Common mistakes that make our eyes pop!!

English can be a perilous language, fraught with traps people regularly fall into, whether they are native English speakers or not. Trying to tackle this problem here is a list of (some of) the most common mistakes committed (in random order):

1. it's / its

    "it's" is a contracted form of "it is" or "it has". "its" is a possessive pronoun.

    It's the truth. The coffee machine packaging included its operation manual.

2. there / their

    "there" refers to location and is definitely not here :) . "their" is a possessive pronoun.

    I will meet you there. The children washed their hands.

3. loose / lose

    "loose" is an adjective and is the opposite of tight. "lose" is a verb that means to cease to have.

    You might lose your bracelet if it is too loose on your wrist.

4. fewer / less

    This is a classic case of countable versus uncountable. If you can count it, use "fewer". If you can not count it, use "less". 

    There is less pollution in the countryside than in the cities. Ben has fewer toy cars than Peter.

5. Literally

    The incorrect use of "literally" is literally killing me. NOT!!! 

    You can only use the word if EXACTLY what you say is true- no room for analogies or metaphors.

    During the explosion a chair literally flew out of the window.

6. two/ too

    I didn't expect this duo to make it on the list, yet here it is. (I do hope that this mistake occurs due to typos and misspellings). "two" is a number, also known as "2". "too" means "also" or refers to quantity.

    I bought two bottles of wine. Kim bought a bottle, too. There is too much violence nowadays.

7. dessert / desert

    A "dessert" is something sweet that we eat as part of a meal. A "desert" is a large stretch of sand. In addition, when someone leaves the army without permission, we also use "desert". 

    We had fruit as dessert since everyone was on a diet. There are extreme heat conditions in the desert. Soldiers are severely punished in case they desert their position.

    *please note that the first and third word may have different spelling, but they are pronounced in the same way.

8. choose / chose

    "choose" and "chose" are actually from the same verb. "choose' is the infinitive and it is used to form the simple present tense, whereas "chose" is the simple past tense. Do not forget: the past participle, (used for example when forming the passive voice) is "chosen".
You should choose your friends wisely. She chose to buy the green carpet, instead of the blue one.

9. dryer / drier

    "dryer" is a noun. "drier" is the adjective "dry" in the comparative degree. 

    If you have wet hair, you should use a dryer to make it drier.

10. bought /  brought

    "bought" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "buy"

    "brought" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "bring"
They bought a new flat last year. His father brought him a glass of water.

bookworm BONUS!

e.g. VS i.e.

We use e.g. to provide an example. (e.g. = example). It stands for the Latin phrase "exempli gratia".

We use i.e. to offer additional information or to restate something more clearly. It stands for the Latin phrase "id est".

There are many species in the zoo, e.g. elephants, monkeys and lions.

The zoo has a wide variety of species, i.e. one can find are all kinds of animals there.

Some of these mistakes may seem easily avoidable, but, trust me, almost every document a proofreader works on includes at least one of the ten. This is why, using the services of a professional proofreader will ensure the clarity of your text and eliminate any mistakes or typos, thus giving you the certainty that your finalized document is error-free and ready to be used.

For more information on proofreading and copy-editing services you can visit simplyproofread.com

Why use a professional proofreading service?

Texts are a vital part of our everyday life and all types of written copy are a powerful tool for communication, promotion, advertising and sharing ideas. What is becoming apparent, however, is that written copy is only as good as its ability to clearly communicate its message. If, for any reason, it is vague, illogical, inaccurate, or full of errors in grammar, spelling and/or English usage, it is doomed to be ineffective and it will not reach its intended audience.

It is, of course, a fact that everyone makes mistakes, even if just small grammatical errors or a case of careless spelling. When typing on a keyboard it could even be a typo due to high speed. We may not consider it important, but mistakes and misprints, however tiny, can ruin the image of our entire document or website. What is more, having spent hours writing, we can not spot the mistakes in our texts ourselves.

Unfortunately, there is not a spellcheck program out there that will catch all the potential mistakes one can make while writing. This is why having your written copy checked by a second pair of eyes is so important, as some types of mistakes and misprints are not picked up by any word processor. What a better example than this poem dedicated to "The the Impotence of Proofreading" 

As mistakes and misprints predispose the readers to losing their confidence not only in the material itself, but in the person or people behind it as well, having your texts proofread can be extremely beneficial, whatever their use might be. For business documents, it can help you present a more professional profile; if it is an academic assignment, it can elevate the quality of writing and potentially lead to better grades; if you are not a native English speaker, it can help you overcome the language barrier and for an amateur author, having your book checked before sending it off to an editor, can boost your confidence.

Proofreading of written material is the final essential step that must be taken before a document can be considered complete. Using a professional online proofreading service is an easy way of ensuring that the written copy will put your ideas across clearly and successfully and that it will be readable, correct and effectively presented.

For more information on proofreading and copy-editing services you can visit simplyproofread.com

This blog is dedicated to the surreal adventures of little proofprof in a real world of mistakes and misprints.

From a very young age I had a gift - and a curse. I would spot a mistake in any written text from miles away and then it would stay with me for a while, as if I could not shake off the shock instantly. It was, thus, natural for me to pursue a career in proofreading and try to Save the World of Texts from as many evil mistakes as possible! I am not a superhero -unfortunately- but still, it is worth trying!

Until my first "official" post..