When writing anything, be it fiction, non-fiction, work-related, or academic, there are certain mistakes that are commonly made. This is a list of some of the most common and how to avoid them:
- Don’t use clichés or platitudes. Most are well-known enough that most readers will recognize them. You won’t come out looking good. Rather than coming across as trite and unimaginative, think of other ways to phrase the same sentiments. If you cannot resist such usage, try to use sparingly. And if a novel, try to keep it as much as possible in dialogue.
- Try not to overgeneralize. This is especially true in works of non-fiction, including academic papers. When you overgeneralize, you make a blanket statement that refers to a small segment of the population, but make it sound like your painting everyone with the same brush. It isn’t good even in a story; in non-fiction or academic work, it is being untruthful. Just don’t do it.
- Jargon/idiom/foreign words. Don’t use jargon in non-fiction, academic or business work. It is still considered unprofessional. In fiction, jargon should be used sparingly in the narrative, and used mainly in dialogue (that said, plenty of writers use jargon a great deal in the narrative; mine is just a suggestion). As for foreign words, whether in academic, non-fiction, fiction, etc. the accepted format is to italicize.
English is a funny language. We have many words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings and usages, to say nothing of possessives, and the use of verb contractions being added into the mix. It is easy to make a mistake. Here are some of the most common ones:
- There/they’re/their. “There” is used grammatically in many ways (including noun, adjective, and adverb). But it is always a marker for a location. Where is the book? It’s over there. “They’re” is a contraction of the verb conjugation “they are”. They’re headed to the cinema. NOTE: in formal writing such as academic or business communication, avoid contractions. They are headed to the cinema. “Their” is used as a possessive, something that belongs to multiple people. Their house is getting a new roof right now. The book is theirs.
- You’re/your. “You’re” is a contraction of you are. Since you’re always late, why not set the alarm for earlier? NOTE: Don’t use contractions in professional or academic writing. “Your” is used as a possessive. Your book has come in. Is this yours?
- It’s/its. This is one of the most confusing mix-ups in the English language. “It’s” is a contraction of it is. It’s in the kitchen. As stated above, this is not for use in professional or academic writing. “Its” is the possessive, despite not having an apostrophe. The cat was destructive because its claws hadn’t been trimmed. For whatever reason, even people who understand grammar often mistake this one. The best way to tell the difference between “it’s” and “its” is to withdraw the contraction and spell out. If “it is” makes sense, then “it’s” is your word. If “it is” makes no sense, then “its” is probably what you need. To summarize, “it’s” is the contraction of the verb “it is”. “Its” is a possessive, referring to an object.
- Who’s/whose. “Who’s” is a contraction of “who is”. Who’s coming to the party tonight? Don’t use in professional work. “Whose” is a possessive. Whose book is this?
- Who/whom. Who is the subject. Whom is the direct object. Who is calling? Who is the subject. Whom are you calling? OR To Whom do you wish to speak? You is the subject of both the latter, and whom is the object.
- Too/two/to. “Too” is an expression indicating both multiple things, or solidarity. Is she coming too? Several of us disagreed. Me, too. “Two” is a number. We made two turkeys for Thanksgiving. NOTE: in formal cases, numbers should be spelled out. Even in stories, the preferred format is to spell out amounts or ages, reserving numerals for phone numbers and addresses and the like. That said, many spell out up to ten or twenty, and use numerals above that. Whatever you choose, be consistent! “To” is usually a preposition, indicating direction. They were headed to the grocery store.
- Lay/lie. “Lay” can mean getting the lay of the land and lie can mean telling an untruth. But the confusion is in something (oneself or an object) being put down. You lie [yourself] down, but you lay the book on the nightstand. Lay requires a direct object. One way to think of them is that lay refers to a place (nightstand) while lie refers to reclining. It gets more confusing in past tenses. Lay is actually the past tense of lie. Laid is the past tense of lay. This morning I laid the books on the table. Thus, it’s lie (present), lay (past), and lain (part participle). It’s lay (present), laid (past), and laid (past participle).
- Affect/effect. Affect is a verb meaning to change something. Her sweetness affected everyone else positively. Effect is a noun, the result of something else. Amy broke her arm; the effect was that she could not prepare dinner. NOTE: Effect can be used as a verb, too. She ran for office hoping to effect change. This is part of a larger gerund phrase, and the emphasis is on the outcome (noun), not the making of (verb).
- Farther/further. This is another confusing one for many. But it is confusing because the difference between them isn’t as hard or fast a definition as some others. Farther means a greater distance; it’s a comparative. The lake is far. The mountain is farther. Further means a more generalized distance. I kept going further and further, but never reached my destination. NOTE: Some define the difference more precisely by stating “farther” is for use when you know the exact distance, while “further” is when you don’t. Thus, The store is a half mile farther on from the gas station but Is it much further?
- Fewer/less: This is another where the difference is ambiguous. Fewer means you have items you’re comparing by near exactitude. Less means you don’t know what the difference is. Nancy has fewer dresses than her sister implies you know pretty much how many dresses the sister has, and that you know Nancy has fewer. Carl has had less to eat. In this example, you don’t know how much the non-named individual had, nor how much exactly Carl had, but it is clear to see it isn’t as much. Honestly, the difference between them is such that it is highly doubtful any English teacher will be on the warpath for misusing.
- Good/well. Good is an adjective, modifying the noun while well is an adverb, modifying the verb. It’s a very common to mistake these and use “good” when you mean “well”. This is a good book. Good is modifying book. What kind of book? A good one. Are you well? Well is modifying the verb are (to be). Yet people often say (and write) that they are good, when they mean they are well.
- Estimate/guestimate. There is no such word as “guestimate”, despite a growing number of the population using it. In theory, it means to take a guess. An estimate is already a guess and the correct word. If one is trying to differentiate between an educated guess and an uneducated guess (aka a “wild-ass guess”) then the word is still estimate.
- Regardless/irregardless. As with the above example, there is no such thing as “irregardless.” The word is simply a nonstandard word meaning regardless. Regardless of what you think, words matter.
- Literally vs figuratively. This abuse is so rampant, dictionaries gave up. That said, avoid abuse at all costs. There are still enough eye-rollers out there that you don’t want to be the victim of it, especially in a review. Many people mean figuratively when they say literally. Figuratively implies understood exaggeration. Literally means it happened exactly that way. I fell off my bike and [figuratively] broke a hundred bones. Nobody really thinks a bike accident would break a hundred bones. They get the exaggeration. I stepped into the jungle and was literally inundated with creepy-crawlies. Most people will take that at face value. NOTE: The problem with misusing “literally” isn’t exaggerated differences, but close ones. If someone says it was so hot outside I literally fainted, they might mean it really happened or they might be speaking figuratively. I would just caution that as a writer, if you do not say what you mean, you cannot mean what you say, and your readers will learn to distrust you.
There are many more such words, but this is a good list of the most common.