How do you annoy a writer?
The list is to long too fit hear.
I do have an infographic for you that isn’t too long. It lists down 10 of the most annoying writing mistakes – according to Lawrence Ragan Communications. The group conducted a survey with LinkedIn users as the respondents. Whether that’s a good measure of “most annoying writing mistakes” or not is up for debate in points. [Read more…]
To be human is to make mistakes. That’s an undeniable thing, but that does not mean we can always use use the excuse. However, if we are aware of our mistakes, we always have the chance to correct them.
For this week’s grammar guide post, I’m going to share some mistakes I sometimes make. Often, I catch those mistakes – thanks to proofreading. Sometimes, carelessness gets in the way, and I just have to take criticism on the chin. Tell me if you make these mistakes, too!
Who and Whom
It is embarrassing, but I when my fingers are flying all over the keyboard, it is rather easy to interchange these two. Admittedly, I have to sometimes pause to make sure I get it right.
My trick is to find the association. Do I need a pronoun for “he”, “she”, “it”, “we”, or “they”? In that case, “who” does the job. On the other hand, if I am dealing with “him”, “her”, “us”, and “them”, then I know I have to use “whom”.
What’s your trick?
Pronoun agreement
This is very basic, like subject-verb agreement. If the noun used is singular, then the corresponding pronoun must be singular. The same thing applies when the noun is plural. When speaking, though, it is very easy to make slips such as:
Everybody must complete their assigned task.
It’s easier to spot and correct that, when writing, to:
Everybody must complete his (or her) assigned task.
Its/It’s
This is another very embarrassing mistake that seems to happen to me more often on Twitter. Sometimes, I hit the “tweet” button only to realize that I have made this typo. (I prefer calling it a typo because I know what’s right and wrong but just get careless at times.) I’m sure you’ve had this experience once or twice!
We all know the difference. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is”, and “its” is used to refer to possession.
Run on sentences and comma splices
I have extensive experience with this topic, and I have to admit that more often than not, I make this mistake on purpose. No excuses. Just pure bullheadedness when I feel the structure suits the topic, tone, and target audience. It happens very rarely, though.
Now that I have bared my soul and confessed my humanity to you, would you do the same and share your weaknesses as well?
Image via Internet Marketing Articles
This post is for the rebels. Or those who have even the slightest streak of rebellion in them.
Grammar rules were created for a purpose, and you know that I am the first to stick to them, especially if the context requires it. However, I am also the first to deviate from prescribed grammar rules when the situation allows.
If you are a stickler for correct grammar no matter what, I am warning you now: You might not like what you are about to read. On the other hand, if you allow yourself – and others – some flexibility depending on the context, you might agree with some of the points I am about to raise.
Let’s look at two acceptable breaches of grammar.
At some point in my years in school, it was drilled into my head that using contractions in writing is a no-no. I think I followed this rule for the most part – until my university years.
Don’t use contractions. Do not use contractions.
Is either wrong? Not really. It’s a matter of the level of formality you want to convey in your writing.
My high school English teacher would probably want to wring my neck if she were to read my blog posts and online articles today. She was a firm believer in NOT starting a sentence with a conjunction, as your teacher probably was as well.
Is this an unbreakable rule, though? Definitely not! I like the comprehensive explanation presented at the Oxford Dictionaries Blog, which basically points out that this issue boils down to a question of style. Additionally, if you’re questioned about this practice, you can whip up this paragraph:
You could also refer to the fact that you’re in very good company (examples can be found in the work of writers such as Susan Sontag, Vladimir Nabokov, Kingsley Amis,P.G. Wodehouse, and Albert Einstein) and that highly respected grammar and usage guides (such as Fowler and Garner) all agree that it’s a perfectly acceptable practice.
What is your take on these two “rules”? Do you think not following them are acceptable in some circumstances? Maybe you have other rules you want to discuss. Let me know!
