• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

43 Embarrassing Grammar Mistakes Even Smart People Make

GetawaysRus

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
1,587
Reaction score
1,085
Points
523
Location
Southern California
Resorts Owned
Marriott Desert Springs Villas 2
Marriott Grand Chateau
Those were the easy ones.

The real killers are lay and lie, laid and lain.

Anyone who can use those verbs correctly is a grammar genius.
 

PrairieGirl

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
794
Reaction score
1,224
Points
503
Location
Edam, SK Canada
The one that drives me around the bend is "priorize" instead of "prioritize". And I hear this often in a business setting, or from a radio/tv announcer. Can you even list something in prior order? Seems almost like an oxymoron.
 

Chrispee

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
1,392
Reaction score
716
Points
323
Location
BC, Canada
Incorrect subject-verb agreement isn’t on the list and it has to be the most common error. I cringe every time I hear a news reporter or teacher say “there’s four more days until the start of football season”.
 

AnnaS

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2008
Messages
2,166
Reaction score
1,218
Points
523
Location
NY
Who/whom - never know/can remember the rule when to use whom

thought of another one now - will have to google if it's even a word. Whose - it is, who is, correct?
 

PigsDad

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
10,072
Reaction score
7,075
Points
898
Location
Colorado and SW Florida
Resorts Owned
HGVC Elite: SeaWorld, Surf Club, Charter Club, Valdoro
One that I often see and drives me crazy: "I put an add on TUG to rent out my week."

It is "ad", not "add".

Kurt
 

regatta333

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
872
Reaction score
106
Points
403
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Long Wharf, Wyndham points, Vistana Westin Kierland
Using complementary instead of complimentary or vice versa.
 

LannyPC

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
4,777
Reaction score
2,406
Points
448
Location
British Columbia
Who/whom - never know/can remember the rule when to use whom
Whose - it is, who is, correct?

The difference between who and whom is that one is the subject and one is the object. A comparison would be the difference between I and me, he and him, or we and us.

As for whose and who's, whose belongs to "who" (or "whom"). For instance, Whose jacket is this. OTOH, who's is a contraction for who is. For example, Who's (who is) coming to the store with me?
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,461
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
Are the grammar police the same people as the mattress-tag police?
.
 

bobpark56

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,694
Reaction score
375
Points
444
Location
Gibsonia, PA (just north of Pittsburgh)
Resorts Owned
Westin Lagunamar, Westin Aventuras, Marriott Grande Vista, Sandos Caracol, Festiva, Diamond Resorts (Hawaii Collection)
If we are discussing pronunciation, every sportscaster that puts a T in Wimbledon grates on my nerves.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
...and then there are the sportscasters who don't know the differenced between forte (French, strong part of a sword, pronounced Fort) and forte (Italian/music, loud, pronounced Fort-tay).
 

isisdave

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,762
Reaction score
1,284
Points
548
Location
Evansville IN
Resorts Owned
Marriott Waiohai
...and then there are the sportscasters who don't know the differenced between forte (French, strong part of a sword, pronounced Fort) and forte (Italian/music, loud, pronounced Fort-tay).

Supposedly, the preferred English pronunciation is "fort" but both are in most dictionaries, and I don't believe I have EVER heard anyone else pronounce it "fort." In fact, I get blank stares if I do that, so I've switched to "strength" or "strong point."

Incidentally, the preferred English pronunciation of pianoforte, Italian origin or not, is -fort -- but again, dictionaries are not holding the line on this! Piano-forty? Gimme a break!

"Whom" is on the endangered list. Even when used correctly, it's starting to sound "wrong," especially in questions and indirect uses. For example: "He wondered whom he should tell." Anyone who spent four years or more diagramming sentences will recognize that the object of "wondered" is the subordinate clause "he should tell whom" -- but it is so rarely spoken, let alone written this way, it sounds odd to me.
 

Ubil

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2006
Messages
203
Reaction score
82
Points
389
Location
Fayetteville, Pa
While not incorrect, "at that point in time" is usually redundant and an example of "Watergate English". Before the Watergate Hearings and the testimony of John Dean, it was not in common usage.

BTW, I just noticed that I put the "." after the double-quote at the end of "Watergate English." I know putting the period before the double-quote is the convention, but it never made any sense to me.
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
Okay, pronunciation. Is is "foy ur" or "foy eh"? Looking it up supposedly people in the U.S. call it a foy ur. I'd always heard foy eh.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Those were the easy ones.

The real killers are lay and lie, laid and lain.

