It’s time once again to review those nasty errors that damage our credibility when we write. Not normally a fun task, but absolutely necessary. I promise to keep you amused to diminish the pain (or at least I’ll give it a shot).
As with the last time we explored grammatical errors, I feel compelled to mention that copywriting and blogging should be conversational and engaging, and breaking formal grammatical and spelling conventions can often be a good thing. Every time I see a comment complaining about something like, oh, I don’t know… the improper use of an ellipsis or one-sentence paragraphs, I shake my head with sadness.
They just don’t get it.
Outside of specific professional or academic contexts, writing with a personal style that makes it easier on the reader is more important than pleasing Strunk and White. That said, I also believe you have to know the rules in order to break them. Plus, there are some errors that you’ll never convince anyone that you did intentionally in the name of style (outside of a joke), and even then some people will still assume you’re dumb.
So, let’s take a look at some more of those types of glaring errors that you never want to make. Thanks to reader suggestions and the aforementioned Messrs. Strunk and White, here are seven more common mistakes that can diminish the shine and credibility of your writing.
1. Loose vs. Lose
This one drives a lot of people crazy, including me. In fact, it’s so prevalent among bloggers that I once feared I was missing something, and somehow “loose” was a proper substitute for “lose” in some other English-speaking countries. Here’s a hint: it’s not.
If your pants are too loose, you might lose your pants.
2. Me, Myself, and I
One of the most common causes of grammatical pain is the choice between “me” and “I.” Too often people use “I” when they should use “me,” because since “I” sounds stilted and proper, it must be right, right? Nope.
The easy way to get this one right is to simply remove the other person from the sentence and then do what sounds correct. You would never say “Give I a call,” so you also wouldn’t say “Give Chris and I a call.” Don’t be afraid of me.
And whatever you do, don’t punt and say “myself” because you’re not sure whether “me” or “I” is the correct choice. “Myself” is only proper in two contexts, both of which are demonstrated below.
Many consider Chris a punk, but I myself tolerate him. Which brings me to ask myself, why?
3. Different than vs. Different from
This one slips under the radar a lot, and I’ll bet I’ve screwed it up countless times. It boils down to the fact that things are logically different from one another, and using the word “than” after different is a grammatical blunder.
This vase is different from the one I have, but I think mine is better than this one.
4. Improper Use of the Apostrophe
Basically, you use an apostrophe in two cases:
- For contractions (don’t for do not)
- To show possession (Frank’s blog means the blog belongs to Frank)
If still in doubt, leave the apostrophe out. It causes more reader confusion to insert an apostrophe where it doesn’t belong than it does to omit one. Plus, you can always plead the typo defense if you leave an apostrophe out, but you look unavoidably dumb when you stick one where it doesn’t belong.
5. Parallelism
Back when I talked about bullet points, one of the tips involved keeping each bullet item in parallel by beginning with the same part of speech. For example, each item might similarly begin with a verb like so:
- deliver…
- prompt…
- cause…
- drive…
When writing a list of items in paragraph form, this is even more crucial, and failing to stay in parallel can result in confusion for readers and scorn from English majors. Check out this non-parallel list in a sentence:
Over the weekend, Kevin bought a new MacBook Pro online, two software programs, and arranged for free shipping.
Do you see the problem? If not, break the list into bullet points and it becomes clear:
Over the weekend, Kevin:
- Bought a new MacBook Pro online
- Two software programs
- Arranged for free shipping
Stick the word “ordered” in front of “two software programs” and you’re in parallel. Your readers will subconsciously thank you, and the Grammar Nazis won’t slam you.
6. i.e. vs. e.g.
Ah, Latin… you’ve just gotta love it. As antiquated as they might seem, these two little Latin abbreviations are pretty handy in modern writing, but only if you use them correctly.
The Latin phrase id est means “that is,” so i.e. is a way of saying “in other words.” It’s designed to make something clearer by providing a definition or saying it in a more common way.
Copyblogger has jumped the shark, i.e., gone downhill in quality, because Brian has broken most of his New Year’s resolutions.
The Latin phrase exempli gratia means “for example”, so e.g. is used before giving specific examples that support your assertion.
Copyblogger has jumped the shark because Brian has broken most of his New Year’s resolutions, e.g., promising not to say “Web 2.0,” “linkbait,” or “jumped the shark” on the blog in 2007.
7. Could of, Would of, Should of
Please don’t do this:
I should of gone to the baseball game, and I could of, if Billy would of done his job.
This is correct:
I should have gone to the baseball game, and could have, if Billy had done his job.
Why do people make this mistake?
They could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been correct, except that the ending of those contractions is slurred when spoken. This creates something similar to a homophone, i.e., a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning, e.g., of, which results in the common grammatical mistake of substituting of for have.
Ain’t this been fun?
For more tips on avoiding grammatical mistakes, check out Five Grammatical Errors That Make You Look Dumb.
243 comments... add one
#1 Matt Huggins → 06.28.07 at 11:35 pm
Bless you for this post. These mistakes make me grate my teeth, especially when people type loose instead of lose.
#2 Mike Healy → 06.28.07 at 11:59 pm
Good reminders, though I have to say “Give Chris and I a call” still sounds okay to me.
One peeve of mine, used more in speech than in writing, is things like “Get off of me” or “I did do it” instead of “Get off me” or “I did it”
#3 Ramkarthik → 06.29.07 at 12:10 am
Good one Brian. I feel as if I have just finished an English class. Loose and lose are really confusing. Thanks for making it clear with a great example.
Coming to the apostrophe, when we are mentioning possession, we say:
Brian’s blog was really interesting
On the other hand, when the name ends in ‘S’ we just add an apostrophe and leave it without adding one more ‘S’. We say:
Strauss’ blog had some wonderful tips.
I read the above thing in “Daily Writing Tips”. But I knew it before. Thought of sharing it with those who never knew this.
Thanks.
#4 Joni → 06.29.07 at 12:20 am
Great post! I actually went back to a certain post of mine where I mentioned the word “myself” instead of “me” (which I realize is more appropriate). :D
#5 Gillian → 06.29.07 at 12:25 am
Yes! It is fun. Thanks for keeping the focus on the main culprits. All of these things bug me and distract me from the content.
