A Visit from the Grammar Police

Anyone who writes for any reason and expects others to read it should take care that their writing is grammatically correct, proper punctuation is used, and words are spelled correctly. The subject matter should flow smoothly between paragraphs. No matter how valid your topic is, sloppy writing looks unprofessional and detracts from your work.

Don't depend on spellchecking programs to catch all your errors for you; they won't. Two words with different meanings and that are spelled differently will almost always be overlooked by these programs when they are spelled correctly, whether the usage is correct or not. For some humorous examples, check out this poem!

Once you have finished a piece of work that you intend to publish, leave it until the next day before editing and proofreading. I am amazed at how many errors will jump out at me the next morning when my mind is rested. If your language arts skills are not good, that doesn't mean you can't be an author! Find someone who does possess these skills and ask them to proofread your writing before publishing.

To check your grammar, try reading the piece out loud. Does it sound awkward, or does the language flow smoothly? If you're not sure, read it to a friend or family member who will give you their honest opinion!

It is especially important for those wishing to promote a business that their marketing materials are free of writing errors. When I see a sales pitch full of poor grammar, punctuation, and spelling it makes me wonder if the business person is as careless in the management of their business. Your sales material needs to make a good first impression to lend credibilty to your business endeavors.


Their, There, Now

With this in mind, I offer a brief lesson on a few common spelling errors I often see. "Their" and "there" are often used incorrectly, and let's not forget about "they're." "Their" is also often misspelled "thier."

"They're" is a contraction for "they are." Example: The children are excited because they're going to the zoo today.

"Their" is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership: My parents took me for a ride in their new car.