Click here to improve your english a little bit.

[Pizik]

Totally meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but something that annoys me alot more than it should:

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/ect.html

Please feel free to discuss simple errors in english, or just talk  about how annoying pedantry can be ;o)

[Aiken]

I would like to add "atm machine" and "pin number" to the list of annoyances.

[Rayken]

I can't stand it when people pronounce the word espresso "expresso."

[LigH]

I find it funny that even some native english speakers (writers) exaggerate the use of apostrophs. For example, "an item and its attributes" does not contain an apostroph in "its", because it is no abbreviation of "it is".

Also often not taken enough care of, even by native writers, is the difference between

- there (not here), their (belongs to them) and they're (they are)
- your (belongs to you) and you're (you are)

And most confusing: something "could {of <=> have} been" (or similar terms) where "of" is used instead of "have", in a meaning of past and possibility.

Sometimes I believe I know more about english grammar than some "native english speakers" around in forums and chats... and just that I mention it -- more "than", not "then".

 
__

P.S.: For our german members, there is a book series (trilogy) called "Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod" where Bastian Sick collects and discusses usual mistakes using the german language; of course, including the (advertising-based) use of the english style of apostrophing the genitive (possessive case) -- which is not the german style. He can also be found looking for "Zwiebelfisch" on spiegel-online.de (a web column closely related to the books).

[Rayken]

I hate it when people teach their dogs bad grammar.  E.G the command "Lay down."  It should be "Lie down."  Lay is either past tense, or transitive, meaning it needs to either have occurred in the past (yesterday I lay down) or have a direct object (lay the towel on the ground).  It is simply awful to teach such horrific grammar to innocent dogs that don't know any better.

[neko kyouran]

"yesterday, I laid down" 

[Rayken]

Meh no need to nitpick

*Edit* Actually I think I was right, but I can't find a good source right now.  My grammar check in M$ word backs me up, but I know that's hardly reliable.  I'll check the good ol' Bedford Handbook when I get home...

[neko kyouran]

a proper grammar usage thread dictates nitpicking
 
http://www.bartleby.com/61/76/L0077600.html

under usage notes. 

[Rayken]

"Lie and its principal parts (lay, lain, lying) are correctly used in the following examples: She often lies (not lays) down after lunch. When I lay (not laid) down, I fell asleep."

[ThomPhoenix]

LigH's post sums up the most frequent and worst errors. About the difference between lay and lie, I won't correct anyone on that unless it's really obvious. I'm pretty sure 90% of the native English speakers don't know the difference

[neko kyouran]

I'm pretty sure 90% of the native English speakers don't know the difference

I can only speak for what I have seen in the USA, but yeah, 90% may be an understatement. 

My pet peeve is incorrect usage of to, too, and two.  Followed closely by their, they're, and there.

[Prolix]

I thought lays were a brand of potato chips 
Then again leis are a type of flowery necklace.

I get amused when someone asks me if I can do something for them and then expects that I will actually do it if I say that I can. It does not mean that I have agreed to do it just that I am capable of doing it. Similarly asking if you can do something is not a request for permission to do it. Of course in both cases this is the difference between connotation and denotation where denotation is the actual meaning and connotation is the subtextual implication.

[neko kyouran]

My parents did that to me all the time when I was little and we were at the store and stuff.  "Mommy, can I have XXXXX"  "Sure you can neko."  Then I never got it......

[Zazhia]

LigH's post sums up the most frequent and worst errors. About the difference between lay and lie, I won't correct anyone on that unless it's really obvious. I'm pretty sure 90% of the native English speakers don't know the difference

Please PLEASE explain it to me or link me to a simple explanation. I am not a native English speaker, but I so desperately want to know those.

I have an idea that it is "lie", when someone is already down on the bed, but lay if you put yourself or something else on the bed. Like "I lay the pillow on the bed."

We have the same issue in Danish, if that is the case. (I can do those, though) 

[Mekora]

You got it right. Lay means to put, or place something somewhere... Whereas Lie is to recline (The movement of reclining)

The trick I've been taught in Canadian grammar classes is to try and exchange the word "place" for what you're trying to say... If it works, you can use lay, if it doesn't, you can use lie.

He lay his head on the pillow. He placed his head on the pillow. Works.

Now here's where it get's tricky... "Lie" in the past tense is "Lay". I hate the English for this one.

It gets even worse when you find out that the past tense of (original) Lay is Laid, and then you need to worry about the past participle of Lie, which is Lain.

Ok, so... Just worry about lie in the past tense for now. Examples:

Thomas lay down on the sofa yesterday.  (Notice that Lay down sounds like laid down too >.<)

Laid is something like this:

Before I left the house, I laid the keys on the coffee table.



Idk if I explained this well enough, I'm kinda tired. So, don't feel bad about it if you can't get it. It's incredibly tedious, and surprisingly unimportant in dialogue.

Cheers