grammar-snob pet peeves

This could have been post in the "Common Mistakes" category, but it is also a good tip to remember:

Compliance with some grammar rules can be challenging, but many of the common mistakes just seem downright lazy. Here are a few of my top grammar-snob pet peeves.

- Possessive vs. Contractions – IT’S not that hard people. “It’s” is a contraction, short for “it is.” “Its” is the possessive of it. For example, “The cat licked its paws.” The paws belong to the cat=possessive. Same with YOUR and YOU’RE. If you want to say, “YOU ARE an excellent grammarian,” please use “you’re.” “I like your shoes,” is possessive. Shoes belong to you.

- There, Their and They’re – Similar to #1, “THEIR” is the possessive for a group, as in, “Their quest for gold ended in a loss to the Canadian hockey team.” THERE is a place. Over THERE. “I want to go THERE.” “They’re” is another one of those contraction thingamajigs, short for “they are.” “They’re going on a trip together.”

- Ending sentences with an unnecessary preposition – “Where is she at?” easily becomes “Where is she?”

- Irregardless – It’s not a word. Look it up.