by KimW
63 replies
I saw this someplace else and I felt it might do some here a lot of good.
Enjoy (and learn).
20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes | LitReactor
#read
  • Profile picture of the author HarrieB
    Nice Nice... Good to rephrase all these things !!
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Thanks for the read. I totally forgot all about grammar that i learned in high school. But if there's one thing that i do know, it's that good grammar doesn't belong on a sales letter.
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    • Profile picture of the author REHughes
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      Thanks for the read. I totally forgot all about grammar that i learned in high school. But if there's one thing that i do know, it's that good grammar doesn't belong on a sales letter.
      Not sure why you think that, but I have to disagree wholeheartedly. I think that is one place that good grammar should be practiced as perfectly as possible.

      I despise to run across a sales letter that is practically unreadable because of bad grammar.

      I often assume if the sales page reads that way, so will the product, and sometimes it just plain hurts trying to read some of the junk I have seen called sales letters.

      I have rejected potentially good products because the creator of the product seemed to feel it wasn't necessary to proofread their sales copy before releasing it.

      But, that's just my opinion.

      Robert
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    One not mentioned that I see all the time -- in fact, even earlier today here in the forum -- lose and loose.

    Lose means that you "failed to gain or retain an item."

    Loose means that you "set it free."

    TBH, I don't think most people who "lose" something did it on purpose. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author Tim3
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      One not mentioned that I see all the time -- in fact, even earlier today here in the forum -- lose and loose.
      :p
      What is about this word, why do people misspell it? it drives me bonkers.

      It is rife across the internet, and it seems mostly to emanate from US sites.

      Now the US has probably got the best education system in the world so it seems a strange phenomena.

      any ideas? Bill? anyone? :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author KimW
    I know what you mean Bill.
    In another thread earlier today someone called someone else a looser.......lol
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  • Profile picture of the author Halcyon
    For me, I used to have a problem with principle and principal until I learned the mnemonic that the "principal" of the school was my "pal".

    Never made that mistake again.
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  • Profile picture of the author PAH Tim
    Thanks for the read. Is anyone else carefully watching what they type just in case they write something that makes them look stupid in a thread about grammar?

    Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

    Thanks for the read. I totally forgot all about grammar that i learned in high school. But if there's one thing that i do know, it's that good grammar doesn't belong on a sales letter.
    Can I ask why? If anything, shouldn't you be as careful as possible to have accurate spelling and grammar in a sales letter?
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberSEO
    English is not my mother language. So thanks a lot!
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hersh
    Awesome, thanks! Definitely a good read.
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    Very good article and an interesting read - thanks.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author weebeastie
    English buffs (purists) are tormented to no end over the attacks on the internet towards the English language. I think they are getting worn down because the complaints that I see are getting less and less...

    I really liked the article and the thread. The use of the word nauseous was a surprise to me. I'm going right back to study the article.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Coutts
      Originally Posted by weebeastie View Post

      English buffs (purists) are tormented to no end over the attacks on the internet towards the English language. I think they are getting worn down because the complaints that I see are getting less and less...
      fewer and fewer, perhaps?

      (sorry ... :rolleyes
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  • It's true that much of the grammar in peoples copy is awful. But I think people almost expect that of the internet nowadays, so I'm not convinced it does a huge amount of damage to sales/conversions. Unless you're selling courses teaching English I suppose.
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  • Profile picture of the author dave147
    "and" let's not forget the mistakes made with "then" and "than" also...
    "of" and "off"
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  • Profile picture of the author Riggs
    I never even knew what the word moot meant until this thread. Fortunately, in most cases, my browser typically prompts me with big red squiggly lines under any words I spell wrong or sentences I construct incorrectly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Chicas
    I came across this digital product that had gotten massive amounts of high exposure - news media, radio, yet it didn't pull more than 40K last year.

    When I checked the sales page it was riddled with spelling errors. I was surprised that this guy had even gotten that much money for that year.

    Not that he wasn't bright, or his information wasn't any good, I think most people that bought the product loved it, yet his sloppy page drove most people away.
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  • Earth to warriorforum... not everyone is a native speaker. I totally agree with 'webfuel', "But I think people almost expect that of the internet nowadays".

