Hi @ezeric,
have just added another rule for the your/you’re errors you have found. The new rules should be effective tomorrow. Thanks!
The following errors are detected:
Your welcome!
Your beautiful.
Did you know that your beautiful?
Your not a nice man.
Your a great guy!
Your the nicest girl on earth!
Added another rule for “there vs.their”. This turned out to be more difficult. Therefore, not all errors are detected.
This is excellent Knorr. Many thanks for the excellent additions. Best regards.
Quite a bit of “its/it’s/it is” rules work (I am super impressed!), but the following examples do not. I am not sure if this will help, but “its” can be interchanged with her/his. “its/his/her” are possessors (owners).
its/it’s/it is
0. I can see it’s eyes. --------> I can see its eyes.
Its been raining for a week, and now its starting to snow
----> It’s been raining for a week, and now it’s starting to snow
I’m astounded by people who want to know the universe when its so hard to find your way around Chinatown.
— > I’m astounded by people who want to know the universe when it’s so hard to find your way around Chinatown.
Constant company wears out it’s welcome. ----> Constant company wears out its welcome.
The ghost of Kneller Hall? It’s a true story, I tell you. No one has ever seen it’s body, but, last Tuesday, one man heard it’s wailing voice all night long.
----> The ghost of Kneller Hall? It’s a true story, I tell you. No one has ever seen its body, but, last Tuesday, one man heard its wailing voice all night long.
Looking at the weather, I think it’s the right time for the company to release it’s summer campaign - before its too late.
---->Looking at the weather, I think it’s the right time for the company to release its summer campaign - before it’s too late.
Well, its got to be true. ------> Well, it’s got to be true.
Note: it’s - a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”
him/she
Errors for, “him/she.”
Look at she legs. --------> Look at her legs.
Look at him legs. --------> Look at his legs.
Her has him mind in she hands. --------> She has his mind in her hands.
just a little nitpick: 0 could also be:
I can see it’s ‘eyes’. Which (if not referring to an eye-equivalent) is more properly put as: I can see that it’s ‘eyes’.
@ezeric: Thank you for your contribution. I have added several rules (+ addition): Except for “him mind” → “his mind” all errors are detected. The changes will be effective tomorrow and will be part of the next release.
W.r.t. “him mind” → “his mind”: The difficulty is that in some sentences this grammatical construction is correct: “She makes him do the dishes” / “The club has him second in the all-time goals”
@Knorr You are the best!
Here are some more for you. I will be sending you errors over time.
To show possession:
dog’s toys = singular (one dog)
dogs’ toys = plural (more than one dog)
Sarahs’ cat jumped over a rainbow.
-----> Sarah’s cat jumped over a rainbow.
The five dog’s toys got trapped under a board.
----->The five dogs’ toys got trapped under a board.
In temporal (or time) expressions:
A days’ leave ------->A day’s leave
adverse vs averse:
This rule is detected well, but it does not detect the following.
Adverse = hostile
Averse = unwilling
Are you adverse to eating horse meat?
---->Are you averse to eating horse meat?
eludes vs alludes:
Half of the time this rule is detected. Here are the errors I found.
eludes = directly dodge
alludes = indirectly dodge
Peter Beardsley used to allude defenders with his trademark foot shuffle.
----->Peter Beardsley used to elude defenders with his trademark foot shuffle.
Her failure to allude the school bullies is evident.
----->Her failure to elude the school bullies is evident.
William alluded discovery by changing his name to Mark.
------>William eluded discovery by changing his name to Mark.
After running out the court room, he spent three years alluding the police.
------>After running out the court room, he spent three years eluding the police.
Alter vs altar:
Alter is corrected every time when mistaken with altar, but not the other way around. Language tool says alter is wrong, but does not suggest altar.
altar = religious statue
alter = to modify
He prayed at a alter. ------> He prayed at a altar.
He prayed at the alter. ------> He prayed at the altar.
He danced around the alter. -----> He danced around the altar
He worshiped the alter. ------> He worshiped the altar
We were married at the alter in St Paul’s Cathedral.
-------> We were married at the altar in St Paul’s Cathedral.
Have you seen the water damage to the alter in St. John’s Church?
------>Have you seen the water damage to the altar in St. John’s Church?
Take them to the alter and sharpen my knife.
------->Take them to the altar and sharpen my knife.
You cannot stand at the alter like that.
-------->You cannot stand at the altar like that.
Thank you again, @ezeric! I have added another set of rules:
@Knorr That is okay. Possession rules are probably the hardest. You are still the best! The good news is that I found more errors for you.
coarse vs course
coarse = rough texture
course = Course has many meanings
Students who attend:
You have been an excellent coarse.
