What is Right in Writing? Common Mistakes You Need to Avoid
“Stop trying to be a grammar Nazi!”
This is what people would tell us whenever we see posts on social media full of grammatical mistakes. We’re not suffering from pedantry syndrome; we just find it disturbing to see an error and not do anything about it. We find it disturbing. Seriously.
For any writer, it’s a great embarrassment to have errors on your blog. Wrong use of words could have your credibility as a writer going down the drain. After all, writing is a craft that requires great mastery of language and style.
Here are a few grammar mistakes you should watch out when writing your blogs:
- Is it “Result in” or “Result to”?
This is a common confusion among many writers. Many would replace the preposition “in” with “to”. This confusion stems from the popular use of “resort to”, which has a complete different meaning.
Here is an example of the correct usage:
“Negligence of basic grammar rules can result in bad writing.”
- You’re/Your the One
Contractions have taken root in both spoken and written English. While contractions are not necessary in writing, they make sentences easier to read. Nonetheless, using them incorrectly can be the downfall of a writer.
A common mistake that people make when it comes to contractions is the use of “you’re/your”, “it’s/its”, and “they’re/their/there”.
Here’s a quick explanation that will enlighten your use of contractions and eliminate the confusion:
- “You’re” is the contraction of “you are”, while “your” is the possessive form of “you”.
- “It’s” is the contraction of “it is” or “it has”, while “its” is a possessive form of a pronoun.
- “They’re” is the contraction of “they are”, while “their” is a possessive pronoun. “There” can refer to a place or an existence of a thing.
- Which is Greater “Then/Than” This?
Many writers switch the function of these two words. “Then” is an element of time, while “than” conveys a comparison between two things.
Here are examples to illustrate their proper usage:
“Life was simpler back then.”
“Batman is better than Superman.”
Mistakes are a part of learning, but there’s no excuse in repeating them. If you want to be a successful writer, you have to watch what you write—unless you want to be a target of grammar pedants.