In October of ‘08, I wrote a post titled, “Does Correct English Matter?” In it I explained the correct use of three common errors in the use of English, and why I feel it’s important to use correct English in writing. The common errors I explained in that lesson were the use of its and it’s; their, there, and they’re; and here and hear.
Two more tips for correcting common errors are the following:
Lose and Loose.
Lose means to no longer have something or to be unable to find an item. Loose, which has several meanings generally means not held together or to untie or undo something. Notice that the two words are not pronounced exactly alike, although the pronunciation is similar, so if they’re not pronounced carefully, the person hearing may miss the meaning of your sentence.
Examples: Harry will lose his job if he’s late one more time.
The dog was let loose from his dog house.
Affect and Effect
Affect means to act upon, to influence Effect means to bring about a desired result, to accomplish.
Examples: This legislation will affect the entire country.
It will effect several changes in the auto industry.
There are many more common errors, some of which I expect to explain in another post. If you have questions about any questions you might have with common errors, please contact me.
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