You’ve written your report. If you have time, it’s always best to get someone to proof read it for you. Someone else will notice errors that you skip over because you are so familiar with the document. Here are some common grammatical errors to watch out for when you are editing your own (or someone else’s) work:
Apostrophes
- DO use apostrophes to denote ownership. E.g. Kaye’s business
- DO use an apostrophe to replace missing letters when using the short form (or contraction). E.g. Do not = don’t. Will not = won’t. Should not = shouldn’t
- It’s is the exception to the rule, DO use an apostrophe to replace missing letters in the contraction. E.g. Despite appearances, it’s (it is) going to be fine. DO NOT use an apostrophy to denote ownership. E.g. The chick is in its nest.
- DON’T use apostrophes in numbers. Back in the 1970s he was in a rock band.
English or US spelling
Using English or US spelling should be an organisation-wide standard. In Australia, English spelling is still seen as more formal and ‘correct’. Whatever you chose, be consistent!
–ise or –ize
- Recognise, recognize
- Maximise, maximize
- Capitalise, capitalize
–our or –or
- Flavour, flavor
- Honour, honor
Note: even when your spell check is set to British English it will flag words with –ise and –our as spelling mistakes.
Quotation marks
It is OK to use ” or ‘ but either way, be consistent. Traditionally ” is used, with ‘ reserved for a quote within a quote. Quotation marks should contain whatever punctuation was part of the original quote. All other punctuation goes outside the quotation marks.
DO use quotation marks when you are quoting someone directly.
DON’T use quotation marks for emphasis OR irony OR to cover your awkwardness using a word you are unfamiliar with. The inference is there is meaning beyond the word you used. Using quotation marks on individual words or phrases can quite easily come across as rude or ironic. E.g. I know you blamed hot weather for being “out of sorts”. She said that “meditating” makes her feel very happy and relaxed.
Exclamation marks
Exclamation marks are for emphasis. Read your letter out loud – is the emphasis really needed? If so, use exclamation marks sparingly. Never use more than one!!! Never use more than one!
Dot dot dot… Using an ellipsis
DO use an ellipsis (…) to indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or section of text being quoted. In business, DO NOT use an ellipsis to denote an unfinished thought, however this is appropriate in writing for other purposes. When using dot dot dot, it’s only three dots, no more!
Sentence length
The average sentence should be around 25 words long.
Be careful when writing that you focus on only one idea in each sentence, because if you start stringing lots of different ideas together such as the idea of using commas and brackets (to corral an additional thought within a sentence) then people will begin to lose track of what you are trying to say.
OR MORE CORRECTLY: Be careful when writing to focus on one idea per sentence or people will begin to lose track of what you are trying to say. You can use commas or brackets to isolate an additional thought within a sentence, but usually a second sentence works better.
Sentences that are too short sound abrupt:
Focus on one thought per sentence. If you don’t people will lose track of what you are trying to say. Commas and brackets can separate an additional thought within a sentence. Usually a second sentence works better.
Incorrect capitalization
DON’T use capitals for emphasis, even though this has become popular in sales copy. E.g.
We are Committed to turning your website into an Effective Marketing Tool that gets you loads more of Your Favourite Customers and Increased Profits, even in a Slow Economy.
We are committed to turning your website into an effective marketing tool that gets you loads more of your favourite customers and increased profits, even in a slow economy.
Remember, capital letters are the written equivalent of SHOUTING!