Regarding i.e. and e.g. — I figure that it’s not too tricky to do without them altogether. ‘That is’ and ‘for example’ are not exactly hard to type.
#6 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 12:27 am Copyblogger
Gillian, that’s a good point.
#7 Adam → 06.29.07 at 12:29 am
Most of the people don’t really get into such details as long as they can deliver the message across. The mobiles and internet have made every possible shortcut to type in with as little strokes as possible.
#8 Pavel Bastov → 06.29.07 at 12:39 am
Good post.
I especially like the Parallelism point. I have always been in doubt whether to put a verb or not in each part. Now I know for sure. Thanks.
#9 Scott Monty → 06.29.07 at 12:52 am
Here’s one that I always see: “I could care less,” used in a literal, non-sarcastic manner. You COULD? You could actually care LESS about something that you’re deriding?
It’s “I COULDN’T care less,” folks. It implies that something bears so little importance to you that you don’t care about it.
#10 Keri Morgret → 06.29.07 at 12:53 am
The difference between less and fewer is one too. The “ten items or less” at the supermarket also bothers me.
#11 Bloggrrl → 06.29.07 at 1:03 am
I go nuts, when commas are used, like, way too often, you know what I mean?
Good points. Thank you.
#12 Dave → 06.29.07 at 1:03 am
Brain, I copied and pasted number three for my future reference. Yes I try to write in my own style but I like it to make sense.
#13 Shane → 06.29.07 at 1:21 am
There’s nothing better than a one word sentence. Nothing.
#14 Rachel Whalley → 06.29.07 at 1:57 am
Adam, that’s the trouble with the “internet mentality”–that it’s ok to degrade our communication skills because it’s faster that way. Honestly, more trouble is taken to clear up misunderstandings that occur due to poor grammar/punctuation than is saved by shortcutting (read “sloppy writing”).
#15 Andrew Leigh → 06.29.07 at 3:12 am
Great post, Brian.
I’m never sure about ‘myself’, myself. Sometimes I know I break the rule because using ‘me’ looks worse.
I agree with your point on parallelism, but not your example. That’s because the verb ‘bought’ could easily be used for the second item as well as the first - in which case it’s fine to leave it out of the paragraph list because the reader assumes it’s there, whereas you simply can’t do that with bullets.
#16 Paul Alburquerque → 06.29.07 at 3:25 am
When I received the article in a gmail message, the subject matter looked promising until I read the first line of the article which offered a catastrophic butchered display of the apostrophe which read “It’s time”
What a shame that the spirit of the article itself felt hollow to me when the rest of the text suffered from similar periodic spasms of unintended corrupted character display.
Am I the only one to view the contents like this?
#17 Mike → 06.29.07 at 3:32 am
Missed my all-time “favourite”: “than” vs. “then”. e.g. There’s nothing worse then this error.
I see it quite often; perhaps I just hang out on too many bad-grammar blogs?
Now on to the sad underuse of the semicolon… ;-)
#18 joybringer → 06.29.07 at 3:43 am
Has anyone pondered et cetera lately? I see etc. and ect. a lot and then too, some people overuse it in their content. I tell my clients that if one must etc., etc., etc., too much then they must not have anything better to say.
Also, I wonder why so many gurus think their work is so fine they don’t need an editor. There are several gurus whose products are great, but the obvious errors really bothers me when I see it.
#19 Riihele → 06.29.07 at 4:59 am
Hei Brian.
LOL at these fine examples of the most common mistakes in the English! Thank you for this most entertaining article that makes us our p’s and q’s right, not forgetting how to cross the t’s and dot the i’s.
Take care.
#20 Ryan → 06.29.07 at 4:59 am
@Mike on “then vs. than”
You beat me to it. I know I see this at least once per day. I actually saw it today on Seth Godin’s blog of all places (and it’s only 5:30 in the morning). I know his was a mistake though, because he used it correctly in the very next sentence.
@Scott on “I couldn’t care less”
Awesome. Can you make an entire website about this so we can change the world? I get so sick of this that I’ve just stopped trying to have the discussion that would correct people anymore.
Now for my favorite from the Department of Redundancy Department.
“Each day I get up at 5:30 a.m. in the morning.”
As opposed to 5:30 a.m. in the afternoon?
Hooray for proper grammar!
#21 Riihele → 06.29.07 at 5:02 am
Ooops -
And there goes my blondie points mistakes already.
Should have added the verb - MIND in the sentence to sound like thus:
… article that makes us MIND our p’s and q’s correctly, not forgetting how to cross the t’s…
#22 Amber → 06.29.07 at 5:21 am
It’s not until I publish my entries, read over them again, until I realise my mistake. It’s somewhat annoying and embarrassing. It makes you appear horribly amateur.
#23 CanadianChristine → 06.29.07 at 6:07 am
My pet peeve is when people write it’s when they mean its. It’s is of course “it is” and its is the possessive case. Many people just don’t get it.
#24 Greg Fisher → 06.29.07 at 6:11 am
I totally agree with the style differences between academia and the blogosphere. That conversational, accessible tone is a big reason that people read blogs, I think. I just posted about it, actually, using copyblogger as an example over at http://www.gringoblogger.com.
#25 Jeffrey Prest → 06.29.07 at 6:13 am
You have no idea how good for my soul reading all this has been. Sometimes in Writersland, it’s easy to start thinking it’s just me. Bless you all.
Just a few additional points:
1. The ‘could care less’ issue. I still share your dislike of this but at least I have had it explained to me by an American. Apparently, it’s meant ironically, so that even though you’re saying ‘he could care less’ what you really mean is ‘he couldn’t care less’.
2. I notice a few people making the valid point that grammar is a casualty of the internet/texting age. We’re all inclined to seek excuses for bad grammar because people get very defensive when you correct them. it’s one thing to be called hopeless with numbers but pick them up on their literacy and you drive a dagger into their heart.
Sometimes you wonder if you’re a pedant for doing so, especially when they argue that, as long as people know what they’re trying to say, what difference does it make?
I rationalise the fight to save our language in two ways: first, in any Society that lets the small rules slip, the big rules will eventually follow. Second, if I was a mechanic and I caught you taking liberties with my toolkit, you’d expect me to have something to say about it. Well I’m a professional writer and the English language is my toolkit…
3. My own pet peeve: English horseracing commentators who talk about a race being ‘plenty long enough’ or the ground being ‘plenty soft enough’ for a particular horse. This is tautology, is it not?
