Fewer

[G|force]

When spoken, I believe it comes down to laziness. Fewer is two syllables and therefore takes more muscle motion.

What really grinds my gears is when people put a dollar sign $ after a number. 1000$ instead of $1000. As if everyone else is doing it wrong.
Neurotic, isn't it?

 

[pinger]

My pet peeve is using loose instead of lose. See it so much its incredible

 

[G|force]

"Needs repaired" and good ol' "there" and "their"

 

[BDWoody]

The "I" vs "me" thing is my personal pet grammar peeve.

 

[theREALdotnet]

This^^^
Grammar is no longer taught.

Which is just as well. Grammar is a product of the human brain’s speech centre, which is formed in young children long before they start school.

What is taught in schools is orthography, also academic confabulations about grammar, along with a vast system of nomenclature.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

What is taught in schools is orthography, also academic confabulations about grammar, along with a vast system of nomenclature.

Very well, then "orthography, also academic confabulations about grammar, along with a vast system of nomenclature" is no longer taught.

Jim

 

[pderousse]

The antecedent to fewer should be discrete units (fewer capacitors - sorry, can't resist). Less refers to substantives that are not discrete units (less wire), as mentioned above. However, this is an example of a usage error, not grammar. I/me and who/whom is confusion of subjects with direct objects and that is an endemic grammar problem, like the grocer's apostrophe (i.e. vinyl's). Now, it is very painful to see a combined usage + grammatical error like that one, but, oh yes, I've witnessed it on this forum. Latin and Greek students get heavy doses of grammar in high school and college, as must modern FL students at the upper levels.

 

[sam_adams]

. . . fewer . . .

Better than the alternative . . .

 

[sergeauckland]

I see several things that annoy me, even on the BBC web site, that I would think would know better.
'One of the only' is far too common. It should be 'one of the few' as there are no degrees to only.
Similarly, 'Very unique'. There are no degrees to uniqueness.

There there is 'firing arrows'. Arrows are shot or loosed, there no fire involved, unless they actually are fire arrows.

If the BBC can't get things right and engages in sloppy speech or writing, I fear for English.

Other things I hear or read regularly are:-

The confusion between who and whom.

'Quantum Leap' meaning a large change, when it means the smallest possible change.

The grocer's apostrophe.

The Can I get.

It goes on.

S

 

[Deleted member 21114]

'One of the only' is far too common.

That's really egregious.

 

[kchap]

I'll amend my text books to refer to < and > as "fewer than" and "more than".

 

[BDWoody]

Quantum Leap' meaning a large change, when it means the smallest possible change.

Time being measured in "light years" is also one I see too often.

 

[Deleted member 21114]

Time being measured by "light years" is also one I see too often.

Any ful nos that the correct unit is the Parsec

 

[Phayes]

My pet peeve is using loose instead of lose. See it so much its incredible

One of mine is incredible, (if it is not credible, why bother with it?)
and another is the need for reporters to begin their sessions with "absolutely"

 

[jeroboam]

I will add the widespread misuse of the words "brake" and "break". It also annoys me why so many people, especially Americans, overuse the word "awesome" to describe something which does not inspire awe in any shape or form. American "Youtubers" are awesomely guilty of this.

 

[danadam]

It's "would of/could of" for me.

 

[danadam]

fewer capacitors - sorry, can't resist

Sure you can, here, it's easy: "fewer resistors"

 

[sergeauckland]

Another of my irritants is wanna and gonna when written out, as opposed to just in speech.

S.

 

[Deleted member 21114]

It will be a cold day in Hell when I stop correcting misuses of "literally" (baiting excepted).
The word is too useful to surrender to the mouth-breathers.

 

[BDWoody]

It's "would of/could of" for me.

Many could care less.

(Another of mine)

Irregardless, there's people whom literally loose all credibility with there myriad of mistakes. Its like theirs a quantum leap between them and I.