Is anyone else rather fed up with the continued use of the word 'there' when the person really means their?

Question

No Deni not perfect but try to use the correct words when writing as the wrong ones causes much confusion.

I thought I would touch a sore spot in some people, however I am amazed at the number who have answered, thank you all. I will leave the question up for a little longer for those who have not had a chance to answer.

Sorry Debs, but I can not understand text language and most people do not either. The English language is as it is so that the written word is precise, just try some of the questions as written here in court.

It seems from the general reaction that many are displeased with the lack of gramatical and spelling ability these days. There also seems to be a problem with the teaching of English in schools these days. So we can put the blame quite squarely on the Blair government. where did the Education, Education, Education go? Probably the same way as all the other promises. thanks for answering will choose and close this now.

Answer 1

I am totally fed up and am constantly correcting my own teenagers for this problem. This problem however is not the only failing in their spelling and grammar and no matter how I correct them it seems I am actually going against the teachers point of view.
"It's the content and not the grammar or spelling which is most important", I am constantly being told ..........what more can I say......until the education system sort it out, we as parents are consistantly fighting the system at large.

Answer 2

Having just read through some of the lame entries on here, such as the A* GCSE student who doesn't know the difference between "TO" and "TOO", I am seriously worried about the state of the UK's education system. Each year when the exam results come out - supposedly improving every year - there is always an outcry that subjects must be getting easier rather than kids getting cleverer. I was always inclined to disagree with that, but judging by the poor grasp of even the most basic English that most kids have nowadays, I don't know any more. Have a free lesson on me!

Answer 3

Wow, we're like soul sisters! I've had a very similar experience. I wanted to get him erased from my mind. It does get easier. My brother actually said something that made me feel so much better, "Remember that his actions are not a reflection of who you are or a failing of yours. They are his failings and a reflection of who he is." You are a fabulous person I'm sure, hot: compassionate and forgiving. When you love it's with all you have, and people take advantage. Don't think that this means you are so easy to leave, or deserving of pain and loneliness. You aren't, you were just with the wrong guy at the wrong time. As for the recurring popping up, I don't know. I have the guy's son, his spitting image - always in view. And I love my son so much, and as a result I feel compelled to love the father despite it all. I just re-read my journals, and recall the reasons why I left: he's a boy, not a man, he loves himself above all else. Your guy had faults and failings besides the obvious. Think about that, the times he made a fool of himself, at least it'll give you something to smile about. Always remember, this too shall pass. And don't you dare think or do the unthinkable - you can't watch your own funeral and would you really want to see such awful acting on his part if he stopped being a dick long enough to mourn you?

Answer 4

Many of the people using this site are not English. Some however are and have no better use of the English language. In this case it is often people are either badly educated, dyslexic or just plain lazy.

Your question is a good one, but I find some of the answers incredibly amusing. People saying they hate miss use of the English language and ending their sentences with double Exclamation marks is just preposterously hypocritical.

I also think that there is a crossover "Online-English" and English will soon be different languages, if you disagree you may aswell argue that "Aluminum" does not exist, but aluminium does.

My English is only up to GCSE C grade, I am however a pereferal reader and this has helped me beyond compulsery education. My English is in some ways flawed, I can't read some of the previous rants without laughing to myself.

P.S I just tried the Spell checker on this answer, and it is extremely innacurate, or maybe it is American

Answer 5

Oh god yes, it's the tip of an iceberg though...

Confusing YOUR and YOU'RE is the biggest annoyance!

If people just sat down for five minutes and learned all this kind of stuff...would that be so hard?

*ADDENDUM*

Having just read through some of the lame entries on here, such as the A* GCSE student who doesn't know the difference between "TO" and "TOO", I am seriously worried about the state of the UK's education system. Each year when the exam results come out - supposedly improving every year - there is always an outcry that subjects must be getting easier rather than kids getting cleverer. I was always inclined to disagree with that, but judging by the poor grasp of even the most basic English that most kids have nowadays, I don't know any more. Have a free lesson on me!

To - as in: go TO the shop, go TO the top of the class (yeah right)

Too - as in: TOO much, TOO far, TOO many, TOO late (if it was TO late it would mean you were going somewhere called Late)

This ( ' ) is an apostrophe. It is used for two reasons:

a) To denote ownership/possession of something, e.g. "John's mobile phone" or "Sally's car" or "London's Biggest Attraction"

b) To represent a missing letter, e.g. "Let's dance" - the missing letter is "U" because "Let's" is short for "Let us"

The only exception I can think of is:

It's = "IT IS" - missing letter is the second "I"

and

Its = something belonging to it (eg a dog)

Read and learn people!!!

