Common Errors and Fixing Them
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Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:12 pm
Common errors and mistakes in writing.
Here are some common spelling, tense and word errors. Just read this guide to learn how to fix AND remember your writing weaknesses!
1. Loose versus Lose.
This one particularly drives me bonkers. Here's a little sentence so you remember which means what.
"If your belt is too loose, you might lose your trousers."
Bear that in mind for me!
2. Advise versus Advice.
This also sends me up the wall. But It's so subtle that I bet I've messed it up countless times before.
Advice is a noun, something that you give. It is a thing - "Please give me some advice."
Advise is a verb, something that you do. It is an action - "Please advise me."
3. Unwanted apostrophe.
You use an apostrophe in two cases:
- For contractions (don’t for do not)
- To show possession (Bob’s book means the book belongs to Bob)
If you are still in doubt about it, leave it out. It will cause the reader confusion to put an apostrophe where it needn't be than it does to leave one out.
4. Effect versus Affect.
As verbs, they do differ between one another. To affect some thing is to have influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen.
As nouns, they also differ between each other. Affect is like affection, related to emotion. Effect is a result.
An AFFECT causes an EFFECT.
4. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism.
Do not use ridiculously long words.
5. Zero.
You must always remember that zero IS a number. No matter what any rather strange looking 'mathematician' tells you.
Think of it this way; I have had zero sexual encounters with the gorgeous Angelina Jolie. Sadly.
6. It's versus Its.
"It's" simply means "it is" and "its" is possessive.
Use this technique to choose the correct one: if you are in doubt, repeat your sentence using "it is" in replace of the term you used. If it sounds peculiar, then the correct term will be "its".
7. You're versus Your.
If you get this wrong twice, I will sneak into your bed during your sleep and strangle you to death with a spoon.
This is similar to the previous number. "You're" means "you are" and "your" is possessive.
If in doubt, repeat your sentence using "you are" in replace of the term you used. If, like number 6, it sounds peculiar, then the correct term will most likely be "your".
8. Me, Myself, and I
Another puzzler is the choice between “me” and “I.” Too often people use “I” when they should use “me,” because since “I” sounds like proper English, it must be right, right? Nope.
The easy way to get this one right is to simply remove the other person from the sentence and then do what sounds correct. You would never say “Give I a call,” so you also wouldn’t say “Give Bob and I a call.” I told you it was a puzzler, that last sentence sounds correct, doesn't it? Don’t be afraid of "me".
And whatever you do, don’t punt and say “myself” because you’re not sure whether “me” or “I” is the correct choice. “Myself” is only proper in two contexts, both of which are demonstrated below.
"Many consider Bob annoying, but I myself tolerate him. Which brings me to ask myself, why?"
9. Different than vs. Different from.
This one slips under the radar a lot, and I’ll bet I’ve screwed this one up countless times, too. It boils down to the fact that things are logically different from one another, and using the word “than” after different is a blunder.
10. i.e. vs. e.g.
Ah, Latin… you’ve just gotta love it. As antiquated as they might seem, these two little Latin abbreviations are pretty handy in modern writing, but only if you use them correctly.
The Latin phrase id est means “that is,” so i.e. is a way of saying “in other words.” It’s designed to make something clearer by providing a definition or saying it in a more common way.
The Latin phrase exempli gratia means “for example”, so e.g. is used before giving specific examples that support your assertion.
11. Could of, Would of, Should of.
Please don’t do this:
"I should of gone to the baseball game, and I could of, if Billy would of done his job."
This is correct:
"I should have gone to the baseball game, and could have, if Billy had done his job."
Why do people make this mistake?
They could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been correct, except that the ending of those contractions is slurred when spoken. This creates something similar to a homophone, i.e., a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning, e.g., of, which results in the common grammatical mistake of substituting of for have.
12. There vs. Their.
This one seems to trip up everyone occasionally, often as a pure typo. Make sure to watch for it when you proofread.
“There” is used many ways, including as a reference to a place (“let’s go there”) or as a pronoun (“there is no hope”). “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun, as in “their bags” or “their opinions.” Always do the “that’s ours!” test - are you talking about more than one person and something that they possess? If so, “their” will get you there.
13. Complement and Compliment:
The change from an "e" to an "i" makes a big difference in these two words. The word "complement" is related to the word "complete." If one thing complements another, then the two together make a whole.
In contrast, the word "compliment" is an observation of some good quality in a person. It is considered more sincere than flattery.
14. Punctuation and quotation marks.
English is not a logical language. We would think, if we are logical, that we should put a full stop, as the end of a sentence, after the closing set of quotation marks. No. We first put the full stop to end a sentence, then we put the closing quotation marks.
