Grammar just ain't what it used to be, it seems. Here’s a list of some teachers’ pet hates:

1. The one that really annoys me is how people suddenly seem to confuse "have" and "of", as in: "I could of known about it before." There's no excuse for it!
Grant, Paisley

2. The phrase "for free" is becoming commonplace and is used often on television and it's wrong. It should be "for nothing".
Jean, Greenwich

3. I get annoyed at the reckless use of apostrophes, for example, the plural of CD can't be CD's.
Jacques, London

4. Many people, including public speakers, incorrectly use "I" instead of "me". For instance, they would say "She said some very kind things about Susie and I", thinking that they are being polite or grammatically correct. An easy way to remember which to use is: if you would say him or her on its own, use me; if you would say he or she on its own, use I. For example, "She said some very kind things about him".
Allison, Falkirk

5. Incorrect use of reflexives make my blood boil. I think that for someone to say "yourself" and "myself" when they just mean "you" or "me" is possibly out of a false sense of politeness, or maybe the insidious effect of TV soaps, or both. Those who use it correctly can give "themselves" a pat on the back.
Peter, New York

6. Here's one they often get wrong on BBC news! BBC reporter: "Then they opened fire on us". This is incorrect. In military terms there are two methods of shooting at an enemy, controlled-fire and open-fire. I.E. you are not opening anything so using the past tense of open is incorrect. The correct expression should be "Then they open-fired on us"
Jimmy, Glasgow

7. I find the increasing, incorrect use of "literally" annoying.... "I literally went blue with anger!!" "Really?" I ask.
Charles, Lincoln

8. The proper use of "its" and "it's" seems to confound many people, with "its" being a possessive and "it's" being a contraction of "it is". I've seen this mistake made even in some prestigious publications...
Rose, Brighton

9. It annoys me when people use "due to" when they mean "owing to". But then I'm a pedant.
Susanna, Sydney

10. As a secondary teacher, I'm beginning to despair when it comes to "they're", "there" and "their"; not to mention "to", "two" and "too". Why are we so afraid to correct these simple mistakes which make all the difference at a later stage?
Sammy, Cairo

11. I cringe when I hear BBC reporters say "amount of people" when it should be "number of people"!
Craig, Peebles

12. I don't like it when people say: I can go there "by foot" instead of "on foot"....the right preposition to use is ON.
Frank, Johannesburg

13. Spelling “sentence”: sentance. Argh!
Paul, Linwood

14. Speling “grammar”: grammer. Double argh!
Paul, Linwood (again)

Hey, if any of you guys have any more you could write them on the forum for a laugh!