Premium Essay

10 Grammar Mistakes That Make You Look Stupid

In:

Submitted By priyanshudewan
Words 1040
Pages 5
10 Grammar Mistakes That Make You Look Stupid

Version 1.0 May 23, 2005

These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we're in a hurry, quickly dashing off e-mails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I'm being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It's expected. It's no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there's no confusion about what we're saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright. In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, Did she just say "irregardless"?, but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten. That's not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in e-mails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there's no going back. We've just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here's the worst thing. It's not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat. So here we are in the era of Word's red-underline "wrong spelling, dumb ass" feature and Outlook's Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It's the other stuff -- correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded -- that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here's a quick review of some of the big ones.

1. Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key. Yes: I always lose the product key.

2. It's for its (or god forbid, its')
No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file. Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file. No:

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Report Advice

...documents but are intended to convey technical information in a form that is as easy to digest as possible. It makes several specific recommendations. 1. Start with a summary of the findings, then the argument and the supporting evidence. Do not start with assumptions and then attempt to write a quasi-scientific paper. 2. Use short sentences and a simple vocabulary; you are not trying to win a literary award. 3. Style is important. So are grammar, punctuation, syntax and spelling. You want your report to look professional. 4. Learn how to use a word processor properly, so that you have a consistent and appealing layout and structure in the report. 5. Place technical material in an appendix and make sure that the main text refers to it in a sensible way. 6. Use diagrams and figures when appropriate, since they can save many words. They must be readable, clear and properly labelled. 7. Always number the pages and sections to make it easy to refer to them in the report and in discussions. 8. Ask someone else to read the report before you issue it – and listen to what they say! Contents Page Executive Summary 2 Contents 3 1. Introduction 4 2. The organisation of the report 5 3. Writing style 6 3.1 Why this is important 6 3.2 KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid 6 3.3 Avoid being too informal 7 3.4 Use an...

Words: 3970 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Overcoming My Psychological Hangups

...Running head: OVERCOMING MY PSYCHOLOGICAL HANGUPS 1 Recalling my Childhood Experiences Nichole Latiker Ivy Tech Community College Overcoming My Psychological Hang Ups It was 1983. The Midwest Weather was cold, so cold that icicles were everywhere that a little girl could fix her eyes to look. The week before, there had been blizzards and rain. I didn't care about the snow or cold air but this particular week it was only a slight cool breeze. The snow was 9 inches on the ground. It was just so beautiful outside. It reminded me of a snow globe or a plush white mink coat covering my middle class neighborhood. I remember those icicles being all over the houses on my street from front to back because my friends and I would imagine that they were diamonds. Well, the girls imagined large gems. The boys played swords with the ice. They looked more like knives but I enjoyed their male antics anyway. I was very lively and full of vigor, except when I stepped inside my home. I played with friends or by myself. I was only 7 years old at the time and being outside in the snow was a refuge from being in the house with my mentally ill mother. At the time I hadn't (had not) realized that she was “sick”, I just knew that my mother was unusually cruel. I knew in my heart that she was mean but I chose to overlook her faults because-well, I really do not know. Maybe it was because I had enough friends to take my focus...

Words: 2746 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Luther

.............................................................. 5 Analysing the Question: Answering the Question............................ 5 Planning Your Essay ............................................................................. 8 Writing Your Essay................................................................................ 9 Introduction ..................................................................................... 10 The Body of the Essay.................................................................... 10 Concluding ....................................................................................... 12 Editing............................................................................................... 13 Writing Style ......................................................................................... 13 Spelling.............................................................................................. 13 Writing numbers.............................................................................. 14 Grammar: plurals and apostrophes .............................................. 15 Syntax: The Structure of Sentences .............................................. 16 Inclusive Writing ............................................................................. 16 Punctuation ...................................................................................... 19 Typefaces .......................................................................

Words: 6393 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Doc, Docx, Pdf, Wps

...Language Myths Language Myths: My own LA-reading journal. 1. Myth 2: "Some Languages Are Just Not Good Enough" by Ray Harlow Some people have the idea that some languages are just not good enough. They believe this for several different reasons, it is because  the language is not structured in terms of forming words, the language doesn't contain enough compounds and it can't be used as official language in areas such as administration, business communication, international air traffic etc. Sometimes people dislike a certain language because they think it is ugly. I disagree with this myth. I believe that every language is precious to the people who speak the language. Harlow says: ‘Most languages are the first language of some community and serve the everyday functions of that community perfectly well.’  Communication is the most important aspect of a language. If a language serves this purpose it is good enough. 2. Myth 5: "English Spelling Is Kattastroffik" by Edward Carney Edward Carney believes that people shouldn't blame the English spelling system just because there are more speech- sounds than letters in English spelling. It is important to separate sounds and letters in English spelling. After studying Phonetics, spelling and pronunciation became easier for me. I learnt that one speech-sound can have different spelling and that one spelling may stand for different speech-sounds. Sounds very complicated at first, but after a while I started to understand why. This...

