellipsis used at the end of a sentence to indicate that a quote is truncated is followed by a period. For example: John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you….”
Oops, just noticed I hit enter before I finished editing bad grammar mistakes! Here's a second shot:
Just would like to point out that Rule #14 regarding the correct pronunciation of “kilometre” with the emphasis on the third syllable is debatable. It really depends on the accent of the speaker and neither option is right or wrong. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilomet…
Bravo! An entire menagerie of pet peeves.
I fully admit that I have committed some of the grammatical crimes listed above. But it’s not for wont of want. And I think that’s the key.
I don’t think Mr. Stern is suggesting that he holds the key to “proper” communication. He is offering corrections for the sake of respectful communication. We are, after all, a nation of laws. In theory.
As for the idea that the rules of grammar are inflexible, those who seek to remind us of them will no doubt acknowledge the tao of Yogi Beara: “If the world was perfect, it wouldn’t be. “
“Did you mean: Yogi Berra,” asks Google
Excellent. Here are a few random thoughts:
Exception to rule 17: It’s is the contraction of it is. Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of it. “The cat’s licking its paws. It’s getting them really clean.”
“’Chomping at the bit’ doesn’t mean anything.” Actually it means you’re likely to break a tooth.
And here are a few you missed:
Horses are hung. Criminals are hanged.
Excess is an adjective and indicates too many of something. Access is a verb and means to enter.
Accept means to take possession of of something being given to you. Except is used to indicate an exclusion.
And Robert, it’s Yogi Berra, not Yogi Beara.
And let’s not forget effect (a noun meaning a result or outcome) and affect (a verb meaning to influence). The rainy weather will affect her hairdo; frizzy curls will be the effect.
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That last one evades me in a regular basis. As fort he great yogi Yogi, damn Google for allowing misspellings. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to (with?) it.
Maybe you were thinking of Yogi (Smarter Than the Average) Bear
DJS once nailed me for saying “motor” when I meant “engine.” Or something like that. Those terms are not synonymous, if you really wanna nit pick.
Someone ought to tell Bayerische Motor Werke. I think motor is one of those words that’s been so misused that, rather than fighting it, it’s best to accept it . . . and motor on.
Don’t question zee Germans.
14. If “kilometre” were an English word, it would be pronounced “ki-LAH-mit-ur”. Perhaps it should be spelled “kilo-metre”. (Someone should write an article about that sort of thing.)
23. I must be missing something here; perhaps some examples of misuse would be in order. While “significant” certainly doesn't mean “large”, I have trouble seeing “real” as a reasonable definition. “Substantial”, on the other hand, can mean “real” (of course it usually doesn't).
31. An ellipsis can sometimes be found adjacent to a period. I suppose this might be mistaken for four dots.
I have seen people pour over documents so often I don't even bother to point out it's supposed to be pore over.
I would also like to add that “Nip it in the Bud” is the correct phrase when trying to say something akin to “stop this before it gets worse.”
“Nip it in the Butt,” on the other hand, is something Marv Albert got in trouble for.
You don’t have to be a horticulturalist to know this.
To "beg a question" is a logical fallacy of formal debate. An argument begs the question when it assumes a position still under debate to be true that has not been conceded by the opposing side. It is not synonymous with suggesting or raising a question.
An engine is a type of motor, but not the other way around. A motor is any machine that imparts motion. An engine is a motor that specifically converts thermal energy into mechanical energy by combusting a fuel.
The traditional phrase may indeed be "champing at the bit". However, considering that champ and chomp are synonyms, I would submit that “chomping at the bit” is an intelligible phrase that means the same thing.
Don't forget than and then. It seems that very few people know the proper usage of those words. "It's time to go then, I'd had more than enough"
I also hate when people can't spell quite and quiet properly. There's a big difference between the meanings of the words and I see them spelled wrong all the time. It's easy enough to get wrong if you type quickly, but do some editing before sending that email! It's similar to lose and loose in my opinion.
Anyway, great list. I'll second the earlier comment about it's and its.
I have found Americans to be amazingly illiterate, most seem to stop learning new words long before adulthood. Meanwhile the level of ignorance in Britain has reached staggering heights. Have you endured a chat with a Londoner recently?
Jeff, your article is spot on, except for number 27 as ‘kgurnsey’ pointed out earlier. English is a language that is replete with contradictions, incongruities and broken rules, but it’s all we have!
There is an exception to the #31 rule.
An ellipsis used at the end of a sentence to indicate that a quote is truncated is followed by a period. For example: John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you….”
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Oops, just noticed I hit enter before I finished editing bad grammar mistakes! Here's a second shot:
Just would like to point out that Rule #14 regarding the correct pronunciation of “kilometre” with the emphasis on the third syllable is debatable. It really depends on the accent of the speaker and neither option is right or wrong.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilomet…
Just a matter of preference and where you reside.