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Top 10 Common Mistakes,
Abuses and Misuses
1. Using it's when you want its or vice versa.
It's is a contraction meaning 'it is' or 'it has.'
It's a shame about its broken leg.
Its is the posessive form of it.
The TV is broken. Its knob won't move.
2. Using an apostrophe ( 's) to form the plural of a noun
The plural of most nouns is created by simply
adding s or es.
Snakes, skis, boxes, Joneses, 1950s, CD-ROMs
Apostrophes are usually only needed when you are indicating posession.
The snake's skin; The box's weight.
3. Mismatching subjects and adjectives
When the subject is singular, use a singular adjective.
After the fire drill, each child returned to his seat.
When the subject is plural, use a plural adjective.
After the fire drill, the children returned to their seats.
4. Confusing who's and whose
Who's is a contraction meaning 'who is' or 'who has.'
Who's going to the ball game?
Whose is the possesive form of who.
Whose book was lost?
She looked at the fireman, whose hat was lopsided.
5. Confusing the intransitive verbs effect and affect
Effect means 'to cause to come into being.'
You can effect change by voting.
Affect means 'to put on a pretense.'
She affected a worldly manner to hide her shyness.
6. Misusing quotation marks
Quotation marks are used to indicate a direct quotation. It is incorrect to use them to highlight words.
Wrong: Her "attitude" toward "Punkie" was aggressive.
Right: She said, "What's for dinner?"
7. Using 'and/or'
Most of the time when this construction is used (outside of the legal world) it is neither necessary nor logical. Try using one word or the other.
8. Using the words basically, essentially, totally, virtually, literally
These words seldom add anything useful to a sentence. Try the sentence without them and, almost always, you will see the sentence improve.
9. Using 'and' instead of 'to'
Wrong: Try and come to my party.
Right: Try to come to my party.
10. Using 'of' instead of 'have'
Wrong: You should of seen her face.
Right: You should have seen her face.
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