Answer 6

As you say this wrong choice of words and spellings is really irritating. It does not stop at There and their but "of and off" is another one. Also the use of the two words "Should of" instead of "should have" is another case of bad word usage.
We can only blame the education system of the past 30 years for this state, as the emphasis was on expression and not spelling or even correct English.
So many of the questions asked on this forum are badly constructed, poorly spelt and in a lot of cases unintelligible. The use of the Text talk language is another irritant as it takes far too long for me to understand it. Probably a godsend to people that cannot spell or write English.

Answer 7

I try not to let it bother me. It's such a common mistake, and most of the time I think it's made out of ignorance or laziness. If I started getting annoyed every time I saw a spelling or grammar mistake, I would spend all of my time on the Internet annoyed.

What does annoy me however is the people that use "they're" instead of "their" or "there". Or "you're" when it should be "your". It means this person has made an effort, but still got it wrong. I prefer the people that just don't try, and use "your" or "there" for everything. If you're trying to look clever in your writing, get it right. I can't stand apostrophe abuse. If you don't know how to use it, leave it out.

Here's a lesson for those that do want to try:

an apostrophe indicates possession or omission, e.g.

> David's computer - the computer belongs to David.

> don't - a contraction of "do not".

Apostrophes should not be used for plurals, e.g.

> the cats were playing - "cats" is plural and doesn't have an apostrophe

Apostrophes should not be used in possessive pronouns, e.g.

> The cat was hers - "hers" is a pronoun used just like "his", it doesn't have an apostrophe

> he put the book on its side - the side belongs to the book. Never use "it's" in this situation, "it's" is always a contraction of "it is". If you can't replace "it's" with "it is", then you are using it wrongly.

Your vs you're,

> can I see your book? - shows possession

> you're looking nice today - "you're" is always a contraction of "you are". If you can't replace it with "you are", you are using it wrongly.

> the book is yours - similar to hers, "yours" doesn't have an apostrophe, it is a possessive pronoun.

Sorry I got carried away there. Carry on....

Answer 8

Where/were
loose/lose
dose/does

.................and so on. People's grammar is awful too, e.g., 'different to' instead of the correct, 'different from' and 'try and' instead of the correct 'try to' etc.

Yes I totally agree with you. However, as an old wrinkly, I just have to assume that this is all part of the lowering of the standard which I was taught at school. These days, people just don't seem to care. I am convinced that the education levels are being dumbed down. Kids today would fail the 11+ that we were set and which was the norm back in the 50s.

Answer 9

I have to admit to sitting on the fence on this one in relation to Answers. The reason being that a lot of people on here are not English and therefore probably don't realise their mistake. Also my spelling isn't brilliant (normally longer words though and ones I don't use as frequently) but I use spell check. However, it doesn't pick up on there they're and their and also to, too and two.

However in magazines and papers yes it annoys me no end. I also get annoyed with people who say I won you - oh really and where are you going to put me? and can I go or can I do - well yes you can but whether or not I will let you is a totally different question.

I have to admit if I receive a CV with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors I bin it especially if it was sent by e-mail as you open it in word and red lines appear all over it. If people have taken the time and effort to write a CV and apply for a job then surely it is worth checking it is right.

Actually I have decided that it does annoy me but I manage to keep my annoyance in check normally so I am going to blame you for reminding me and getting me all wound up when I was quite calm. Maybe I should resort to text speak - which I really hate as then I wouldn't care about the spelling.

*Rant over thank you*

For the people that said they don't know or understand the difference.

1. They're - They Are as in they are alive.
2. There - as in over there, or that one there, an area or a direction.
3. Their - as in belongs to them. Their car
I was taught if it I could change the sentence to reflect to me as in Their car could become My car then I am in the sentence and therefore I should be in their (even though the sentence should actually read I should be in there!)

Answer 10

Although there are lots of answers here I thought I would add my two pennies worth. I am also fed-up and saddened by writers who are clearly ignorant of the correct words to use and also by those that appear too lazy to try and write a legible sentence. However, as one who has to battle with dyslexia I think some of the comments here are a bit too strong. Remember not every one can type fluently and get their letters the correct way round first time and for many with similar problems they cannot even see the the mistooks(sic) they have made. So there really is a need for some tolerance for poor writing albeit limited by the need for clarity and comprehension.

Answer 11

It's extremely annoying. What's even more worrying is that the people teaching them often make the same mistakes. Maybe they should have some kind of course built into their teacher training where they will learn basic grammar?

A friend of mine recently graduated as a teacher (from being a teaching assistant), her grammar and spelling are appalling. I'm not saying I'm perfect but I do make an effort.

Computer spell checkers, text speak and grammar being dropped from the GCSE / A Level exam criteria are other factors which are also to blame.

Is it significant that the spell checker on here doesn't recognise the acronym GCSE?!