Shame on You...Huffington Post!

Is there a proofreader on staff at the Huffington Post? IJS

[Note: I understand that there is an organization called One Million Moms, but my point is that on first blush, there is ambiguity and reason to think there are grammatical errors. Why not have another headline that clears that up so grammar fanatics like me don't zing you?]

Ignorantic Sign makers: When Does You Open?

Oh, you is closed...and this was printed from a computer. I guess they didn't have grammar check. SMH.

An Early Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa Present to my Readers

Here is a QUICK and DIRTY website for all you Ignorantics in denial. I have already admitted that I am a reformed Ignorantic, but some folks would rather admit they are heroin addicts than admit they are Ignorantics. Consider this an early Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa gift. Bookmark this link...keep it as a tab...I hope you find it useful. 
Link: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors

Ignorantics Easy Reference Guide

I think it is important to note that 75% of all Ignorantics are college-educated people. That being said, I have, on occasion, admitted (in fact it is in my disclaimer on this Blog) that I am also a reformed Ignorantic. There are times that I fall back into the deep abyss of Ignorantics. However, I am fortunate that I have my mother, a retired educator, as my Ignorantic compass. I may have a compass but many Ignorantics do not because they are surrounded by other Ignorantics.

Recently, one of my readers sent me an article. I wanted to share it with all of you because it points out some of the more commonly used grammatical errors that drive Ignorantics to a furious pitch. 

Here is the list:

1. You're / Your: The apostrophe means it's a contraction of two words; "you're" is the short version of "you are" (the "a" is dropped), so if your sentence makes sense if you say "you are," then you're good to use you're. "Your" means it belongs to you, it's yours.

·        You're = if you mean "you are" then use the apostrophe

·        Your = belonging to you 

Example: You're going to love your new job!

2. It's/ Its: This one is confusing, because generally, in addition to being used in contractions, an apostrophe indicates ownership, as in "Dad's new car." But, "it's" is actually the short version of "it is" or "it has." "Its" with no apostrophe means belonging to it.

• It's = it is

·       Its = belonging to it

Example: It's important to remember to bring your telephone and its extra battery.

3. They're/ Their/ There: "They're" is a contraction of "they are." "Their" means belonging to them. "There" refers to a place (notice that the word "here" is part of it, which is also a place – so if it says here and there, it's a place). There = a place

• They're = they are
• Their = belonging to them

Example: They're going to miss their teachers when they leave there.

4. Loose/ Lose: These spellings really don't make much sense, so you just have to remember them. "Loose" is the opposite of tight, and rhymes with goose. "Lose" is the opposite of win, and rhymes with booze. (To show how unpredictable English is, compare another pair of words, "choose" and "chose," which are spelled the same except the initial sound, but pronounced differently.  No wonder so many people get it wrong!)

• Loose = it's not tight, it's loosey goosey
• Lose= "don't lose the hose for the rose" is a way to remember the same spelling but a different pronunciation

Example: I never thought I could lose so much weight; now my pants are all loose!

5. Lead/ Led: Another common but glaring error. "Lead" means you're doing it in the present, and rhymes with deed. "Led" is the past tense of lead, and rhymes with sled. So you can "lead" your current organization, but you "led" the people in your previous job.

• Lead = present tense, rhymes with deed
• Led = past tense, rhymes with sled

Example: My goal is to lead this team to success, just as I led my past teams into winning award after award.

6. A lot / Alot/ Allot: First the bad news: there is no such word as "alot." "A lot" refers to quantity, and "allot" means to distribute or parcel out.

Example: There is a lot of confusion about this one, so I'm going to allot ten minutes to review these rules of grammar.

7. Between you and I:This one is widely misused, even by TV news anchors who should know better. In English, we use a different pronoun depending on whether it's the subject or the object of the sentence: I/me, she/her, he/him, they/them. This becomes second nature for us and we rarely make mistakes with the glaring exception of when we have to choose between "you and I" or "you and me." that "between you and I" is never correct, and although it is becoming more common, it's kind of like saying "him did a great job." It is glaringly incorrect. The easy rule of thumb is to replace the "you and I" or "you and me" with either "we" or "us" and you'll quickly see which form is right. If "us" works, then use "you and me" and if "we" works, then use "you and I."

