Writing is easy. Writing well is less so. Anyone can make a typo or slip in the occasional technical error. However, when a writer repeatedly makes the same technical errors again and again, I stop focusing on what I am reading. Indeed, sometimes I get so frustrated that I abandon my reading altogether. As an example, I recently checked out a book from the library. The back cover listed a few glowing reviews, and the storyline seemed fresh and intriguing. But when I began reading, I found myself wincing every time the writer committed comma-related sins. Yikes.
What are some common errors that you should avoid in your writing? Let’s discuss a few. (We won’t try to tackle commas in this blog post—they’re a different beast altogether.)
Using “Alright” Instead of “All Right”
The English language is full of compound words. We love applesauce rideshares, coworkers, and clockwork. Maybe the frequent use of compound words is part of the reason why so many people tend to use compound words — including fake compound words — when they should not. “Alright” has gained a smidge of acceptance in informal styles of writing, but it’s kind of like “ain’t.” Everyone knows what it means, but true fans of the English language, and those who value a professional tone, dislike it. “All right” is always acceptable, while “alright” is a gamble at best.
As a side note, please never write “alot.” It’s not a word. It’s two words.
Faulty Parallelisms
Faulty parallelism pepper works of prose, even those written by very intelligent, very professional people. However, they are a misstep in the mechanics of English. What is a faulty parallelism? I’m so happy you asked.
When you are writing a list, all of the items in the list should be in the same format.
Example: I like reading, writing, snacking, and being awesome.
All of the items in the above list are verbs that end in “ing” (or a verb phrase that starts with an “ing” verb). The meaning of every item in the list is absolutely clear. That is a true, correct parallelism. It would also be correct if I said something along the lines of “I like to read, write, snack, and be awesome.”
Here is an example of a faulty parallelism: I like reading, to write, snacks, and awesomeness.
In that example, the items in the list are all in different formats, which is jarring to read and might not make sense the first time you look at it.
Improper Title Case
When you are writing a title for a blog post or a page on your website, it is important to use proper capitalization. It creates more appealing aesthetics and ensures that each word carries the weight it deserves (the exception to this is if your website automatically formats things in all caps or all lowercase).
The most common title case error I see is the practice of not capitalizing all the verbs in a title. Yes, that includes little verbs, like “is,” “was,” and “are.” They may be small, but they are definitely verbs and deserve to start with a capital letter if they are in a title.
Not Proofreading
It always helps to have a second pair of eyes proofread anything you write. That might not always be possible. For example, I had no second pair of eyes look at this blog post before I published it. However, major companies do not have the same excuse as freelance entrepreneurs. Take a look at the screenshot next to this paragraph. Notice anything funny? Most people wouldn’t, but the fact remains: Starbucks was combing flavors, not combining them as they intended.
Passive Voice
Technically, there is nothing wrong with passive voice. However, it is a stylistic nightmare if you want your writing to be easy to read. A passive sentence is one where the main subject has something done to it (and is not doing something). Here is the most classic example of passive voice, which pretty much every English teacher in the history of forever has used:
The cat was chased by the dog.
Active voice uses fewer words and is therefore more succinct. It is also much easier to read.
The dog chased the cat.
Of course, passive voice is inevitable once in a while. In some instances, it is even the best way to convey an idea. The majority of the time, however, you should make an effort for your writing to be in active voice.
Poor Divisions
We live in a world of short attention spans. No one wants to spend long minutes reading through a blog post if they are only interested in one or two sentences that might or might not be buried somewhere in the mass of words on a webpage. That is why it is important that you:
- Make sure your paragraphs are not too long. As a general rule of thumb, no paragraph should exceed 100 words or so.
- Include subheadings.
- Use bullet points where they make sense.
- If appropriate, use bold fonts and italics to emphasize key points.
What do you think of the above-listed common writing errors? Drop me a comment and give me your thoughts! (Don’t worry — I’ll put aside my internal editor when I am reading your comments.)