These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we're in a hurry, quickly dashing off emails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I'm being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It's expected. It's no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there's no confusion about what we're saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright.
In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, "Did she just say 'irregardless'?", but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.
That's not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in emails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there's no going back. We've just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here's the worst thing. It's not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat.
So here we are in the era of Word's red-underline "wrong spelling, dumb ass" feature and Outlook's Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It's the other stuff — correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded — that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here's a quick review of some of the big ones.
#1: Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key.
Yes: I always lose the product key.
#2: It's for its (or god forbid, its')
No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file.
Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.
No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.
Yes: The laptop is overheating and it's making that funny noise again.
#3: They're for their for there
No: The managers are in they're weekly planning meeting.
Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.
No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.
Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they're not happy about it.
#4: i.e. for e.g.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).
Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example". And a comma follows both of them.
#5: Effect for affect
No: The outage shouldn't effect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't have any effect on users.
Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.
Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use affect instead:
No: The outage shouldn't impact any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work hours.
#6: You're for your
No: Remember to defrag you're machine on a regular basis.
Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.
No: Your right about the changes.
Yes: You're right about the changes.
#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.
#8 Lay for lie
No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.
Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.
Yes: Just lay those books over there.
#9: Then for than
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.
Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.
Note: Here's a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction begins with If, you don't need a then. Then is implicit, so it's superfluous and wordy:
No: If you can't get Windows to boot, then you'll need to call Ted.
Yes: If you can't get Windows to boot, you'll need to call Ted.
#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.
Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.
No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Talkback
-Whose / Who’s
No: Who’s owl is biggest?
Yes: Whose owl is biggest?
Yes: Who’s coming to the owl sanctuary tomorrow?
- More
No: The owls are more sleepier today
Yes: The owls are sleepier today
Yes: The owls are more sleepy today (This one gets flagged by outlook, it suggests the sentence above - I think it’s OK.)
-Double negatives
No: We didn’t see no owls
Yes: We didn’t see any owls
(Note: Outlook picks up on each of these errors and suggests the correct replacement. With the excepting of the example highlighted.)
The "could of/ would of/ should of" error results from the failure of the writer to realise that they've been hearing a spoken contraction using "'ve" for "have", i.e., "could've/ would've/ should've" , and copying the mistake they've seen in print, as parroted by yet another unwitting soul.
[Quote] Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example". And a comma follows both of them.[/Quote]
No, that is textbook dogma; instead, if a comma serves no purpose, you should omit it. What does "i.e.," make clearer than simply "i.e."? Not at thing.
Um...impact is most certainly a verb. Check the OED!
One of my biggest pet peeves is using "good" when "well" is appropriate. Please learn to use them properly before I go insane and strangle someone!
More common errors:
Word's for plural instead of words.
Principles and prncipals.
No: what are you inferring?
Yes:what are you implying?
Yes:Am I to infer that you don't know English?
Yeah, see my web page (created July 1998) that covers some of the same spelling mistakes:
http://david.tribble.com/text/misspell.html
My page is listed on the third page of the Google search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=misspelled+words&num=30&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&start=60&sa=N
When it comes to "impact" not being a verb, the author is simply not familiar with engineering -- where "impact" as a verb is used to denote a specific type of action.
For instance, the man impacted the ground.
In this case, you cannot easily substitute "affect" into this sentence, as the man had precious little effect upon the ground, but the nature of the action was specifically an impact -- which much like "significantly", has specific meaning in some circles.
I reject the counter that the creation of accessory words is unnecessary. To take this stance would place one in the position of having only one question word: "what". Simply put, the other questions (who, where, why, when) can be asked using "what", but the others cannot ask "what". If we reject accessory words, then we must reject the other four questions words as being wrong.
You've created a great list, but I can't believe you omitted one of the most ubiquitous errors plaguing our emails today: the misuse of the apostrophe "s", especially when denoting plurality. Ahhhhhh.
More and more often you'll see "I like fast computer's." or "I'm sending you the report's." It is especially common with words ending in "y"..."Have you seen the new Blackberry's?": Plurality requires no apostrophe; it is neither possessive case, nor is it a contraction.
In general your article points out some common unintentional mistakes that people make when converting spoken language into written language. I thought I should point out though that #7, #8, the second half of#9 in your list, and #10, which aren't unintentional errors in writing in any form, but are perfectly valid linguistic constructions and thus shouldn't be on the list.
Spoken English is nothing more nor less than what people raised natively in the language speak. Language's evolve over time through a process of internal tensions between clarity and efficiency in the language's ability to provide for people to interpret and describe in a social context their world.
If the usage of the conjunction 'than' has changed since the 19th century heyday of prescriptive grammar, it wasn't done by carelessness or stupidity but because the linguistics centers of our brain learned and modified the use of the word for a concrete purpose. The same goes for 'if... then' constructions and the usage of the verb 'to lie' and 'to lay' - which isn't a different (or incorrect) tense of 'to lie' but, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a completely different verb with a different connotation and denotation. As a note, the same goes with 'impact' - there doesn't exist a stone tablet that declares what's a verb and what's a noun, only what people use to communicate and what they don't.
