5 Grammar Mistakes You'll Never Make Again
We've all been there. It's 10pm and your paper is due at midnight, so you rush to make word count, send it in, and hope for the best. You're so over it, you don't even read it over: there's no way your professor will notice that misplaced apostrophe or a missing comma. Sorry to say it, but they totally will.
Luckily, I'm here to help correct grammar become second nature. These grammar mistakes, especially common misuses of similar words, happen to everyone! When you're overtired, typing furiously, and rushing against time, take a deep breath, (maybe) start your paper an hour earlier, and commit these corrections to memory. You're going to become such a pro at proofreading, you'll probably dream about semicolons.
1. Lie or Lay: (The Big One™) To "lie" as in "recline"= lies, lay, has lain. To "lie" as in "to not tell the truth"= lies, lied, has lied. To "lay" as in to "put or place something down"= lay, lays, has laid. Ex.) "The dog lay on the couch." OR "She lied about her grades in English." OR "John lays the book on the table".
2. Compliment vs. Complement: Compliment refers to an expression of praise, while complement refers to something that enhances or improves something else. Ex.) "I complimented you on how that blue dress complements your eyes."
3. Who vs. Whom: This one is not as complicated as you might think. Use who when talking about the subject of the sentence, and whom when talking about the object of a verb or preposition. Ex.) "Who wants to go to formal with me?" OR "With whom should I ask about the dress code?" Distinguishing when to use whom is easier when you determine if you can substitute the object with he/she or her/him.Therefore, "With whom should I ask about the dress code?" can be substituted with "I should ask him about the dress code", not "I should ask he about the dress code."
4. Fewer vs. Less: Fewer refers to objects you can count, while less deals with nouns that you look at as a whole. Ex.) "I had fewer oranges than apples in the fridge." OR "Amy had less enthusiasm for her job after working there for five years."
5. Farther vs. Further: Further and farther are both used to express "at a greater distance"; yet, there is a slight difference in meaning. Farther is used for physical distances, while further can be used for figurative ones. Ex.) "My house to the mall is farther away than your house to the beach." OR "I didn't get any further along in my paper since I last talked to you.
Luckily, I'm here to help correct grammar become second nature. These grammar mistakes, especially common misuses of similar words, happen to everyone! When you're overtired, typing furiously, and rushing against time, take a deep breath, (maybe) start your paper an hour earlier, and commit these corrections to memory. You're going to become such a pro at proofreading, you'll probably dream about semicolons.
1. Lie or Lay: (The Big One™) To "lie" as in "recline"= lies, lay, has lain. To "lie" as in "to not tell the truth"= lies, lied, has lied. To "lay" as in to "put or place something down"= lay, lays, has laid. Ex.) "The dog lay on the couch." OR "She lied about her grades in English." OR "John lays the book on the table".
2. Compliment vs. Complement: Compliment refers to an expression of praise, while complement refers to something that enhances or improves something else. Ex.) "I complimented you on how that blue dress complements your eyes."
3. Who vs. Whom: This one is not as complicated as you might think. Use who when talking about the subject of the sentence, and whom when talking about the object of a verb or preposition. Ex.) "Who wants to go to formal with me?" OR "With whom should I ask about the dress code?" Distinguishing when to use whom is easier when you determine if you can substitute the object with he/she or her/him.Therefore, "With whom should I ask about the dress code?" can be substituted with "I should ask him about the dress code", not "I should ask he about the dress code."
4. Fewer vs. Less: Fewer refers to objects you can count, while less deals with nouns that you look at as a whole. Ex.) "I had fewer oranges than apples in the fridge." OR "Amy had less enthusiasm for her job after working there for five years."
5. Farther vs. Further: Further and farther are both used to express "at a greater distance"; yet, there is a slight difference in meaning. Farther is used for physical distances, while further can be used for figurative ones. Ex.) "My house to the mall is farther away than your house to the beach." OR "I didn't get any further along in my paper since I last talked to you.
If you're anything like me, there's probably a paper that needs writing ASAP, so take these tips and get typing!
This is so helpful! Thank you so so much!!
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