Writers' Treasure Magnetic Writing The most confusing grammar mistakes, explained

The most confusing grammar mistakes, explained

This is a guest article by Umesh Joshi. If you want to submit a guest article of your own, be sure to read the guest article guidelines.

We all enjoy conversational writing and find it very engaging, but at the expense of fractured grammar, it might not be acceptable. So, to help you drill your way to reader’s heart, here’s a quick fix.

Subject-verb agreement

The subject and verb of a sentence must match up with each other in number whether they are plural or singular. If subject is singular, its verb must be singular and vice versa.

For Example:

Incorrect: Her dogs loves to play in the park.

Correct: Her dogs love to play in the park.

We often get confused with the words that come in between the subject and verb. For example:

Incorrect: The king, who is known for his helpers, are a good man.

Correct: The king, who is known for his helpers, is a good man.

Passive voice

Instead of being placed at the beginning, an object is placed at the end of the sentence in passive voice. With passive sentences, your content seems weak and unclear.

Sounds different? Check this (the same paragraph in active voice):

A sentence becomes passive when the object (noun that receives the action) is placed at the beginning of the sentence instead of the end. Usage of passive sentences makes your content weak and unclear.

You can clearly mark the difference in the above paragraphs.

Comma splice

When two independent clauses are connected by a comma they form a run-on sentence. People often confuse long sentences to be run-on sentences, but, in reality structural flaw is independent of length of sentence.

For example:

Incorrect: She kept waiting for him at the restaurant, he didn’t come.

Correct: She kept waiting for him at the restaurant, but he didn’t come.

When only a comma is used to connect two independent sentences, it need to be accompanied by conjunctions (so, but, and, or, yet).

Apostrophe misuse

Apostrophe is meant to be used either for contractions or to show possession.

For example:

Incorrect: Its not my cup of tea.

Correct: It’s not my cup of tea.

Incorrect: Reliance has a way of getting it’s work done.

Correct: Reliance has a way of getting its work done.

“It’s” is often confused with its. “It’s” means “It is or it has” whereas “its” shows possession.

Also, apostrophes are not meant to be used in the case of words like “Dos.”

Most confusing words

  1. Effect vs Affect

Incorrect: Passive writings do not attract readers, and this might effect the user traffic on your blog.

“Affect” is used as a verb whereas “effect” is more often used as a noun. So, “effect” does not justify above sentence.

Correct: Passive writings do not attract readers, and this might affect the user traffic on your blog.

  1. Between vs Among

Incorrect: His actions completely justify the fact that he is the most coward man between his colleagues.

“Between” is used to point out the difference between two things or people whereas “among” is used when the reference is for more than two things.

Correct: His actions completely justify the fact that he is the most coward man among his colleagues.

  1. Me vs. I

Incorrect: The drunk driver hit my friend and I with his car.

But that’s wrong, because “I” is a subject pronoun and cannot be used at the place of an object.

Correct: The drunk driver hit my friend and me with his car.

  1. Your vs Yours

“Your” is a possessive adjective and “yours” is a possessive pronoun.

Incorrect: Your Sincerely

Correct: Yours Sincerely

Wrap-up

These were just few but most common mistakes which are literally killing grammar deteriorating grammar standards both online and in print. So, from now on watch your words and the sentence structure to see how well it complies to basic grammar rules, and correct people who are doing it wrong.  Get started!

Author Bio: Umesh Joshi has a flair to tackle breaking tech news; especially High End Laptops which are good for programming, gaming and graphic design. He writes at laptopforprogramming.com.

One thought on “The most confusing grammar mistakes, explained”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

The reasons why you may be lacking creativity and productivity as a writerThe reasons why you may be lacking creativity and productivity as a writer

This is a guest article by Adam Robertson. If you want to submit a guest article of your own, be sure to read the guest article guidelines.

Every writer, regardless of the niche they are working in, often faces problems with being creative and productive. This may be due to a number of different factors, some of which may not occur to you straight away but are worth thinking about and implementing. These will be outlined in terms of the practical ways you can avoid or minimise them.

(more…)

How to market yourself as a freelance writerHow to market yourself as a freelance writer

This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest article of your own, be sure to read the guest article guidelines.

As a freelance writer, you’re essentially a one-person business. It might not feel that way, especially if you’re just starting out. However, it’s essential to market yourself the right way so you can stand out against competitors. It’s estimated that there are over one billion freelancers across the globe, and the freelance writing market makes up about 204 million of that. Knowing how to market yourself will not only help you find a niche audience but will also build your portfolio and help you find consistent work.

Chances are, however, that you didn’t want to become a writer because you have great marketing skills. If you do, you’re already one step ahead. If not, it’s never too late to learn how to market yourself and your services.

Let’s look at a few ways you can effectively market yourself so you can grow your client base, further your career, and find success as a writer.

(more…)

The buzz factor: how to create shareable social media contentThe buzz factor: how to create shareable social media content

This is a guest article by Farlyn Lucas. If you want to submit a guest article of your own, be sure to read the guest article guidelines.

With billions of people active on social media every day, the potential to reach a wider audience and build a strong personal brand is greater than ever. But with so much content being shared online, how can you ensure your work gets noticed and shared? The answer lies in the buzz factor – the ability to create content that resonates with your target audience and gets shared. Let’s dive into the key elements of creating shareable social media content, providing tips and strategies to help you take your online presence to the next level.

(more…)