What Annoying Grammatical or Pronunciation *Error* Did You Come Across Today?

[Shominy]

I'm not going to pursue the point here, but opinions vary in academia. For each link that you care to fire on me, there is another one that supports its ban.

I was paraphrasing from something that I'd read, nothing more.

Sorry, but one of my pet peeves is quoting "rules" that aren't rules.
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/starting-a-sentence-with-however-right-or-wrong

"However" is a perfectly good starting word. Use it with a comma to indicate a contrast to preceding text, or without a comma as a modifier indicating "in whatever way."

 

[noogies]

... supports it's ban.

In yet another vagary of the English language, the possessive for "it" should not be apostrophized. Go figure.

 

[Shominy]

No- I meant "it is ban".

 

[noogies]

No- I meant "it is ban".

... which is perfectly plausible.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Certainly reasonable to begin sentences with 'however' and the others. I notice that I tend to do it too often, and end up with a paragraph constructed of long sentences with subordinate clauses out the wazoo. Perhaps the way to good writing is moderation, and a varied diet of sentence structure.

 

[Shominy]

Perhaps the way to good writing is moderation, and a varied diet of sentence structure.

True for a great many things- variety.


POL-ice
IN-surance

 

[musichal]

Two mispronunciations that irritate me a little involve applicable and nemesis. I was taught that the accents for both are on the first syllable, but often people put it on the second for both. A subtlety perhaps for applicable, but not at all for nemesis.

 

[noogies]

Two mispronunciations that irritate me a little involve applicable and nemesis. I was taught that the accents for both are on the first syllable, but often people put it on the second for both. A subtlety perhaps for applicable, but not at all for nemesis.

I think "applicable" probably varies by region. I have never heard "nemesis" pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, though. Ne-mee-sis? Ne-mess-sis?!

 

[musichal]

I think "applicable" probably varies by region. I have never heard "nemesis" pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, though. Ne-mee-sis? Ne-mess-sis?!

Really? I've heard ne-MESS-is more than I've heard it correctly - or damn near it, anyway. Have had people "correct" me more than once.

 

[toxcrusadr]

I have never heard ne-MEE-sis either. Sounds a bit British...

VEE-hickle is very common in the Ozarks.

 

[Hyperion]

Sounds a bit British...

Noooo it doesn't

 

[toxcrusadr]

I didn't say CORRECT British.

 

[steerpike2]

I didn't say CORRECT British.

BBC TV of late has some of the worst grammar and pronunciation I have heard. Some decades ago, BBC radio was the way to learn how to seak well, but there has been a severe downturn in their 'quality control'.
(I suspect the rot began to set in when it was no longer a requirement for radio announcers to wear a suit and tie.)

The English have this abominable phrase "was sat", when "was sitting" should be used: "He was sitting in the airport lounge."

Another pronunciation peeve is the American tendency to use certain present tense verbs when implying past tense. Particular exampe "spit", past tense "spat": "He spat into the cuspidor".

 

[MaxxVolume]

Certainly reasonable to begin sentences with 'however' and the others. I notice that I tend to do it too often, and end up with a paragraph constructed of long sentences with subordinate clauses out the wazoo. Perhaps the way to good writing is moderation, and a varied diet of sentence structure.

Try substituting "Shaniqua" for "However", and see where THAT takes the conversation....

 

[JDub]

Spoken language tends to be informal, so I am pretty accepting of idiosyncratic usages. If you're going to the trouble of writing language down, though, at least make an effort to have it be standard. A couple of oft-seen calamities that irritate me to no end are "of" used instead of "have" (would of, should of, could of - good grief!) and plurals used as singular nouns - common ones being criteria, phenomena, and bacteria.

 

[usedto]

Teacher: Mary, spell "cat".

Mary: "Kat"

Teacher: That is incorrect.

Mary: Then what does it spell?