10 mistakes that make you look stupid
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 15:25
Here are my personal top ten of the most common mistakes I come across in spellings, together with examples of right and wrong usage. Avoid them if you want to avoid a bad impression.
Spellcheckers won't pick all of these up, because although they're mistakes, they actually form other words - correctly spelled - that mean something completely different! Several are to do with possessive words...
1: It's instead of its (or even its'!), or the other way round!
Wrong: Buy this trampoline and get it's cover free.
Right: Buy this trampoline and get its cover free.
Wrong: The photocopier is broken. Its making a loud noise.
Right: The photocopier is broken. It's making a loud noise.
Remember: it's is short for it is, and its is possessive - like my, mine, yours, his, hers.
2: You're instead of your, and your instead of you're
You'd think this one was easy, but I've seen many professionals get this wrong.
Wrong: You must do you're homework.
Right: You must do your homework.
Wrong: Your right about that.
Right: You're right about that.
Remember: you're is short for you are, whereas your is possessive
3. Could of or would of instead of could have or would have
This is sheer laziness as I'm sure if people read it back to themselves they can see it doesn't make sense.
Wrong: I could of finished it earlier if I'd had help.
Right: I could have finished it earlier if I'd had help.
Wrong: He would of told you but he was busy.
Right: He would have told you but he was busy.
4. They're when you mean their, or vice versa
Wrong: The despatch guys are playing they're tricks again.
Right: The despatch guys are playing their tricks again.
Wrong: The customers are not happy and their complaining again.
Right: The customers are not happy and they're complaining again.
Remember: their is possessive; they're means they are
5. Effect instead of affect, or affect instead of effect
Wrong: This mistake shouldn't effect anyone.
Right: This mistake shouldn't affect anyone.
Wrong: This will have an immediate affect.
Right: This will have an immediate effect.
Wrong: Please affect this change immediately.
Right: Please effect this change immediately.
Remember: Tricky one this. To affect something is to change or influence it, whereas to effect something is a stuffy way of saying 'make it so'. Confusingly, either may have an 'effect' or result.
6. 'Loose' when you mean 'lose'
Wrong: I often loose my keys.
Right: I often lose my keys.
Loose means to untie.
7. Comprises of instead of comprises
Adding 'of' to comprises is just unnecessary verbage:
Wrong: Our product comprises of three main parts.
Right: Our product comprises three main parts.
Remember: comprises means 'be made up of' or 'consist of', so comprises of is literally 'consists of of'! However, just to confuse you, a passive use of comprise is becoming standard English now: this use (as in 'the USA is comprised of 50 states') means the same as the traditional active sense (as in 'the USA comprises 50 states'). But the active sense is shorter, so it's better. if you can use less words to say the same thing - do so. Brevity is a virtue.
8. Different than instead of different from
This is just horrible English!
Wrong: My program is different than the one they use.
Right: My program is different from the one they use.
9. If and then
When a sentence begins with 'If', you don't need a 'then' in the middle. 'Then' is implied by the sentence and using it is being too verbose.
Wrong: If you can't fix it, then you'll need to ring the repair man.
Right: If you can't fix it, you'll need to ring the repair man.
10. Lay instead of lie
Wrong: She felt sick and had to lay down.
Right: She felt sick and had to lie down.
Wrong: Please lie these plans out on the table.
Right: Please lay these plans out on the table.
One crumb of comfort: I've seen many highly intelligent, educated people make these same mistakes - so don't feel so bad!