Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin
I have been a professional editor for more than 30 years and over those years I have noticed that every writer and editor has a spelling or grammar quirk, that is, something that they consistently and persistently get wrong. For example, I recently read an ARC from a well-respected author who has written many books. In every instance of use of farther and further, the author used the wrong term. The author even used a term I have seen but once before: farthermore.
For myself, I know that I always have trouble with compose and comprise, so much so that I have it specially bookmarked in my usage books.
I do agree, Harry, that the more you use a term the more likely you are to use it correctly, but I also know that such a statement is true only 99% of the time. It is that annoying 1% that makes us human.  |
I completely agree with you that are things that trip everyone up, and I have to confess that, without looking it up, I don't know the difference between "further" and "farther". Indeed, I don't think I was consciously aware that the word "farther" even existed. I don't expect authors to know the difference between "a while" and "awhile" (because it's something that only grammar pedants care about) and I've completely given up on expecting people to correctly use "who" and "whom" (although continuing to use them correctly myself).
It's the common stuff that bugs me, and incorrect use of apostrophes comes right at the top of the list, I have to admit.
There are things that I see in books that make me shudder. I recently read something in which the author had (completely consistently) used the word "of" instead of the abbreviation 've; eg "we should of gone out", "we might of done this", "we could of done that". Of course I realise that "should've"
sounds like "should of", but to actually
write "should of" is really going too far.