Posted on October 18, 2008
When you check your writing for grammar mistakes, look out for the apostrophe. It’s right up there with the misplacement of commas as the most popular grammar mistake.
The problem is simply that most people just don’t know where to put it! The purpose of the apostrophe is to indicate who “owns” what is being described, and the way to decide if an apostrophe is necessary is to turn the phrase into “of the…” subject. For example:
- The teacher’s book or “The pet of the teacher.” (Correct)
- The woman’s sweater or “The sweater of the courier.” (Correct)
- The car’s door or “The door of the car.” (Incorrect)
Did you catch the grammar mistake in the last one? Join the club! It will come as no surprise (given the complexity of the English language) that there is an exception to placement of an apostrophe. And that is if the “owner” is an object, like a house or building for example, then the apostrophe isn’t used. That’s all we need - anpother opportunity for a grammar mistake!
Where do you you put an apostrophe?
1. The position of the apostrophe depends if the noun is singular or plural. For singular words, add an “’s” to the end, even if the final letter is an “s.”
- The horse’s coat was brown with white markings.
- Lois’s newspaper article made the front page.
2. For plural words ending in “s,” add an apostrophe.
- The horses’ bridles were adorned with flowers.
3. For plural words that do not end in “s,” add an “’s” just like singular words.
- The Smith children’s basketball abilities were legendary.
4. Similarly, an “’s” is added to the end of compound words and the last noun of a joint possession.
- Fother-in-law’s
- Anne and Gilbert’s
5. For contractions, replace missing letters with an apostrophe; but remember that it’s where the letters no longer are, which is not always where the words are joined. An example would be “is not” and “isn’t.”
- I am = I’m
- They are = They’re
- Do not = Don’t
- Would not = Wouldn’t
- She is = She’s
Misplacing an apostrophe is very common, and unfortunately it sticks out a mile.. For example, a very common misuse of an apostrophe is with “its” or should that be “it’s”. If you are confused, remember that It’s is short for It is, but it’s so easy to mix its with it’s is - especially if you are typing fast. So when you have to check gtrammar mistakes in your work, keep your radar on for “its”!
Posted on October 15, 2008
If you’re like me and you never truly mastered grammar at school, chances are you’ll be interested in White Smoke grammar checker to check grammar and spelling.
It was only when I got into the business world that I found out how important grammar checking and spell checking were. I got a business email that was full of grammar errors one afternoon. At first, I was offended by the mistakes. Then I realized it could have easily been me who made them!
I’d pretty much come to the conclusion a few years back that there was no such thing as a good English grammar checker. I figured that if Microsoft couldn’t build one, then no one else could. That was a pretty stupid idea in hindsight.
I came across two solid grammar checkers recently, one from White Smoke Software, and the other from Editor Software.
White Smoke is a cool piece of software. It checks grammar, spelling and punctuation everywhere you write, like in emails, Word documents, and places like that. It also suggests words to improve your writing. That’s a neat feature because it can make your writing appear very professional.
One other thing I really liked about White Smoke is that it’s nearly always on sale. I was thinking about buying it for a while and several times I got an email with a special offer. So if you’re not in a hurry, just wait for the right price, which is usually between $77 and $99.
Stylewriter from Editor Software was another grammar checker I took a look at. It’s a heavy-duty tool to check grammar and spelling and I’d have to say, I think it’s geared more at the professional writer because of the detail it goes inot about grammar.
Overall, my pick is White Smoke. it’s fast, accurate and comes at a good price.
Posted on October 15, 2008
“Check Grammar Mistakes.” The nun who taught us grammar lessons at school would bellow this command at us as we toiled through grammar lessons and I can remember those words as if it were yesterday.
But as with many things we learn at school, we forget them. Unfortunately, if writing is part of your business communications then you better get used to doing a check for grammar mistakes, because it’s been estimated that over 65% of business communications - letters, contracts, emails - have grammar mistakes in them.
How important is good writing? Try this simple exercise. For the next few days, watch how you react when you come across a piece of correspondence in which you find a spelling or grammar mistake. Thought the writer was sloppy, didn’t you!
So how do you make sure that doesn’t happen to you? You can try and re-learn grammar but let’s face it, that’s not too appealing. One method that’s gaining in popularity is using grammar checker software to check for grammar mistakes.
Software is now being built with artificial intelligence that identifies common grammar errors and fixes them on the spot.
One of the best is WhiteSmoke spelling and grammar checker. It will scan your documents as you write and will also check emails fro grammar mistakes. WhiteSmoke also recommends words that enhance your writing giving your writing a professional touch.
