Read this before you publish you're next blog post!
Ask people about their favourite lessons back when they were in school, and they’ll tend to mention a preference for either Maths or English. I preferred English (funnily enough!), but those who professed more of an affinity for numbers always used to say the same thing about Maths; that “you know where you are with it. With numbers, you’re either right or wrong.”
Well, you can be “either right or wrong” with certain aspects of English too, namely when it comes to spelling and grammar!
If you’re writing a blog, or an e-book, or your first novel, please, please please make sure you use an editor, or at least ask a friend to read through it before you publish! The internet is a wonderful thing, but it has definitely increased the amount of error-laden writing available to read.
Of course, with so much error-laden writing about, you’ll stand out by making sure yours is perfect. After all, as much as people like to say it doesn’t matter if there’s a spelling mistake, people will notice all the same - and they’ll unconsciously judge the quality of your work by the quality of your writing. Not only that, errors will distract your readers from your all-important message.
As a bit of fun (not a patronising lecture, honestly!), to paraphrase Julie Andrews, here are a few of my favourite errors...
“I should of done that…”
It’s “should have”, sometimes abbreviated to “should’ve”, which is where the confusion comes from. But trust me, it’s “should have”.
“You look like your thinking about something interesting.”
It’s “you’re”, as in “you are”. Simple really; if you mean “you are”, use “you’re”. If you don't mean "you are", use "your".
“That phased me a bit.”
The word you’re looking for is “fazed”. This means disturb, bother or embarrass; a phase is a stage, or a step.
“You must have been on tenderhooks!”
This is a common one, but the word is “tenterhooks”, meaning you’re filled with anxious anticipation or stress. “Tenderhooks” isn’t a word…in fact my spellchecker is trying to correct it as I write!
If you know someone who could do with an extremely brief English lesson, please feel free to forward this post to them! In the meantime, if your words could do with a once-over, or you’d like new ones to be written especially for you, why not get in touch?
Related Articles
Life in the Time of Coronavirus
There’s something reassuring about businesses carrying on as ‘normally’ as they can...
Read moreGSOH Required: How to Write an (Effective) Online Dating Profile
"...it’s detail that will make you stand out, and most people aren’t mind readers."
Read moreWho Do You Want to Be Today?
This is a story about a career transformation. And Take That.
Read moreWant to Write Like A Human? Mine Your Inner Monologue
"You can’t be on somebody’s side, if you don’t know what they think or how they feel".
Read moreBlogging, and the Importance of Bodacious Self-Expression
...they were learning how to express their true feelings in words, and the results were honest, uplifting, and totally magnetic.
Read moreHow to Learn from People Who Aren’t Like You
No matter how scary it seems, learning from difference will benefit you much, much more than the comfy mediocrity that similarity brings.
Read moreSecret Sauce to Give Your Blog Posts Added Spice
"If you want to grab readers’ attention, you have to start with the heart."
Read moreHow to Transform Your Blog Into a Book
If you have trouble motivating yourself to write that next blog post, whisper a little reminder: this could be a book one day.
Read more
How to Plan Your Career Change CV (Hint: Be Selfish!)
"If you really want to change your career, you have to be determined, and you have to be selfish."
Read moreWriting to Sell? Weird Words and Crazy Phrases To Avoid
This is a blog post unlike any other.
Read moreThe Trials and Tribulations of the Freelance Holiday
As a freelance writer, taking a break is always a challenge. But I push on through the guilt, and here's why.
Read moreThe Magic of Kismet Marketing
Has your marketing strategy got room for some unexpected magic?
Read more
SEO Copywriting (and Other Ways to Make Your Business Sound Boring)
Don't write for search engines, write for people.
Read more
The foolproof formula for blogging success
How regular blogging will boost your business - as if by magic!
Read moreThe Art of the Written Compliment
If you're too embarrassed to give (or receive!) compliments, writing it all down can work wonders
Read moreLooking for a way to beat the January blues? Start with a letter
It's Universal Letter Writing Week - how will you celebrate?
Read moreStraight from the heart: how to write irresistible words
When you give people a piece of yourself, you will naturally engage them.
