As the weather warms up and flowers start to bloom, we can’t help but have spring on our minds. However, the beloved season of new beginnings also brings an annual tradition that we simultaneously despise and enjoy: spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning is the time of the year when we are supposed to rid our homes and offices of the clutter that has built up over the winter and make a fresh start. This year’s spring cleaning doesn’t have to include just scrubbing the floor and organizing closets. Now is the best time to cleanse your vocabulary of common grammar mistakes, as well.
While using incorrect grammar may seem like an insignificant mistake, it isn’t just something that makes us PR practitioners roll our eyes. In fact, it can actually hold you back from advancing in your career.
Here are five grammatical errors to clean out of your vocabulary this spring, and how to correct them:
- I vs Me – Mixing up these two personal pronouns is a common mistake. As kids, it was drilled into our heads to always say “Jen and I” when referring to yourself and another person. However, that may not always be correct. Using “I” is appropriate when it’s the subject of a sentence, while using “me” is correct when it’s the object of a verb. To make this a little easier to remember, try the substitution trick: take the reference of the other person out of the sentence, leaving just “I” or ‘’me. ” It will become instantly clearer which option is correct.
- Lay vs Lie – These two verbs are often used interchangeably. However, they have different meanings. In the present tense, using “lay” requires a direct object, and “lie” does not. If you lay a book down on the table, the book is your direct object. If you lie down on the bed, then there isn’t a direct object.
- Possessive Nouns – Most of us know that a plural noun needs an apostrophe. However, figuring out where to put the apostrophe is what causes the most trouble. Here is a simple breakdown:
- Singular noun that doesn’t end in an s – Add the apostrophe before the s. For example: dog’s
- Singular noun that does end in an s – Add the apostrophe after the s. For example: dress’
- Plural noun – Add the apostrophe after the s. For example: cats’
- Who vs That – This instance is a confusing case of using one word to reference a person and the other to reference an object. Although both of them are used freely, “who” should be used when talking about a person and “that” should be used when talking about an object.
- Affect vs Effect – Remembering the difference between two homonyms can be challenging, and these two are no exception. Here are the correct definitions of both words:
- Affect is a verb. It means to produce change or influence someone or something.
- Effect is a noun. It is a change that is a result or consequence of an action.
What are some other common grammar mistakes that people frequently make?