Gramatical mistakes that are way too common
Some come to mind:
Could of (Should be could have)
I could care less (It’s couldn’t)
If I was (should be if I were)
Spelling grammaticle
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MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Gramatical mistakes that are way too com...
"Its" is the possessive form of it, "it's" is the contraction for "it is"
They're, There, Their
Using the possessive when you mean to use the plural.
If I be is also acceptable.
shareErrors in grammar have never bothered me. As long as I know what the person is trying to say, it's all sweet.
share> If I was (should be if I were)
Actually, both are correct but in different situations. Use "if I were" for unreal situations, "if I was" for real possibilities.
"I didn't hear the phone ring when you called, but if I was in the shower I wouldn't have heard it."
"I didn't hear the phone, but if I were on the Moon you would have had to contact me via NASA."
In the musical, Fiddler On The Roof, when Tevye sings "If I Were A Rich Man" he's choosing the correct word because he knows it will never happen.
Whether quotation mark goes inside or outside another piece of punctuation
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/punctuation/does-punctuation-go-inside-quotation-marks.html
That's how I was taught (inside), but I've seen the period outside the quotation marks. It looks so lonely sitting out there. I think it may be a British practice to put it outside??
shareThat linked article says question marks and exclamation points go inside quotation marks. I was taught they go inside or outside according to whether they're part of the quoted material. For example,
She asked, "what time is it?" -- I am stating that she asked for the correct time.
She said, "I don't remember that"? -- I am asking if she stated that she doesn't remember.
Here are three grammar resources that recommend that practice:
https://www.codot.gov/business/grants/safetygrants/assets/APStyleGuideCheatSheet.pdf
https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/08/punctuating-around-quotation-marks.html
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/more_quotation_mark_rules.html
My link gets to that under "When Exclamation Points and Question Marks Go Outside"
However, I prefer your links for clarity.
The "bible" is The Chicago Manual of Style, but that requires a paid subscription to access.
> My link gets to that under "When Exclamation Points and Question Marks Go Outside"
Oh, OK -- I didn't look far enough ahead. Thanks for catching my mistake.
> The "bible" is The Chicago Manual of Style, but that requires a paid subscription to access.
I used to have a subscription but let it lapse. I think I'll renew it.
Your and you're.
Who and whom.
> Who and whom
As I said in another post in this thread, at least in US English there's an element of formality involved that sometimes trumps strictly correct grammar. I once had to explain to a Chinese-born coworker why using "whom" is sometimes not a good idea even when it's correct.
I'm a writer, and when I'm writing dialogue, I very rarely use 'whom' even when it's correct. The only time I feel it's appropriate is when the character I'm writing it for is slightly pompous, or maybe a college professor or something similar.
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