Sorry for the rant…
#26 Gerald → 06.29.07 at 7:21 am
From Adam: “The mobiles and internet have made every possible shortcut to type in with as little strokes as possible.” Oops. This was a joke, right?
Good post, Brian, but I think the main point could be emphasised a little more. The tone should be conversational, informal, and friendly, as you said. (Hope the comma Nazis don’t get me for that sentence).
What I do is read what I’m writing. Yes, this is something we all do, right, but how many people actually read it to themselves? Try reading it out loud (if no one’s in earshot), pausing at the commas, using the words you have written. It’s amazing how many clumsy sentence constructions can pop out like the proverbial sore wotsit when you do that.
#27 Michael Martine → 06.29.07 at 7:42 am
Apostrophe misuse makes me cringe, but even worse is incorrect versions of your and you’re; and there, they’re, and their.
Thanks for the great post!
#28 Michael Martine → 06.29.07 at 7:43 am
Not to mention plural/singular disagreements. Oops! ;)
#29 New blog of denise » Blog Archive » Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? | Copyblogger → 06.29.07 at 7:48 am
[…] Link: Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? | Copyblogger […]
#30 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 7:49 am Copyblogger
Actually, it’s not, which is why I used that example. :)
#31 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 7:54 am Copyblogger
Paul, grammar and spelling are within my control, but how words render on every computer on the planet is not (even though we try).
I have tested emails in Gmail and several other email programs, plus every major feed reader and everything looks great. Sorry it’s not working out for you.
#32 Douglas Karr → 06.29.07 at 8:02 am
I just hope the title of this post stands up to the last one I commented on! ;)
Thanks! I am guilty of these as well.
Doug
#33 Elizabeth M. Johnson → 06.29.07 at 8:04 am
This is a great post! I defininitely fall into those slackers who mis-use i.e. and e.g. Never again after tagging this!
And, what about clarifying my biggest pet peeve…”can not”. But I was recently told that “cannot” and “can not” are both okay; it just depends on the context. Can this possibly be true?
#34 Jen / domestika → 06.29.07 at 8:05 am
The lose/loose gaff, in particular, has me waving fist at screen at least twice every hour… But here (blessings on your Copyblogging head!) you’ve thoughtfully stepped up with today’s fine grammar rant… leaving me free to go on about the business of saving the world from unimaginative decor. Many thanks, Brian!
#35 Alexander → 06.29.07 at 8:11 am
The problem sometimes is with people who are native English speakers. In my case, I think I can good enough use the grammar but, still have a lot to work.
Yes, the problem with should, could, would, is a common one.
Bloggers need to be taught and this is a good start ;)
A.
#36 Just One Jeff → 06.29.07 at 8:45 am
Here’s one example I’ve seen or heard too many times: “Yes, Bob, this device has the most unique set of features I’ve seen in quite some time.”
Either it’s unique or it’s NOT. There is no variable in something that’s one of a kind!
#37 Barbara Casey → 06.29.07 at 8:51 am
I hope these English usage tips are being read far and wide, particularly by folks in business.
I’ve always considered my public posts - whether on websites, blogs, forums, ezines or printed materials - to be my virtual salespeople.
They represent me and my company in the public eye.
#38 The Information Marketer’s Hotsheet #29 « The Information Marketer’s Hotsheet → 06.29.07 at 8:57 am
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#39 Annie Rhiannon → 06.29.07 at 9:06 am
“If still in doubt, leave the apostrophe out.”
Um… if still in doubt, look it up.
#40 Paul Alburquerque → 06.29.07 at 9:10 am
To be clear Brian my setup is xp, ffox (with all sort of language add-ons), locale set to en-gb, reading with gmail, albeit on a Spanish os laptop, based in Spain, receiving your article via feedblitz. Very difficult to diagnose why the apostrophes do not render as intended. My peeves about language on and off the web, more so in cultures that are vulnerable from the onslaught of English are typically related to poor translation/localisation.
#41 Fabio Aversa → 06.29.07 at 9:41 am
Brian, I am italian and I did learn Latin during the high school… but I had no clue about the difference between i.e. and e.g.! Actually I did not even know they were Latin abbreviations.
I have a question for your and the readers: English is not my mother-tongue but most of my audience is located in UK, North-America and Australia.
I inevitably make mistakes in my posts and I always notice them while re-reading the post after a few days/weeks.
Should I correct even the smallest errors I notice, even if it is time consuming? Or should I just accept it and spend that time to write new posts?
Keep up the great work.
Fabio (I know, my name is such a stereotype!)
PS: hopefully I didn’t make too many mistakes in this comment, I kind of feel under pressure… :)
#42 Zorro for the Common Good → 06.29.07 at 9:42 am
For apostrophes, I still use the rule handed down to me by my 7th-grade English teacher. No. 2 actually contradicts the AP Style Guide, but it’s far simpler:
1. Contractions: Apostrophe replaces the missing letter or letters.
2. Possessives: If a word ends in “s”, the apostrophe goes at the end of the word, whether or not it’s singular or plural (”the boys’ baseball bat,” “my boss’ desk.”) If it doesn’t end in “s”, then put an apostrophe followed by an “s”. However, possessive pronouns (its, his, hers, ours and yours) do not take an apostrophe.
That’s it. Don’t use it for plurals (although I make an exception to this rule for one-letter plurals — “She got all A’s on her report card,” “mind your p’s and q’s — since it would otherwise look like “As” or “ps”). But I agree that people are generally better off using fewer apostrophe’s — err, apostrophes. :-)
#43 Paul B. → 06.29.07 at 9:44 am
My writing is laced with grammatical errors. I’m working on that though! I’ve never taken any sort of journalism or writing class beyond entry level college English. My writing itself is OK enough to get by on but I tend to use run on sentences far too often.
#44 James F → 06.29.07 at 9:49 am
In a list like this I’d include the common misuse of adjectives in place of adverbs, as in “he played good”, “eat healthy”, “think different”. It’s very common in the US, though less so in the rest of the English speaking world.
#45 ExExpo → 06.29.07 at 9:57 am
Don’t forget “He did this as best as he could”. What was he doing? Was he running as fastest as he could?