Words: 6921 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Prereadingactivities

...Pride and Prejudice Before Reading 8 TALKING ABOUT THE COVER • Can you tell from these two faces which character will be proud, and which will be prejudiced? • In your opinion, which of the two characteristics – pride or prejudice – would be more damaging to a relationship? • Which of these two characters do you expect to feel more sympathy for in the story? 9 10 11 12 BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES (PAGE 108) ACTIVITY 1 BEFORE READING Encourage discussion about types of pride and prejudice, and speculation about the kind of story students are expecting to read. Do not tell students if their guesses are right. They will find out as they read that the best answers are 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e and 3g. walk across the muddy fields to visit Jane’s sick-bed at Netherfield Park. Mr Collins to Mrs Bennet, referring to the fact that he might propose to one of her daughters, to make amends for inheriting their house when Mr Bennet dies. Elizabeth to Mr Wickham, about Mr Darcy. Mr Wickham to Elizabeth, about the post of rector of Pemberley which Mr Darcy had failed to give him. Elizabeth to Mr Darcy, mocking him for his lack of conversation, by suggesting to him the kind of boring comment that he should be making. Mr Darcy to Elizabeth, about Wickham and whether he was able to keep the friends that he found easy to make. BEFORE READING CHAPTER 5 Encourage speculation and discussion, but do not confirm or deny students’ guesses at this stage...

Words: 2515 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

I. Language in the Brain, Mouth and the Hands

...forty of these phonemes. So, if you're a native monolingual speaker of English you hear speech and each sound you hear is categorized as falling into one of those forty morphemes — sorry, phonemes. So, for example, English has a phoneme of "lu," "l," and a phoneme of "r." And so, an English speaker can hear the difference between "lip" and "rip" and that corresponds to two different words in English. Other languages don't have that distinction and so those distinctions are very difficult for non-native English speakers to learn. So, part of what goes on when you learn, is you have to learn the language — the phonemes that your language has. Another part of the problem of learning language is you have to figure out what the boundaries are between the words. You have to use sound signals to figure out the boundaries between the words. Now that — If the only language you've ever heard is English, that's going to seem like a really weird example of a problem because you're listening to me speak and in between each of my words you're hearing a pause. You don't have to be very smart to figure out where one word begins and one word ends. But the pause is a psychological illusion. If you were to just talk into an oscilloscope that measured your sound vibrations, there are no pauses between the words. Rather, the pauses are inserted by your mind as you already know where one word begins and another one ends. And you...

Words: 5972 - Pages: 24

Free Essay

Sample Test

...) English Literature Unit 1 (F.T.) English Literature Unit 2 a and b (F.T.) 93 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE Higher Tier UNIT 1 Specimen Assessment Materials 2 hours SECTION A Question 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Of Mice and Men Anita and Me To Kill a Mockingbird I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Chanda’s Secrets SECTION B 6. Poetry 12 Pages 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10 - 11 ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Twelve page answer booklet. INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Answer both Section A and Section B. Answer one question in Section A and the question in Section B. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The number of marks is given in brackets after each question or part-question. You are reminded that assessment will take into account the quality of written communication used in your answers. JD*(S-2011 Higher) Turn over. 2 SECTION A 1. Of Mice and Men Answer part (a) and either part (b) or part (c). You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on part (a), and about 40 minutes on part (b) or part (c). (a) Read the extract on the opposite page. Then answer the following question: With close reference to the extract, show how John Steinbeck presents Curley here. [10] Either, (b) Steinbeck uses three specific settings on the ranch: the bunkhouse, the harness room and the barn. Choose one of these settings and show how it is important to the novel as a whole.[20] Or, (c) How is the character of Candy important to the novel...

