Random Grammar/Language Quirks

[nj2011mom]

<p>Using “their” when “they’re” is appropriate. </p>

<p>I work for a Dutch company and most of my colleagues are better (English) writers than most Americans. I used to edit financial research reports, so I’m quite attuned to poor grammar. </p>

<p>The biggest stylistic pet peeves of my former employer was: a corporation or company is a singular being, so all pronoun and verbs should be appropriate. I still cringe reading otherwise.</p>

[garland]

<p>I don’t have a problem with “no problem.” In response to the literalist: “I didn’t think it was going to be a problem!” the same could be said of “you’re welcome”–“Gee thanks, I never imagined I was not going to be welcome!” Shrug.</p>

<p>And I still maintain that “I could care less” stems from a sarcastic formation, leaning on a silent “but it’s hard to see how.” At least, that’s how I’ve always heard it.</p>

[xiggi]

<p>

The biggest stylistic pet peeves of my former employer was: a corporation or company is a singular being, so all pronoun and verbs should be appropriate. I still cringe reading otherwise.

</p>

<p>When you think about it, it is amusing that a company might not take a plural form! Perhaps it can be used as we like to use “faculty.” </p>

<p>Compare this with the following discussion taken from Bergen and Cornelia Evans’s A Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage under the heading ‘group names’:</p>

<p>

Words typified by herd, flock, crowd, jury, family, nation when used in the singular may be followed by either a singular or a plural verb. When what is said applies to the group as a whole, a singular verb is used, as in my family is a large one and the jury was out for six hours. When what is being said applies to the individual members of the group, a plural verb is used, as in my family are early risers and the jury were unable to agree.** In general only the speaker knows which form suits his meaning best.**

</p>

[DougBetsy]

<p>

@me

“My pet peeve: They, them, and their are NOT gender-neutral, politcally correct alternatives to he/she, him/her, his/her.”

</p>

<p>

@happymom

Actually DB, they, them, and their have a long history in English usage as neutral forms used when the gender of the individual under discussion and/or the actual number of individuals under discussion is unknown. As in “Which door will they use to come in?” </p>

<p>Granted, it is a struggle to make this usage work in formal written English. But even there, it can be a more felicitous choice than continually typing he/she, etc. or rewording the entire text to work in the plural.

As much as I like you, happymom, I think we need to agree to disagree. :)</p>

[preironic]

<p>“Revert back” - I think that takes you back to where you are!</p>

[wondering23]

<p>“A close second is the misuse of the phrase “begs the question.” It does not mean raise or suggest a particular question.”</p>

<p>This one drives me crazy and you hear and read it everywhere- and from people who really should know better.</p>

<p>I also dislike when people say they “feel badly.”</p>

[Nrdsb4]

<p>One dog, two dogs. </p>

<p>But the current trend is to say two dog’s. I see it all the time, even here at CC.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>Pet peeves…</p>

<p>“Me and Susie are going to…”</p>

<p>Ugh.</p>

<p>lose and loose</p>

<p>And, a new one that keeps popping up: people are using the word “loan” for “borrow” and vice versa. People borrow money from the bank. They don’t loan money from the bank when they are borrowing money.</p>

[frazzled1]

<p>Discreet vs. discrete.</p>

[Youdon_tsay]

<p>Advance planning.</p>

[dadx]

<p>

And, a new one that keeps popping up: people are using the word “loan” for “borrow” and vice versa. People borrow money from the bank. They don’t loan money from the bank when they are borrowing money.

</p>

<p>Perhaps this explains a lot.</p>

[WordWorld]

<p>On planes:
“Please remain seated until we come to a complete stop.” Um, as opposed to a partial stop? And “we would like to be the first to welcome you to XYZ City.” Nice to know what they would like to do but they are not actually welcoming you. What is wrong with “welcome to XYZ City.”
With respect to the me vs. I phrasing, I taught my kids to “take the other person out of the phrase”–as in “Julie and me want to go to the store” v. “Julie and I want to go to the store.” Once Julie is gone the correct usage is plain.<br>
My high school English teacher was brilliant at teaching the difference between lie and lay–I’ve never forgotten it. “Only objects get laid.”</p>

[mafool]

<p>loan vs. lend.
company being treated as a plural noun is a British treatment, as is “the couple are…”</p>

[coureur]

<p>“No problem” irritates me too. Although it has occurred to me that it is the equivalent of the Spanish “de nada” (“it’s nothing” or “of nothing”), which is a perfectly proper way to say “You’re welcome” in Spanish.</p>

<p>My own pet peeve: Effete does not mean effeminate as many people (including even famous writers sometimes) commonly misuse it to mean. It means sterile, corrupted, or worn out. They even come from different Latin root words. Effete is from effetus = “not fruitful,” and effeminate is from femina = “woman.”</p>

[tango14]

<p>principle/principal is one of mine. And I’ll the he/she or s/he.</p>

[aggiering]

<p>I see quite often, noone instead of no one. </p>

<p>Another one I see is, its instead of it’s.</p>

[Onward]

<p>“We except credit cards.” Does that mean you take them?</p>