I no. On this very thread I see it maybe not too many times, but certainly two too many times. People oughta learn that the proper usage is "shoulda" and "coulda"!
To make remembering easier, it rhymes with:
Posted on 09/28/2011 1:00:49 PM PDT by iowamark
Many brilliant people have some communication weak spots. Unfortunately, the reality is that written communication is a big part of business, and how you write reflects on you. Poor spelling and grammar can destroy a professional image in an instant.
Even if your job doesn't require much business writing, you'll still have emails to send and notes to write. And if you're looking for a job, your cover letters and resumes will likely mean the difference between getting the interview or not.
Bad grammar and spelling make a bad impression. Don't let yourself lose an opportunity over a simple spelling or grammar mistake.
Here are seven simple grammatical errors that I see consistently in emails, cover letters and resumes.
Tip: Make yourself a little card cheat sheet and keep it in your wallet for easy reference.
You're / Your
The apostrophe means it's a contraction of two words; "you're" is the short version of "you are" (the "a" is dropped), so if your sentence makes sense if you say "you are," then you're good to use you're. "Your" means it belongs to you, it's yours.
You're going to love your new job!
It's / Its
This one is confusing, because generally, in addition to being used in contractions, an apostrophe indicates ownership, as in "Dad's new car." But, "it's" is actually the short version of "it is" or "it has." "Its" with no apostrophe means belonging to it.
It's important to remember to bring your telephone and its extra battery.
They're / Their / There
"They're" is a contraction of "they are." "Their" means belonging to them. "There" refers to a place (notice that the word "here" is part of it, which is also a place – so if it says here and there, it's a place). There = a place
They're going to miss their teachers when they leave there.
Loose / Lose
These spellings really don't make much sense, so you just have to remember them. "Loose" is the opposite of tight, and rhymes with goose. "Lose" is the opposite of win, and rhymes with booze. (To show how unpredictable English is, compare another pair of words, "choose" and "chose," which are spelled the same except the initial sound, but pronounced differently. No wonder so many people get it wrong!)
I never thought I could lose so much weight; now my pants are all loose!
Lead / Led
Another common but glaring error. "Lead" means you're doing it in the present, and rhymes with deed. "Led" is the past tense of lead, and rhymes with sled. So you can "lead" your current organization, but you "led" the people in your previous job.
My goal is to lead this team to success, just as I led my past teams into winning award after award.
A lot / Alot / Allot
First the bad news: there is no such word as "alot." "A lot" refers to quantity, and "allot" means to distribute or parcel out.
There is a lot of confusion about this one, so I'm going to allot ten minutes to review these rules of grammar.
Between you and I
This one is widely misused, even by TV news anchors who should know better.
In English, we use a different pronoun depending on whether it's the subject or the object of the sentence: I/me, she/her, he/him, they/them. This becomes second nature for us and we rarely make mistakes with the glaring exception of when we have to choose between "you and I" or "you and me."
Grammar Girl does a far better job of explaining this than I, but suffice to say that "between you and I" is never correct, and although it is becoming more common, it's kind of like saying "him did a great job." It is glaringly incorrect.
The easy rule of thumb is to replace the "you and I" or "you and me" with either "we" or "us" and you'll quickly see which form is right. If "us" works, then use "you and me" and if "we" works, then use "you and I."
Between you and me (us), here are the secrets to how you and I (we) can learn to write better.
Master these common errors and you'll remove some of the mistakes and red flags that make you look like you have no idea how to speak.
Or a cheap, commie attempt to rhyme!
Drop the “am I”...”That’s where I is”.
The most common one here on FR is lose/loose.
I am always forgiving as long as you agree with me.
Sure, I'll tow that line...
Oooo Oooo Oooo! (Hand pumping straight up in the air.)
I just thought of another one.
People often misuse the word “myriad” in sentences. For example, when people discuss Ubama they might say, “There are a myriad of reasons to defeat the America-hating Marxist punk.” The correct sentence would be, “There are myriad reasons to defeat the America-hating Marxist punk.”
"'Like'. Not to be used for the conjuction 'as'. 'Like' governs nouns and pronouns; before phrases and clauses the equivalent word is 'as'."
Then, the authors give two examples;the first sentence is wrong, the second is correct:
"We spent the evening like in the old days."
"We spent the evening as in the old days."
And also: "Chole smells good, like a pretty girl should."
Chloe smells good, as a pretty girl should."
THEN--there follows this wonderful little commentary:
"The use of 'like' for 'as' has its defenders; they argue that any usage that achieves currency becomes valid automatically. This, they say, is the way the language is formed.
It is, and it isn't. An expression sometimes merely enjoys a vogue, much as an article of apparel does. 'Like' has long been widely misused by the illiterate; lately it has been taken up by the knowing and the well-informed, who find it catchy, or liberating, and who use it as though they were slumming.[I love this bit of wit!] If every device that achieved currency were immediately authenticated, simply on the ground of popularity, the language would be as chaotic as a ball game with no foul lines. For the student, perhaps the most useful thing to know about 'like' is that most carefully edited publications regard its use before phrases and clauses as simple error."
Of course, keep in mind this little gem of a book was published in 1959--when schools STILL TAUGHT minor details like spelling, puncuation, and grammar!
The British and American usage of “which” and “that” is different, as are other aspects of English. Here, “which” is nonrestrictive and begins a parenthetical statement, usually set off by commas. “That” phrases are restrictive and don’t take commas around them. In England they use “which” more liberally, especially if it refers to something farther toward the beginning of the sentence—in other words, with some text between the noun and the “which,” even if the sense is restrictive.
Clear, right?
I think this difference is usage is what makes it confusing, since most of us read British books as well as American.
I speak for my wife when I say the to of us attempt too adhere two proper grammar rules and word usage when we right our thoughts down.
There important so we don’t appear to be ignorant.
Lets rejoice that we have such wonderful people on FR to point these rules out.
Seriesly, its a hugh help.
Thanks!
I thought it was in an adverb versus adjective style,
“round as a wheel” - adjective style
“rolls like a wheel” - adverb style
Guess I’ll have to keep getting it wrong!!
;-)
As in policeese: "Myself and the other officer arrested the gentleman."
And I am still kicking myself in the rear. Saw a beautiful copy of “The Chicago Manual of Style” at a garage sale 2 wks ago and I didn’t grab it!
He could have asked “where the cafeteria be?”
DANG!! I am STUNED!! This is HUGH and SERIES!! Gotta learn how to mark my peas.....LOL! FR has it’s own language CODE!Thank God! :)
Don’t bother. “Like” is now used for “as.” (sigh)
Best rule for “that:” unless you are describing something do not use “that.” Never say, “I know that I am going home.” You need only say, “I know I am going home.”
My boss does this. I have told him several times it is incorrect.
I no. On this very thread I see it maybe not too many times, but certainly two too many times. People oughta learn that the proper usage is "shoulda" and "coulda"!
To make remembering easier, it rhymes with:
My english prof said there is no such word as worst. Worse is already superlative.
Exactly!
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