Read moreHow to choose the right coach or training course – at the right time
"If you like someone, you might be tempted to look for excuses to work with them, even if their particular skills aren’t what you need."
Read moreBeware of the flowers: why customers don't care about your business
Focus on telling interesting business stories that reflect your ideal customers’ lives back to them.
Read moreIf you can’t take criticism, don’t be a writer!*
You can always learn from other people's insights - good or bad
Read moreFinding your freelancing tribe: be uncompromising (and don’t be too nice!)
My advice to freelancers: never lose sight of what freelancing is all about!
Read moreRamp up your summer content to reap winter rewards
Keep your summer content fresh and updated to be remembered all year long.
Read moreWhy a degree doesn't equal real-world competence
Sometimes, just putting the work in is enough.
Read moreFreelance reflections in the snow
Just like building the perfect snowman, carving out your freelance identity can be tough!
Read moreHow to write interesting content for any business (even yours)
You're writing great content. So why aren't people reading it?
It takes time to craft compelling
Got a book or blog to write? Beat the block and get it done!
November means #NaNoWriMo - so whatever you're working on, it's time to get it done!
Read moreHow will I sound like me, when you're doing the writing?
Ironically, it's when you're writing about yourself that you will sound least like you. Hiring a writer to do it for you can bring a whole host of benefits.
Read moreWhy storytelling is your secret weapon in business (and how to do it properly)
Learn how to live happily ever after through the power of storytelling
Read moreWhy you definitely shouldn't write a book in a weekend!
Writing books is big business - or at least it can be, if you get it right. For starters, this means not rushing the process!
Read moreRead this before you publish you're next blog post!
Do you edit your work before you publish it?
Read moreCreate a schedule you can stick to (it's not as hard as you think!)
Creating a schedule can be a difficult task, especially when you're planning for work you're not being paid for - or that nobody is expecting! Here's how to get started on crafting a time plan that will work for you.
Read moreFor that special person who has everything, give the gift of words
If you know someone who already has everything, give them something truly unique - special words.
Read moreHow to write your life story
With a new year on the horizon, why not make a resolution to tell your life story? Committing your personal tales to paper can be a rich and rewarding experience for you to write and others to read...for generations to come. Here's how to get started.
Read moreHow to pinpoint useful e-information for your business…without going crazy in the crowd!
Are you often left with the feeling that you don't quite know enough about all the online tools you can use to promote your business? How about website analytics...shouldn't you be checking them every five minutes just like the experts say? Relax - here's how to take advantage of all the advice available online, by defining exactly what YOU want to know.
Read moreFitting in ‘me’ projects – five panic-free time management tips for the professionally overwhelmed
Is time getting the better of you? With a growing business, several passion projects on the go, books to read and friends I'd quite like to see, I was starting to feel overwhelmed...until I decided to take a closer look at planning my time more effectively. Here's how you can do the same.
Read moreGhost stories…how shadowy script can light up your life and work
BOO! Like a ripe pumpkin Hallowe'en has rolled around yet again, so what better time to extol the benefits of ghostwriting, definitely not just the province of bargain-bin bound celebrities.
Read more"I'm a Quiet Revolutionary..." she whispered
I'm very proud indeed to be featured as this week's 'Quiet Revolutionary' - a celebration of all things introverted.
Read moreHow I escaped the corporate cage and set myself firmly on the ‘write’ career path!
An encounter with a corporate headhunter made me question my career - why was I still doing something I didn't love? Here's how I formulated my corporate escape plan and found a career I truly enjoy.
Read moreGoing it alone - surviving self-employment
Going it alone, releasing yourself from the shackles of a traditional nine-to-five, is exhilarating. It's also incredibly scary! To celebrate my first quarter-year in business, here are some of the most important lessons I've learned from the front line.
Read moreBlogging - not just for hipsters and sicksters*
Regular blog posts - especially if you run a business - can drastically increase your following, as well as helping you beat the competition by describing how you do things your way. Read on for a few more great reasons why you should join the blogging revolution!
Read more