#46 Gretchen → 06.29.07 at 10:26 am
Could you also note that definitely is never spelled with an “a” and that a point can be moot but never mute?
Also, I noticed the character rendering issue mentioned above and thought I might be able to help. You should easily have been able to avoid this issue by shutting off curly quotes and other non-ASCII characters in MSWord or whatever program you use to write this. That’s the usual culprit there - hope that info helps. If it doesn’t - well, then, it’s not so easy is it?
#47 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 10:34 am Copyblogger
Gretchen, I thought the non-WYSIWYG WordPress editor compensated for curly quotes and other non-ASCII characters transferred from MS Word, but I just tested it and it does not. Good catch.
Paul, I’m going to fix this. Please let me know what happens on the next post. Thanks!
#48 Dan → 06.29.07 at 10:46 am
Another one you could add to this last that always drives me crazy is using ‘your’ vs. ‘you’re’. That one has driven me crazy since high school and I still see people doing it wrong all the time!!!
#49 Jeff M. → 06.29.07 at 10:46 am
Brian - thanks for the great post. I agree that posting on the internet is a more casual form of communication, but that doesn’t mean it is o.k. to do things wrongly.
Here one that drives me nuts - the use of its and it’s. That one’s a bugger to keep straight.
#50 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 10:52 am Copyblogger
Dan and Jeff, I covered both of those in my last post on grammatical errors, which I link to in the second paragraph of this post. Yes, those two upset a lot of people!
#51 Deron → 06.29.07 at 11:05 am
Wonderful! Thank you for this. I’ve never known the difference between e.g. and i.e. until now (never taken the time to look them up). I also seem to write e.x. a lot when I’m talking about examples, which I realize now makes no sense.
#52 Doug Smith → 06.29.07 at 11:10 am
The use of over instead of more than is another common error. I was just discussing this with a friend last night regarding a blog post that contained the phrase:
That is correct, but it is not uncommon to see something like:
Over implies position, not quantity. What is it doing, hovering?
By the way, if you enjoy grammar, the book Eats, Shoots & Leaves is humorous and educational at the same time.
#53 Maz → 06.29.07 at 11:17 am
I fully agree on the “loose/lose” issue!
Indeed, the loose use of “loose” when “lose” is indicated should result in the author of of such loose text having to lose the right to post in any forum, even ones with loose rules.
Then again, maybe I just have a screw loose, and should tighten it before I lose it entirely.
#54 Steven Marzuola → 06.29.07 at 11:28 am
Good points all, but I wish you would add one more example of a misused apostrophe: “it’s” when one means to say “its”. This error is so frequent, it’s almost worth its own entry.
#55 Gerald → 06.29.07 at 11:36 am
Well, I’m almost gobsmacked. I do wonder at so many people “betting annoyed” by simple writing mistakes. The thing to ask yourselves: “is the meaning of the writer clear?” Some bloggers may not be blessed with a high level of writing capability, or perhaps even with English as their first language.
Having said that, there is no excuse for sloppiness. Your readers deserve the best posts you can possibly create, as does your blogging reputation.
#56 Dewey → 06.29.07 at 11:43 am
Regarding #5:
Original
“Over the weekend, Kevin bought a new MacBook Pro online, two software programs, and arranged for free shipping.”
Your suggestion:
*Add “ordered” in front of “two software programs”
Another option, which requires adding zero words:
*Move “online” to immediately after “bought”
“Over the weekend, Kevin bought online a new MacBook Pro, two software programs, and arranged for free shipping.”
Anytime you can fix a problem without adding words, in my opinion that’s a good thing.
#57 da404lewzer → 06.29.07 at 11:45 am
You forgot to mention that these rules don’t apply to lolcat capshuns… :D
#58 kinghajj → 06.29.07 at 11:46 am
The key to understanding why “Give Chris and I a call” is incorrect to know about subjects, objects, and indirect objects. Subjects *do* the action to an object, and indirect objects “benefit” from it or are otherwise related.
Way back when, English speakers showed whether a noun was a subject, object, etc. by adding suffixes to the end of the noun. This is called *inflection*. That way, the words could come in any order and the sentence would make sence. However, English speakers started to almost always use the “Subject - Verb - Indirect Object - Object” form, so they began to drop those endings.
But pronouns, like “I,” “you,” and the like still retain some historic inflection. That’s why we say “give him a call” instead of “give he a call.” Likewise, even though there is an “and,” the correct sentence is “Give Chris and me a call.” In that sentence, “Chris” and “me” are the indirect objects, and “call” is the direct object.
Hope this clears things up a bit.
#59 Isaac → 06.29.07 at 11:46 am
For remembering i.e. vs. e.g. there are two simple mnemonics one can use.
“in etherwords” for i.e.
“for e.g.sample” for e.g.
#60 Omar Dixon: Me, My Life and I. » Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? → 06.29.07 at 11:54 am
[…] read more | digg story […]
#61 FIAR → 06.29.07 at 11:55 am
Gerald, it’s not really just a matter of “being annoyed.” Remember that a large part of Copyblogger’s content is dedicated to business, sales, and marketing blogging.
In other words, if you blog just for fun, it may not matter to annoy people with errors. Sure, the message will still be clear enough.
However, if you want to sell somet
hing to someone, their perception of you is very important. Thus, annoying mistakes may mean lost sales.
Brian. I’d like to see the confusion over when the apostrophe goes after the “s” in one of these. People assume it always goes after when the name ends with “s,” but it actually depends on whether it’s plural possessive or singular possessive.
Oh, yeah. And what about “weather” vs. “whether.” Sorry if someone mentioned that. I only had time to skim the comments.
#62 Kim Siever → 06.29.07 at 11:57 am
Actually, Ramkarthik, you add just an apostrophe if the word ending in “s” is plural. technically, singular words ending in “s”, still get an “apostrophe s”.
#63 psychic readings → 06.29.07 at 12:00 pm
cool article
#64 Rob Locke → 06.29.07 at 12:08 pm
I ran across my pet peeve yesterday. Someone confused accept with except. *shudder*
#65 Kevin → 06.29.07 at 12:09 pm
Wonderful post. I see these mistakes so many times, especially the loose/lose and the “could of” ones, that I really want to tear someone’s hair out (and I don’t mean mine).
