They're Their and There

Published

They're Their and There

Your and You're

To, Too, and Two

There is a difference :)

Does anyone else feel that their grammar/spelling skills have gone out the window since high school? I used to be editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, and now I can barely squeak out a sentence without a spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistake.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm sure I make my share of mistakes (even with a degree in English to my credit), but my personal pet peeve is incorrect capitalization. i cringe everytime i see this.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm sure I make my share of mistakes (even with a degree in English to my credit), but my personal pet peeve is incorrect capitalization. i cringe everytime i see this.

I Have A Manager At My Professional Office Job That Writes Like This In Every E-Mail. He Thinks Writing This Way Will Make You Hang On To Every Word. I Suppose People Will Take Him More Seriously If He Capitalizes All The Words That Are Important (to him :uhoh3:).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
That's true, but I find myself questioning their professionalism when I get emails from teachers, colleagues, etc that misspell words or don't use proper grammar.

good point

Up Vote Up Vote ×
let's eat grandpa.

vs.

let's eat, grandpa.

punctuation saves lives! :smokin:

i say this while surfing the internet and just had to post it. :uhoh3: :eek: :D

ok, this is one thing i don't get. i specifically remember being taught in school that an apostrophe brings 2 words together. so why is an apostrophe being put in some words anyway. like take your example...."let's eat, grandpa", it doesn't make sense..."let is eat, grandpa". shouldn't it just be "lets eat, grandpa"? another thing for example, "that's tommy's toy"....that means, "that's tommy is toy", shouldn't is be "that's tommys' toy" ??? :uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Utilization Management.
Ok, this is one thing I don't get. I specifically remember being taught in school that an apostrophe brings 2 words together. So why is an apostrophe being put in some words anyway. Like take your example...."Let's eat, Grandpa", it doesn't make sense..."Let is eat, Grandpa". Shouldn't it just be "Lets eat, Grandpa"? Another thing for example, "That's Tommy's toy"....that means, "That's Tommy is toy", shouldn't is be "That's Tommys' toy" ??? :uhoh3:

This is a good resource for everything grammar-related: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is a good resource for everything grammar-related: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

Thank you! I either had a crappy English teacher way back when or I forgot all the usages of the great apostrophe, lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I liked the owl site but it didn't cover "Let's"... that is a contraction of "let us." I had to google it, I am not a grammar or a punctuation nazi but my daughter is. I've been trying to fix some of my failings for her sake. Not all of them, though. I WILL continue to end sentence with prepositional phrases, unless there is some particular reason not to. That is dialect, not a mistake.

I like the other grammar site too, they had some good stuff even if I didn't realize wierd/weird is a major problem. I loved their lose/loose, I do not know why has been so hard for me. I always feel like I'm spelling it wrongI like my Their, They're, There better though. Here is a place word, so is there. If it is really two words, it needs an apostraphe (they are). Otherwise it is their, which I used to spell thier, until I hooked it to the other pronouns he and she which have the e next to the h, so does their when it is spelled correctly.

I still get tangled up by ect or etc, sigh.

I recommend the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" even for people who are not grammar nazi. Grammar nazis tend to thoroughly enjoy it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Does anyone else feel that their grammar/spelling skills have gone out the window since high school? I used to be editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, and now I can barely squeak out a sentence without a spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistake.
Since college, I've regularly kept and reviewed several references. My favorite is "A Writer's Reference" by the late Diana Hacker. I can touch it with my left hand while keeping my right on the keyboard/mouse.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

BTW, the Purdue Owl site also has one of the best online APA style guides:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The funny thing is that I sometimes drop into bad-grammar vernacular even though even though I can generally hold my own with most grammar Nazis... sometimes I just like the sound of the double-negatives and missing phonemes. Just tonight I busted out with a, "hey, I ain't done nuthin' wrong."

Sometimes it's fun to ruffle folks' feathers a little and lull them into false estimation of my intellect and education... just 'cuz.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I do not speak near as well as I write.

Some things pack more punch when said wrong!

My former in-laws assumed I was an illiterate dunce because: a) I had no college degree, b) I attended school in a poor school district, c) my parents were factory workers, d) I held an undignified job as a CNA and e) I don't talk good (lol).

Well, I had written a letter to my mother-in-law... and she was floored! She was even tacky enough to think I would be flattered to hear how shocked she was that I was so... so... articulate.

I could spell!

I knew how to properly use a semi-colon!

I knew the difference between "through" and "threw"!

I kid you not.

She told me this.

People can assume what they want about me. I know how to be "proper" when I must, such as a job interview, a formal introduction or a serious talk with a patient, etc...

English is a fun, rich language that is just asking to be played with and I enjoy playing with it!

P.S. I never use proper paragraphing in this forum. I have no clue why!

Cheers!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Private Practice- wellness center.

Regarding "Let's eat grandpa" and "Let's eat, grandpa." It's all in the use of the comma. LOL. One says let's eat him while the other is inviting him to eat.

While we're on the subject....LOL....

It's y'all NOT ya'll. :-P

Eye no kin type gud haf da time, but I can sure write a KILLER paper in proper APA format when I am forced to. (Dang...I still have 18 months left until graduation...I wonder how many more papers that will translate into? :-D)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion