A grammatical error could be the difference between you getting the job or not. People don't realise how much of an impact it can have when you use grammar correctly, or incorrectly for that matter.
Incorrect spelling and grammar for a business may make customers and potential customers think your business is either lazy or bad quality. For a writer, if you were to submit a piece of work to a publisher, an editor may stop reading if you're using spelling and grammar incorrectly.
So here are 5 of some of the most common spelling and grammatical errors:
You're and your
Your - (possessive*) is about a noun (an object, thing or place):
Simple example: It's your hat.
A full sentence example: Is that your weird dog is chasing me?
*possessive: his, hers, my, our, their, its, your etc
You're - is about a verb (doing word) or adjective (describing word):
Example: You're funny.
Simple example: You're running away.
A full sentence example: Is that what you're looking for?
Please, if you only remember one thing from this post, let it be that it's you're welcome and not your welcome.
There, their and they're
There - names a place, thing or the existence of something
Example: It's over there
Example: There is nothing here
Example: There was once a man called Jim, he was always there for me.
Their - possessive) is about a noun: *very similar to 'your'
Simple example: It's their dog
A full sentence example: The dog is in their house.
They're - (they are) is about a verb or adjective
Example: They're hiding under the bed.
Example: Is that what they're talking about?
Weather and whether
Homophones are always complicated, but this one is super simple, and once you know, you know.
Weather - (Noun) You should only use this word for the weather. (Sun, Rain, Snow, etc)
Example: The weather is terrible today.
Example: Have you checked the weather today?
Whether- (Conjunction)
* A conjunction is a type of connective, it links two clauses together to make a sentence.
Example: She hasn't decide whether she wants to go yet.
Whether can be quite confusing to fully understand, it can be used in different ways. So, when in doubt, if you are not talking about the weather, then use whether.
*Not to get confused with wether. This is not a word, but I can understand why people would think it is, thanks to Wetherspoons.
Affect and effect
I used to find knowing the difference between these two words so difficult, until I started to learn more about the English Language and Word Classes. I think knowing the difference between a verb and a noun, can really help to decipher between the two.
Affect - (Verb) to impact or change.
Example: It's affected me.
Example: The light has affected my vision.
Effect - (Noun) is the result of a change.
Example: Short term effects
Example: The changes made have been effective.
*To make this EVEN more complicated, there are times where effect can also be a verb and affect can be a noun.
Similarly, do you know the difference between 'a' and 'an'?
Its and it's
It's - short for It is or It has
Example: It's cold outside
Its - (possessive)
Example: That dog is chasing its tail.
Now, I know some of these can be very frustrating, especially since the English Language seems to have an endless amount of rules and exemptions to make it even harder. I think as long as you know the basic rules and follow them, you slowly start to learn these exemptions along the way.