I would suggest that before you criticize other's grammar you read up on modern scientific linguistics. It's this sort of ignorance (I'm not speaking about you and aren't intending to imply anything about you specifically) that creates the false, and racist, impression in college-educated whites that when an African American kid speaking AAVE (African American Vernacular English) says "I done been doin' that" that he's an uneducated idiot, when in reality he's using an aspect marker to imply a verb tense that's completely absent in what's considered 'Standard English'.
Dan
For the "its / it's" mistake, there is an easy rule of thumb that will help writers to never make this error.
One never uses, in written communications, "it's". The reason? One never uses contractions in writing. Possessives and contractions can both be denoted by using apostrophe-s ('s). For example, "The desk's finish is worn" denotes a possessive and is acceptable. "The desk's in the hallway" denotes a contraction and is not acceptable for writing.
"Its" denotes a possessive and is acceptable for writing, "It's" denotes a contraction and is not. Therefore, one never writes "it's". A possible exception might be when writing a dialog.
"It's a good rule of thumb," everyone remarked.
For a description of the "impact" issue, see the usage note on dictionary.com...
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=impact
I have always been confused about "insure" and "ensure." Tocompensate, I avoid using either one.
Great article. I wish it was the top 15 or 20 grammar mistakes, though. One of my pet peeves that didn't make this list is the improper use of "myself". Business professionals, especially, are quilty of sentences such as, "The proposal was written by myself and Tom".
Another one is using "insure" instead of "ensure" (and sometimes even "assure" is used instead of "ensure").
Sincerely,
If I were you, I wouldn't forget the subjunctive. "If I was you" is incorrect, because you wasn't never me.
Good article. A common mistake I notice, mostly in speech, not text is the use of the pronoun "I" when "me" would be correct. "I" is used as a subject in a sentence, but "me" is used when the pronoun is a predicate.
Here's an example:
No: "A bouquet of flowers was sent to Fred and I."
Yes: "A bouquet of flowers was sent to Fred and me."
An easy way to not get mixed up - simply restate the sentence and omit the other person in the compound predicate.
No - "A bouquet was sent to I."
Yes - "A bouquet was sent to me."
Easy.
No: I could care less
Yes: I couldn't care less
The first version implies there are a lot of things less important to the speaker than the particular item being discussed.
I agree that people's dependence on spell checkers has caused the proliferation of errors like the examples in the original article. One that I seem to be seeing more and more often is the use of "lead" for "led,", as in "one thing lead to another." The first few times I saw this, I momentarily thought that an error in tense had been made, until I realized that the error was in fact the substitution of the name of a metallic element for its homonym: the past tense of "to lead."
These two words are a likely source of confusion to one for whom English is not their native language, but, thanks to modern technology (and defective elementary education) it is becoming a common error among native English speakers.
Re: "insure" vs. "ensure:" To insure something is to establish a policy for reimbursement should something happen to it. One can insure one's life, house, or car.
To ensure something is to make it certain. One can ensure success, failure, or security, among other things.
Great article, and oh, so true. However, I would of (just kidding), would have included the further/farther quibble.
Many of these are homophones; they only show up in writing and fly right under the spell checker radar. Here are a few more:
discreet vs discrete
principal vs principle
nonplussed to mean calm, when it actually means agitated.
conscious vs conscience
waled vs wailed vs whaled
prostate vs prostrate
handy work vs handiwork
bonified vs bona fide
here, here vs hea,r hear
taut vs taught
fared vs fared
peaked vs peeked vs piqued
course vs coarse
troopers vs troupers
cloths vs clothes
wring vs ring
racked vs wracked
straight vs strait
staunch vs stanch
waved vs waived
waisted vs wasted
core vs corps
fewer vs less
retch vs wretch
reins vs reigns vs rains
ween vs wean
penaltys vs penalties, etc.
I kind of question the wisdom of writing an article like this and not providing reasons for the correct answers. For example (e.g.,
their=possessive pronoun
they're=contraction meaning "they are")
"Begs the question". My teeth begin to automatically grind when I hear someone say this because invariably they get it wrong.
YES!
It is so nice to know someone else cares about these things.
If I might point out one very common ommission: 'to' and 'too'. It is too bad that schools are no longer teaching kids to distinguish between these homonyms.
What about "myself?" We've all been taught that we don't say "Johnny and me," we say "Johnny and I," but we haven't been taught WHY. The lesson that seems to be learned is that "me" is a word we shouldn't use, not that it's incorrect grammatically in that case. So people are afraid to say "me" and instead say, "If you have any questions, you can contact myself at home." People, the only person who can contact "myself" is "me."
