<p>The quibble over “hopefully” has to do with subject-adverb concordance. But there is actually precedent for using hopefully in the way it is currently used. Pitifully comes to mind: “There was pitifully little that could be done for him” vs. “There is hopefully something that can be done for him.”</p>
<p>can and may</p>
<p>Now I need the grammar police.</p>
<p>I know somebody “who” sold his house.</p>
<p>I know somebody “that” sold his house.</p>
<p>Who or that? Which is correct?</p>
<p>I think it is incredible “that” parents think class issues don’t exist.</p>
<p>Do you need the word “that” in the above sentence?</p>
<p>I might as well get something useful out of CC. :)</p>
<p>dstark: “Who” is for people; “that” is for things – so it would be “I know someone who sold his house.”</p>
<p>Cachet, not cache or cashay</p>
<p>I’m a dissenter on “alright”; I think usage has made that a word. I also deliberately violate the rules I leared with regard to “everybody . . . their”, for precisely the reasons noted upthread.</p>
<p>Pronunciation (not “pronounciation”) errors also bother me a lot (not “alot”):</p>
<p>For example, I just CAN’T STAND to hear people mis-pronounce the name of the country we’ve been fighting in/with for the past four years. It’s EAR-ROCK, not EYE-RACK. Say it with me three times: EAR-ROCK EAR-ROCK EAR-ROCK! </p>
<p>Advanced lesson: people from EAR-ROCK are EAR-ROCKIES, not EAR-RACKIES.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>The incorrect use of freshman/freshmen! I see this mangled all the time, including on college websites and print materials. Certainly college admissions staff could manage to produce grammatically correct prose!</p>
<p>I dont understand this generation. Its seams that whatever we chose too teach our children, they will due precisely the opposite. Both my deer sun and daughter are in this trap.</p>
<p>They’re use of the computer and IM vernaculer and repetitive text messageing is a prime cause. It’s affect on there formal written comunications is horrendus. There spelling is also atrocious, and everyone of there freinds rights the same weigh.</p>
<p>I cant concieve these kids are in collage.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’ve tried. Even the sages on alt.usage.english told me years ago that the rules are murky at best. I use whichever sounds best that minute.</p>
<p>THE HIT LIST</p>
<p>alot -> a lot | nevermind -> never mind
alright* -> all right | noone -> no one
appolog[y|ise] -> apolog[y|ise] | occurrance -> occurrence
arguement -> argument | perminate -> permanent
catagory -> category | priviledge -> privilege
challange -> challenge | publically -> publicly
congradulations -> congratulations | reccommend -> recommend
definate[ly] -> definite[ly] | rediculous -> ridiculous
devine -> divine | responce -> response
dieing -> dying | rouge*** -> rogue
discernable** -> discernible | schedual -> schedule
dosent -> doesn’t | sence -> sense
elixer -> elixir | seperate -> separate
embarass -> embarrass | sirrocians -> siroccian[s]
existance -> existence | skeptical++ -> sceptical
faught -> fought | speach -> speech
firey -> fiery | thankyou -> thank you
genious -> genius | tounge -> tongue
grammer -> grammar | truely -> truly
greatful -> grateful | vile+ -> vial
harrass -> harass | visable -> visible
heighth -> height | wierd -> weird
independant -> independent | withdrawl -> withdrawal</p>
<ul>
<li> “Alright” is acceptable informally, though “all right” is preferred.</li>
</ul>
<p>** Some dictionaries now allow “discernable” as an <em>alternate</em> spelling,
doubtless to accommodate the legions of those unable to spell it
properly. We reject this line of thinking!</p>
<p>*** Rouge is colouring applied to the face. Rogue is a kind of person,
or way of life, or many other things we will not list here.</p>
<ul>
<li> Vile is a proper word meaning morally reprehensible. Vial is a small
container for liquids.</li>
</ul>
<p>++ I do not generally list regional variations in UK vs US spellings
here. For skeptical (US) and sceptical (UK) we make an exception.</p>
<p>How about gender-specific spellings, e.g., alumnus (male singular), alumna (female singular), alumni (coed or all male plural), and alumnae (female plural)? People have been drive to use “alum” and “alums” as catch-all terms.</p>
<p>I just saw ruffly on one of the boards. Ack!</p>
<p>Speaking of rouge. My younger son, Star Wars fan, but lousy speller, once gave himself the name of “Rouge Leader” in a game of laser tag. We got a good laugh out of that one.</p>
<p>Ha ha Violadad! 
One of my biggest pet peeves is alot (instead of a lot). Also, using “much” instead of “many.”</p>
<p>My favorite : “Irregardless” instead of “regardless.”</p>
<p>The musician opened her case with a flourish and with a wave of her arm, exclaimed:</p>
<p>A. Viola! </p>
<p>B. Voila!</p>
<p>I am so confused!!</p>
<p>Map, then there are the discussions around here that are extracircular.</p>
<p>ViolaDad, more than IM speak, I think the problem is that a lot today’s students simply haven’t spent nearly as much time reading. They’ve heard the words but not seen the spelling. It doesn’t help that both spelling and grammar often get short shrift in elementary and middle school.</p>
<p>(I saw a girl in a short shrift once…her legs looked very nice.)</p>
<p>“Waver” when the correct word is “waiver,” and also using “waiver” rather than “waive” as a verb–I’ve seen this on several CC forums.</p>
<p>I’m glad the parents are having fun.</p>
<p>Nobody answered my question. </p>
<p>I think it is incredible “that” parents think class issues don’t exist.</p>
<p>Should the word “that” be in the above sentence?</p>
<p>At least I’ve never seen someone call someone else out for having ‘bad grammer’ on this site…I’ve seen it on others.</p>
<p>I always get hung up on the lie/lay thing and when to use ‘whom’. No one ever bothered to teach us grammar after 7th grade in my school district. :(</p>
<p>Do you <em>need</em> the “that”? I don’t think so. Is it wrong to use it? I don’t think so…but I can’t cite the rule.</p>
<p>BDB, I’ve seen accusations of bad “grammer” on this site from one student to another. Then there was the time a student upbraided me for correcting him about his spelling of “buisness,” which he insisted was correct. It would be snarky for me to observe what college he was applying to, so I won’t.</p>
<p>Ok. Thanks.</p>