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Grammar isn't a dirty word
Charlotte Booth • 5 April 2022
Five tips for better copy
Grammar is something that often feels people with dread. Not me. Not anymore.
Others feel that in the modern world, grammar is not important and that it's old fashioned. In some ways they're right, but in other ways grammar is just as important now as it ever was.
Some believe that grammatical knowledge is declining. However, this isn't accurate. Grammar is changing. As our spoken language changes constantly so does the acceptable grammatical structures. It's important to keep up.
For example, there is more fluidity between spoken and written English, and American and British English is interchangable in many circumstances.
Despite this fluidity grammar is still important, as it can improve your business copy and make your content seem more credible.
However, the language you use very much depends on your audience. If you are writing for a young demographic then contractions, abbreviations and text speak may be appropriate but if you are aiming at corporate CEOs then you will need something more formal.
Grammar doesn't have to be complicated. Just a quick scour through social media and business websites shows me some of the most common mistakes. Here are five which bug me the most. Overcome these and your copy is instantly improved as is my mood.
- Would of - This is a mistake which is aural in nature. When we speak we say "I would've been on time" which is a contraction of 'would have' not 'would of.'
- It's - This is a common mistake which is easy to make. 'It's' means 'it is' but 'its' without the apostrophe means something belongs to it.
- You're/Your - You're means 'you are' and your is a possessive, as in 'your email'. How many emails have you seen with 'I hope your well' instead of 'I hope you're well'?
- Ellipses - We all love ellipses but few seem to use them correctly. Ellipses are those dots ... which add suspense to your copy. To use them correctly, only use three dots with a space in front of the first and after the last, and only use them if the sentence is unfinished.
- Yourself - Like me you've probably seen, or perhaps even written, "I'd like a meeting with yourself". Reflexives (myself, yourself) cannot involve other people. "Spend time by yourself", "I like to read by myself", "They talked among themselves". If you want to arrange a meeting with someone, you can't use a reflexive. Instead you'd say "I'd like a meeting with you." Ensure the pronouns match (I can do things with myself, and they can do do things with themselves), and if they don't match, rewrite.
By taking these five grammatical errors onboard you can instantly improve your copy, social media posts and emails. If it seems like way too much of a faff, ask me
to do your copy for you. I will avoid all of these and hundreds more grammatical errors.
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