Grammar Pet Peeves Editors and Writers Hate
- Max
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
As writers and editors, nothing makes us cringe more than a word or phrase misused in text, casual conversation, or even social media. Below are some grammar pet peeves you'd be itching to correct if you encountered them.
Should Of, Could Of, Would Of
When an error is popular in spoken form, it is easy to ignore. This error is popular because both have and of sound alike. However, the modals would, could, should, must, might, and may are never combined with of. Long term, it'd be best to gently correct the speaker or writer.
Like, Literally
These words have become speech fillers, similar to um and uh. Nowadays, most people who use literally probably don't mean to be taken, well, literally.
In casual conversation, let it go. People are prone to hyperbole, which makes language interesting. However, take care when using these words in written form, like, literally.
Parallelism
Parallelism is when a word, phrase, or clause within a sentence has repeated grammatical construction. This is especially important when writing sentences that enumerate or are composed of multiple clauses.
Incorrect: Her hobbies include writing, doing yoga, and to dance.
Correct: Her hobbies include writing, doing yoga, and dancing.
Double Negatives
Double negatives are just that: two negatives placed in a single sentence, creating a positive phrase. While double negatives can sometimes add color to language or add emphasis, they also create a whole lot of confusion.
Incorrect: You can’t see nothing with these glasses.
Correct: You can’t see anything with these glasses.
If you're confused by someone’s statement because they used a double negative, ask for clarification. Take note, though, that some people intentionally use double negatives to add personal inflections to their sentences, or even, occasionally, to confuse their reader.
Misplaced Pronouns
No matter how long we’ve studied the English language, pronoun placement can still be pretty tricky. The general rule is to use the pronouns I, he, she, and we as subjects and me, him, her, and us as objects. However, when other nouns come to play, it can be pretty confusing. Here’s an example so you can visualize it.
Incorrect: Me and Anita are going to brunch this Sunday. Last week, Jessie went to the park with Marley and I.
Correct: Anita and I are going to brunch this Sunday. Last week, Jessie went to the park with Marley and me.
Who and Whom
The rules on using who and whom can be confusing, but anyone can get them with some practice. Who is the subject form, while whom is the object form. When in doubt, answer the question with a pronoun. Whichever form sounds right is probably the answer.
Apostrophe Placement
Thank goodness we don’t see what people say, right? Otherwise, apostrophes would probably be misplaced everywhere! Many rules surround this particular punctuation mark, but the most common ones are that singular nouns become possessive with the addition of an apostrophe and the letter s, plural nouns become possessive with the addition of just the apostrophe, and finally, apostrophes don’t make anything plural (a rule that many seem to forget).
Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives, adjectives with -er or more, are used when comparing only two objects. Superlatives, adjectives with -est or most, are used when comparing three or more objects. Moreover, -er and more and -est and most should never be used together, even when trying to create emphasis.
Incorrect: These blue walls look more better than the yellow wallpaper.
Correct: These blue walls look better than the yellow wallpaper.
It's Okay to Make Mistakes
While these grammar misses can be grating to the eyes and ears, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. And that's okay. Whether you're correcting a friend or editing a writer's work, we believe it's best to correct someone's grammar in a way that's both considerate and straightforward. Know your audience; sometimes correcting someone's grammar is for the best, but in some situations, you might just end up looking like a know-it-all.
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