Greetings and salutations, FF pals! The Grammar Cop has flung a few grammar gangsters into the brig for these wretched wrongdoings! 😅

These goofs were all seen on social media. In fact, the term “social media” itself generated a goof, as seen in #1!

1. “Social media was abuzz with criticism from politicians and citizens of all political persuasions.”
2. “Gabby began to separate herself from Grandma, who was loosing weight due to lack of appetite.”
3. “Helicopter rides suffered no lack of adventure seekers (sponsored in part by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, who’s storied history is celebrated at the annual fair).”

The corrections:

1. Once again, Friday Follyites – media is plural. The word media (which is Latin in origin) is plural; the singular form is medium. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all social media. Social media were abuzz with criticism from politicians and citizens of all political persuasions. Stick with the Grammar Cop – this mistake will crop up repeatedly, and you’ll have many more opportunities to get it right! 😄
2. Grandma was probably “loosing” weight because her belt was “looser.” Right? Wrong! She was losing weight. Hmm. How to remember this? I know! LOSE has LOST an O! All right? It’s LOSE, and it’s pronounced looooze. But it has only ONE o, because it LOST an O. Sheesh. The Grammar Cop is quitting this one before she LOSES her mind!
3. Here’s yet another error, often seen in social media: “who’s” used mistakenly, instead of whose. The contraction who’s is short for who is. Who’s is never meant to be possessive. If you want to use the possessive form, it’s whose. So in the example, it’s …Patrol, whose storied history is celebrated at the annual fair. (Some pedants among you may say that the whole section in parentheses should be placed right after the word “rides,” since that is what is actually being described. Go ahead; put it there.)

Clear as mud? No problem! Drop by next week when the Grammar Cop will try to take pity on you with less-confusing examples of wicked writing wrongs. Until then, we bid you au revoir!