{"id":61,"date":"2007-06-29T11:11:47","date_gmt":"2007-06-29T18:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bspcn.com\/2007\/06\/29\/do-you-make-these-mistakes-when-you-write\/"},"modified":"2007-06-29T11:11:47","modified_gmt":"2007-06-29T18:11:47","slug":"do-you-make-these-mistakes-when-you-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/2007\/06\/29\/do-you-make-these-mistakes-when-you-write\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Make These Mistakes When You Write?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Brian Clark<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Do<\/p>\n

It’s time once again to review those nasty errors that damage our credibility when we write. Not normally a fun task, but absolutely necessary. I promise to keep you amused to diminish the pain (or at least I’ll give it a shot).<\/p>\n

As with the last time we explored grammatical errors<\/a>, I feel compelled to mention that copywriting and blogging should be conversational and engaging, and breaking formal grammatical and spelling conventions can often be a good thing. Every time I see a comment complaining about something like, oh, I don’t know? the improper use of an ellipsis or one-sentence paragraphs, I shake my head with sadness.<\/p>\n

They just don’t get it.<\/p>\n

Outside of specific professional or academic contexts, writing with a personal style that makes it easier on the reader<\/em> is more important than pleasing Strunk and White<\/a>. That said, I also believe you have to know the rules in order to break them. Plus, there are some errors that you’ll never convince anyone that you did intentionally in the name of style (outside of a joke), and even then some people will still assume you’re dumb.<\/p>\n

So, let’s take a look at some more of those types of glaring errors that you never want to make. Thanks to reader suggestions and the aforementioned Messrs. Strunk and White, here are seven more<\/em> common mistakes that can diminish the shine and credibility of your writing.<\/p>\n

1. Loose vs. Lose<\/h3>\n

This one drives a lot of people crazy, including me. In fact, it’s so prevalent among bloggers that I once feared I was missing something, and somehow “loose” was a proper substitute for “lose” in some other English-speaking countries. Here’s a hint: it’s not.<\/p>\n

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If your pants are too loose<\/em>, you might lose<\/em> your pants.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2. Me, Myself, and I<\/h3>\n

One of the most common causes of grammatical pain is the choice between “me” and “I.” Too often people use “I” when they should use “me,” because since “I” sounds stilted and proper, it must be right, right? Nope.<\/p>\n

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 Chris and I a call.” Don’t be afraid of me<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Many consider Chris a punk, but I myself tolerate him. Which brings me to ask myself, why?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

3. Different than vs. Different from<\/h3>\n

This one slips under the radar a lot, and I’ll bet I’ve screwed it up countless times. It boils down to the fact that things are logically different from<\/em> one another, and using the word “than” after different is a grammatical blunder.<\/p>\n

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This vase is different from<\/em> the one I have, but I think mine is better than<\/em> this one.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

4. Improper Use of the Apostrophe<\/h3>\n

Basically, you use an apostrophe in two cases:<\/p>\n