Yes, we all make mistakes. But the key is to realize our mistakes and correct them, right? And yet, I see the same grammar mistakes over and over again. And the people who are making said mistakes work in a language-based industry like PR, advertising, social media consulting and so forth.
I have seen the following grammar mistakes so many times I want to scream:
- Affect versus effect. No one seems to know or recognize the difference.
- Me versus I. So many people refer to themselves as I in the reflexive.
- Assure versus ensure. They mean different things, really.
I am currently reading Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty. I suggest reading it too. Or check out Mignon’s tips online atGrammar Girl.
Like I said, we all make mistakes. But let’s learn how to avoid them.
The bottom line is that bad grammar makes you sound ignorant.
What do you think? What grammar mistakes do you see repeated?
About Deborah Brody
Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.
I totally agree with you and I have had some of my friends confuse between thought and taught (really!?)
I believe that it happens because of general carelessness. No one seems to think it is important to check.
Love this. I agree with you. My pet peeves are the simple ones:
*Then versus than.
*To, two, too.
Then versus than is a big one…makes me nuts too.
A and an–seeing “a apple (or whatever beginning with a vowel)” more and more–Post, Times, NPR–are we in the midst of a usage change?
Principal and principle–all guilty, except maybe the New Yorker.
Axe and ask–drives me nuts.
I am looking for a job–you would be surprised at the typos and usage errors I find in job postings–not good advertisements for organizations.
This is so true. I think a portion of the reasoning is laziness, but another big reason is lack of knowledge. I don’t think many people understand the written language and what it means. “Your / you’re” and “than / then” are prime examples. It’s simple ignorance in many cases.