I Reclined On The Sofa

The English language is dumb.

I will go out of my way to rephrase a sentence so that I don’t have to figure out the correct word to use.  Just so you know, I rewrote this previous sentence three times before I considered it acceptable.  I’m still not sure if it is grammatically correct.

These are the following grammatical errors that give me a migraine:

Than vs. then

Who vs. that

Lie/Lay/Lying/Laying/Laid

Affect vs. effect

On accident vs. by accident

I would say the one I struggle with the most, and use the most often in sentences, is “than vs. then”.  I hate this one.  I cannot remember the rule.  EVER.

I’ve basically given up on getting that one correct.  So all you crazy grammar folks, you’re just going to have to suck it up.

However, while doing a bit of research on how to remember the rule, I came across a very simple trick.

I also find the whole “lay vs. lie” thing frustrating.  I do my most rewriting with these sentences.

For example:

I am going to lie/lay on the couch.  =  I am going to take a load off and rest my body on the couch.

He’s just lying/laying around all day.  =  He’s just hanging out playing video games all day.

I

John is the guy who always forgets his shoes, not the guy that always forgets his shoes.

Lie / Lay / Lying / Laying/Laid

This is my question for you….

Does something happen “by accident” or “on accident”?

I had someone correct me the other day, and since I always have to be right, I looked up the proper usage. Guess what?  I was right.  And so were they.  This is what I learned from “Grammar Girl” and I find it quite fascinating.

“Whereas on accident is common in people under 35, almost no one over 40 says on accident. Most older people say by accident. It's really amazing: the study says that “on is more prevalent under age 10, both on and by are common between the ages of 10 and 35, and by is overwhelmingly preferred by those over 35.  In addition, it seems to me that as those kids who say on accident grow up (some of whom are even unaware that by accident is an option, let alone the preferred phrase of grown-ups) on accident will become the main, accepted phrase. By that time, there won't be enough of us who say by accident left to correct them!

Which do you say and does it correlate to your age?