Six Common Mistakes to Look for in Your Copy

I figure I’ve typed about a billion words – give or take a small novel — in my 30-year writing career. To this day, I still use the old hunt-and-peck method, which means my brain often gets ahead of my fingers. The result is some pretty embarrassing mistakes in my work. I usually catch them while proofing, but the occasional boo-boo does slip through.

When that happens, a little bit of my credibility dies. My excuse is that I never learned how to touch type. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

But there are people out there who really don’t know the difference between “your” and “you’re” or “their” and “there” and “they’re.” In an effort to sound conversational, they write “I should of…” Worse, they leave their modifiers dangling. In public, no less.

In an earlier post, I suggested that writers should not be afraid to break the sometimes antiquated rules of grammar in favor of clear communication. I still believe that. What I’m talking about here are sloppy, careless, silly mistakes that strike a blow against your expertise.

Here are six common mistakes to look for before someone else sees your copy. The first four are homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings).

Your vs. You’re

I’d like to think people know the difference between the possessive pronoun (your) and the contraction for you are (you’re).

Its vs It’s

Again, it’s the difference between a possessive pronoun (its) and a contraction (it is).

There vs. Their vs. They’re

“There” can be used to reference a physical place, or as a pronoun. “Their” is another possessive pronoun. “They’re” is a contraction for “they are.”

Affect vs. Effect

This is a tough one that catches many people. “Affect” is a verb, as in “Your ability to write clearly will affect your income.” “Effect” is a noun, as in “The effect of not writing clearly will be a reduction in income.”

Should of, Could of, Would of

The loser’s lament: “coulda, woulda, shoulda.” Classic example of people writing the way they talk. In all three cases, “of” should be replaced by “have.”

The Dangling Participle

These are usually pretty funny. The juxtaposition of phrases can make for some hilarious scenarios. Here are a couple examples; the mistake should be obvious:

1. After rotting in the cellar for weeks, my brother brought up some oranges.
2. Featuring plug-in circuit boards, we can strongly endorse this server’s flexibility and growth potential.
3. Relieved of responsibilities at work, your home should be a place to relax.

The best way to avoid these embarrassing errors and keep your credibility intact is take a few moments to proofread your work carefully before exposing it to the world.

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