Image via boffism
Yesterday, I came across this photo of a t-shirt I wouldn’t mind wearing.
I actually found it really funny, so I shared it on our Facebook page. (If you don’t visit it regularly yet, I suggest you do!) The ensuing discussion from our readers inspired me to write a quick post for the Grammar Guide.
To make it simple, let’s take a look at a few sentences.
Looking around the kitchen, the shelves needed to be restocked.
Starving like a lion, the pot roast disappeared within a few minutes.
An untrained eye may take a cursory look at the sentences and see nothing wrong with them. If you take another look, though (or if you’re a grammar “enthusiast”), you’ll see that there is no one doing the action. The first part of the sentence dangles. It does not have a noun who does the action!
Once you’ve spotted the problem, the fix is easy. Simply insert the doer of the action. Using the examples above, we have the correct sentences.
Looking around the kitchen, I saw that the shelves needed to be restocked.
Starving like a lion, I made the pot roast disappear within a few minutes.
Much like many other grammar mistakes, it is rather easy to slip up now and then. Don’t beat yourself up over it if you do find yourself making this mistake. Just proofread and make sure you make the proper adjustments.
This subject has been talked about so much that it’s pretty much a non-issue for me, but just in case you do still have problems with ending a sentence with a preposition, do take a look at that t-shirt again.
If you want to have a little bit more fun with this topic, I suggest reading “Churchill on Prepositions“.
Those of you who have been following us for a while might know that I used to work as an English teacher. Some of you might even have been in the same profession in the past. While I do love writing day in and day out, I do miss teaching at times – especially when I see humorous images like the one above.
Ah, the present perfect tense. It sure did bring many an ESL learner to his knees. (Either that or the learner simply killed me in his mind.)
While the infographic offers comic relief to English teachers and learners alike, the present perfect tense does play a huge – and serious – role in writing. The use of the present perfect tense may not be critical in some cases, but in academic/scientific/technical writing, this verb tense is used a lot. This is due to the fact that the present perfect tense is often used when referring to research or trends. See the examples below.
Recent studies have shown that coffee may help achieve weight loss.
In the past year, tablets have become the writer’s best friend.
So let’s do a quick review of the present perfect tense, shall we?
The present perfect tense is formed by using “to have” and the past participle of the main verb. As you can see in the examples above, “have” always precedes the main verb in its past participle form.
This is where it gets murky for learners of the language. Let’s make it simple and look at the three main uses of this tense.
One, to refer to something that happened in the past but still applies to the present.
Example: She has lived in Portland since she was teenager. (She lived in Portland when she was a teenager. She still lives in Portland today.)
Two, to refer to an experience in the past. This also applies to activities that have not been experienced.
Example: I have never gone sky diving, but I have gone bungee jumping.
Three, to refer to something which has just happened.
Example: She is running late, but she has just arrived from the airport.
I have found that simplifying the uses of this verb tenses works most of the time. Or maybe, I just didn’t know it, but my students either thought they understood or they dreamt of killing me.
When it comes to writing, though, I do not think I prefer using certain verb tenses over others. I simply use what is most appropriate and pay attention to consistency. How about you?
I won’t deny it. I come very close to being an Apple fangirl at times, but I do not think that I will ever be a hundred percent blinded to the flaws that beset the company (just like any other company).
That being said, I cannot sit back and ignore two pieces that link Apple and grammar, which are two of my favorite topics.
About two weeks ago, I found myself almost snorting with laughter because of an email exchange between a Macworld UK writer and a reader. The exchange was instigated by Pedantic Reader with the subject: “Illiteracy (yours).”
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to predict the tone of that exchange, do you?
Anyhow, Pedantic Reader’s problem was (and probably is) the fact that Macworld uses the term “MacBook Pros” to refer to more than one laptop. Pedantic Reader asserts that the plural should be “MacBooks Pro” since “Pro” is being used as an adjective in this case. Here is his initial email.