------>You have been an excellent course.
Direction:
A southerly coarse.
----->A southerly course
Events:
A coarse of action.
------>A course of action
Hunting:
To coarse after hares.
-------> To course after hares.
Sports land area:
Skiing coarse
----> Skiing course
Other:
A badger’s fur is more course than it looks.
------> A badger’s fur is more coarse than it looks.
The coarse of true love never did run smooth.
------> The course of true love never did run smooth.
defuse vs diffuse
defuse - means to deactivate a bomb and figuratively to dsarm or to pacify.
diffuse - to spread out or circulate.
How long did it take you to diffuse the bomb?
-----> How long did it take you to defuse the bomb?
Paul, go back in the meeting and diffuse all the arguing.
-----> Paul, go back in the meeting and defuse all the arguing.
I need speakers that will defuse my music around the whole arena.
—> I need speakers that will diffuse my music around the whole arena.
imply vs infer
imply - state indirectly
infer - to deduce
His speech on transitioning to today’s needs strongly infers that the typist pool will be made redundant.
------>His speech on transitioning to today’s needs strongly implies that the typist pool will be made redundant.
Would I like a pack of mints? What are you inferring? I don’t have bad breath, do I?
------>Would I like a pack of mints? What are you implying? I don’t have bad breath, do I?
The reader can easily imply that Sarah needs the money but is too proud to ask for charity.
-----> The reader can easily infer that Sarah needs the money but is too proud to ask for charity.
Am I right to imply you think my team removed the safety valve? Is that what you’re inferring?
----->Am I right to infer you think my team removed the safety valve? Is that what you’re implying?
hi, @ezeric: It’s getting more and more difficult 
. I have added some rules (commit 1 and commit 2)
Most of the “diffuse vs. defuse” and “coarse vs. course” should be detected. However, I could not come up with good rules for the “infer vs. imply”-problem.
To understand this, you have to understand how LT works. In LT, a rule consists of a group of words or part of speech (noun, adjective, etc.) that LT then marks as an error.
In the case of “diffuse vs. defuse”, it is easy to write a rule that searches for "diffuse" followed by “bomb(s)”. Of course, more complicated rules are possible. In the “infer vs. imply”-case, I could not identify a general pattern.
@Knorr I was thinking the same thing with “infer vs imply.” I thought it would be difficult to detect or make rules for that. I am mostly just reporting the most common errors that are made grammar wise. Maybe a future LT could make use of them.
I discovered more errors and these might be the trickier ones.
Apostrophes to Show Possession
The fairies wings glistened in the moonlight.
----> The fairies’ wings glistened in the moonlight.
The horses hay is damp.
----> The horses’ hay is damp.
The ladies toilets are out of bounds.
----> The ladies’ toilets are out of bounds.
Plural exception rules:
My watch was stolen from the men changing room.
----> My watch was stolen from the men’s changing room.
All television is childrens television.
----> All television is children’s television.
Singular exception to the Rule:
Singular words like Charles, Wales, Paris, Dickens can end with ’ or 's when showing possession. (My God English! Why are you so mean when it comes to possession?!?!)
It is Charles birthday. ----> It is Charle’s birthday. or It is Charles’ birthday.
Phrases - singular or plural
A box of nails are under the stairs.
----> A box of nails is under the stairs.
(box is singular)
The boxes of nails is under the stairs.
-----> The boxes of nails are under the stairs.
(boxes = plural)
A combination of factors were the cause of the crash.
----> A combination of factors was the cause of the crash.
(combination is singular)
A combination of factors are the cause of the crash.
----> A combination of factors is the cause of the crash.
(is/are and was/were can be interchanged)
principal vs principle
principal = teacher/head/main/key
principle = belief/theory/code/law
The principle objective is to make a profit.
------> The principal objective is to make a profit.
The inspector highlighted my principle concern in his opening sentence.
----> The inspector highlighted my principal concern in his opening sentence.
Here comes the principle.
-----> Here comes the principal.
The allegations against the former principle were that he not only allowed the cage fights to take place, but he also he egged on the participants.
-----> The allegations against the former principal were that he not only allowed the cage fights to take place, but he also he egged on the participants.
No! It is against my principals!
---->No! It is against my principles!
Those are my principal. If you don’t like them, I have others.
---->Those are my principle. If you don’t like them, I have others.
You are the principle culprit behind these misdemeanors. Go and stand outside Principle Beckett’s office. You need to re-evaluate your principals.
------>You are the principal culprit behind these misdemeanors. Go and stand outside Principal Beckett’s office. You need to re-evaluate your principles.
