Mistakes with words that make you look silly

Small errors that can trash your credibility

Whatever you tend to write or speak about, and whoever you write for or speak to, one of the fastest ways to lose credibility with your audience is to make silly grammatical errors.

Sure we can argue that what we’re writing or saying is more important than some minor slip in our grammar, but that’s missing the point: these little slips often turn into almighty clangers once the audience has processed them.

Our Prime Minister talked about accomplishing something ‘in one foul swoop’ recently. She might’ve dismissed this as a minor slip after the event, but in the minds of many citizens it would’ve reinforced the long-held suspicion that the PM is out of her depth. There’s an old saying that ‘great leaders are great readers’, and great readers tend to have a firmer grasp of language and grammar than non-readers.

I’m not talking here about intentional errors that make fun of something or draw attention to a problem, or about formality. Good bloggers use a conversational style for a reason, and often they’ll write the way people actually speak but it should be obvious that it’s deliberate. It’s just as obvious that the mistakes we’ve listed below are not deliberate.

They’re a sign of ignorance, and ignorance is a tough handicap to overcome when you’re trying to reach people or teach people or preach to people. These little slips are enough to make people opt out of your email list or unsubscribe from your blog, or turn away and listen to someone else. Let’s look at the most common errors people make:

 

Getting lost among similar words

YOUR - Your car, your time

YOU’RE - You’re off to work, you’re good-looking

 

ITS - It’s a great idea, and its time has come

IT’S - It’s time to start the meeting

 

THEIR - Their meeting had been postponed

THEY’RE  - They’re very disappointed

THERE - There will be another meeting

 

THEN - and then there were three

THAN - three is more than two

 

LOOSE - I have plenty of loose change

LOSE - I don’t want to lose all my change

 

FEWER - after war, there were fewer men

LESS - after the war, people had less money

 

AFFECT - how will that affect me?

EFFECT - what effect will that have on my future?

 

COMPLEMENT - additive

COMPLIMENT - flattering

 

PRINCIPAL - he’s the principal of the firm

PRINCIPLE - he’s built his business on sound principles

 

HISTORIC - an important, momentous occasion

HISTORICAL - an event in the past

 

Random errors

APOSTROPHES

WRONG - CD’s and PC’s, Latte’s and Cappucino’s

CORRECT - CDs, PCs, Lattes and Cappucinos              

One simple rule: Don’t use apostrophes to form plurals

 

APOSTROPHES, possessive

This is a more complex subject. Let’s look at some examples

The boy’s soccer game belongs to one boy

The boys’ soccer game belongs to many boys

The people’s choice (because the people is a singular group name)

The children’s playground (same)

 

NAMES ENDING IN ‘s’ are a problem and follow convention

The boss’s temper, but

Alan Jones’ radio program

 

COMPOUND NAMES AND JOINT POSSESSION can also be tricky

Her father-in-law’s house

Susie and Greg’s wedding

 

PLURAL PROBLEMS

WRONG - The London Philharmonic were playing to a full house

CORRECT - The London Philharmonic was playing to a full house

WRONG - The Labor Party were polling worse than ever

CORRECT - The Labor Party was polling worse than ever

(parties, orchestras, bands, associations and other groups are single entities)

 

THE DANGLING PARTICIPLE

A dangling participle modifies the wrong noun, for example:

‘Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house very cheaply’

The next sentence is correct, ‘Having been to Bali a few years ago, I knew what to expect’

Good writers avoid starting a sentence with a dangling participle altogether. It’s better to say: ‘I’d been to Bali a few years ago so I knew what to expect.’

TWO MORE LITTLE THINGS:

i.e. stands for ‘id est’ – that is to say ... in other words

e.g. stands for ‘exempli gratia’ – for example ...

 

Down Under Specials

CONDITIONAL BLUNDERS

In Australia, we hear this often:

‘If I had have known what I know now, I’d be a millionaire’

‘If I had’ve gone there, I wouldn’t be here today’

(The US equivalent is ‘had of’)

Correct in both cases is: ‘if I had known ... or if I’d known’

Another thing that gives us real problems down under is the word ‘Drawing’, which most people pronounce ‘Drawring’. For a long time, I wondered where that extra R had come from until I heard someone talk about next Febuary. So that’s where the R was lost.

Kim

Comments

[psandy]

tack vs. tact.

Let's take a new tack on that.

The gradual loss of irregular verbs.
I lit the lamp - I lighted the lamp
She spelt it incorrectly - she spelled it incorrectly
he shone the light - he shined the light

[psandy]

Wow! I left my comment and went to read Crikey Weekend. First article I read has this -

His features remained fixed in his trademark smug smirk. I could see that the appeal to his love of architecture, suave and cosmopolitan though he looked in a black tuxedo was a futile pursuit. I changed tact.

[Kim Brebach]

That's a riot, mate. The second sentence is quite a challenge structurally speaking. Changing tact is not something I was ever very good at. An appropriate response to the author would be something like: 'You really know you're shit!'
:-)

[psandy]

Motogp commenting on Casey Stoner's return to racing:

even if they have to duck-tape me to the bike

[Kim Brebach]

Great quote, thanks for sharing.
P.S.: I thought he'd just announced his retirement

[entertainment]

Excellent blog post. I certainly appreciate
this site. Keep it up!