I realise that it may be unreasonable to expect a British journalist to have any command of literacy, these days, but if you could grasp the fact that the plural form of MacBook Pro is MacBooks Pro, not “MacBook Pros”, you would make yourself look a lot less foolish and uneducated when you write.
“MacBook” is a noun; “Pro” is an adjective applied to it. When you are referring to more than one MacBook Pro, the correct grammar is to pluralise the noun, not the adjective.
(Does the Haslam household, when discussing two cars that are red in colour describe them as “reds car”?)
You need to address this perpetual sloppiness in your publication if you expect anyone to treat it with any respect.
Now I know this may not seem all that funny, but if you read the entire exchange, you’ll either be laughing or banging your head against your monitor.
My take on the subject is simple. I do understand where the reader is coming from. Certainly, in English at least, adjectives do not take on a plural form. However, I see “MacBook Pro” as a proper noun, hence the plural form “MacBook Pros”.
What do you writers think about this? Which form do you use?
The second article is a more recent one and can be found at ZDNet. Its title “Did Apple kill the adverb?” is more than enough to grab anyone’s attention, and it sure did catch mine.
Just like countless other people around the world, I have experienced moments of inspiration thanks to the charisma and wisdome of Steve Jobs. He has numerous quotable quotes, and “Think different” has probably moved many a seemingly average person to do bigger things than he imagined.
But there’s the issue of the adverb in the sentence.
Adverbs modify verbs. Adverbs usually end in “y”.
“Think” is a verb. “Different” functions as an adverb. Therefore it has to be in its “y” form: differently, right?
I think this is one traditionalists might have to take on the chin. (I am not excluding myself.) Sure, “think differently” is the correct form, but would it have had the same impact that the message bearer wanted? Besides, and I hate to say this, this is one of those things that are being used in informal settings more and more. In certain cases, exceptions (erroneous as they may be) may be made.
Just make sure you don’t forget your adverbs.
Photo via vedia
Grammar can be a pain in the butt, but grammar can also be fun. In the recent weeks, the Grammar Guide has been rather serious. Why don’t we have a little bit of fun today, and take a look at this infographic called “15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly”? ((Source: copyblogger))
The light tone of the title notwithstanding, the mistakes – let’s call a spade a spade – are really not that silly at all. As we always say, everyone makes mistakes. When it comes to the 15 in the infographic, however, unless they are typographical mistakes, committing the errors makes a writer look bad. I see two reasons for that:
So what are the 15 goofy mistakes? Most of them will not surprise you, especially since we’ve covered some of them in the past. Here’s a quick rundown before you take a look at the infographic.
15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly
I like the concept presented in the intro: “Engaging online writing is informal, conversational, and fun, but certain goofy mistakes just make you look silly…and not in a good way.” I don’t know about you, but I agree, and I definitely think that “informal, conversation, and fun” does not equate to goofy mistakes!
Which of these do you (sometimes) make? Off the top of my head, the most recent one I made was to interchange loose and lose – courtesy of fingers flying faster than my brain. Proofreading did help, though!
Which ones bug you? For me, could of, would of, and should of just does not cut it. No, I don’t count them as typographical errors!
Though these are common words, questions crop up now and then about though, although, in spite of, and despite. One thing is for certain: these words are similar in meaning. The difference lies in the fact that they are different parts of speech.
Let’s take a look at though and although first. They are conjunctions and can be used interchangeably as such.
The government says the economy is improving, although people do not seem to feel it.
Replacing although with though does not change the meaning.
The government says the economy is improving, though people do not seem to feel it.
How about starting a sentence with these two words? You may have heard/read people stating adamantly that it is not correct to do that, but there really is no reason not to. We can give example after example to illustrate this, but this example from Merriam-Webster should be more than enough. ((Merriam-Webster))
Though they know the war is lost, they continue to fight. — Bruce Bliven †1977
Here’s a quick note about another function of though – it can also function as an adverb. In this case, though cannot be interchanged with although.
