Grammar that confuses you

[graemer]

What usage of grammar makes you stop and think "is that correct"?

(that's probably bad grammar)

I always have to stop and think about "Hone" and "Home (in)" and if the right one has been used.

Also has any one else noticed the growing trend for people to confuse"Lose" or "Loser" with "Loose" and "Looser"?

[THECORBYLOON]

I pronounce the word "lose" as it is spelt to rhyme with "close" and "hose" etc. so I have never confused "lose" with "loose"

[Clare A]

I'm completely with Xollob on the use of 'I' and 'me'!

'Do take some, there's far too much for Fred and I'. Take Fred out of it, and see how much sense 'there's far too much for I' would make. It'd be 'there's far too much for me', wouldn't it? Many people nowadays, unsure of 'me' or 'I', say 'myself'. We've rumbled you!

[Clare A]

oh - another.

I regularly read 'sorry for any inconvience'.

[Xollob]

Clare, glad I'm not alone.
One way of shaming someone who comes with "He gave the book to Peter and I" is to pretend not to have caught what they said and ask "I'm sorry - he gave the book to Peter and whom?", dwelling for an outrageous length of time on the final "m".
It doesn't always work but it's worth a try.

[Earthlady]

Some lovely answers on this thread, lol.  On the question of spelling, there are a number of words with the ei or ie combination that I always have to think about.  As a teacher of English (as a foreign language) I get very annoyed with errors on TV and radio - particular pet hates at the moment are the use of less instead of fewer (fewer and fewer people are use fewer these days!) and the guy on Big Strong Boys (woops) who says that every room needs a vocal point!  Why?  Does he need something to shout at?

[Sasha13]

Xollob - I love that one too, and it's suprising how many people get it wrong. The easy way is to remember it is to think whether you would use 'us' or 'we' in the sentence if it was formed differently. For example - if Jack and Jill wanted someone to 'leave us alone' Jill would need to say 'leave Jack and me alone'. If they were going to the shops (we are going to the shops) it would be 'Jack and I are going to the shops'. Hope this makes sense.

Another of my pet hates is people saying 'compared to' - you compare something 'WITH' something else, not 'to' !!!

[Xollob]

Hallo Sasha13 - there is a subtle difference between "compare with" and "compare to", both of which are acceptable. Generally speaking, "to" stresses similarities, whereas "with" deals with similarities and differences. The site Common Errors in English explains this quite well.

See also Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day. I hope you're not suggesting the Bard was a thicko!

[hertz]

A favourite (or most exasperating) mispronunciation is Inspector Frost saying "burgalry" instead of burglary. My other one is people who say pronounciation instead of pronunciation.