Words: 59492 - Pages: 238

Free Essay

American English File

...American English File- Book 4 Answer key 7 stole / has stolen 8 the swimming pool opens (opened; will open) 9 are you meeting / will you meet 10 she lives / she lived 1A Q and A 1 GRAMMAR a 3 How long 4 Which 5 How often 6 How 7 What 8 Do 9 What kind (sort / type) 10 Whose 11 Have 12 Who 2 PRONUNCIATION a 1b 2a 3a 4b 5b 6a 7b 8a 3 SPEAKING b Answers will vary depending on the country and culture you are teaching in. In the US, questions 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 11, and 12 would be considered inappropriate questions to ask someone you don’t know well. a 1 What’s the most important lesson life has taught you? 2 What’s your earliest memory? 3 Where would you like to live? 4 What single thing would improve the quality of your life? d 1L 2N 3N 4L 5N 6L 7L 8N 5 If you could go back in time, where would you go? 6 What’s your most treasured possession? e 1 8 or 10 2 9 3 11 4 8 5 11 or 12 4 READING & VOCABULARY a f a 1 Do you ever send text messages? 2 When was the last time you went to a party? 3 Could you tell me if there is a bank near here? 4 Who usually cooks the dinner? 5 Who do you like going shopping with? 6 What don’t you like doing on weekends? 7 What kind of car would you like to buy? 8 Do you know what time the concert ends? b 1 do you 2 wrote 3 this book costs / this book cost 4 happens / happened 5 Did you enjoy 6 does Tim usually listen to 1 Copyright(c) Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Single men and women meet for an evening. The women sit at tables...

Words: 20773 - Pages: 84

Premium Essay

How to Teach Grammar

...How to teach Grammar What is Grammar? Why should we teach Grammar? APPROACHES The deductive approach – rule-driven learning The inductive approach – the rule-discovery path The functional- notional approach Teaching grammar in situational contexts Teaching grammar through texts Teaching grammar through stories Teaching grammar through songs and rhymes Some rules for teaching grammar 2 3 6 10 15 21 25 27 28 31 1 What is Grammar? • • Language user’s subconscious internal system Linguists’ attempt to codify or describe that system • Sounds of language • Structure and form of words • Arrangement of words into larger units • Meanings of language • Functions of language & its use in context • • • • • Phonology Morphology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics • • “Grammar is the business of taking a language to pieces, to see how it works.” (David Crystal) Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact no language has rules. If we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the language, like a new game. But languages did not start like that. Languages started by people making sounds which evolved into words, phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken language is fixed. All languages change over time. What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection of a language at a particular time. Grammar is the mental system of rules and categories that allows humans to form and...

Words: 10597 - Pages: 43

Premium Essay

How to Write Great Essays

...York, NY 10006 Or visit us at: www.learnatest.com Contents Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 vii Organization 1 Clarity 11 Word Choice 21 Mechanics 39 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading 55 Untimed Essay Writing Strategies 67 Timed Essay Writing Strategies 85 Sample Essay Prompts and Essays 97 Resources 111 CONTENTS HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS v Introduction n your preparations for college, you may find yourself facing a handful of high-stakes essays. Your college application requires at least one, and the SAT requires another. Depending upon the high school you attend, or the state you reside in, you may need to write an exit essay, or take the Regents Exam. This book includes specific strategies to help you write great essays, no matter which type you write. In contrast to basic writing guides that contain plenty of information you don’t need, How to Write Great Essays focuses on the topics most important to you now. You won’t find a...

Words: 39355 - Pages: 158

Premium Essay

The Banker Blueprint

...mergersandinquisitions.com http://breakingintowallstreet.com http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com Feel free to copy this report and send it to all your friends. Actually, scratch that – please copy this report and send it to all your friends. Forward it to as many people as possible. The more the merrier! Print it out, pass it around, and hand out copies to everyone you know. Just make sure you keep the names and logos on each page intact. Table of Contents Why I Wrote This Guide and What You’re Going to Learn ........................................................... 4 Reality Checks and Beaches in Thailand .......................................................................................... 4 Action Plan, Step 1: Plan Your Strategy ........................................................................................... 6 Your Strategy: Action Steps ........................................................................................................... 9 Action Plan, Step 2: Craft Your Story ............................................................................................. 10 Your Story: Action Steps .............................................................................................................. 14 Action Plan, Step 3: Network Like a Ninja .................................................................................... 16 Networking Strategy #1: Developing Relationships ...........................................................

