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Hillsboro, Oregon
Posts: 154
Joined: Apr, 2008
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[#1] Posted: 08/25/2009 - 8:55:39 PM |  |  |
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We have not had a good rant in a while so I thought I’d throw one in.
First off let me say, I’m no grammarian and I don’t play one on TV but there are a few (way too often) misused words that bug me! Just because they sound alike does not mean one can use them interchangeably! Misuse of these sound-alike words will, in my opinion, make the writer appear less intelligent than he otherwise would. I know I’m guilty of comma crimes but correct word choice is an easy one to rectify.
Here is the short list of those words that, when misused, make me cringe.
Your vs You’re
Your: A possessive form of you. "I like your flashlight", she said.
You’re: An abbreviated form of “you are”. "I like the way you’re using the flashlight", she said.
Correct:
"Hey Bob, I like the way you’re using your flashlight", she said with a grin.
Not so correct (AKA wrong)
When your looking at a problem with you’re flashlight, you probably will not see much.
There vs Their and sometimes They’re
There: A location. There is the problem I told you about.
Their: Belonging to them. That is their problem not mine.
They’re: An abbreviated form of “they are”. They’re having an inspection on a house.
Correct: They’re having an inspection on their house over there.
There are a few more that I see misused here very often ……
then vs than
to vs too
its vs it’s
You can look these up, if you need to......
Now I'll go work on preventing more of my comma crimes.
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Scott Wagar
"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun. " -Thomas A. Edison |
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Needham, Massachusetts
Posts: 1845
Joined: Sep, 2003
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Which word to use ????
[#2] Posted: 08/28/2009 - 04:20:15 AM | | |
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Did you mean apostrophic abominations?
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Jimmy
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Chicago, IL
Posts: 9553
Joined: Dec, 2003
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Which word to use ????
[#3] Posted: 08/28/2009 - 04:50:49 AM | | |
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Scott's channeling his inner Walter.
Next week, it'll be loose and lose.......
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Kurt in Chicago
"If I smell it, it goes in the report".............Phillip Smith...2012
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Rochester, New York
Posts: 4130
Joined: Dec, 2003
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Which word to use ????
[#4] Posted: 08/28/2009 - 05:29:38 AM | | |
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moot, mute, site, sight, cite, piece, peace, efflorescence, effervescence, dryer, drier, led, lead, through, threw, affect, effect, exaggerate, exacerbate, entomology, etymology, bus, buss. All useful words...pick the correct one though because they're not interchangeable.
I compiled these words and about 200 others from posts on Active Rain. Whenever my blood pressure is too low I go there to read helpful advice from professional home inspectors.
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Chad Fabry
StructureSmart Home Inspection Rochester, NY
www.structuresmart.com
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Hillsboro, Oregon
Posts: 154
Joined: Apr, 2008
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Which word to use ????
[#5] Posted: 08/28/2009 - 08:21:57 AM | | |
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Moot , mute that one really gets me !
I will admit that I enjoyed most of Walter's comments. I think most of them fell on deaf ears. Oh well, you can lead an Inspector to the dictionary but you can't make him use it.
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Scott Wagar
"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun. " -Thomas A. Edison |
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