And there is a phrase that’s spoken more than written, but I still see it, and it kills me every time:
“I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less.” No one seems to realize if they “could care less” then they actually do care about the current subject.
I’m rolling my eyes just writing about it.
In any case, love the blog. Your work is invaluable, and I only wish more people would read you.
#66 J David Eisenberg → 06.29.07 at 12:10 pm
I highly recommend Bob the Angry Flower’s Quick Guide to the Apostrophe. Find it at http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif
#67 Max → 06.29.07 at 12:15 pm
These may be the most common linguistic uses to you, but grammatical use changes with location, region, and cultural setting. No one of these dialects is more “correct” then the others. All language is simply the conveying of information, and many dialects that don’t follow these rules have their own sets of grammar, considered ‘correct’ in their social context.
There is no sociolinguistic basis to the idea that one language or dialect is in any way better or more correct than another.
#68 ia → 06.29.07 at 12:21 pm
Let me just say that Strunk & White is not so difficult to please. The book they authored (which you’re alluding to, I assume), The Elements of Style, urges its reader to dump the unnecessarily complicated vocabulary and write more clearly with proper grammar and usage.
I love that you brought up #5 - Parallelism. I don’t think anyone bothers with that anymore! Not with bullet points, lists, outlines, or headings. I was starting to think that maybe I was too stern, but now that the great Copyblogger has brought it up, somebody might actually listen. :)
#69 Jon C → 06.29.07 at 12:27 pm
One that I am noticing more and more lately and is showing up in major newspapers and television:
“till”
…which is what you do to the garden, or maybe where you put the money (under the cash register). But I see it everywhere, as in:
“We weren’t going to start till Ed and Laura arrived.”
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
That should be:
“We weren’t going to start ’til Ed and Laura arrived.”
(being the shortened version of ‘Until’, of course).
My .02¢
:)
PS: OK, that might have been too subtle. “My two cents worth” is either:
“… my $.02…” or “…my 2¢…”, by saying “…my .02¢…” was an uppercut to the Grammer Nazis. Plus I enjoy using ‘¢’ and having people go “Umm, where exactly is that key on my keyboard?”
LOL
#70 rasterbator → 06.29.07 at 12:33 pm
“Stick the word “ordered” in front of “two software programs” and you’re in parallel. Your readers will subconsciously thank you, and the Grammar Nazis won’t slam you.”
You should also change the word “brought” to “purchased.”
I always try to avoid certain words like brought, got, etc. In most cases, a better word will present itself. Just use the force…
#71 Allan L. → 06.29.07 at 12:38 pm
There are more ways of using ‘different’ than you think.
#72 OPMT → 06.29.07 at 12:40 pm
The English actually can’t grasp the word sitting. They just use the word ’sat’ instead.
“Look at that boy sat in the corner”, they say, when it should be “Look at that boy sitting in a corner”.
They invented it, they just don’t get it.
#73 Sean → 06.29.07 at 12:44 pm
Good post and great reminders.
I’m constantly tempted to correct the spelling of the blog comments I agree with to save their credibility… but resist it. I think I’ll email them a link to this list… especially “loose” instead of “lose.” What’s up with that?
How about a post on commas and periods going INSIDE the quotation marks. Just please don’t critique my blog for flagrant overuse of ellipses and so much more.
#74 Vaeltaja → 06.29.07 at 12:47 pm
Brilliant - now all we need is to add a few more: opposite to.
different from. (which you have already covered)
- and
compared with.
Plus the option of using who or which instead of that…
as in The player WHO stood out - NOT the player THAT stood out, or
That is something which annoys me etc - I am sure that you can add other things which might come to mind!
#75 Blo blo « Deslarga → 06.29.07 at 12:47 pm
[…] Junho 29th, 2007 Estive, e estou ainda, a ler um post muito interessante sobre os erros a não cometer enquanto blogamos/escrevemos. Refiro-me aos erros […]
#76 The Pop → 06.29.07 at 12:54 pm
umm, i dont know if any other comments commented on this. I am just too lazy to read all of them. But I noticed there was no mention of these words: there, their & they’re. The most annoying misuses i have ever seen, and also the most prevalent.
#77 Steve → 06.29.07 at 12:58 pm
I was surprised to see this advice on #4 - “If still in doubt, leave the apostrophe out”. What about its vs. it’s? (Its head is on backwards!) vs. it’s (It’s the toy maker’s fault.) The possesive form of its uses no apostrophe, but the contraction always does.
#78 Azeem → 06.29.07 at 12:59 pm
strangely, me never make them mistakes :p
#79 offgrid → 06.29.07 at 12:59 pm
Ha - I shall save this post.
#80 Charlie boy → 06.29.07 at 1:01 pm
I’m surprised you didn’t mention “ending the sentence with a prepositional phrase.” That’s probably the most-used grammatical error.
#81 WriterWriter → 06.29.07 at 1:04 pm
Point 7!
One cannot, under any circumstance, say “… if Billy would have….”
Totally incorrect and nasty. The correct form is “… if Billy HAD done his job.”
#82 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 1:05 pm Copyblogger
Everyone who is “surprised” at what was left out hasn’t read the grammar post that preceded this one (which is referenced and linked above, but here it is again.)
#83 M → 06.29.07 at 1:05 pm
“…so you also wouldn’t say “Give Chris and I a call.””
The only time when “me” even *seems* acceptable in that context is in “Give me and Chris a call.”, which is also terribly wrong.
Which sounds better? “Chris and me” or “Chris and I”? It doesn’t matter; the latter is acceptable while the former is not.
#84 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 1:08 pm Copyblogger
M, you’re absolutely wrong, but thanks for being brave enough to let everyone know.
#85 Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? | The Best Article Every day → 06.29.07 at 1:12 pm
[…] Written by Brian Clark […]
#86 Roy → 06.29.07 at 1:14 pm
Sorry, but in point number 7 you made an error that has become increasingly common in forming conditional and subjunctive phrases in English, at least among American speakers of the language.
The correct construction of subjunctive in the last sentence should be:
“I should have gone to the game and would have if Billy had done his job.”
Have a look at this explanation of the correct use of the subjunctive mood in English:
http://www.wordpower.ws/grammar/gramch09.html
#87 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 1:22 pm Copyblogger
Roy and Writer Writer, I understand your point, and you’re technically correct.