One of the reasons that I write this Blog is to put a spotlight on incorrect English so that folks will be shamed into not repeating it. Ignorantics is rooted in repetition and the familiar. We say what we are used to saying or what we've heard over and over again even when we know it is wrong. The key to curtailing your ignorantics is to STOP, DROP, and ROLL just like you would in a fire. STOP using the incorrect words, DROP the excuses that it is the way everyone speaks, then ROLL with it. If you really want to break your ignorantic ways, click on the following links in your spare time and work on using words correctly. Gone are the days when college-educated people can blame bad grammar on typos. It just won't wash anymore. Learn to be a good proofreader and review before you hit "SEND" or "ENTER". 

Again, most of the content in this post was taken from the following references [please use them as a guide]:

Reference: http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/7-spelling-and-grammar-errors-make-you-look-dumb#comment_form_wrap

Reference: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/between-you-and-me.aspx

What is Your Ignorantic Score?

What is your Ignorantic Score? Here is the point scale:

[1] You are ignorant and you can't be helped because you don't realize you are ignorant (it is genetic); verbs and pronouns are not your friend, and it is very possible that your first and middle name were "made up" (i.e., LaTraysha, ReDanica, KaRonald, KaWalgreens, DeMoniker, etc.)

[2] You are ignorant with an attitude and you refuse to seek help (i.e., you practice your ignorantics and carry it with swagger) ;

[3] You are ignorant because you think it is fashionable to be ignorant (i.e., loud, wrong, but fashionable with the latest designer wear (fake and/or real);

[4] You are ignorant based on the region that you live in and everyone around you is just as ignorant as you (i.e., you continue to repeat incorrect words using your mideast, northeast or southern dialect);

[5] You are a borderline ignorantic with a slight chance of redemption [in ignorantic therapy, this is commonly referred to as "cloudy with a chance of rain"] (i.e., you are ignorant but continue to lull in your ignorance because you're lazy and you think its funny);

[6] You are beginning to understand that what you "think" and "say" at the same time is never going to come out right (i.e., you are a hyper ignorantic that cannot master your impulsive ignorantics - the words come out of your mouth before you have a chance to catch them);

[7] You are at the beginning of the reformation process; you have acknowledged your ignorance and you are beginning to take steps to correct it (i.e., you have been an ignorantic all of your life, but you just got a new job and you know you can't continue to speak like that around your co-workers);

[8] You are a modern day ignorantic who occasionally drops a few "I" bombs [ignorantic bombs] but you mean well (i.e., you present well but subject/verb agreement eludes you due to the casual nature in which you speak - you tend to be devoted to speaking in the vernacular);

[9] You overthink before you write and speak, often overusing spell-check and grammar check just so you can prove that you are not an ignorantic. This category also frequently attempts to rationalize or analyze ignorantic speech (i.e., you work in a field where writing is important and you would cringe if anyone caught a writing error in your email, your PowerPoint slides, or during a presentation/meeting);

[10] You are an educated Ignorantic who can and will drop a few "I" bombs BUT you know the difference and your use of Ignorantics may only occur 1-10 times per year [educated is defined as a college degree or better]

Ok...so what was your ignorantic score? If your score falls between 1-5, you still need help, and you should buy stock in the spell-checking feature on all word processing software, use Google DAILY, and buy William Strunk, Jr.'s The Elements of Style and use it like a Bible. If your score falls between 6-8, you are indeed an ignorantic, but you are beginning to turn the corner of hope because you made a conscious decision to take this test [I am proud of you...baby steps remember?]. If you scored a 9 or a 10, you are not safe, you are probably a reformed ignorantic in denial. Now, Mr. or Ms./Mrs. 9 or 10, you are probably saying to yourself, I scored high on this darn test, why is she calling me a reformed ignorantic? First, it takes one to know one. Second, the answer is quite simple: you took the test! You are not even sure if you are an ignorantic...

Please post your scores in the Comment box below, and tell us why you think you obtained that score. Come on...don't be scurd!