In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I have compiled a list of the most common misuses of English by web authors. Here they are in Letterman (reverse) order.
10. Who, which or that?
"Who" (or "whom") refers to persons. "Which" refers to animals or things, never to persons. "That" can refer to either persons or things.
Examples:
The girl who was hungry. The dog that wagged its tail. The software which I wrote.
9. Anyone vs any one
"Anyone" means "any person," not necessarily any specific person. It could refer to multiple people simultaneously.
As two words, "any one" refers to a single person.
Examples:
Anyone can download my software. But the software can only be used by any one user at a time.
8. Commonly misspelled words
All right
Dependable
Independent
Recommend
Responsible
Separate
7. Don't put punctuation at the end of a URL
While not technically an English grammatical error, don't put a period or anything immediately after a URL reference. Doing so will usually invalidate the URL. You might call this an internet grammatical rule.
Example:
Notice the lack of a period in the following sentence. My URL is http://article-promotion.blogspot.com
6. Software not softwares
"Software" can be singular or plural. Never use "softwares."
5. Do the quotes go after or before the period?
Put quotes after a period or comma. Put quotes before a colon. Put quotes after a question mark unless the entire sentence is a question. This is a US English standard. British English usage can differ.
Examples:
He asked, "Are you hungry?" She replied, "Yes, I am hungry." Did she say, "Yes"?
4. There, their, or they're
"There" is used in two ways. It can specify a place. It can also be used as an expletive or empty word to start a sentence.
"Their" is used as a possessive form of "they".
"They're" is short for "they are."
Examples:
I live there, not here.
There are nine planets in the solar system.
The two boys raced their bikes.
They're both tired after walking up the stairs.
3. Powerful
Too many developers describe their software as, "XXX Software is a powerful, easy-to-use, ... ." I searched download.com and found 2149 descriptions or titles of software containing the word "powerful." Powerful has many meanings, most referring to how effectively something is performed, as in muscular. A car with 450 horsepower is clearly more powerful than one with only 200 horsepower. But what is powerful software? If you mean feature-rich (like Adobe Photoshop), then say so. If your software does only one thing, but it does it completely or thoroughly (like CounterSpy), then say so. But please, no more powerful software.
2. Site or sight
A "site" is a place.
"Sight" refers to your sense of vision.
Examples:
A web site is a place on the internet that you visit with your browser. A beautiful sunset is a marvellous sight.
And, finally, the most common English blunder by web authors is:
1. Its or It's
Use "it's" only when it means "it is." Unless you can replace "it's" with "it is," use "its." Never use "its'."
Examples:
It's raining today.
The dog wagged its tail.
Conclusion:
English is very difficult for persons whose native language is not English. It is also difficult for many English-speaking authors.
Unfortunately, most of the common grammatical errors will not be caught by a spell checker, so you have to manually check your writing for them.
An excellent reference is the short and timeless book, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. A free online version of this book is available at http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
I hope that web authors can use this article to recognize and correct some of the most common grammatical blunders that abound on the internet.
Kempton Smith helps internet businesses promote their products or services online by ghostwriting affordable, unique, keyword-rich articles for them. Email him now at articleghostwriter at yahoo.com for a free article for your online business, no obligation. Or for a free report on how to use articles to promote your product or service, visit http://article-promotion.blogspot.com
Copyright ? 2005 by Kempton Smith. This article may be freely published provided you leave it intact.
Culver prom limo ..So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More
In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
If you're targeting an educated, more affluent audience with your... Read More
More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
If you either want to write a book to help... Read More
Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?For a theme to work and the... Read More
BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
When one population in one century survived five wars, two... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense... Read More
In the words of Aristotle, "happiness is self contentedness helping... Read More
There is no doubt that a staff writer enjoys advantages... Read More
If you have been online for any length of time... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I... Read More
EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
In the business of freelance writing, it's not enough to... Read More
Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't... Read More
I'm a writing fool! 2 book proposals, 1 user's guide,... Read More
If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More
First impressions count in writing too! So it is always... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Complete a character questionnaire for each of... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More
What do people expect when they join a writing group?The... Read More
The process of developing a working title for your nonfiction... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
It turns out that "tips and templates on how to... Read More
Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens... Read More
If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they... Read More
Writing |