It’s the teacher/proofreader in me I guess but these are the most common errors I see while meandering around the internet:
stationery vs. stationary
- Stationery means office supplies – I need some more stationery
- Stationary means not moving – the man rode his bicycle into a stationary car
would of
- I would have gone there but I was running late.
different to
- different from
loose vs. lose
- I need to lose weight
- When I lose weight, hopefully my trousers will be loose
its vs. it’s
- The door was hanging off its hinges
- it’s getting very late (abbreviation of it is)
compliment vs. complement
- thank you for the compliment
- this wine will be a perfect complement to your beef
reign vs. rein
- the Queen has reigned for 60 years
- the goverment needs to rein in spending
And then the huge irritations of:
- supposably instead of supposedly
- irregardless instead of regardless or irrespective
- pair a scissors instead of pair of scissors
- literally instead of figuratively
- nauseous instead of nauseated
- he was sat/stood instead of he was sitting/standing
- using infer instead of imply (I infer, you imply)
Not to mention:
- Discreet, as in cautious, careful, spelled discrete, which means separate or individually distinct. Correct usage: We did some discreet investigating
- Flaunt (show off ostentatiously) used instead of flout (show disregard for). Correct usage: He flouted the rules whenever it suited him. He flaunted the fact that he had lots of money.
- Chomping at the bit instead of champing at the bit. A horse champs at the bit in its mouth, eager to get going. Chomping implies eating something noisily.
- Your used instead of you’re. As in your welcome. Your is genitive (possessive) as in your jacket is here. You’re is a contraction of you are.
- Amount used instead of number. Amount is uncountable and number is countable. The number of people there was surprising.
- on tender hooks instead of on tenterhooks
As I read this, I feel my blood pressure rising; those who perpetrate such crimes against the beauty and expressiveness of the English language should be taken outside and seriously inconvenienced!
It’s horrendous how bad people are at grammar these days. I love your diplomacy – ‘seriously inconvenienced’, ha ha!