I have so much work to finish. I like it that way, though.
How about in spite of and despite? Where do they come into the picture? As I said earlier, they can be used in lieu of the other two words. The structure has to be different, however, since these words are prepositions and not conjunctions. As such, if you want to use in spite of or despite, a noun has to follow.
To end, here’s a quick guide.
though + clause
although + clause
despite + noun
in spite of + noun
Image via The Yuniversity
Who reads The Washington Post on a regular basis? I have to admit that I do not, but I still look up to them. Who doesn’t?
It seems, though, that their writers are but human just like the rest of us. Recently, a reader pointed out a mistake that some grammar nazis enthusiasts will find more than egregious, if there is such a thing. The mistake? Something that is basic to the English language: subject-verb agreement. ((Blue over a grammar mistake))
I have not been teaching English for almost a year now, but I still do remember that this grammar point is one of the first things that we teach learners. It is one of the foundations that one cannot overlook. Then again, when it comes to the point, subject-verb agreement can get tricky. Ask The Washington Post writer who made the mistake.
So what got the reader’s feathers all ruffled? Apparently, it was this headline:
While that is a link to the article, I couldn’t find the mistake anymore. I guess they revised the statement ASAP.
So what’s the mistake?
What’s the subject of the sentence?
Who’s who
What’s the verb?
rock
Do you see where I am going with this? As you very well know, the subject is a singular one. That means the verb should take on a singular form as well, right? In this case, “rocks” should have been used instead.
I can easily see why the mistake was made. That prepositional phrase does make things confusing, especially if you have a deadline hanging over your head!
Now let’s be honest. Would you have spotted that mistake immediately?
Image via English Grammar Revolution
If your high school English teach was anything like my teacher, she/he probably always emphasized the “rule” about NOT using conjunctions to begin your sentence. “You must never begin a sentence with a conjunction” is the mantra of many an English teacher. Just because “everyone” says it is a rule does not necessarily mean it is true, though. In fact, many a grammar “expert” will tell you that this arbitrary rule does not hold much sway.
I can go on and on and repeat that I believe that using conjunctions such as “but” and “and” to begin a sentence is correct, but I know that you will want some concrete proof supporting this belief. Let me turn to Jack Lynch ((Jack Lynch’s Guide to Grammar and Style)) once again:
Contrary to what your high school English teacher told you, there’s no reason not to begin a sentence with but or and; in fact, these words often make a sentence more forceful and graceful. They are almost always better than beginning with however or additionally. Beginning with but or and does make your writing less formal; — but worse things could happen to most writing than becoming less formal.
He touches on two important things above. One, it is perfectly okay to use but or end to begin your sentence. Two, you have to be aware that doing so will make your writing less formal. I go back to a point that I have raised many times – when writing, you have to bear your audience in mind. If you are writing for a personal blog or a magazine article, less formal is perfectly suitable, isn’t it? On the other hand, if you’re working on a business plan, for example, you might want to take on a more formal tone. If you ask me, that should end the discussion on whether or not to use but or and to begin a sentence.
There is one more thing you need to know about using but or and to begin your sentence:
Note, though, that if you open with but or and, you usually don’t need a comma: not “But, we did it anyway”; it’s enough to say “But we did it anyway.” The only time you need a comma after a sentence-opening conjunction is when you want to sneak a clause right between the conjunction and the rest of the sentence: “But, as you know, we did it anyway.”
I am now biting my lip as I write because I tend to add that comma! You see, this is another reason I love writing for the Grammar Guide: every now and then, I have to unlearn some things that have become habits over the years. If you find yourself starting your sentence with and or but, don’t cringe. Remember NOT to use a comma after the conjunction, though.
If you want to read more about this topics, here are some sites that I found to be useful.
Commnet
GrammourPuss
Daily Writing Tips
You might also want to take a look at the other post I wrote about split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition.
Photo via Phillip Martin
