Words, Phrases, and Misspellings We Hate

[Scrivener of Doom]

I like to return to this thread to feed my ire on those rare weeks where no one omits an Oxford comma.

I don't use Oxford commas but I do have my pet hates.

"It's" as the possessive form of "it" is making a horrible comeback. It's like a bug in a favourite piece of software. However, I am glad to see that "rouge" instead of "rogue" seems to have died a natural death.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I don't use Oxford commas but I do have my pet hates.

"It's" as the possessive form of "it" is making a horrible comeback. It's like a bug in a favourite piece of software. However, I am glad to see that "rouge" instead of "rogue" seems to have died a natural death.

I can't get too annoyed over those because their easy mistakes even when you know the correct rules.

Not using Oxford commas is a choice. One for which you will burn in grammar hell for all eternity.

 

[steeldragons]

I can't get too annoyed over those because their easy mistakes even when you know the correct rules.

You did that on purpose right? ...RIGHT!!??!!

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

You did that on purpose right? ...RIGHT!!??!!

Mwahaha!

 

[MarkB]

I tend to find myself using commas, or sometimes dashes - or occasionally both together - too frequently when writing, to break up long sentences. After writing a long paragraph, I sometimes have to go back over what I've written and pick out extraneous punctuation.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I tend to find myself using commas, or sometimes dashes - or occasionally both together - too frequently when writing, to break up long sentences. After writing a long paragraph, I sometimes have to go back over what I've written and pick out extraneous punctuation.

I'd say that's a common trend among professionally intermediate writers. You have a strong sense of the tools, but haven't developed a habit of concise writing yet. I wouldn't be surprised if your love of the dash comes alongside an overuse of the semi-colon.