Common misuse of the English Language examples

[Dris]

Now obvious 'typos' are exempt.We all all make them.

ect for 'etc' .

of cause for of course .


Any more glaringly obvious ones?

[NazNomad]

their / there / they're

[bednobs]

greatful
breaking (for applying one's brakes)

[milly143]

I see people writing on FB things like "your (you're) be fine" instead of "you'll be fine". It happens so often it can't just be a typo and it bugs the hell out of me.

[PokerMan]

people who confuse borrow/lend and bought/brought

[MarkRae]

your / you're
apostrophes in plurals
its / it's
there / they're / their
people who say they're "spitting feathers" (i.e. really thirsty) when they mean "spitting blood" (i.e. really angry)

[Buenchico]

assume / presume

[bednobs]

eek, what's the difference between those chris?

[pretty_snowdrop]

People who mistake learn and teach. They say 'that will learn them' when it should be 'that will teach them'. Another one is the double negative, ' i don't want non of those' when it should be 'i don't want any of those'.

[milly143]

Specific/Pacific.

[Buenchico]

From 'Fowler', Bednobs;
" . . . the object-clause after 'presume' expresses what the presumer really believes, till it is disproved, to be true ; that after 'assume', what the assumer postulates, often as a confessed hypothesis"

[bednobs]

per say

[MarkRae]

infer / imply
"either" followed by more than two choices e.g. "either the first, second or third option"
criteria / bacteria followed by a singular verb
none followed by a plural verb

[DTCwordfan]

One that drives me mad - Compliment and Complement

[mickrog]

can you borrow me a fiver?

i borrowed you a fiver

now people using the wrong word as above drives me mad

[delboy3]

'to' instead of 'too'
'loose' instead of 'lose'
'try and...' instead of 'try to...'

[tinkie]

edgeways instead of edgewise and tenderhooks instead of tenterhooks

[Dris]

specific/pacific -forgot that one.

aks/ask -its very common with anyone of Caribbean descent even if they have been born and raised here.

[mickrog]

i once askes my boss if his other cabinets moved having seen the following notice on one cabinet

STATIONARY CACINET

[MarkRae]

"you'll have another thing coming" instead of "another *think* coming"

[daoji]

A instead of an and an instead of A.