Correct someone's English - but nicely!

Pointing out someone's linguistic errors is a delicate business. Divorces have occurred for less. But it can be justified on the grounds that you'll be helping to expand someone's knowledge and preserve the richness of the English language - as well as the emotional well-being of all grammar nerds in the vicinity.


The key is to not sweat the petty stuff. For example, the English language isn't going to suffer because of people using "less" rather than "fewer" when referring to countable nouns, but the famously inappropriate use of "literally" to mean, well, "not literally" is quite different. In such cases try combining the correction with a compliment:



"God, you're sexy. Also, did you know that 'simplistic' is a negative term, indicating something reductive or naive, while 'simple' is neutral?"

or 


"Interestingly, 'discrete' refers to something separate and distinct, while 'discreet' is used with regard to a delicate matter that has to be handled cautiously. By the way, if I had to choose one person to be stranded on a desert island with, it'd be you."


Effort involved: not much. But the risk - of the other person becoming offended, irritated, etc. -  is high. Be careful with this one.