Apostrophes: the nuclear energy of punctuation
Many people get mixed up with possessives and contractions, as in its, the possessive, and it's, the contraction of it is. Some even even use its' iin their newsletters. Cease and desist. Please. Others add unnecessary apostrophes to indicate a plura ... Read more
Tricky grammar: they
Use "they" instead of "he or she" or "it" if you are referring to a general subject, such as the team, the client or the user, but only if it's easier for the reader to understand and doesn't offend any grammar-stickler target readers and especially ... Read more
The fifth biggest writing mistakes to avoid: that, which, who
That, which, who If you can't decide whether to use "that" or "which," ask yourself if you could be saying "which one." Or just think of "which witch is which." Use "who" instead of "that" when you are writing about a person , as in "Tiffany, the gi ... Read more
The third and fourth biggest writing mistakes
My third point was captured in the comments on yesterday's post. Thanks to Clique.I reiterate: Don't confuse words that sound alike, such as effect and affect. I would add then and than, further and farther and so many more. So check if you're not a ... Read more
The second biggest writing mistake to avoid
The second most frequent mistake I encounter results from people confusing contractions and possessive. Similar to the biggest mistake, confusing it's and it, this mistakes involves writing your (possessive) when you mean you're, for you are, or thei ... Read more
Write smart; it's easy
The most frequent grammar mistake I see in email newsletters and other media is confusing it's and its.It's is the contraction of It is. Use it only if you could write it is.Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of it, as in its (the company's) ... Read more