You're and Your

[cornfed]

I find that a lot of the people on here seem to have a real issue distinguishing between the two words you're and your. As designers, I think it is critical that we have a basic understanding of the english language since most people here are working in english. I'm not trying to be critical, but it just drives me nuts so I figured I'd put it out there as a friendly reminder. I am not trying to offend anyone or tell anyone how they have to type or anything like that so please don't take it wrong. I'm just informing.

Your - Your is possessive.
1 : of or relating to you or yourself or yourselves especially as possessor or possessors <your bodies>, agent or agents <your contributions>, or object or objects of an action <your discharge> 2 : of or relating to one or oneself <when you face the north, east is at your right> 3 —used with little or no meaning almost as an equivalent to the definite article the<your typical teenager>

You're is just another way of saying "You are."

[Two-Toe Tom]

i just play it safe and use "ur" in both cases :p

[CkretAjint]

I know I am a HUGE offender of this. Sorry Cornfed, but there is a reason I am an 'artist' and not an English teacher. :p

I shall attempt to be more careful in the future, this way I don't have to worry about reading about another one of your threads. ;)

[Satchel]

I usually notice when someone types it wrong, but when I'm typing sometimes I'm not really thinking... I dont proof read stuff on forums, I figure if you can sound it out, it's good enough ;)

[cornfed]

You're very kind! I don't really care how people spell in their postings, but if you're working on your jobs then this is a mistake you don't want to make!

[D-Frag]

dont care, do it all the time and just dont care anymore, seriously, internet spelling/grammar is for the birds, i probably type 5000+ words a day on the net, i get sick of having to spell check everything.

but yes, in jobs i def try and spell it right and know the difference ;)

[DesignVHL]

I think grammar and english IS important for us to be proper (not in posting here - in our work i mean)...i did well in the arts and Eng. so this isn't a problem for me...but for some others it may be! We are all good at different things...

As a good rule of thumb...i ALWAYS proof my clients content in by eye, and in word - running spell check and the grammar engine...and if it picks anything up, or if i see something, I'll revise it and send it back to the client...usually only takes a few mins. and I think it goes along with proofing your work entirely anyways before going to press...

I have a few clients who were so appreciative of this....and it made a world of difference....esp. with getting on-going work from them! I have even been given great recommendations for new clients based on my being so thorough in this matter....

[CkretAjint]

THANKS A LOT CORNFED!!! I was typing an email to a friend and caught myself using the wrong 'your'. DOH!!! :p

[icekitty37]

I AGREE! Too many times I see requests for proposals with HORRIBLE grammar, not just your and you're, but even more annoying like:

"graphic desinger neded", "intrent technology", "domaine is hosted..."

Maybe it is just ignorance?? Anyways, I pretty much pass these off because it just completely lowers the professional appearance and intelligence. Too bad more people aren't using their educations these days....

[CkretAjint]

a 'desinger'? Sounds like they need to look on American Idol and not here...

[Jen213]

I know what you mean! I'm a stickler about "its" & "it's"!

[PrintDriver]

There, their, they're...

[CkretAjint]

There, their, they're...

*shudders at the thought*

[cornfed]

There, their, they're...

Thank you, PD! That one bugs me, too!

[sierng]

Wazzup YOR
hahaha

[icekitty37]

du u knw wat i meen? thees where and r rally annoying 2

[Kool]

How bout the great Me vs I conundrum.

I don't have any trouble with any of this stuff. I credit my seventh grade english teacher Mrs. Anderson, or as we affectionately if not politically correctly called her "Prune Face" She was like a hundred years old and looked a lot like a little acid tongued mummy. She drilled this stuff into our heads permanently, hell she probably wrote a lot of these rules.

One of my favorites is the famous "I before E except after C or when sounded like A as in neighbor or weigh" I wonder how their fits into that rule, weird huh.

Which reminds me of another one, "If there is an exception to every rule then does that mean there is an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule?" Try getting your brain around that statement.

[Two-Toe Tom]

yes, the exception is the rule itself :p

[Dan_Grr]

I see a lot of people not caring about spelling either on the internet on from personal friends and former college colleagues. I make a BIG effort in always spelling correctly in english, which is not my native language, and portuguese, my native language.

Chances are, if you think proper spelling in your language "is not important on the internet", that when you write an email to someone or something that is immediatly important to you, that you have greater chances of looking like an uneducated person.

If I was a boss, I would not employ anyone who did not care to put the proper spelling and sentence construction when writing, specially if they're doing it on their native language. I know for a fact that in my college my teachers did the same and commented on this on some occasions.

Being a designer, or an artist, doesn't or shouldn't give us the right of becoming stupid. I know people that went to college with me that would write a lot of incorrect spelling and other terms online, and then that would show (in lesser degree, but still) it in offline and email writing. It makes people look very unprofessional, and if I was in charge, you wouldn't get through.