    Point is, as long as you can get a point across, as eloquent as possible [so not tryna wryte lyke dis and hide yo mistakes], there is a big chance that people will just ignore the flaws.

    If I had to stop reading every time I'd see freaking spelling errors, grammatical flaws or, and this one is very familiar for not-English speaking members, the mixing of native and English grammar, I can't read a thing OTI.

    However, some self-criticism on this front: as a not-native-speaker, I often see my own mistakes after proofreading [if I read once, I already get most of the faults out of my text, if I read twice, there will not be any [maybe 1 or 2] mistakes in the text.


    Last thing I'd like to add: you're welcome < -- > your welcome; alright < -- > all right; then < -- > than; genius < -- > genious ; succesful < -- > succesfull ; ofcourse < -- > of course.

    That was all from the top of my head. For the people who have absolutely NO problem with piracy, I can just say... oxford dictionary. Download it and you can even know the pronunciation... LOL, IS IT PRONOUNCIATION OR PRONUNCTIATION????
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    • Profile picture of the author KimW
      Originally Posted by thedailyfilibuster View Post

      Earth to warriorforum... not everyone is a native speaker. I totally agree with 'webfuel', "But I think people almost expect that of the internet nowadays".

      Point is, as long as you can get a point across, as eloquent as possible [so not tryna wryte lyke dis and hide yo mistakes], there is a big chance that people will just ignore the flaws.

      If I had to stop reading every time I'd see freaking spelling errors, grammatical flaws or, and this one is very familiar for not-English speaking members, the mixing of native and English grammar, I can't read a thing OTI.

      However, some self-criticism on this front: as a not-native-speaker, I often see my own mistakes after proofreading [if I read once, I already get most of the faults out of my text, if I read twice, there will not be any [maybe 1 or 2] mistakes in the text.


      Last thing I'd like to add: you're welcome < -- > your welcome; alright < -- > all right; then < -- > than; genius < -- > genious ; succesful < -- > succesfull ; ofcourse < -- > of course.

      That was all from the top of my head. For the people who have absolutely NO problem with piracy, I can just say... oxford dictionary. Download it and you can even know the pronunciation... LOL, IS IT PRONOUNCIATION OR PRONUNCTIATION????
      This has nothing to do with being an "english speaker".
      i
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  • Profile picture of the author AppsFromHome
    Spelling and grammar do go a long way....it amazes me how much some people overlook it and think that the product will sell itself...people will judge the product based on the sales page and effort the creator has put into things like spelling and grammar. I always have someone proof read and ask for suggestions.
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  • Profile picture of the author shopperpk
    very nice post indeed. But these were common mistakes not now.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      Originally Posted by shopperpk View Post

      very nice post indeed. But these were common mistakes not now.

      Ummm, take a spin around the forum and you will find that indeed, they still are.

      Terra
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    • Profile picture of the author lukedidit
      Originally Posted by shopperpk View Post

      very nice post indeed. But these were common mistakes not now.
      Very nice post indeed. However, these were common mistakes, but they’re not now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Chicas
      Originally Posted by shopperpk View Post

      very nice post indeed. But these were common mistakes not now.
      This is a perfect example... it made me stop reading and made me re read the sentence a few times to find out if I misread it or if I wasn't getting it - it broke me away from my reading flow. Not good in marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lexilou
    Interesting
    Thanks for sharing
    Lexilou
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  • Profile picture of the author Eduard Stinga
    Nice one, thanks! I always believed that good English makes the perceived value of anything higher, whereas bad English..

    However, I have to say that a lot of native English speakers that I know (not necessarily on the forum) fail miserably at grammar, compared to non-native speakers, which I think is quite a paradox.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandor Verebi
      Kim, thank you. I'm afraid, that people will not read the article, who is most in need.

      Originally Posted by Eduard Stinga View Post

      ...I always believed that good English makes the perceived value of anything higher, whereas bad English...

      However, I have to say that a lot of native English speakers that I know (not necessarily on the forum) fail miserably at grammar, compared to non-native speakers, which I think is quite a paradox.
      Eduard, I myself have experienced what you're saying. Some people aren't paid much attention to this at all. I don't know, the reputation may not matter to them?
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    I am, admittedly, being very particular here, but isn't there a difference between spelling, grammar, and usage?