Few people really know the difference between i.e. and e.g. anyway, which is why they are used incorrectly so frequently. A better one to place on the list would have been the misuse of "I" and "me".
I agree wholeheartedly with all but item #4.
In conventional writing, 'i.e.' is virtually synonymous with 'e.g.', just as 'data is' and 'agenda is' have replaced the correct usage 'data are' and 'agenda are', repsectively.
I doubt any modern technology reader makes a serious distinction between the two and no points are deducted.
BTW, my understanding is that contemporary use leaves optional the comma.
The most common error I see is using "to" for "too."
Using the word gender where sex is correct. People do not have a gender(masculine, feminine, neuter) but a sex (male, female). Gender deals with grammer not physical characteristics. Also, if something costs a person no money they got it free or for nothing; not for free. Yet more to add to the mistake list!
My personal pet peeve: "congradulations" instead of "contratulations." I see it everywhere.
My pet peeve, and it's not so much grammar as general vocabulary and word usage. Many writers use the term - flags are at half "mast." Masts are on ships. Staffs are on land. Flags on land fly at half staff.
I really like number 10. It shows how what we say turns into what we write (i.e., could have = could've which sounds like could of!)
I really hope I didn't make any of those grammatical errors in this comment!
This is nuts (nut'z).
So, you expect everyone to write perfect English.
Wake up please. Lots of people are not even native English speakers, who give up their own language to make others understand what they're saying.
As long as we understand each other, all is well.
The British language as you know it is about to change, as it has done numerous times in the past. So please, get of the grammar horse and talk sense.
Bloody Englishmen................
You forgot the posessive "apostrophe s" misused on plurals, a much more prevalent mistake than "lay" for "lie". If I see someone write "The Simpson's" one more time...
How about "where it's at" instead of "where it is"?
Also the confusion of subjunctive mode with present tense irritates. For example
It is important that something is done
used instead of the correct
It is important that something be done
My favorite grammer faux pas, in speech not writing, "A whole nother." NO, there is no word "nother". People take the word "another", split it, and stick "whole" in it.
how about the old "you and I" vs. "You and me"?
I have noticed that people are saying bring when they should being saying take.
Gerard,
We do not expect non-native English speakers to have perfect grammar; that would be silly. To those native English speakers, we do expect more. We forgive them when they make mistakes verbally, but written mistakes can and should be corrected before we have to read them. With that said, I usually see better grammar and spelling from non-native than from us native (especially American) speakers. It makes me want to cry.
Dear Jody,
That is a great article. Unfortunately, these errors have transcended everyday grunts and moved up to our leaders and media. It is disappointing to hear virtually all our local news anchors say "There's lots of . . . ". Please . . . it should be "There are lots of . . . " What ever happened to the concept of Singular and Plural?
Maybe this is just an evolution of the English language as evidenced by new words that are now in the dictionary. I really did enjoyed this article. However, please note that you spelled "God" with a lower case "g" in flagrant mistake #2. It must be the "secular" you coming out in your work. {: - )
A glaring omission: "Breath" for "Breathe".
As in "Help me! I can't breath!"
RE: Larry Pedrick's comment - "One never uses contractions in written language?"
Why not? Just because you don't like it? Whoops, that one slipped in.
I would argue (strongly) that it is the author's right to decide whether or not a contraction is appropriate. For example, I chose not to contact 'it is' at the start of this paragraph because I didn't (whoops) think it'd (whoops) sound that great. But now that my style has changed to a not-quite-so-rigid informal style, I would say that it's a perfectly acceptable option.
What is the difference between, "everyone" and "everybody"?
No: "try and" - Yes: "try to" - This one annoys me every time I hear it.
Oh, Joe.....this could be an entire show! But, being a native of New Braunfels, one flagrant and "popular" mispronunciation that drives us wild is this: pronouncing New Braunfels as if the "s" had jumped its position and landed before the "f"....hence, NEW BRAUNSFEL".....YIKES!...and some people will actually argue the point...."oh, it should be NEW BRAUNSFEL or worse, NEW BRUNSFELS...........OK, let's put the "s" at the end of Dallas before the "l" and call it DASLLA......sounds OK, right? or maybe DALLSA?.....the other more universal error: "I COULD CARE LESS".....WRONG!!!....it is "I COULDN"T CARE LESS"....if you could care less, that must mean you do care some.... Thanx for the forum........luv y'all....oh yeah, it's Y'ALL and not YA'LL....teehee! (and thank you for getting our town right....I've heard you say New Braunfels and it is perfect!)
If an author inflicts one of his pet peeves on the reader then the reader will often ignore the writer's other points.
Ending sentences in 'at" is one I see frequently. For example, "Where is the party at?" or "When is the meeting at?"
Given the dumbbing of America, it is pointles to point out misteaks in grammer an speling.
Besides, today's grammar mistakes are tomorrow's grammar rules.
Thank you for publishing this article. We need refreshers like this to improve our communication. How about reminding people to use their spell checkers?