The same with a comma. When we use quotation marks, the second set of marks are put after the comma, not before, as we might logically assume.
For other punctuation marks, they go inside the quotations if they refer to the content of the quotation, or outside the quotation marks if they refer to the sentence as a whole.
15. Ain't.
A lot of people seem to think that "ain't" isn't a real word, well the jokes on them because "ain't" seen as perfectly real - if used correctly. It's shortened to mean "am not". So would work in the following sentences.
"I ain't going to school today."
"I ain't a noob."
"I ain't going to give you some toffee - it's mine."
Ain’t this been fun?
Sidenote: Since I'm not the best person at English, I had a lot of help from my friend's dad. He has an English degree and often writes blogs on errors and such. So don't use without asking me about it first, please.
Here are some common spelling, tense and word errors. Just read this guide to learn how to fix AND remember your writing weaknesses!
1. Loose versus Lose.
This one particularly drives me bonkers. Here's a little sentence so you remember which means what.
"If your belt is too loose, you might lose your trousers."
Bear that in mind for me!
2. Advise versus Advice.
This also sends me up the wall. But It's so subtle that I bet I've messed it up countless times before.
Advice is a noun, something that you give. It is a thing - "Please give me some advice."
Advise is a verb, something that you do. It is an action - "Please advise me."
3. Unwanted apostrophe.
You use an apostrophe in two cases:
- For contractions (don’t for do not)
- To show possession (Bob’s book means the book belongs to Bob)
If you are still in doubt about it, leave it out. It will cause the reader confusion to put an apostrophe where it needn't be than it does to leave one out.
4. Effect versus Affect.
As verbs, they do differ between one another. To affect some thing is to have influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen.
As nouns, they also differ between each other. Affect is like affection, related to emotion. Effect is a result.
An AFFECT causes an EFFECT.
4. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism.
Do not use ridiculously long words.
5. Zero.
You must always remember that zero IS a number. No matter what any rather strange looking 'mathematician' tells you.
Think of it this way; I have had zero sexual encounters with the gorgeous Angelina Jolie. Sadly.
6. It's versus Its.
"It's" simply means "it is" and "its" is possessive.
Use this technique to choose the correct one: if you are in doubt, repeat your sentence using "it is" in replace of the term you used. If it sounds peculiar, then the correct term will be "its".
7. You're versus Your.
If you get this wrong twice, I will sneak into your bed during your sleep and strangle you to death with a spoon.
This is similar to the previous number. "You're" means "you are" and "your" is possessive.
If in doubt, repeat your sentence using "you are" in replace of the term you used. If, like number 6, it sounds peculiar, then the correct term will most likely be "your".
8. Me, Myself, and I
Another puzzler is the choice between “me” and “I.” Too often people use “I” when they should use “me,” because since “I” sounds like proper English, it must be right, right? Nope.
The easy way to get this one right is to simply remove the other person from the sentence and then do what sounds correct. You would never say “Give I a call,” so you also wouldn’t say “Give Bob and I a call.” I told you it was a puzzler, that last sentence sounds correct, doesn't it? Don’t be afraid of "me".
And whatever you do, don’t punt and say “myself” because you’re not sure whether “me” or “I” is the correct choice. “Myself” is only proper in two contexts, both of which are demonstrated below.
"Many consider Bob annoying, but I myself tolerate him. Which brings me to ask myself, why?"
9. Different than vs. Different from.
This one slips under the radar a lot, and I’ll bet I’ve screwed this one up countless times, too. It boils down to the fact that things are logically different from one another, and using the word “than” after different is a blunder.
10. i.e. vs. e.g.
Ah, Latin… you’ve just gotta love it. As antiquated as they might seem, these two little Latin abbreviations are pretty handy in modern writing, but only if you use them correctly.
The Latin phrase id est means “that is,” so i.e. is a way of saying “in other words.” It’s designed to make something clearer by providing a definition or saying it in a more common way.
The Latin phrase exempli gratia means “for example”, so e.g. is used before giving specific examples that support your assertion.
11. Could of, Would of, Should of.
Please don’t do this:
"I should of gone to the baseball game, and I could of, if Billy would of done his job."
This is correct:
"I should have gone to the baseball game, and could have, if Billy had done his job."
Why do people make this mistake?
They could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been correct, except that the ending of those contractions is slurred when spoken. This creates something similar to a homophone, i.e., a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning, e.g., of, which results in the common grammatical mistake of substituting of for have.
12. There vs. Their.
This one seems to trip up everyone occasionally, often as a pure typo. Make sure to watch for it when you proofread.
“There” is used many ways, including as a reference to a place (“let’s go there”) or as a pronoun (“there is no hope”). “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun, as in “their bags” or “their opinions.” Always do the “that’s ours!” test - are you talking about more than one person and something that they possess? If so, “their” will get you there.
