Grammar Pet Peeves

Many of you lovely people send me emails requesting that I write lessons addressing your personal pet peeves. You dream of a world in which others stop doing the thing that drives you crazy.

Here are seven of the most common grammar pet peeves. Are these on your list?

1. Alot A lot

This one is easy to explain.

A lot is two words. Alot isn’t a word, so don’t use it.

I like grammar a lot.

2. Would/Could/Should Of Have

This is not correct.

This one is tricky for many people because of and have sound similar when we say them out loud. This is especially true when we use contractions (would’ve, could’ve, should’ve). Think about it. Saying that you could of done something makes no sense. Saying that you could have done something does make sense. Learn more about why this is incorrect here.

3. There/Their/They’re

There is an adverb indicating place, time, or position. Let’s go to the park. We can walk there. Their shows possession. Have you met the new neighbors? Their house is beautiful! They’re is a contraction for they are. The neighbors are coming at seven. They’re bringing a cake.

Oops!

Psst! Use this trick for remembering these commonly confused words.

4. Your/You’re

• Your is a possessive pronoun. It shows possession (ownership).
  I love your new car!
  
• You’re is a contraction for the words you are.
  This cake is delicious. You’re the best baker I know!

5. To He and I Him and Me

To he and I is wrong.

To is a preposition. Prepositions are always followed by a noun or pronoun called the object of the preposition. This noun or pronoun needs to be in the objective form.

The pronouns I, he, and she are used for subjects, so they aren’t the right choice here.

The pronouns me, him, and her are object pronouns, so they are the right choice here.

My grandma gave flowers to him and me.

6. A Whole Nother Other

This is another easy one.

Nother isn’t a word, so don’t use it!

That is a whole other issue.

You could also use another.
That is another issue.

7. Its/It’s

This is wrong.