There, their, or they're

[Here_we_come]

The there, their, or they're distinction is by far the most common and annoying spelling/grammar mistake I see on bigfooty. This stuff is taught in primary school, so I just don't see why it's so hard to get it!

There infers location. e.g. The MCG is over there.

Their infers possession. e.g. It is their football.

They're is a contraction of 'they are'. e.g. There are several teams with yellow on their guernsey, they're West Coast, Richmond, etc.

Any other simple English grammar mistakes that drive people nuts?

 

[JimDocker]

The there, their, or they're distinction is by far the most common and annoying spelling/grammar mistake I see on bigfooty. This stuff is taught in primary school, so I just don't see why it's so hard to get it!

There infers location. e.g. The MCG is over there.

Their infers possession. e.g. It is their football.

They're is a conbtraction of 'they are'. e.g. There are several teams with yellow on their guernsy, they're West Coast, Richmond, etc.

Any other simple English grammar mistakes that drive people nuts?

Yes. Spelling mistakes.

 

[Here_we_come]

Yes. Spelling mistakes.

Obviously a typing error, but fixed now

 

[Gabbie]

The there, their, or they're distinction is by far the most common and annoying spelling/grammar mistake I see on bigfooty. This stuff is taught in primary school, so I just don't see why it's so hard to get it!

There infers location. e.g. The MCG is over there.

Their infers possession. e.g. It is their football.

They're is a conbtraction of 'they are'. e.g. There are several teams with yellow on their guernsy, they're West Coast, Richmond, etc.

Any other simple English grammar mistakes that drive people nuts?

You're preaching to the choir my friend.

One of my pet hates is people who can't use the words stationery and stationary in the right context.

It's easy to remember (thank you to my English teacher in High School)
Just remember when referring to biros, paper etc to think that "pen" has an "e" in it so use the word "stationEry" and the other "stationary" means standing still, not moving.

It's been a long time since I went to primary school but maybe not enough spelling bees. If anyone is a parent of a primary school child maybe you can let us know what happens these days.

 

[HFC082]

Im surprised that there are lots of people who havent got they're head around these 3 simple words. Their easy to understand.

 

[GPW1]

thair

 

[JimDocker]

Obviously a typing error, but fixed now

The truth is, there are a lot of basic errors that bother me. The trouble is that since marrying an English teacher, I have found that the language is far more complex than I imagined and I worry that if I point an error out, my grammar may be found lacking and I would be making myself a large target.

 

[HFC082]

The truth is, there are a lot of basic errors that bother me. The trouble is that since marrying an English teacher, I have found that the language is far more complex than I imagined and I worry that if I point an error out, my grammar may be found lacking and I would be making myself a large target.

The key is to be grammatically incorrect all the time, so pointing out errors doesn't leave you open for smart arses to hit back.

no punctuation no care abt speeling...just attack peoples poor english skills of which most fail miserably with.

 

[Thrust]

don't be rediculous

 

[triplejdude]

'Where is John?'
'Oh his going to the footy'

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Five years ago I lived with my in-laws while waiting to move into a new property. At the time they had kids in late primary and early to mid secondary. I used to help them with their homework.

After doing that for a few months I honestly don't know how young people get by these days. The eldest girl who was in year 9 at the time asked me if I could type out a school assignment for her and present it nicely. I agreed to this on one condition. I would go through her work with a red pen and mark any errors ie. spelling, punctuation she was then to correct them and I would then type and present if for her.

Her spelling was that bad that she couldn't use the dictionary properly. It took her the whole weekend to get it done.

She has since successfully completed her VCE and is at Uni. She now lives with us and still can't spell.

The eldest boy was also in year 9 at the time, I would help him with his maths homework. He had never learnt his times tables, couldn't count by 5s or 10s, didn't know basics because he didn't know his times tables. I asked why he didn't know them and his father said that at the time they weren't allowed to learn by rote. Go figure. Something as simple as that would have made life much easier and much quicker instead of reaching for the calculator at every opportunity.

The next boy was in grade 5 at primary. We would do reading and comprehension. I would ask him to sound out a word if he was stuck on it. He looked at me like I was an alien and asked what I meant. Couldn't break words down in to syllables. I asked him how he learnt words and he told me that they would give them a list and tell them to memorise them. (sort of flies in the face of not knowing your times tables because you aren't allowed to learn by rote)

I'm only 40 and certainly no Einstein, I only went to school until half way through year 11. One thing I did have though was a firm grasp on all the basics by the time I left Primary School in 1979. These days they don't even appear to have that by the end of their secondary education.

I asked the oldest two at the time how they would go filling in a job application. They both said that they'd use spell check and calculators, I then asked them what happens if they have to fill the application out on the spot. They both just shrugged their shoulders.

My older sister works in HR at Deakin Uni here in Geelong. I was talking to her about it and she told me she can't believe applications they get, most of them get filed straight in the bin, she said that at least it makes it easier to whittle down the numbers when they have large numbers of applicants for a particular position.

Anyway, that's my rant.

 

[SJ]

don't be rediculous

Very common and frustrating. Only one worse is definately.

PS. There is still a typo in the first post ("guernsy").

 

[Bouvet_Island]

Pet gripe: Lose/loose.

As in: "Our team is loosing the match."

 

[HFC082]

We're versing Geelong in round 1.

I hate how kids say we versed (played) someone. I hate kids

 

[Crumpler83]

"then" instead of "than". That one is prevailing more often these days, particularly in American language but it's creeping in here as well, to the point where the word "than" now seems to be obselete.

 

[SJ]

We're versing Geelong in round 1.

I hate how kids say we versed (played) someone. I hate kids

Or we "bet" them.

Crumpler83, another American one which annoys me is "off of".

"Jump off of the trampoline."

 

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

"We would of won the flag if we could kick straight".

 

[Mr Gor]

Pet gripe: Lose/loose.

As in: "Our team is loosing the match."

EASILY THE WORST SPELLING MISTAKE TO MAKE

it's bad because it's not even spelt to sound like it's supposed to, e.g. writing "teem" instead of "team" isn't as bad. LOOSE instead of LOSE just makes no f'n sense!!

i've got a friend who is also on this forum, and being a sports fanatic he's constantly using the terms "lose" and "loser", but of course he's got the double O thing going

so wally, i know you like stalking my posts, so please see above!!

 

[magtrev]

"We would of won the flag if we could kick straight".

I agree; would of, could of and should of all annoy me greatly.

 

[PowerKat]

Im surprised that there are lots of people who havent got they're head around these 3 simple words. Their easy to understand.

maybe not



your and you're annoy me, but I have found myself making the error because I see it everywhere

Edit: another one is advice and advise, such as "thanks for your advise"

 

[beez]

I fell on my ass

 

[BomberGal]

maybe not



your and you're annoy me, but I have found myself making the error because I see it everywhere

Edit: another one is advice and advise, such as "thanks for your advise"

I think you have missed a fairly obvious joke there. Pity he got one of them right.

Another one: it's/its.

 

[PowerKat]

I think you have missed a fairly obvious joke there. Pity he got one of them right.

Another one: it's/its.

hence the wink

 

[HFC082]

I think you have missed a fairly obvious joke there. Pity he got one of them right.

Another one: it's/its.

hence the wink

I should have used there's. I was just building up the tension.

 

[Munga]

My hates:
Pronouncing "H" with an H not an A.
When people say the date as "May 5"! It's DAY MONTH YEAR in Australia! Therefore "5th of May"
Also people pronouncing "known" as "knowen" and "often" as "offten", the T is silent.