[obesebee]

Thanks for you're help on this, your the best!

[SpugNothuson]

I once tried to educate internet gamers how to type in proper English and all that. Good Lordy Lord, I might as well have tried to teach a Penguin how to say "Live long and Prosper" like Spock.

[PrintDriver]

Don't you pronounce 'their' like 'tha-er'? That sounds like A as in neighbor or weigh... :D
'Weird' is welll...just plain weird.

[Kool]

Only you noreastern folks say it that way, like when you go paaark yaa caaar. ;)

[morea]

That's how I say it too, PD. :D

[nyc_skater]

I sometimes wonder why most people gave up using s' and 's

They are two different things and I don't remember them officially going away.

[BJMRGTIVR6]

This bugs me too.

Besides:
They're, Their, There
and Your, You're
and its, it's

I also hate the: to, too, two

I too believe that if you're slacking on email/forums, you will tend to slack on everything else...including your website and portfolio. I have seen a few designer/printer sites that have errors like the above.

I usually, though not always, proofread my posts. I tend to write (not right) "the" as "teh" because I try to type too (not two, to) quickly.

[Kool]

I sometimes wonder why most people gave up using s' and 's

They are two different things and I don't remember them officially going away.

That one does confuse me. How do you write the plural of business?

[Two-Toe Tom]

i think it's businesses, could be wrong tho.

[Tea]

I'm horrible sometimes when posting. Luckily, I have one of those dictionary widgets on my desktop and I use it constantly. I know the difference between the above mentioned, but the one I find I mindlessly use wrong is "to" and "too." I also transpose my letters a lot. That's the word that drives me crazy. I see it all the time. They spell alot as if it's one work and not allot or a lot.

[Two-Toe Tom]

sometimes when i'm really excited, i let go of the shift key too early when typing my exclamation marks, so i sometimes get an extra '1' or '11' at the end.

[morea]

this is a good reference:

http://dictionary.reference.com/writing/

[BJMRGTIVR6]

Allot is used when describing distribution. similar to ration.

A soldier is allotted 4 gallons of water a day under normal conditions.

[Jen213]

2 other misuses of the English language (not necessarily online - but in general) that bug me are:

1) I "pissed" myself. OR I "shat" myself. When did that become accpetable English! It should be: I pissed in my pants or on myself. OR I shit in my pants or on myself. (Sorry for the wordy-dird!)

2) Good or Well? found this online:
The general rule with good and well is that well is an adverb and good is an adjective. What this means is that well modifies verbs, adjectives and other adverbs and good modifies nouns.
Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule just to keep us on our toes. "Well" may be used when describing if something is proper, healthy or suitable. As in, "I am well (healthy) today."

Examples

"That is a good song." (Good is modifying the noun, song.)
"You sang the song very well." (Well is modifying the verb, sang.)
"The bike is pedaling well." (Well is modifying the verb, pedaling.)
"The car is in good shape." (Good is modifying the noun, car.)Exceptions

One exception is with the use of verbs of sensation like touch, feel, looks, hears, and smells. It would be proper to say, "The cake smells good." To say that the cake smells well would imply that the cake has a nose that can smell appropriately. So, to add more confusion, it is also correct to say, "I feel good today." Good refers to how you are physically and spiritually feeling.
How are you feeling?
I feel good. (Think of James Brown's "I Feel Good".)
How are you?
I am well, thank you.

[Craig B]

The Caturday thread is so ashamed because of this thread ...

[Two-Toe Tom]

The Caturday thread is so ashamed because of this thread ...

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/469758086_051b1dd752.jpg

[Tea]

Funny!

[AlexNJ210]

These peeve me too. I always wonder why someone would want to look stupid by not doing a simple thing like spelling something correctly. Most people do know the difference, if you've made it to college....well you better know the difference....if you do not it think its quite lazy on your part. Typos happen and are usually easy to recognize as a typo, but most of the time the 'your' and 'to' mistakes mentioned above happen over and over. When i write something, i make sure i do a good job to spell things out and make a coherent sentence so others can understand exactly, or at least close to it, what im saying. Of course there are appropriate times for purposeful misspelling and slang which i dont feel is at all bad or wrong.

[Typically]

man i've been a terrible speller since i can remember. my parents tried all kinds of things to help me with it but i just have a really hard time with it. i use spell check on EVERYTHING! i'm in love with my google toolbar because it has spell check on it so i never look like a total 3rd grader when i post =]

[Ned]

Personally, I don't understand how your/you're and its/it's can be such a problem. It's a simple matter of, if you can't say it as "you are" or "it is", then you use the possessive form.

[cornfed]

If you have trouble with contractions, just talk like Data from Star Trek. He never uses contractions!

[AlexNJ210]

Personally, I don't understand how your/you're and its/it's can be such a problem. It's a simple matter of, if you can't say it as "you are" or "it is", then you use the possessive form.
by Jove, I THINK HES GOT IT!!!!