However, if you review the example, it was in fact an “example” sentence that plays on the popular colloquialism “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” and I maintained the structure in the name of–you guessed it–parallelism.
This is one of those areas where grammatical technicians miss the point completely. Communicating a point using a common reference point is better than worrying about something that is beside the point to the example. The whole sentence is bad, frankly, but that is beside the point.
That being said, I’ll fix it, because I don’t want to mislead people into thinking the second sentence is totally correct. :)
#88 Amy → 06.29.07 at 1:25 pm
Actually, Dewey, this sentence is not correct:
“Over the weekend, Kevin bought online a new MacBook Pro, two software programs, and arranged for free shipping.”
It contains the same mistake that the original sentence has. Because there is no “and” between “MacBook Pro” and “two software programs”, it should mean that they are part of a list, so the next item of the list should be another object for the same verb:
“Over the weekend, Kevin bought online a new MacBook Pro, two software programs, and some headphones.
So, you would have to say:
“Over the weekend, Kevin bought online a new MacBook Pro and two software programs, and arranged for free shipping.”
or: “Over the weekend, Kevin obtained online a new MacBook Pro, two software programs, and free shipping.”
Or obviously the example given in the post.
#89 links for 2007-06-29 | The Marketing Technology Blog → 06.29.07 at 1:25 pm
[…] Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? | Copyblogger Brian returns with some fantastic tips on writing well. This is a post of common mistakes (that I am guilty of!). (tags: writing grammar mistakes) […]
#90 Andrew → 06.29.07 at 1:29 pm
I’m not sure if anyone’s mentioned it yet, but use of the apostrophe in the words “its” and “it’s” is always a little strange. I thought that maybe you’d like to add it.
It’s
#91 Eric Aderhold → 06.29.07 at 1:29 pm
Thank you very much for posting this! I am often annoyed by people making those exact mistakes in blogs and elsewhere on the internet. Hopefully some of the people in question will read this post and change their ways.
#92 Pierre Lourens → 06.29.07 at 1:40 pm
Awesome tip, Isaac! Never heard it that way. However, I still avoid acronyms in writing like the plague.
#93 Different Than → 06.29.07 at 1:46 pm
Your rant against “different from” is surely exagerated–I mean it’s hardly a cardinal writing sin. “Different than” is perfectly correct in some cases, and widely accepted in the use to which you object. In fact a quick search turns up no unanimous condemnation of the phrase, but instead reams of disclaimers on how it often acceptable. Bartleby has more to say on the subject:
The phrases different from and different than are both common in British and American English. The British also use the construction different to. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out different than as incorrect, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers. If you want to follow traditional guidelines, use from when the comparison is between two persons or things: My book is different from (not than) yours. Different than is more acceptably used, particularly in American usage, where the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: The campus is different than it was twenty years ago. You can use different from with a clause if the clause starts with a conjunction and so functions as a noun: The campus is different from how it was twenty years ago.
#94 supernovus → 06.29.07 at 1:48 pm
kinghajj and Brian,
Just wondering in this case how the following would work.
“Chris and I went to the store”
vs
“Chris and me went to the store”
With the example of taking out the other person, I can say that “me went to the store” sound entirely incorrect. I am also assuming that in this case “the store” is the indirect object, as the focus of the sentence is “Chris and I”, unlike Brian’s example where the “call” is the object being given.
Also, before crucifying me for my terrible grammar, I already admit it’s horrible — which is why I am reading sites like this, in a feeble attempt to improve my writing skills.
I know I have previously made many of those mistakes. However these days I know most of those rules (although #3 and #5 I need to work on) as well as the ones from your previous post. What I really need to do is learn the proper use of the punctuation marks, as I am still rather confused by semicolons, and EM dashes.
I knew I should have paid more attention in school.
#95 Friday Tea Time - 6/29/07 » TheMadHat → 06.29.07 at 1:48 pm
[…] either, then be sure to follow everything Brian Clark has to say. This week he breaks down some common errors us bloggers, myself included, tend to […]
#96 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 1:52 pm Copyblogger
“Chris and I went to the store” is correct, because “I went to the store” is correct. It’s that easy.
#97 Joe → 06.29.07 at 1:52 pm
Great article, I have committed everyone of those offenses at one point or another.
I also agree that is permissible break the rules in “conversational writing” such as blogs to interact with the reader.
My printer is already running and this post will be on my wall!!! :-)
#98 Vance → 06.29.07 at 2:03 pm
This is a great list of hints for bloggers, since they’re all pretty common mistakes.
If you like this sort of thing, you might want to check out Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing (http://grammar.qdnow.com/) as well. I always follow both her blog and your own, and between the both of you I pick up a lot of great tips and tricks.
#99 Joanna Young → 06.29.07 at 2:04 pm
Wow, I could see these exchanges going on for ever (or is that forever?)
It’s good to learn the rules - and then know when you can break them - but blogging and commenting happen fast, which means mistakes can creep in. There’s no point getting too hung up about it - so long as the meaning is clear.
In the spirit of the game though - anyone spot the mistake in comment #82?
Joanna
#100 The Waterspout » 7 Deadly Writing Sins → 06.29.07 at 2:06 pm
[…] to a number of writing blogs and today this post by Copyblogger showed up with a helpful list of Seven Deadly Writing Sins. Posted by Hooser […]
#101 Kevin → 06.29.07 at 2:07 pm
Great write up!
I am surprised that “your” and “you’re” did not make it on the top 10.
#102 Hillary Clinton for President » Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? → 06.29.07 at 2:13 pm
[…] Written by Brian Clark […]
#103 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 2:14 pm Copyblogger
Never take on the moderator, Joanna. Thanks for the heads up. :)
#104 Oi, Roy! → 06.29.07 at 2:23 pm
@Roy:
Exactly why do you say “I should have gone to the game and COULD have if Billy had done his job.” is incorrect? It seems to me that “…could have gone” is fine and simply expresses a different possibility (i.e. “would have been able to).
#105 Matt Keegan → 06.29.07 at 2:27 pm
One sentence paragraphs have their purpose regardless of what some people may think. Exactly how?
By emphasizing a point, that’s how!
