Seven Grammar Pet Peeves

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

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

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. 

Would of, could of, and should of are mistakes. This one is tricky 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).

But, saying that you could of done something doesn't make sense. Saying that you could have done something make sense. 

Oh no! I should have taken the cake out of the oven earlier!

You could also write this as a contraction.

Oh no! I should've taken the cake out of the oven earlier!

There, their, and they're are commonly confused words. Let's clear up any doubts you have about them!

Check out this little image and see if you find it helpful.

• There is an adverb indicating place, time, or position. In our image above, we add an arrow to the letter r to help us remember that this there shows us place. 

Let's go to the park. We can walk there.

• Their shows possession. In our image above, we turn the letter I into a little person to help us remember that this their has to do with someone owning something. 

Have you met the new neighbors? Their house is beautiful!

• They're is a contraction for the words they are. In the image above, we turn the apostrophe into the letter a to help us remember that this they're means they are.

The neighbors are coming at seven. They're bringing a cake.

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!

To Keith and I is wrong. Here's why:

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.

Nother isn't a word, so be sure that you say other instead of nother.

That is a whole other issue.

You could also use another.

That is another issue.

Its is a possessive pronoun.

The word its all by itself shows possession, so it doesn't need an apostrophe. His is another possessive pronoun. We don't put an apostrophe in his, right?

The cat played with its toy.

It's is a contraction for it is.

It's time to learn grammar!

If you'd like to teach or learn grammar the easy way—with sentence diagrams—check out our Get Smart Grammar Program.

It starts from the very beginning and teaches you grammar and sentence diagramming in easy, bite-size lessons.