Your low profile and out-of-touch principals are the principal areas for us to develop.
----->Your low profile and out-of-touch principles are the principal areas for us to develop.
precede vs proceed
To precede means to come before (usually in time).
To proceed means to go forwards or to continue.
King George VI proceeded Queen Elizabeth II.
---->King George VI preceded Queen Elizabeth II.
The professor will proceed the first lecture with his opening remarks.
---->The professor will precede the first lecture with his opening remarks.
The flight simulator is unable to replicate the airframe shudder that proceeds the stall.
---->The flight simulator is unable to replicate the airframe shudder that precedes the stall.
Strong convictions always proceed great actions.
------>Strong convictions always precede great actions.
When proceeds = profit:
Have you spent the precede from the disco already?
----->Have you spent the proceeds from the disco already?
Colon vs Semicolon
semicolon - New ideas are introduced by a new sentence or, if you want a smooth transition between the sentences, a semicolon.
Colon - A colon can be used to introduce some more information about something mentioned earlier in the sentence.
He wanted just one thing; revenge.
------>He wanted just one thing: revenge.
He knew what his wish would be; the ability to turn stones into gold.
-----> He knew what his wish would be: the ability to turn stones into gold.
(A colon is not used to introduce a new idea to a sentence.)
He wanted just one thing: he wanted it since he was boy.
----> He wanted just one thing; he wanted it since he was boy.
or
----> He wanted just one thing. He wanted it since he was boy.
The cat’s fur was found in two rooms; the bedroom and the kitchen.
His success is attributed to one thing; determination.
------>The cat’s fur was found in two rooms: the bedroom and the kitchen. His success is attributed to one thing: determination.
It is by the fortune of God that we have three benefits; freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either.
------>It is by the fortune of God that we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either.
He will be the winner of Loughborough’s oldest award; the Arthur Scotland Trophy.
------>He will be the winner of Loughborough’s oldest award: the Arthur Scotland Trophy.
Ian had caught 3 fish; a perch and 2 gudgeon.
------>Ian had caught 3 fish: a perch and 2 gudgeon.
Ian had caught 3 fish: this was the first time he had been fishing.
(You cannot use a colon to introduce a new idea.)
----->Ian had caught 3 fish; this was the first time he had been fishing.
Janice liked to talk: she often exaggerated.
----->Janice liked to talk; she often exaggerated.
or
----->Janice liked to talk. She often exaggerated
I have made an important discovery; alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication.
—>I have made an important discovery: alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication.
In this world, there are only two tragedies; one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
----->In this world, there are only two tragedies: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
Dot arrived late at Roger’s dinner party: she was determined to punish him for scoffing at her when she said, “she had nothing to wear.”
----> Dot arrived late at Roger’s dinner party; she was determined to punish him for scoffing at her when she said, “she had nothing to wear.”
or
-----> Dot arrived late at Roger’s dinner party. She was determined to punish him for scoffing at her when she said, “she had nothing to wear.”
Sorry, @ezeric! This time i have not been very successful: Except for the “principal vs principle”-problem I could not come up with satisfying rules. The “singular or plural”-problem is not new to me: A few months ago I tried writing rules but i failed.
@Knorr It is not really something to beat yourself up over. A lot of grammar checkers fail in these areas. I honestly blame english. I am just really happy that we have improved LT.
Using Which, Who and That
This rule is not detected at all.
“Who” is used for people.
“Which” is used for things.
“That” can be used for either. ( One should avoid using “that” for people in formal writing. Acceptable in speech and informal writing.)
I think “that” should be highlighted in the case of a person and ask whether it is informal or formal writing.
The boy which stole the bike is at the door.
----->The boy who stole the bike is at the door.
The man which swam the channel.
-----> The man who swam the channel.
The vicar which was on BBC1 last night used to be our local vicar.
-----> The vicar who was on BBC1 last night used to be our local vicar. (A vicar is a person. Therefore, who should be used and not which.)
The PC who keeps breaking down is under guarantee until March.
---->The PC which keeps breaking down is under guarantee until March.
In Kent, a woman which shot a swan was jailed for 6 months.
---->In Kent, a woman who shot a swan was jailed for 6 months.
Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club who will accept me as a member.
----->Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.
or
-----> Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club which will accept me as a member.
When to use commas with who, which, and that:
This is the tricky part. Commas need to be added after the person if it is an add on of information. If you can put it in brackets, then use commas.
Example:
His youngest daughter, who was born on 16 June 1972, swam the channel.
His youngest daughter (,who was born on 16 June 1972,) swam the channel.
(who was born on 16 June 1972 is just additional information about His youngest daughter – commas required.)
