10 most common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them

[LazurusLong]

http://homeworkhelpblog.com/the-10-most-common-grammar-mistakes-and-simple-rules-to-avoid-them/

Saw this today and figured with some of the spelling and grammar Nazis on here it might be educational to post the link.

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See if you are making some of these common mistakes in your writing, and try to remember these simple tricks to avoid them!
#1: Loose for lose
The ball came loose when the quarterback got sacked, but they didn’t lose the game.

#2: It’s for its (or god forbid, its’)
It’s just means “it is”. Its means “belonging to”. And there is absolutely, positively, no such word as its’.
A simple test: If you can replace it’s in your sentence with it is or it has, then your word is it’s; otherwise, your word is its.

#3: They’re for their for there
They’re means “they are”. Their shows possession or belonging, as in “are you going to their meeting?”. There means “over there”.
No: The managers are in there weekly planning meeting.
Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.

#4: i.e. for e.g.
The term i.e. means “that is”; e.g. means “for example”. And a comma follows both of them.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).


#5: Effect for affect
Affect is a verb meaning “have an influence on”. Effect is a noun meaning “a change that was made”.
When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.
If you ever aren’t sure, the lazy way out is to just use the word “impact” in exchange for either one. Instead of saying “the tax didn’t have any effect” you can say “the tax didn’t have any impact”. Similarly, instead of saying “the tax shouldn’t affect anyone” you can say “the tax shouldn’t impact anyone”.
Finally, if you’re going to put something into effect or have it take effect, you have to use effect.

#6: You’re for your
You’re simply means “you are” (just like they’re means “they are”).
Your shows possession as in “eat your lunch, your stomach is growling”.

#7: The Dangling Participle
No: After rotting in the cellar for weeks, my brother brought up some oranges.
Uhh… keep your decomposing brother away from me!
The problem is that the participial phrase that begins the sentence is not intended to modify what follows next in the sentence. However, readers mentally expect it to work that way, so your opening phrase should always modify what immediately follows.

#8 Lay for lie
Lay means “to place something down.” It has to be done to another object as in “lay the book on the table”.
Lie means “to recline” or “be placed.” You can’t do it to another object. For example, when you “lie down on the couch” you are doing it to yourself.

#9: Then for than
Than is used to compare, as in “better than”. Then is used as a time marker as in “first I did this, then I did that”.
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.
Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.

#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.
Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.
No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.


Bonus:
The correct spelling is d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y. It uses a lot of “i’s”.
Not definately. Not definatly. Not definantly. Not definetly. Not definently. And certainly not defiantly.
The correct spelling is definitely.

Double Bonus:
Ad vs Add

Providers can post an ad (short of advertisement) once a week on ECCIE.

Providers add up their income while figuring their taxes.

[GneissGuy]

Originally Posted by LazurusLong

Saw this today and figured with some of the spelling and grammar Nazis on here it might be educational to post the link.

That is bad grammer. You should have said, "I saw this today and and thought that, with some of the spelling and grammar Nazis on here, it might be educational to post the link.


Yes, I know...

[Guest071613-2]

I want to stroke your dangling participle. This post made me wet.

[DFWRaven]

Geeze.. If Providers are Grading us on Spelling and Gammar.. I may never get laid again....

[DFK Hunter]

Remember, boys and girls, ya shouldn't oughta use ain't.

[npita]

Originally Posted by LazurusLong

#4: i.e. for e.g.
The term i.e. means “that is”; e.g. means “for example”. And a comma follows both of them.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).

I guess abbreviations like cf and op. cit. are probably not going to appear in a hobby context very often, but just in case:

cf means compare as in:

I'm offering a 1 hr for $260.00 this week (cf link_to_website_rate_page).

(The cf may be written either with or without a period and comma)

and op. cit. refers one reference to a previous reference:

I have now stopped grandfathering clients who did not make the dealine for visiting me at my old rate as per these links:
me www.me.com/granfather.html
me rates.html op. cit.

Lay for Lie

Lay means “to place something down.” It has to be done to another object as in “lay the book on the table”.
Lie means “to recline” or “be placed.” You can’t do it to another object. For example, when you “lie down on the couch” you are doing it to yourself.

I think this brings up an obvious question in the context of hobbying, i.e., am I going to get laid or get lied? The former is the common idiom for the implied activity and the latter might have some negative connotations, but I'm not sure that is a good argument for bad grammar.

[Boltfan]

Originally Posted by Dannie

I want to stroke your dangling participle. This post made me wet.

If it is still dangling after reading that...

[OldGrump]

Where do you want to meet at?

Eeeee....my fingers are cramping after ending a sentence with a proposition.

[Tara Evans]

Thats why i love my spell check.

[Chainsaw Anthropologist]

Originally Posted by OldGrump

Where do you want to meet at?

Eeeee....my fingers are cramping after ending a sentence with a proposition.

Owwwwwwww!

Quite the punster, you.

[Juan Pablo de Marco]

spellcheck will not save you if you use the wrong word tara. write 'their', when the correct word, in your written context, is 'there' or 'they're' and your spellcheck will give you a big thumbs up, as all of those words are spelled correctly even if used incorrectly. same with using your vs you're, etc.

btw... another of my peeves...it's etc, not ect. et cetera being short for the latin 'and other things'.


JPdM

[Boltfan]

People who let their pet peeves control them is my pet peeve.

[GneissGuy]

Originally Posted by Juan Pablo de Marco

...it's etc, not ect. et cetera being short for the latin 'and other things'.


JPdM

That's "etc." not "ect.". There's always a period after "etc".

[Juan Pablo de Marco]

Originally Posted by GneissGuy

That's "etc." not "ect.". There's always a period after "etc".

at least i got the 'etc' and the 'it's' right. and bow howdy i'll never forget that period.

etc.

JPdM

[Guest062912]

Originally Posted by OldGrump

Where do you want to meet at?

Eeeee....my fingers are cramping after ending a sentence with a proposition.

Hahaha. I did a double take and seriously laughed out loud. I <3 word play.


To the OP:
Thanks for the post. So many of my personal pet peeves are represented. Gives me a warm, tingly feeling.

Another one that irritates me is two, too, and to.