Last week was dead on the subbing front. And as I write this over the weekend (all of my posts are written the weekend before), I've got a bit of nervous energy going, so I'm channeling it into a grammar post.
From reading blogs to tweets to everything else on the internet, I encounter many grammar faux pas. Some are just typos. Others are because those doing the writing don't know better. In the interests of general education, I'm going to point out 13 such errors that I run across frequently.
This is a Thursday 13. I learned about this meme via Barefoot Susie.
I don't intend to call anyone out, so if you recognize yourself, I do mean these kindly. And, I'm fully aware I'm tempting Muphry's Law (or any of the other variants of this theme) wherein any post written about grammar will have at least one grammar error in it. Feel free to point out my mistakes in the comments.
So, in no particular order:
If the word is plural, add an S. If the word is possessive, add an apostrophe plus S.
On your Christmas cards, say "Greetings from the Smiths". Not "the Smith's". The second is a possessive. Sometimes pluralizing last names can be a challenge if your name ends with an S already. Jones would be the Joneses. Just don't use an apostrophe. Please.
Ah, the commonly confused homophones. These are frequent fliers. It's pretty simple to tell them apart, though. First, is it a number? If you mean 2 of something, it's "two".
Next, do you mean also? Or, is it an intensifier? That's "too". The weather is "too cold". Harold borrowed a sweater. Then Jane did, "too".
If it's neither, then it's "to". "To" is a preposition. You went "to the store". Oh, and you can use "to" to end a sentence, so long as it's this one you want.
While we're on homophones, this one is a biggie. Start with "they're". It's a contraction of they and are. So, if you reread the sentence in your head, replace with "they are". If it works, it's "they're". (This works for all such contractions. I've been doing the rereading thing ever since high school, so more than 30 years. I'm correct 99% of the time.)
Next, is it a possessive? That is, are you saying that something belongs to them? Then it's "their".
And then we're left with "there". It can mean a place. Or a state of being. Or sometimes it's kind of a place holder. So, eliminate that you mean they're or their, then it has to be there.
Second verse, same as the first. Start with "you're". It's just you and are. So, if you replace in your sentence with "you are", then it's "you're".
"Your" is possessive. (Reread the previous sentence replacing my "your" with "you are". Sounds wrong, doesn't it? That's how I knew it was "your". Seriously, I do it every time.)
Yes, it sounds like "should of", "would of", and "could of", but it's not. It's the contraction of should and have (and would and have, and could and have). It's not "of", it's " 've".
This is one I've seen a lot of lately. Everywhere. "Then" is when you're talking about time. "Than" is used for comparison.
Choose is "ch-ew-zzz". Chose is "ch-oh-zzz". "Choose" when you're trying to pick between things. "Chose" when that decision has been made.
Loose is "l-oo-ss". Lose is "l-ew-zzz". "Loose" is the opposite of tight. "Lose" is when something goes missing.
Breath ends on a harder "th". You take a breath. Or you breathe. Breath is the noun. Breathe is the verb.
Cloth is fabric. Clothe is when you wrap yourself in clothing. Cloth is a noun. Clothe is a verb.
You may have a bookcase full of shelves, but if you only have one, it's a shelf. To shelve is to put something on a shelf.
You can have something. Or some can have things. There is no "somethings". If it is, then it should be written "some things".
It's not so much the peak/peek thing. Most of us get that right. Peak is the top of a mountain. Peek is to quickly look at something. But some use either peek or peak when they mean pique. Pique is to stimulate interest or curiosity. I hope I've piqued your interest in the third homonym of number thirteen.