The dog, which ate the cake, is back.
----->The dog which ate the cake is back.
My dog which doesn’t like cake is back.
----> My dog, which doesn’t like cake, is back.
Hi, @ezeric!
Thank you for your valuable suggestions! I think we could really improve LT.
Regarding “Using Which, Who and That” I fear that there’s nothing we can do right now as LT’s part-of-speech-analysis can distinguish nouns from verbs etc, but there is non distinction between people/persons-nouns and things.
Similarly, the “commas with who, which, and that” would require a very sophisticated text analysis (I guess). Therefore, I don’t think LT can provide helpful hints w.r.t. this problem (I personally prefer to have some undetected errors instead of generating many false positives.)
(I personally prefer to have some undetected errors instead of generating many false positives.)
If one picks formal or informal the first time, then LT should stop current session error detection for informal or formal.
@Knorr Oh well, maybe a future version of LT.
Here are more errors.
Who vs Whom
Who
This rule rarely detected.
The word “who” can only be used when it is the subject of a verb.
Who examples:
Whom paid for the meal?
----->Who paid for the meal?
(“Who” is the subject. “Paid” is the verb.)
I wonder whom is in charge.
----->I wonder who is in charge.
(“Who” is the subject of the verb “to be” (is); i.e., who is.)
Do you know the boy whom rang the bell?
----->Do you know the boy who rang the bell?
(“Rang” is a verb, so it must be “who.”)
I have not seen the man whom lives in the hut by the beach for a week.
(“Lives” is a verb)
----->I have not seen the man who lives in the hut by the beach for a week.
Who trick:
Singular who = he
Plural who = they
Who paid for the meal?
---->He paid for the meal? (Who is correct)
I have not seen the man who lives in the hut by the beach for a week.
----> He lives in the hut by the beach for a week. (Who is correct)
I met the people who were on the plane.
----> They were on the plane. (Who is correct)
Whom
Whom is never the subject of a verb. (Who, on the other hand, is always the subject of a verb.)
You sat by who all night?
(In this example, “whom” is not the subject of any verb. “You” is the subject of the verb “sat.”)
----->You sat by whom all night?
Claire saw who yesterday?
----->Claire saw whom yesterday?
Whom Trick
Singular WHOM = HIM
Plural WHOM = THEM
Sarah gave the tickets to whom?
-----> Sarah gave the tickets to him. (Whom is correct)
The witness saw four boys, one of whom had a limp, leave the shop.
----->…one of them had a limp… (whom is correct)
Whom after Prepositions
A preposition is a word (often a short word) that expresses the relationship between two other nearby words.
The “whom trick” does not really work with prepositions, but always use whom after prepositions. Actually LT detects some prepositions already.
That is the lady to who I made the promise.
(to – preposition)
---->That is the lady to whom I made the promise.
Prepositions at end of sentence
That is the lady who I made the promise to.
(to – preposition)
—>That is the lady whom I made the promise to.
Here is a list of common prepositions:
above, about, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, since, to, toward, through, under, until, up, upon, with and within.
Hi, @ezeric! Thank you for another contribution. From this, I could create some rules to detected an erroneous who(m). Fortunately, I did not need your list of prepositions as a I can simply choose the corresponding part of speech (you can check it yourself if you want)
As you have probably assumed, it is not possible to write rules that covers every corner case (For who is so tolerant that…?).
@Knorr Ah, got it.
Here are more errors.
Stationary vs Stationery
Some are detected, but a lot are not.
Stationary means not moving.
Stationery is writing or office supplies (e.g., paper, pens).
We had to wait stationery for the school shop to open.
-----> We had to wait stationary for the school shop to open.
The office junior is in charge of ordering our stationary.
----> The office junior is in charge of ordering our stationery.
The office junior is in charge of filling the stationary cupboard.
---->The office junior is in charge of filling the stationary cupboard.
Save 50% on all office stationary.
----> Save 50% on all office stationary.
Jules quickly ran to the mail carriage and threw his box of stationary on board.
---->Jules quickly ran to the mail carriage and threw his box of stationery on board.
The doctors said his illness was not getting worse. The exact word they used was stationery. I would have written down everything they said, but I had no stationary with me.
—>The doctors said his illness was not getting worse. The exact word they used was stationary. I would have written down everything they said, but I had no stationery with me.
The duckling waddled slowly across the road while the traffic remained stationery.
----->The duckling waddled slowly across the road while the traffic remained stationary.
The A5 envelopes and matching writing pads are essential stationary for the clerks.
---->The A5 envelopes and matching writing pads are essential stationery for the clerks.