But you don’t need one if you’re working full time. That means you need a hyphen if you’re writing about full-time work. Lots of people don’t follow this rule, so it’s a great way to show you actually walk the walk. Whenever you modify a noun with more than one word, you need a hyphen. But using more than is one of those little details that will help your writing shine. Of course, everyone will know what you mean if you use over. Over 200 people did not like your Facebook page - More than 200 people did. which? Grammar Girl offers a great explanation. But the word that doesn’t.įor example: “We went to the house that collapsed yesterday” or “We went to the house, which collapsed yesterday.”Ĭonfused about when to use that vs. When used as a descriptor, the word which takes a comma. Pruning excessive “ings” makes your writing clearer and easier to read.
Instead, get rid of were or was, then eliminate that ing and replace it with past tense: “We started to …” or “She skied toward …” “We were starting to …” or “She was skiing toward …” Whenever you see an ing in your copy, think twice about whether you need it - because you probably don’t. So go out of your way to include them in your posts! Your editor will thank you. And that makes it easier to connect with readers.Ĭontractions can also make your post easier to read and comprehend. Which sounds more personable: I am heading to the market that is close to my house, or I’m heading to the market that’s close to my house?Ĭontractions make your writing sound friendlier, like you’re (not you are) a real person. Make your bullet points consistent and your writing will read more smoothly. For example: “Remember that sitting on your head helps you write better.” Often you can turn any idea into a tip by adding a verb.
Likewise, if you’re offering “tips for writing while balancing on your head,” make sure the bullets are actually tips, ideas that start with an action verb, not “sitting on your head helps you think better.” That’s a reason to write while balancing on your head, not a tip for how to do it. Here’s one that doesn’t work (because it’s not actually a mistake - the writer inadvertedly switched to what you should do):
Instead of starting a sentence with There is, try turning the phrase around to include a verb or start with you. There are lots of better, more interesting ways to start sentences. This isn’t an actual error, but it’s often a symptom of lazy writing. Starting a sentence with There is or There are (Can you tell this is one of my pet peeves?) But let’s focus on your bio, because that’s where most writers fail on this one.ĭon’t write: “Tom Jones is currently a communications director.” If Tom Jones is anything, he’s that at that moment you don’t need “currently” to clarify. The word currently is virtually always redundant. But it’s more noticeable when it’s written down - or maybe it only jumps out to us grammar geeks? 2. It’s easy to make this mistake because that has become acceptable in everyday conversations. John is the guy who always forgets his shoes, not the guy that always forgets his shoes. Whenever you write about people, refer to them using who, not that. So next time you write a blog post, whether it’s a guest post or for your own site, check it over for these errors: 1. If our smart contributors make these mistakes, chances are you make them sometimes, too. And the more your readers understand and respect where you’re coming from, the more likely they are to share your content.Īs editor of Brazen Careerist’s blog, Brazen Life, I often see the same errors in submissions for our site. When your writing is clean, readers understand where you’re coming from. Grammatical glitches make your writing harder to read, and they turn readers off.Ĭontent may be king, but you’ll gain a lot more respect and credibility if your writing is just as brilliant as the ideas you convey. (Pro tip: If you don’t ever think this, some of your readers probably do.) Ever read a blog post and think, “This writer seems to have some good ideas, but the grammatical errors are driving me crazy”?