;-)
#106 Create Compelling Content » Blog Archive » Weekend on the Links → 06.29.07 at 3:43 pm
[…] Copyblogger asks “Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write?” a continuation of his previous list of errors that can diminish a writer’s, or a […]
#107 Stephen → 06.29.07 at 3:52 pm
haha, ditto on #1. The whole loose and lose thing kills me. Mainly because i had it right for so long, and kept questioning myself (just as you stated) multiple times.
#108 Online TV → 06.29.07 at 3:53 pm
Some great tips, I don’t think I find myself abusing any of these.
#109 VanillaTree.org » Blog Archive » Looking Stupid is Obvious When You Write → 06.29.07 at 4:05 pm
[…] you make any of these seven gramatical errors when you write? SHARE THIS NOW Popularity: […]
#110 Teli Adlam → 06.29.07 at 4:08 pm
Refreshing post, Brian. {Insert brief applause here.}
My pet peeves have already been mentioned above. All except one: no one versus noone. It bothers me so much because it’s easily caught with a spell check.
Since blogging is writing, I firmly believe that bloggers should make every effort to write well.
They can start by reading this post along with some notable comments, and then making The Elements of Style one of their favourite books.
~ Teli
#111 J.D. Ray → 06.29.07 at 4:13 pm
Not sure how I feel about the “I” vs. “me” thing. Saying “give Chris and me a call” may be proper, but it just doesn’t sound right, whereas “give Chris and I a call” does.
Written language is a craft. Some are better at it than others, and some are more popular than others, and sometimes those two categories cross.
In all, nice post. Most of the errors you point out make my eyes burn when I read them. Particularly when I am the one that makes them.
#112 Brent Crouch → 06.29.07 at 4:19 pm
God help me. I am still trying to figure out the difference between except and accept. Thanks for the tips!
Brent Crouch
#113 DinoHorse → 06.29.07 at 4:24 pm
My writing is getting worse day by day… thanks for the tips
#114 Jeff Horsager → 06.29.07 at 4:28 pm
Hey, I recognize that headline. It’s a DM classic: “Do you make these mistakes when you speak?”
#115 Brian Clark → 06.29.07 at 4:47 pm Copyblogger
Jeff, the classic original was:
“Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”
It still works. :)
#116 Ana → 06.29.07 at 4:53 pm
Great tips. English isn’t my first language and I have to give myself a few pats on the back because I don’t usually make any of these mistakes… except maybe for nr.3, I’ll admit.
Grammar, I believe, is very instinctive and even in my own language I forget the rules (especially those I never learned ;) ) and focus on how the sentence sounds.
It also helps to read… a lot.
Latin based languages (like Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese) are slightly more complicated than English and Germanics and so it’s very natural to hear (or read) dramatic mistakes when someone with that kind of background tries to learn correct English. Simple and concise advices like these are a huge help.
#117 Roy → 06.29.07 at 5:04 pm
Sorry…
I evidently misread your post. I only saw the sentence with the common barbarism “if Billy would have done his job” and mistook this for your example of how to structure the sentence, overlooking the correct sentence below.
If anything, it shows that the error is so common, I assumed you got it wrong too, but you did indeed get it right.
On the “I” versus “me” (also “us” and “we”) question, the problem for modern English speakers is that the language long ago lost almost all its case markers. The personal pronouns are the last holdouts, so we’re not as accustomed to thinking in terms of the case of a noun as speaker of other languages, such as German.
#118 Bill B. → 06.29.07 at 6:27 pm
I never see any mention of the most mis-used word in the english language; got. “We’ve got to buy another one”, or, “he’s got to leave now” are both incorrect. It should be, “We have to buy another one”, or, “he has to leave now”. All of the talking heads are quilty of this error. “Got” has its place, but not in the above examples.
#119 Pierre Lourens → 06.29.07 at 6:55 pm
@ Bill B:
I agree. “Got” is overused and misused constantly. It seems to be a fad of this generation, like saying, “I got food. I be good.”
-Shiver-
#120 Roberta Rosenberg → 06.29.07 at 7:45 pm
I grew up in a home where only my mother spoke English as a first language. My Dad learned English at age 13, spoke mostly Hungarian, Yiddish and German. My Mom’s Dad learned English at 19, spoke Yiddish and Russian primarily. Thick accents for sure, but always proper usage.
My mother was insistent that proper English be spoken by all adults around the kids. Her thinking? If they hear English spoken correctly, the correct usage will always seem right — even if we didn’t know the precise rules that made it so.
Today, I’m constantly reminding my Boston-born, Master-degreed hubby that “them and those” are not synonyms :=)
#121 iCQ6000068 → 06.29.07 at 7:53 pm
This Dutch lad here thanks YOU (read: Brian) a lot for your tips! U gotto love ‘em! :-D :-P
P.s. just teasin ya a bit with my silly slang.
#122 AskaX → 06.29.07 at 8:20 pm
lol… I thought i.e and e.g. is the same
thanks for the explanation, as I struggling on my grammar as well
#123 Sally Montgomery → 06.29.07 at 8:34 pm
Was anyone under the age of 50 ever taught that “lose” is a verb that means to misplace something and is pronounced as though it was spelled “looze”? And that “loose” is an adjective that basically means “not rigid or tight, and when spoken has a sibilant”s”. I’m 84 and when my generation learned to read, they learned pronunciation, too and would never have confused those two words!
#124 BloggingMix.com → 06.30.07 at 12:21 am
I’ve learnt a lot from this post. Often times, I commit these errors but after reading this post, I hope not to do it again.
Cheers and kudos to your blogging!
#125 Weblog Qjm.be » Blog Archive » Meer fouten & hoe ze te voorkomen → 06.30.07 at 2:07 am
[…] niet alleen de Nederlandse weblogger heeft problemen met de taal. 7 Tips van Copyblogger (na 5 eerdere) om stomme fouten te vermijden. Voor degene onder ons die perse internationaal bereik […]
#126 Christian Fredriksson → 06.30.07 at 3:50 am
Wow, just found your site and it looks really interesting. Although I mainly write in Swedish, I’m also very interested in English writing. I’m looking forward to reading all the old posts. Thanks!