Words: 9377 - Pages: 38

Free Essay

No Where

...TESTS English Grammar (Tests) © 2003—2006 www.english-test.net 1. elementary-1 English Grammar / Incomplete Sentences / Elementary level # 1 Speaking already Q1 Can you hear what he is .......? (a) saying Q2 (d) watched (b) next (c) by (d) nearby (c) similar (d) same (c) least (d) later (c) did (d) make (c) real (d) whole (c) in (d) on (c) in (d) on (b) like (b) latest (b) done I want you to tell me the ....... truth. (a) all Q9 (c) viewed I only ....... one mistake in last night's test. (a) made Q8 (b) looked This television gives you the ....... news. (a) last Q7 (d) till She looks ....... a famous film star. (a) as Q6 (c) yet (b) already We live ....... the city centre. (a) near Q5 (d) talking I ....... TV yesterday evening. (a) saw Q4 (c) telling She hasn't come home ........ (a) still Q3 (b) speaking (b) exact He is looking ....... a present to buy his girlfriend. (a) for (b) at Q10 That's what I would like ....... Christmas. (a) for (b) at © 2003—2006 www.english-test.net 2. elementary-2 English Grammar / Incomplete Sentences / Elementary level # 2 Drive carefully Q1 You must not drink and then ....... a car. (a) lead Q2 (c) dislike (d) mind (b) lend (c) loan (d) owe (b) bring (c) fetch (d) remove (b) over (c) through (d) on (b) on (c) in ...

Words: 152824 - Pages: 612

Premium Essay

Logic

..."1 may read the astrology column, but I certainly don't believe it. I just read it for fun. But, the fact is, during the past twenty-five years there have been thousands of alleged sightings of UFOs, and not a single one has led to any solid evidence of their existence. What do you make of that?" "I think we should look at this situation the other way around," Ralph says."Up until now, nobody has shown that UFOs don't exist, so I think we should give those people who claim they have seen them the benefit of the doubt. We should believe in UFOs and extraterrestrials until the sightings are proven false." "Well, okay. Let's suppose,just for the sake of argument, that I admit the existence of UFOs and t~eir little green drivers. How are we supposed to respond to them? What are we supposed to do?"C1audia asks. "For starters, we should extend an open invitation to them," answers Ralph."They may come from a dying planet where millions of their compatriots desperately strug­ gle for survival.Their sun may be burning out, their water supply exhausted, and their soil poisoned with toxic chemicals. Surely they deserve a second chance on a new planet." "Maybe so," Claudia says in a patronizing tone."And now that you mention it, we probably have a legal obligation to let them in. Our current immigration laws say that we have to admit at least ten thousand applicants annually, from every major nation. If those aliens would just sign the right papers, we'd have to give them permanent resi­ dency...

Words: 9519 - Pages: 39

Free Essay

Adverb in English

...Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Department of English Philology Diploma paper Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic Peculiarities of Adverbs in English Lviv - 2010 Contents Introduction Chapter 1. The adverb in English theoretical grammar 1.1 Categorial meaning of the adverb 1.2 Formal characteristics of the adverb 1.3 Syntactic functions and positional characteristics of the adverb Chapter 2. Paradigmatics of adverbs 2.1 Semantic classification of adverbs 2.2 Lexico-grammatical subdivision of adverbs Chapter 3. Syntagmatic valency of adverbs and its actualization in speech 3.1 Syntactic valency and combinability patterns of adverbs 3.2 Semantic and syntactic properties of adverbs of degree 3.3 The use of adverbs of degree with gradable and non-gradable adjectives 3.4 Semantic preferences of amplifiers Conclusion Summary List of References Appendix Introduction The diploma paper sets out to explore paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations of adverbs in modern English. The work considers such branches of grammar as morphology and syntax and is concerned with the two levels of word relations. A word as a part of the language system is considered on two levels: 1) the syntagmatic level; 2) the paradigmatic level. On the paradigmatic level it is the relationship with other words in the vocabulary system. On the syntagmatic level the semantic structure of a word is analyzed in its linear relationships...

Words: 17846 - Pages: 72

Premium Essay

Become a Cric

...Cited Page Why Did I Get This Grade? JBHS Academic Honesty Policy List of Resources and References Academic Honesty Contract 14 15 © JBHS English Department 2009 19 27 28 30 32 33 35 38 40 43 44 Glossary of Writing and Research Terms Annotated Bibliography: Includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources used for researching a topic. Audience: Those whom you want your writing to reach. A writer needs to choose the appropriate words and style for his or her intended audience. Body Paragraph: Makes up most of an essay and has three main parts: a topic sentence, concrete detail/commentary, and a concluding sentence. Citation: [also known as parenthetical or in-text citation] Names a source and page number for text which quotes from, uses specific details from, or paraphrases source/research materials used for the writing of an essay or research paper. Claim: [also point or argument] A statement a writer makes that presents his main point or idea, the argument he/she is trying to prove. A thesis is the main claim, but topic sentences make claims related to the thesis. Cluster: [also Map or Tree Diagram] A type of prewriting designed to help a writer generate ideas and...

Words: 10668 - Pages: 43