There, their, they're.

[KCLRbass]

OK I know I'm totally overreacting, but "is comprised of" frustrates me SO MUCH. As in, "my band is comprised of seven musicians," instead of "my band comprises seven musicians." Not only is it incorrect, but it has completely taken over. "Is comprised of" basically means "is was composed of of".

Yeah, yeah I should just accept it because it has become common usage. I refuse, though.

 

[96tbird]

My band gots six.

 

[Rocker949]

When I went for job training/orientation, on one job, the instructor insisted on saying "axe" instead of "ask".
I questioned him every time, until he finally started pronouncing it correctly.

In New Orleans, many people pronounce the word that way.

 

[Rocker949]

I'm with you 100%. Unfortunately the dumbing down of America has created a society where people rarely even care anymore whether people around them use good grammar or not. They will even go so far as to insult you for pointing it out.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[D M C]

"Too" when meaning "also" is spelled this way.

"Than" when comparing.
"Then" when indicating that which comes after.

It is really not hard.

 

[zontar]

Less & fewer are often mixed up.

Normally "Fewer" is used when dealing with quantity--"I have fewer than three basses" is preferred over "I have less than three basses"
"Less is used more generally-and when it's not really quantity of objects. "This amp has less headroom than my amp."--as opposed to the silly sounding--"This amp has fewer headroom..."

So the way I heard to remember it is to ask if you can count it--if you can use "fewer" and if you can't use "less"
Or
Try both "Fewer" and "less" in a sentence--if "Fewer" makes sense--use it. If it doesn't make sense, use "Less"

 

[Gazman]

When I went for job training/orientation, on one job, the instructor insisted on saying "axe" instead of "ask".
I questioned him every time, until he finally started pronouncing it correctly.

I think there is a Futurama episode where the word "ask" is changed to "aks" because that's how people pronounce it.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Don't aks me!

 

[D M C]

Don't axe me neither. Your opening a whole nother can of worms.

 

[zontar]

Don't axe me neither. Your opening a whole nother can of worms.

Shouldn't that be can o' worms?

 

[D M C]

Shouldn't that be can o' worms?

Yes it should, but it is not.

 

[D M C]

Hi. My name is SitDMC and I'm a word nazi.

One does not "intonate" an instrument. One adjusts its intonation.

Thank you.

 

[Ox Boris]

Has anybody mentioned the rogue ofs cropping up everywhere? As in, "he's not that good of a player."?
Stop it.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I see there, their, and they're getting used incorrectly a lot on TB lately.

It is really not hard.

No, and it's not that difficult.

 

[Gorn]

Hear, their, and every wear. Running my hands threw her hare.

 

[FilterFunk]

I see there, their, and they're getting used incorrectly a lot on TB lately.




No, and it's not that difficult.

Din't nobody axe you, so minya binness!

 

[kobass]

 

[bluesblaster]

I reckon some of you fellers are reeeeaaaaaaal edjemacated and all usin dem thar fancy wordins like that.

 

[murphy]

The funny thing is, I am an excessively educated guy, but in first draft writing I still use the wrong forms. I guess it just shows the extent to which I think phonetically. I have to go back and edit everything.

The grammar point I see confusing people the most is the apostrophe. Online and in lots of student papers, people have no idea when to use it and when not to. It's really simpler than people think; it represents letters left out. That's it. Or rather, that IS it. I think what confuses people is the possessive form, like "John's dog." But that's because people used to say, "John, his dog," so the apostrophe shows that you're contracting "his."

Maybe another would be "whom." Some people use it just whenever, thinking it automatically sounds smarter to use it than not to. It doesn't. "Who" is for the subject of a verb, "whom" for the object. Who threw the ball? And to whom did he throw it? That's all.

I was taught in English classes at school in England that Johns' ball had the apostrophe after the S indicating the ball belongs to John

 

[carl h.]

I was taught in English classes at school in England that Johns' ball had the apostrophe after the S indicating the ball belongs to John

Is he married?