Posted on 08/30/2015 10:38:18 AM PDT by B4Ranch
Proper grammar seems to be a thing of the past -- why stress about tiny technicalities, right? Wrong.
You should be a grammar stickler for many reasons. Do you want to risk turning off potential clients, employers and connections because of grammatical mistakes?
Many people are so concerned with what they are saying in an email or text message that they completely forget to pay attention to how they are saying it. If you chose to turn grammar mode off when you are communicating with friends, that is one thing, but there is absolutely no reason to send a professional communication that contains errors.
Here are six grammatical errors that are so simple, yet such common offenders. Make sure you aren’t making them.
This is probably the most common mistake I see on social media, in text messages and in emails. This one is real simple -- if you are trying to say “you are” then “you’re” is correct. If you are talking about something that belongs to you, such as “your car” then you use “your.”
Many people confuse these and don’t even realize they are doing it. It’s real easy -- “two” is a number, “too” is an adverb that means “also,” and “to” is a preposition used to express motion, direction, limit of movement, contact, a point of limit in time, purpose, intention and destination -- to name a few.
For example:
“I would like to become an entrepreneur.”
“I too would like to become an entrepreneur.”
What should have been squared away in third grade continues to haunt grammar police on a daily basis. The there/their/they’re mistake is common -- but it’s really simple to avoid.
Use “they’re” when you are trying to say “they are.”
“Their” should be used when you are indicating possession.
Finally, “there” needs to be used when referring to a location.
Example: "They're going to love working there. Their company culture is amazing!"
This one is really just pure laziness rather than a grammatical mistake. Texting has completely ruined grammar and you/u is a perfect example. I understand that “u” is perfectly acceptable if you are texting a friend and are in a rush -- but it’s not acceptable in a professional email.
Here is an excerpt of an email I received last week from a C-level executive who is in charge of a company that does business worth several hundreds of millions of dollars every year:
… that would be gr8! Talk to u soon!
He managed to nail two text slangs back to back like a champ. Again, if it was a text message, fine -- but a professional email is no place for this. This email is actually what sparked me to write this article, so thank you grammatically challenged C-level executive.
When you are talking about time you use “then” and when you are making a comparison you use “than.” It really shouldn’t be that difficult to distinguish what one to use:
“We are going to grab a quick bite to eat and then head back to the office.”
“This new software update is much better than the previous version.”
This one confuses a lot of people, mainly due to the apostrophe, which typically symbolizes possession. Use “it’s” when you are trying to say “it is” and use “its” when you are looking for the possessive form of “it.”
“I looked at its owners manual to get the correct settings.”
“It’s a beautiful day outside.”
What are some other grammar mishaps that drive you nuts? Share them in the comments section below.
There might be lactose intolerance in there somewhere...
I read the Bible a lot so when I write I think subconsciously that a Pauline dissertation is needed and my mind just goes on and on making points but sometimes it’s a little disjointed in the logic.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
I use Microsoft Word. It tries to change “I” to “me”, as in “I want it” changes to “me want it”. It also wants to change all “good” to “well”.
Thanks!
Curiously enough, an impacted wisdom tooth led to an impacted BM. It was the codeine for the tooth pain, plus two BK bacon-double cheeseburgers...........
I want you to feel (...not feely) better soon :)
This used to be 5th or 6th grade material to learn, at the latest.
But government schools had to sideline these sorts of basics to squeeze in “Heather Has Two Mommies”, diversity training, and all the rest.
Definitely you would write A History of Malta but it could be either "an historian of Maltese history" or "a historian of Maltese history."
Good one! Seems almost everyone uses “nauseous” instead of “nauseated.”
Another one is “anxious.” “I’m anxious to go to the party.” Why, is there somebody there you dread?
Another one is when you’re talking about something owned by two people. It would be “Joe and Carol’s children” if they have children in common, but “Joe’s and Carol’s children” if they each had children separately with different spouses.
Seeing alumni used for alumnus, alumna, or alumnae makes me crazy. Grrrr...
why does the word TWO have a W but doesn’t have a “wa” yet
the word ONE has a “wa” sound without having a “W” ?
Because we treat its like his or her. No apostrophe.
It impacts me greatly when someone abuses that word.
Let us all pray that President Trump will correct that problem.
They’re always telling me I’ve got a snotty side.
Twenty-four hours and plenty of Alka-Selzer and I’ll be my jaunty, unlubricious ol’ sef again.
Shouldn’t that be a compacted BM?
The effect was that it did affect you.
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