    Than/then, they're/there/their, your/you're, and to/too/two seem to fall under usage (possibly spelling, at times), and not necessarily grammar. A fine point, and it probably doesn't really matter what you call it; just something I was curious about.

    All the best,
    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Snow_Predator
    Thanks, but what does grammar have to do with marketing?
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    • Profile picture of the author kaellyn
      I tend to be very wary of anyone who has serious spelling/grammar/punctuation issues. A few typos here and there aren't as big a deal, but I tend to think that anyone who can't either write a coherent sentence or get someone to proofread for them is probably not going to pay attention to detail in the product he/she is trying to sell me.

      Besides, I've got a battle between "do I need to spend money" vs "I want/need this product" going on in my head. Sometimes that badly written paragraph is what tips me over into not buying.
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      • Profile picture of the author busterkman
        I agree with Kaellyn, that a few misspelled words hear and their ( yes I know, wrong spelling) is no big deal. But context of the letter shouldn't be so hard to understand that you can't make sense of what they're trying to sell you.

        This indicates to me a lack of detail, which is probably what you're going to get in their product.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sheryl Polomka
    A great read Kim and I'm probably guilty of some of these. I love the 'anxious' one - I'm anxious to see my friends - what are you scared of them?????

    Lose/loose - is one that I HATE! I have a website in the weight loss niche and when I visit other sites or forums I hate when I see people say that they want to loose weight! It's LOSE weight dummy!!!! Yeah I'm sure you want your pants to become loose, but you actually lose weight you don't loose weight!
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by Sheryl Polomka View Post

      A great read Kim and I'm probably guilty of some of these. I love the 'anxious' one - I'm anxious to see my friends - what are you scared of them?????

      Lose/loose - is one that I HATE! I have a website in the weight loss niche and when I visit other sites or forums I hate when I see people say that they want to loose weight! It's LOSE weight dummy!!!! Yeah I'm sure you want your pants to become loose, but you actually lose weight you don't loose weight!
      I don't know...imagine being able to simply loose weight!

      "Weight, be gone from my midsection! You are free!"

      Yep, loosing weight sounds good to me.



      ~Michael
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        A very nice article, and a very good read - thanks, Kim.

        But (ironically?!) a very strange and inappropriate title the author gave it: most of them are not actually "grammar mistakes" at all, are they?! They're about using incorrect words.
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  • Profile picture of the author stranger11
    I think most people who are native speakers forget grammar. For marketers, its important to have good grammar when communication by email but for the purposes of sales letters, sometimes breaking those rules will serve you better.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmilligan
    Banned
    Thanks Kim, great read.
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  • Profile picture of the author darkblue
    English is a second language to me as well, so this article comes at the right time. I always try to write and speak correctly so some of the mistakes outlined in this article are an eye opener.

    thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Internetoholic
    Good article, especially for me, since i'm not native English speaker and most of this language I have learned not in school but from the Internet.

    If you have more articles like that I will be happy to read them ;-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Faber
    Kim,
    Great read. I even bookmarked it for future reference. The ones that bug me are usage errors, such as your/you're, which are all too common. Too/to is common also, but that could simply be a typo.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    I came across this earlier in FB, and found it very intriguing.

    There are so many rules in the English language (and exceptions as well) that it'd be pretty difficult to condense everything down to a short and manageable list.

    When you add the different spelling and word usage in the different variants of English, that compounds the issue even further.
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    Hey this is really good share man... I make some of the mistakes here... Thanks...
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  • Profile picture of the author temlawn
    Yes, but did all you guys know that there is actually a psychology to a sales page letter with maybe 1 or 2 misspelled words that are there intentionally to get your attention? Advanced IM 101 .. not sure where I found the info it was years ago.

    Case in point. Just for the fun of it

    Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are in; the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a ttoal mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
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  • Profile picture of the author rarnold
    Great read.

    Another one is alot, there no such word in the English language, is should be a lot.

    I have heard that English is the hardest language to learn to write because of all the exceptions.
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  • Profile picture of the author almiller
    This was an interesting piece of information. Really helpful for me specially!
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  • Profile picture of the author meldave
    I like the weigh or I mean the way Michael Oksa thinks. Very funny!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ernie Mitchell
    To all those who are trying to convince themselves that grammar, spelling, and usage isn’t all that important, I go back to the old adage that airline passengers equate coffee stains on the seatback serving trays with shoddy engine maintenance.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
    In my own defense, and perhaps no-so-secretly the defense of others, I would like to take this opportunity to disclose that most of the time when I am on the Warrior Forum it is in the middle of the night, after a couple of glasses of wine.


