We love writing, creating copy and developing content which has flair and accuracy. However, we research so many different blogs, journals, articles and books that we constantly notice HUGE mistakes being published across the web daily.
As we are so used to reading and writing, we've decided to tackle those big grammar errors with this to-the-point list of all that you're doing wrong with grammar.
12 Grammar No-No's (a list to learn from...)
Your vs You're
Your: A possessive pronoun as in, "Your book... your home".
You're: Contracted version of "you are", as in, "You're the owner of that book".
Unsure? Repeat your sentence with both options - usually whichever one "sounds right", usually is the right one.
It's vs Its
It's: Contracted version of "it is", as in, "It's never too late to learn from your mistakes".
Its: A possessive pronoun as in, "This car has had its MOT checked".
Unsure? Try reciting your sentence with "it is" - does it sound right?
There vs Their vs They're
There: A location predominantly, "Mark is over there".
Their: Belonging to someone or something, "Mark said it's theirs".
They're: Contracted version of "they are" as in, "Mark said they're going to the park".
Affect vs Effect
Affect: Verb, as in, "Her outfit affected the whole performance".
Effect: Typically, a noun, "Glitter is a special effect worth having for performers".
Unsure? Is it "doing" something? Remember the difference between a verb and noun.
Me, Myself and I
Me & I: Repeat your sentence by removing the other person - does it sound silly? "Rebekah and I cleaned the room" or "Rebekah and me cleaned the room" - in this case, "I" is correct.
Myself: Properly used one of two ways - these are examples: "Most people hate sprouts, but I myself enjoy it. I thought to myself, "Why?""
Unsure? Careful consideration of how a sentence would sound can instantly clarify whether or not you're using the right term.
Improper Apostrophe Use
Unsure? Always take care with apostrophes and remember they should only be used in contractions and when showing possession.
Contractions: A contracted word will have an apostrophe: don't, couldn't, shouldn't, mightn't etc.
Possessions: To show possession, you use an apostrophe when describing who / what possesses the item, i.e. "The dog's biscuit left crumbs on Neil's jumper"
Could of vs Would of vs Should of
Could of: Contracted: Could've [correct]. When spoken it sounds like "could of" [wrong], instead it is "could have" [correct]
Would of: Contracted: Would've [correct]. When spoken it sounds like "would of" [wrong], instead it is "would have" [correct]
Should of: Contracted: Should've [correct]. When spoken it sounds like "should of" [wrong], instead it is "should have" [correct]
If you have any questions regarding your content creation methods, including social media, printed content, email campaigns and blogging, get in touch with Thrive via hello@thriveability.co.uk or DM us at @ThriveHQ!
