Common mistakes
Apr 13, 2009 21:43:17 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2009 21:43:17 GMT -5
More often than not, I see people make several simple mistakes with little things like spelling and grammar. But there are some mistakes that appear MUCH more frequently than others. Some of those majorly frequent mistakes happen to be:
Then/Than Confusion
--People don't seem to know when to use one or the other. It's really a simple concept.
-Then is used to indicate some point in time:
We'll go to the movies, then head to dinner.
-Than is used for the purpose of making comparisons:
That man is much fatter than a hippopotamus.
The key in differentiating between the two is one of context. Are you trying to describe a linear progression of events or some other jump in time? Or are you trying to compare things? The first uses "then", while the second uses "than".
Your/You're confusion
--There is a major difference between these two, yet I see them used as if they're interchangeable. One is a compound pronoun and the other is a simple pronoun used to indicate possession.
-Your is used to indicate possession:
Is that your car over there?
-You're is a compound pronoun, mixing "you" and "are":
So I heard you're going to the beach.
Just think about what you're saying, and it your words make sense in context. If you're trying to indicate that something belongs to someone, "your" is the way to go. Otherwise, go with "you're".
There/They're/Their
--I see this one ALL the time. These three are very similar to the your/you're problem.
-There is used to explain where something is happening:
The party is over there, man.
-They're is the compound of "they" and "are":
I heard that they're going to the mall.
-Their is indicative of possession:
That is their property, so stay off.
Once again, this problem is mainly caused by the lack of paying attention to context. Just think about what you're trying to say and what each word expresses.
[will add more as I stumble upon more frequent errors]
Then/Than Confusion
--People don't seem to know when to use one or the other. It's really a simple concept.
-Then is used to indicate some point in time:
We'll go to the movies, then head to dinner.
-Than is used for the purpose of making comparisons:
That man is much fatter than a hippopotamus.
The key in differentiating between the two is one of context. Are you trying to describe a linear progression of events or some other jump in time? Or are you trying to compare things? The first uses "then", while the second uses "than".
Your/You're confusion
--There is a major difference between these two, yet I see them used as if they're interchangeable. One is a compound pronoun and the other is a simple pronoun used to indicate possession.
-Your is used to indicate possession:
Is that your car over there?
-You're is a compound pronoun, mixing "you" and "are":
So I heard you're going to the beach.
Just think about what you're saying, and it your words make sense in context. If you're trying to indicate that something belongs to someone, "your" is the way to go. Otherwise, go with "you're".
There/They're/Their
--I see this one ALL the time. These three are very similar to the your/you're problem.
-There is used to explain where something is happening:
The party is over there, man.
-They're is the compound of "they" and "are":
I heard that they're going to the mall.
-Their is indicative of possession:
That is their property, so stay off.
Once again, this problem is mainly caused by the lack of paying attention to context. Just think about what you're trying to say and what each word expresses.
[will add more as I stumble upon more frequent errors]