    Also, when it comes to spelling errors, I am originally from Oklahoma, and now live in Texas... And sometimes I spell words the way they sound.


    I'll never forget my heart breaking at 5 years old, when I found out that Kindergarten was not a garden named Kinder, and "pillow" is not spelled "pell-o" :p
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    • Profile picture of the author KimW
      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      In my own defense, and perhaps no-so-secretly the defense of others, I would like to take this opportunity to disclose that most of the time when I am on the Warrior Forum it is in the middle of the night, after a couple of glasses of wine.


      Also, when it comes to spelling errors, I am originally from Oklahoma, and now live in Texas... And sometimes I spell words the way they sound.


      I'll never forget my heart breaking at 5 years old, when I found out that Kindergarten was not a garden named Kinder, and "pillow" is not spelled "pell-o" :p
      Mike,
      That excuse doesn't fly with me.I was born in Missouri and spent my childhood growing up in Oklahoma!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tim3
      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      In my own defense, and perhaps no-so-secretly the defense of others, I would like to take this opportunity to disclose that most of the time when I am on the Warrior Forum it is in the middle of the night, after a couple of glasses of wine.


      Also, when it comes to spelling errors, I am originally from Oklahoma, and now live in Texas... And sometimes I spell words the way they sound.


      I'll never forget my heart breaking at 5 years old, when I found out that Kindergarten was not a garden named Kinder, and "pillow" is not spelled "pell-o" :p

      Alcohol and coming from Oklahoma is absolutely no excuse to misspell

      'lose'
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
        Originally Posted by KimW View Post

        Mike,
        That excuse doesn't fly with me.I was born in Missouri and spent my childhood growing up in Oklahoma!
        Mayhaps we came from different parts of OK, LOL?


        Originally Posted by Tim3 View Post

        Alcohol and coming from Oklahoma is absolutely no excuse to misspell

        'lose'

        LOL... You'll have to visit my hometown sometime, and the "school" which had everyone from Kindergarten thru 12th grade in one building, with four teachers and textbooks from the 1950's...
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  • Profile picture of the author kallensmommy
    Banned
    It always amazes me when I read a sales copy or product that has gotten rave reviews or is well known but has terrible spelling and grammatical errors. I can't say that I'm always correct in my writing but you would think you would catch such things like receive/recieve or to/too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jordan Kovats
    Seen / saw are ones I hear often. Regardless / irregardless, is another.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    Thanks for sharing.

    On the other hand:

    I once read in a book by John Maxwell the story of a company who had hired a new salesman. It goes something like this.

    They sent him off to Chicago to sell the company's product and he was to send in a written report every day. His manager (who also hired him) was astonished when he got the written report. It said "I just finshed sailing the product and they rellly liked it. The said they want to by a milun dolars of it. Tomorrw I will go to New Yark and see if they want to buy any of them".

    The manager couldn't believe it. He had hired an idiot. He was torn on what to do though because his new salesman had just sold a million dollars' worth of product. But at the same time he couldn't let this illiterate keep working there.

    So he decided to explain to the CEO that he had made a mistake and let him make the decision.

    The next day the manager was astounded again when there was a big written note on the bulletin board from the CEO. It said "it has come to my attynshun that we've been spending too much time worring about speling and not enough time worring about sayling. We need to sayle more!"
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  • Profile picture of the author Phobia
    can't believe they missed;

    there, they're and their.

    ..but as mentioned, that article was about poor word choice, not grammar!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Originally Posted by KimW View Post

    I saw this someplace else and I felt it might do some here a lot of good.
    Enjoy (and learn).
    20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes | LitReactor
    Thanks for sharing, that was a good article. I'm glad to see they listed "affect" and "effect".

    If they would have gotten into common misspellings and not just grammar, they would have listed "alot" since that's how a lot of people spell it, it should be "a lot" with a space between. And yeah Bill, you're right, I see a lot of "loose" and "lose" confusion.

    RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author gentryliving
    Nice post! A must read article.
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