Sorry peeps...I can't hold it in any longer. Sometimes you just have to let things out and right now I feel my blog is the best outlet. Everyone has them. I'm talking about pet peeves. These are mine: (at least the ones that bug me the most) :)
POOR GRAMMAR!! Now let me just say before I dive into it: I don't claim to be perfect. I am well aware that I make my fair share of mistakes. You can probably find some mistakes in this post alone. However, I try very hard to make sure the basics are correct.
1. The incorrect use of the apostrophe.
Let's clear up one of the things that grinds on my nerves the most - apostrophes!!! As my friend Maren once posted, "Leave the poor things alone!" People are throwing them into words (unnecessarily) all over the place!
Example #1: Blogs.
It is NOT necessary to put an apostrophe in the title of your blog UNLESS you are calling it your family's blog. To clarify: if you put your last name as your blog title, like "The Anderson's", it is incorrect. You only need the apostrophe if you have the title, "The Anderson's Blog". A simple "s" will work just fine, "The Andersons". (same goes for the name you choose for when you leave a comment) Now things can get confusing if the last name already ends in an "s". Prime example being "Buttars". If you need to show ownership of something when the last name ends in an "s" you simply put the apostrophe at the end. (Buttars') In some cases, I've heard that putting "Buttars's" is still technically correct, but not necessary.
On a similar note, if I needed to refer to many members of my family, I would say, "the Buttarses". I agree, it looks funny, but it's right. As you can tell, this bothers me so much that I have even researched it out on the internet. I've also asked the same Maren friend mentioned above, if I'm right. Unlike me, she has an English degree to back her up. :) (I do have 2 years worth of English classes though...and a mother with an English degree who corrected me daily. I blame her for my inherited pet peeve.)
Back to the peeve. Please, please, PLEASE(!) do not stick apostrophes in words like "boy's" (wrong) or "tornado's" (wrong)! A simple "s" will do the trick. Or in the case of tornadoes, an "es". I can't explain the rules out in proper terms BUT I can tell when it's correct or incorrect. (which by the way, "it's" has an apostrophe because it is a contraction of "it is")
Like I said, I am no grammar saint. I probably overuse commas and make a lot of English teachers cringe. (Maren?) :) But for some reason, I feel it is necessary to let those who are innocently using apostrophes in the wrong situations, the error of
their ways. Don't kill the messenger. (please) :)
2. Speaking of the word "their", let's clear things up...
their = possessive form of the word (their car, their dog, their shoe)
they're = contraction of "they are" (they're coming over for dinner, they're nice, etc.)
there = let's go over there, there is no more food in the cupboard, etc.
Same goes for your and you're. This one kills me. Facebook picture comments are famous for these. "Your so cute!" (WRONG) It should be, "You're so cute!"
your = your cat, your house, your hair
you're = you are (you're cute, you're nice, you're going to fall)
Oh and while I'm on a grammar/spelling rampage, let's not forget my other favorites.
yeah - A.K.A "yes"
- "Do you want some candy?" "Yeah, sure."
yay = excitement
- "Yay! I'm so happy for you!"
ya = slang for "you"
- "There ya go."
Last but not least, the improper use of "I". This is the one that catches me up the most. I'm trying to master it though. I think people are afraid of sounding uneducated if they don't say "I". As in, "John and I are going to the store." In that sentence it is used correctly. How can you tell? The simplest way I know to explain it is if you take the other person's name out of the sentence, you should be able to still say "I" and have it sound right. The times my stomach starts to churn are when people say stuff like, "Would you like to go to the store with John and I?" Wrong!!! Does it sound right if I take "John" out of the sentence and say, "Would you like to go to the store with I?" No my friends, it does not. Compared to the first sentence when I take "John" out and say, "I am going to the store." It still sounds ok.
Again, I want to
emphasize, I never have, nor will ever claim to be a grammar snob. (I imagine some of you may be snorting right now because you disagree) :) But I feel SO much better now that it's off my chest.
I also know this post will generate many purposely incorrect comments. Especially from my sister. Go ahead, bring 'em on. I'm ready for ya. (ya = slang for you, remember?) :)
I saw this picture recently and had to laugh -
Oh, and just in case you want to brush up,
THIS is a link I found that explains it a lot better than I did.