#127 pennygrace → 06.30.07 at 7:49 am
Dear Brian:
Thank you for this article. I’m not a grammar nazi but when I see mistakes such as the ones you’ve listed, it’s like someone is scraping their fingernails on the blackboard. It just grates! I also like your comment about playing with the language and making a purposeful mistake. Then it’s fun! And one can tell the difference. I prefer one to you because “you” can often lead to misunderstandings in English. The French, however, have it right - they use 2 different words for you and there’s no mistaking what they mean, know what I mean?
#128 Pat Legacy → 06.30.07 at 2:52 pm
I is Speak real good engLish, cause they done learned me real good at my school.
#129 LHM → 06.30.07 at 5:53 pm
My pet peeve is the misuse of the verb “bring”.
The action verbs Bring and Take are related to the locational verbs Come and Go.
When you “go” to class you should “take” your books,
and when you “come” home you should “bring” them back with you.
NOT “Bring your suitcase when you go on a trip.”
Correct would be: “Bring your suitcase when you come to visit.”
#130 Joel → 06.30.07 at 9:39 pm
My brother recently pointed me to a website that is a list of hundreds of common English errors.
I can sit and read that thing for hours.
#131 Claire → 06.30.07 at 10:27 pm
You have a valuable skill that I envy. I ask you please try to experience the other side. “Dumb” is a strong word.
According to the British Dyslexia Association about 4% of the UK population is severely dyslexic. A further 6% have mild or moderate problems.
Thankfully examples of other dyslexics such as Hans Christian Anderson, Richard Branson, Sir Winston Churchill, Anita Roddick, Mike Norris, Steven Spielberg leave those that haven’t mastered the skill of the written English language some perspective.
Evaluating if someone is dumb based on their command of the English language is in my mind itself dumb.
I personally will try my best to learn from the criticism in this blog and the comments thereafter.
I value your contribution to the blog sphere.
(Whoops. I just felt the need to write 3 one line paragraphs. At least I am more aware the rule I broke)
#132 Claire → 06.30.07 at 10:35 pm
Whoops….Is that last line correct?
It went through MS Word, spelling and grammar check!
#133 Saturday Night Link Fever | Copyblogger → 06.30.07 at 10:53 pm
[…] we’re apparently in the mood for grammar, check out Daily Writing Tips for more nuts and bolts guidance for […]
#134 June ‘07: Best Search/Marketing Posts » Small Business SEM → 07.01.07 at 1:05 am
[…] Brian/Copyblogger: Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write? […]
#135 Mimon → 07.01.07 at 2:22 am
Good post! Someone was finally able to capture the common grammatical errors that drives me nuts whenever i see them.
#136 Dean K → 07.01.07 at 7:30 am
Good post!
Most irksome: your instead of you’re.
Most irksome from graphic designers and printers: stationary instead of stationery. They should know better!
#137 CanadianChristine → 07.01.07 at 10:23 am
If ever Generation Y write like they talk, i.e. I “go” or she “goes” instead of I “said” or she “said” I’m throwing in the hat.
#138 Stre → 07.01.07 at 5:31 pm
This is just excelent! It’s amazing how you described the mistakes I can see everyday as a teacher of English as a foreign language here in Argentina.
Greetings!
Stre!
#139 Language Geek - i.e. vs. e.g. - id est and exempli gratia → 07.01.07 at 5:53 pm
[…] of the blogs I read, Copyblogger, posted an article on common mistakes made when writing. One of the things they wrote about was the use (or misuse!) […]
#140 Pavel Bastov → 07.02.07 at 12:38 am
Several suggestions for the future article in the series: then vs. than; to, two, and too; finally, ones and once :)
#141 Lea → 07.02.07 at 2:18 am
Cannot vs. Can not - Yes, there is a difference
“Cannot,” as a compound word, is used in a context to indicate a lack of ability:
*I cannot (lack the ability to) read.
*He cannot (lacks the ability to) lift you above his head.
Note 1: “Cannot” used to mean “must not” presumably would be incorrect for the simple reason that “must not,” is what is actually meant. “Can” in these contexts must always carry the implication, “ability.”
*Incorrect: You cannot let him know.
*Correct: You must not let him know.
Can not, as two separate words, indicates an ability to to refrain from doing something:
*”Yeah? Well, what’ll you do about it?” “I can not let you into the club.”
Note 1: Similar to the “cannot” note immediately above, by virtue of the fact that using “could not,” would seem to result in a smoother sentence structure, using “can not” could be considered incorrect as well. However, in this case, “could” and “can” are simply different tenses of the same word, and therefore I personally accept both as valid.
Bonus: Except vs. Accept
“Except” roughly means “with exclusion to,” “but without,” or “not including.” It may help to remember it with the word “excluding.”
*We want everyone on the team except Jim.
“Accept” roughly means “to take in,” “to receive,” or “to welcome.” It may help to remember it with the word “admit.”
*We chose to accept your application to attend college.
Utilizing proper grammar both in speaking and in writing is an important skill that will undoubtedly affect anyone’s life in a positive manner over time, whether in a directly noticeable manner or not. When one views an article such as this, the most productive response is something along the lines of, “Oh, wonderful. A resource that will help me improve my writing.”
Circumstances such as a previous lack of understanding of the principles, a lack of time, a physical difficulty (i.e. dyslexia), and the like should not be used as excuses to remain at one’s current level of proficiency; but rather they should be identified as weak areas in which to target improvement or compensation. Learn more, or enlist someone (preferably with a higher proficiency level) to proofread your material before sending it out.
I do not know for certain, but I’d imagine even Hans Christian Anderson had some sort of copy editor.
:)
#142 Weekend Reading, June 29-July1 « Brett’s Blog → 07.02.07 at 8:54 am
[…] be a Dumb Writer. We all make mistakes, and the CopyBlogger calls us on our writing mishaps with one of his periodic checkpoints. How many of these mistakes do […]
#143 Peter → 07.02.07 at 9:29 am
I think the use of I after a preposition, as in “it was for Chris and I”, seems to be getting worse. I hear it constantly on major news channels. You would think that anchors who were journalism majors would at least get this straight.
#144 Michael Kupfer → 07.02.07 at 10:36 am
Great lesson there. I can always appreciate someone who knows how to write good…er, well.
#145 Blaine Moore → 07.02.07 at 1:43 pm
If you want a good laugh, then check out the BBSpot 5 grammar tips you may n