[Craig B]

… or "he's got it".

[Ned]

The only one that gets me is when to use ya'll, and when to use y'all. :D

[AlexNJ210]

correct, see typos happen, "he's" being the contraction of "he is" or "he has", gracias!

[cornfed]

Ya'll is a contraction for "you all." If following proper english language conventions, it would be y'all. Since it originated in the south and we rarely follow language conventions, it is spelled ya'll!!

[MyST]

I've seen people spelling colour without the "u".
That irritates me!:rolleyes:

[AlexNJ210]

thats because it is not wrong to do that

[budafist]

I've seen people spelling colour without the "u".
That irritates me!:rolleyes:

Me too! I used to work at a place called Colorama. Totally annoying.

[morea]

thats because it is not wrong to do that

he's just being a punk. ;)

[MyST]

Nuh uh, your a punk!:D

[Craig B]

Ned and Cornfed ... it's "y'all" ...

But my favorite is "all y'all's" ... a double contraction grammar anomaly.

[morea]

Nuh uh, your a punk!:D


oh, I see how it is.

http://i13.tinypic.com/4z0odht.jpg

Would you like to reconsider?

[MyST]

http://i11.tinypic.com/6fh8aph.gif

OK...ok!

[AlexNJ210]

*stands behing morea* no YOU'RE a punk..........punk.......*sticks out tounge then ducks morea's backhand*

[morea]

http://i14.tinypic.com/4tf1idl.gif

[Ned]

Ya'll is a contraction for "you all." If following proper english language conventions, it would be y'all. Since it originated in the south and we rarely follow language conventions, it is spelled ya'll!!

Technically, ya'll is a contraction of "ya all", which is a slang of a slang.

Y'all would be a contraction of "you all", which is proper english spelling, but not proper grammar. It gets turned into a slang when contracted, anyways.

[cornfed]

I guess it depends on where you're from. It's spelled ya'll here! I love "all ya'lls" although I'm not certain, but it could be "all ya'll's!"

[Samakimoto Graphics]

... but if you're working on your jobs then this is a mistake you don't want to make!

^^^Remember to use "spell check":D

I do that sometimes too CF. English is not my first language...

[Samakimoto Graphics]

No!

"ya'll" is a contraction for "you all"...I think...and "ya'lls" would be the plural meaning "all of you" (from my understanding).

CF: you are (you're) from Louisiana. I was just listening to a broadcastin on BBC Kenya on Louisiana. I loved listening to the English accents very distinct...The African-Americans on the show had that "Roots..." (the film) accent. I loved it!

[tZ]

I gave up the whole spelling thing a while back,lol

[Botchup]

Yes, the great your/you're, there/their, to/too annoyance factor!!!

Being the graphic designer for a printing company, I see a lot of fellow designers' work come in, littered with typos. I feel bad, but have to just let them through, it's the only way they'll learn.

[AlexNJ210]

i once gramatically corrected a friend's email to me and sent it back lol. That was fun.:p

[The_Black_Knight]

Here's one that drives me nuts. Misspelling of the word (or even the abbreviation of) etcetera.

The abbreviation of etcetera is etc., not ect.

[The_Black_Knight]

And here are the correct versions of some phrases that people seem to screw up a lot:

"for all intents and purposes"
"fleshed out" (as in "fleshing out" an idea; it's not flushed out, which I've heard some people say)
"moot point" (not mute point)
"closed-minded" (note the hyphen, and that the word is closed, not close)

[Jen213]

And here are the correct versions of some phrases that people seem to screw up a lot:

"for all intents and purposes"
"fleshed out" (as in "fleshing out" an idea; it's not flushed out, which I've heard some people say)
"moot point" (not mute point)
"closed-minded" (note the hyphen, and that the word is closed, not close)

another one for me...

- "champ at the bit" (it's not "chomp at the bit" - horses champ at thier bit, not chomp")

[AlexNJ210]

another one for me...

- "champ at the bit" (it's not "chomp at the bit" - horses champ at thier bit, not chomp")
champ? chomp, champ, gnaw....same difference....;)

[Ben Kessler]

Fact is, few people out there have a really firm grasp on grammar. At my high school it was barely taught. Thank God for the knowledgeable copy editors out there who can polish the prose of the rest of us.

[Cyan_Ide]

Of course, then you get client e-mails and other correspondence littered with spelling and grammar mistakes after meticulously picking over yours.... The world of proper grammar is certainly a lonely one.

[urstwile]

I gave up the whole spelling thing a while back,lol
We noticed. ;) :D

[Botchup]

Since we're adding some popular phrases, here's 2 I come across a lot:

1) Piece of mind... (the people that type this have a small piece)
2) No job to small (yes, they do not outsource their jobs to midgets)

[PrintDriver]

We like to send flyers back with the typos highlighted in yellow. Of course they have to be the ones without the address label stickered to the front... LOL!