13. Complement and Compliment:
The change from an "e" to an "i" makes a big difference in these two words. The word "complement" is related to the word "complete." If one thing complements another, then the two together make a whole.
In contrast, the word "compliment" is an observation of some good quality in a person. It is considered more sincere than flattery.
14. Punctuation and quotation marks.
English is not a logical language. We would think, if we are logical, that we should put a full stop, as the end of a sentence, after the closing set of quotation marks. No. We first put the full stop to end a sentence, then we put the closing quotation marks.
The same with a comma. When we use quotation marks, the second set of marks are put after the comma, not before, as we might logically assume.
For other punctuation marks, they go inside the quotations if they refer to the content of the quotation, or outside the quotation marks if they refer to the sentence as a whole.
15. Ain't.
A lot of people seem to think that "ain't" isn't a real word, well the jokes on them because "ain't" seen as perfectly real - if used correctly. It's shortened to mean "am not". So would work in the following sentences.
"I ain't going to school today."
"I ain't a noob."
"I ain't going to give you some toffee - it's mine."
Ain’t this been fun?
Sidenote: Since I'm not the best person at English, I had a lot of help from my friend's dad. He has an English degree and often writes blogs on errors and such. So don't use without asking me about it first, please.
Last edited by Josh on Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:06 pm; edited 2 times in total
Josh- Lead Sentinel
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Kanae Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:28 pm
Josh wrote:4. Hippopotomonstrousquipedalianism.
Do not use ridiculously long words.
I like big, ridculously long words.
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:01 pm
Kanae wrote:Josh wrote:4. Hippopotomonstrousquipedalianism.
Do not use ridiculously long words.
I like big, ridculously long words.
... That is why no-one likes you.
*Borat voice* I JOKE!!
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Fri Sep 16, 2011 5:25 am
Sesquipedalion xD Yes, a real word xD Guess what it means xD 'Someone who likes to use large words' xD You gotta love sesquipedalions xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Kanae Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:29 am
Drake wrote:Sesquipedalion xD Yes, a real word xD Guess what it means xD 'Someone who likes to use large words' xD You gotta love sesquipedalions xD
That would be me!!! Finally someone in this pack understands me. xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:23 pm
he he xD Large words are fun xD How could anyone think otherwise? Unless they don't know the meaning of the word. but then you learn it xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Alaric Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:00 pm
Drake wrote:he he xD Large words are fun xD How could anyone think otherwise? Unless they don't know the meaning of the word. but then you learn it xD
Education is good in this sense, no?
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Silver Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:23 pm
Floccinaucinihilipilification- the estimation of something as wothless.
(e.g., rule #4)
I am an unwavering sesquipedalion, thank you very much! >: (
(e.g., rule #4)
I am an unwavering sesquipedalion, thank you very much! >: (
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:53 pm
0.0 how on earth do you pronounce that?!?! It's one cool word xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:15 am
STOP USING THE RIDICULOUSLY LONG WORDS!!!!
It's just a guide, jeez!
It's just a guide, jeez!
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:19 am
xD but we're sesquipedalions xD we rather like large words xD like iambic pentameter xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Seala Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:27 pm
One of my grandpas died from Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanocon... but that was before I was alive.
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:44 pm
Stop it, you foxymorons!
Yeah, cuz I'm that weird... Lol! Either way! Stup eet!!
Yeah, cuz I'm that weird... Lol! Either way! Stup eet!!
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Kanae Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:41 pm
I feel like a noob since I have yet to express myself with a very long word. I think that Josh suffers from hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. ^^
.
.
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:15 pm
nice word Kanae (I just realised I may have misspelt ur name in all my posts xD) What does it mean?
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Kanae Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:03 pm
Drake wrote:nice word Kanae (I just realised I may have misspelt ur name in all my posts xD) What does it mean?
Did you really? xD I didn't even notice.
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Drake Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:07 pm
I'm pretty sure I did xD I think I spelt it Kaena xD
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Ray Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:43 am
I looked it up on wiki and it said the longest englich word was over a thousand letters lond and my computer was lagging so it wouldn't load..... for short this long word is also called "titan"
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Silver Mon Oct 10, 2011 12:04 pm
Is that the one that's the name of some chemical?
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:04 pm
Josh wrote:Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism.
Your words are making me sad.
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Kanae Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:13 pm
Josh wrote:Josh wrote:Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism.
Your words are making me sad.
Do you want a hug?
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Re: Common Errors and Fixing Them
Josh Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:37 pm
HUGS MAKE ME SAD... No, they don't. They make me happy :)
HUGZ PLEEZE ;3
HUGZ PLEEZE ;3
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