Anyone who can use those verbs correctly is a grammar genius.
Totally agree! And another is effect and affect. I did a quiz on these two once, all of the various uses of the two words, and I was completely confused by the end of the quiz. I failed. And I have a degree in English. So embarrassing.

I make a lot of mistakes, both in punctuation and grammar, when I write, some of which I am oblivious, and I just have to forgive myself. Just sayin'. :)
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I keep seeing various people on Facebook posting, "woah," instead of "whoa." I find that amusing.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Are the grammar police the same people as the mattress-tag police?
.
My first job was World of Sleep in Denver, from age 18 to 21. I worked in the warehouse, and people would actually call us and ask why they cannot remove that tag on their new mattress.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Having loose change in your pocket is different from losing your change. Loose and lose are not the same thing.
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,461
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
My first job was World of Sleep in Denver, from age 18 to 21. I worked in the warehouse, and people would actually call us and ask why they cannot remove that tag on their new mattress.

Confession: I have done so.... and no one has come knocking on my door, yet.

I also put apostrophes where they don't belong, like TS's, just becuz they look good.
I'm waiting to be tarred and feathered.
.
 

controller1

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
3,042
Reaction score
1,940
Points
298
Location
Tulsa
Resorts Owned
Westin KORVN OF
Westin Nanea OF
Westin FLEX
If we are discussing pronunciation, every sportscaster that puts a T in Wimbledon grates on my nerves.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Or when they put an extra syllable in the word "athlete" such as "athalete".
 

jme

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
4,818
Reaction score
3,121
Points
598
Location
Southeast,TUG since '98
Resorts Owned
Marriotts:
Grande Ocean x 6
Barony x 2
OceanWatch x 1
Manor Club x 1
.
Waterside by Spin x 2
Sheraton Bdw Pln x2
ChurchSt/Charleston x2
Hello? The absolute worst has not even been mentioned, and that is the incorrect usage of pronouns such as I and me, he and him, she and her, etc.

Example: "This secret will be between you and I."
........WRONG!!!!!! The conjunction "and" joins two phrases, "between X" AND "between Y"...
........and those pronouns are OBJECTS of a preposition (not the subject), which determines which pronoun should be used.
........Does anyone ever really mean "between you AND between I"? (I hope not.)
........No, they don't...it should be "between you and me", short for between you AND between me.

It's a similar situation for "I saw you and he" yesterday. People who are uneducated use "he" in that instance because they think
the "he" sounds better, more elegant, more educated, or something (???), but that is again WRONG!!!!!
Saying "I saw you and he yesterday" is short for "I saw you AND I saw he yesterday", and that is absurd.
The proper usage should be "I saw you and him yesterday", short for "I saw you AND I saw him yesterday".
........the AND simply connects the pronouns "you" and "him", shortening the phrase.
It makes the sentence easier to read and understand, and avoids repetition. We normally use "object" pronouns after a verb or a preposition.
"I remember you and they"???........NO, it's "I remember you and I remember them".

This egregious grammatical mistake is made daily, 24/7, by 99% of major successful actors & actresses (even in major films already released),
TV commentators, panelists, politicians, dignitaries, executives, CEOs...... and OOPS, even 95% of TUG members,
who without knowledge use these incorrect phrases, and it becomes heard, and then others think it's correct, and the misuse simply explodes.
It has now become epidemic in personal practice and in the media, and what is correct is no longer in vogue.
Listen and you will notice this every time, and it will become astounding to you.

For example, In TUG member photos, many post a photo of spouse and self, and write, "This is my hubby and I"
or "My hubby and I" or "My DW and I" as the caption for the photo.
WRONG!!!!!!!! It should be "This is my hubby and me" or "This is my DW and me". (Not "This is my hubby" AND "this is I".)
The misuse is due to improper education, and it makes I cringe......errrrrrr, I mean it makes ME cringe. Get it?

Remedy:
When in doubt yourself, or to check whether someone you just heard was right or wrong,
just take that prepositional phrase "preposition X and Y" and turn it into the long version "preposition X and preposition Y",
and IT WILL BECOME OBVIOUS because the wrong object of the preposition will sound ridiculous.
Example:
When you hear, "He's crazy about you and I." >>>>>> turn it into >>>>>>> "He's crazy about you and he's crazy about I", and see how that sounds.
Hopefully you'll turn green and then opt for the correct, "He's crazy about you and he's crazy about me."
 
Last edited:

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
@jme, I and me has been mentioned several times. It was in the initial list and I mentioned it also in post #7.
 
Top