Last Month 52,689 blog posts were analyzed for grammatical errors and punctuation errors. It was accomplished through the use of a web crawler, automated software that can visit websites to gather information. Search engines frequently use web crawlers to collect information about what is available on public web pages.
When you’re writing for the web, some grammar rules don’t apply.But there are some that should be followed. Ones that could detract from your credibility. And cause people not to subscribe or link to your blog. It may sound silly, but some people will harshly judge you on your grammar and overall writing ability.
Top Grammatical Offenses
Proper capitalization
Correct capitalization is extremely important. Demonstrating basic writing ability shows that you are educated and pay attention to detail. Ignoring capitalization comes across as sloppy or lazy. Correct capitalization helps others to clearly understand you.
‘go help uncle chase off the horse’
‘Go help Uncle Chase off the horse’
Mixing up the past and present tenses
If you’re not careful, you run the risk of confusing the reader. So pay close attention to how you’re using past and present tenses. The verb tense tells the reader of your sentences when the action is taking place – in the past, the present or the future. Be consistent on verb tense, unless it’s appropriate to make a switch to a different tense.
‘I go to the store and I bought milk’
Not using commas correctly
Commas can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. They can also make sentences easier to read, because they allow for slight pauses between ideas. Use them sparingly and only when necessary. If there’s more than one comma in a sentence, your sentences are too long. Long sentences are the quickest way to confuse and bore readers.
‘Don’t use commas, which are not necessary’
There / Their
‘She was jealous of their new car.’
‘It’s too hot to go there.’
Your / You’re
‘Your pancakes are ready.’
‘You’re being difficult.’
It’s / Its
‘It’s been good to know you.’
‘Its color is deep blue.’
Other Grammatical Offenses
These ones are a bit more exotic. Only some people will hold it against you when you mess them up. But you probably shouldn’t. Grammar isn’t rocket science, just a basic life skill. You should know these things.
Who / Whom
‘Who is the cake for?’
‘For whom is the cake?’
Continual / Continuous
‘The continual sewer repair disrupted traffic for years.’
‘The child screamed continuously while its father was fighting. ‘
Envy / Jealousy
‘Her intelligence made her the envy of her schoolmates. ‘
‘Their modest success fuels jealousy.’
Whether / If
‘People will take any job, whether or not it’s a good one. ‘
‘If it rained, it poured.’
May / Might
‘You may enter.’
‘They might be at the airport.’
Farther / Further
‘He went farther down the road.’
‘I’m too tired to further.’
Affect / Effect
‘Cold weather affected the crops.’
‘Her protest had no effect.’
Irony / Coincidence
‘The irony is this test would not apply if the agency was left in its existing department.’
‘After all, he was the one who experienced this uncanny coincidence.’
It’s important to be able to express yourself. But wouldn’t it be better if you could do so in a way that people would find easy to read and understand? Writing that has grammatical errors is difficult to read, sometimes impossible to understand. If the reader has to go back and re-read a sentence several times because it’s not clear, it spoils their reading experience.
They are likely to entirely misunderstand the point you were trying to make.Have you made any of these Grammar mistakes or can you add to the list ?
By Guest Author – Jason Colantuoni is a Boston-based Internet entrepreneur. He is best known as founder of Seoette, Internet marketing straight to your inbox. Follow Seoette on Twitter to keep your Internet marketing fresh.
