The English language is the shizz, this I am painfully aware of. There are so many slang words - as you can see from the first sentence - and so many words from other languages folded into everyday speech that it’s a wonder those of us born in English speaking countries can even manage its intricacies.
It doesn’t help that the age of texting requires us to shorten words and leave out punctuation just to get a message to fit. That tendency has an unfortunate habit of bleeding over into real written communication, where it does not belong.
Below are a few examples of incorrect word usage, capitalization, and punctuation that I’ve been noticing in quite a few places, including stories. I’ve even added a couple of my own problem words which give me fits because I ain’t perfect! Hope this helps:
Brake and Break = A Brake is a device for slowing or stopping a vehicle. To Break is to smash something, ignore something (like a law), to fracture a bone, or to lacerate the skin.
Wonder and Wander = To Wonder is to think or speculate, to be filled with admiration, or to doubt. To Wander is to ramble or roam, to meander, to set an irregular course, or to take one direction or another without conscious intent or control.
Farther and Further = Farther shows a relation to physical distance; if you can replace the word farther with more miles than you’ve used it correctly. Further relates to metaphorical distance or depth; it is a time, degree, or quantity, another way of saying ‘additional’.
Then and Than = Then means at that time, immediately or soon afterward, next in order of time or place, or at the same time. Than is used after comparative adverbs and adjectives to introduce something of unequal comparison, or to mean except, or to introduce an alternative or denote a difference in kind, place, style, etc.
Your and You’re = Your is a form of the possessive case of you, or used informally to indicate all members of a group, occupation, etc. You’re is a contraction of you are.
Through and Threw = Through means in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other, or past; beyond, or from one to the other of. Threw is to propel or cast in any way, to hurl or project or cast.
I is the nominative singular pronoun used by a speaker in referring to himself or herself. It should always be capitalized when used as something other than a letter of the alphabet.
Breath and Breathe = Breath is a noun and Breathe is a verb. When you breathe, you inhale and exhale breath.
Cue and Queue = A Cue is a signal prompting action (like in a performance) or the long stick used to strike balls in a game of billiards or pool. A Queue is a line of people waiting for something or a hair braid worn down the back of the neck.
Lessen and Lesson = The verb Lessen means to decrease or reduce. The noun Lesson means an instructive example, a piece of practical wisdom, or a unit of instruction.
Retch and Wretch = To Retch is to (a) vomit; (b) to try, voluntarily or otherwise, to vomit; or (c) to clear the throat by hawking or coughing. A Wretch is an unhappy or unfortunate person or can sometimes be used to refer to a person who is despicable.
Mopping and Moping = Mopping is to clean or soak up something by wiping, or to wipe something away from a surface. Moping means to (a) be gloomy or dejected; (b) to brood or sulk, or (c) to move in a leisurely or aimless manner.
Shuttered and Shuddered = A Shutter is a panel attached to a window that can be closed for privacy. To Shudder is to shake or quake, usually as a result of fear or disgust.
Past and Passed = The word Past locates something in time, and sometimes in space. It can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb. Passed is the past participle of the verb “to pass”. To pass means “to proceed, move forward, depart; to cause to do this.”
Example: “The heroes passed a village on their way towards the mountains.” Though some might be tempted to use ‘past’ in this sentence, that would be incorrect.
Patience and Patients = The noun Patience refers to the ability to wait or endure hardship for a long time without becoming upset. The noun Patients is the plural form of patient—someone who receives medical care.
New and Knew = New means appearing, thought of, or made for the first time. Knew is the past tense of “know” which means to be well informed about or to recognize.
Rely and Relay = To Rely is to depend confidently; put trust in (usually followed by on or upon). Relay used as a noun is a group of people or animals engaged in a task or activity for a fixed period of time and then replaced by a similar group. Used as a verb it means to receive and pass on (information or a message).
Lose and Loose = Lose is only a verb. To lose is to suffer a loss, to be deprived of, to part with, or to fail to keep possession of. Loose is mainly an adjective used to describe things that are not tightly fitted. Where it is a verb, it means to release.
Affect and Effect = In its most common usage, Affect is a verb; “to affect” something is to make an impact on something. In its most common usage, Effect is a noun and is usually followed by the preposition “on”. Things have “an effect on” other things.
As you can see, quite a few of these are homophones. A homophone is defined as: (1) each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling; (2) each of a set of symbols denoting the same sound or group of sounds. A good example of a homophone is “aye”, “eye”, and “I”.
Though this may all seem like word play, it is vitally important to understand that conveying thoughts through the written word is an important skill we each should learn. Whether you are writing a paper for school, a resume in hopes of getting the perfect job, or a presentation for work, the manner in which you express yourself says a lot to a reader about who you are.
The same holds true for story writing. Frequent grammatical errors are the top reason why people stop reading a story. Spelling and punctuation problems are a close second. Readers are not only put off by these types of mistakes but oftentimes resent them as showing a distinct disregard for their intended audience and general laziness on the part of the writer.
Take the extra time necessary to proofread your work and if you can get a beta reader, go for it. Yes, things will slip by – even the best proofreaders in the business miss errors from time to time – but you will lessen those chances by being diligent. Don’t rely entirely on spell check either because most programs won’t identify homophones as being incorrect.
I hope everyone found this helpful!
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Credits to:
Grammar.about.com
dailywritingtips.com
grammarist.com
homepage.smc.edu
