Quality is Job #1
It’s “you’re” when you mean “you are,” and it’s “your” when you mean to signify possession. “Are those your sunglasses?” … “You’re the best.”
The apostrophe in “it’s” is a contraction for “it is” – I know it is strange, but when you see an apostrophe in “it’s,” it is NOT intended to imply possession. “It’s hot outside.” … “Put the baby bird back in its nest.”
When you want to say something is really cool & important, you might write it down as having “cache.” But “cache” is “a hiding place; a secure place of storage.” You probably meant to say “cachet,” pronounced ka-‘shay, which means “prestige.”
While you’re digesting this, maybe reconsider how you spell “rapport.” It’s a great word – pronounced ra-‘poor – denoting a harmonious connection, as in, “The client and the editor quickly established a warm rapport.” But I’ve seen it mis-spelled far too creatively.
Yes, I am a grammar geek. Yes, I frequently consult the Merriam-Webster search add-on in Firefox. And it’s not just because I am a bonafide lover of the English language. It’s because clients and the media take notice of these little errors. It causes clients to question how well you’re representing them in public. It gives the media yet another reason to think poorly of PR practitioners.
It’s about being a pro.
UPDATE: More than one commenter has rightfully taken me to task for forgetting another big grammar gaffe. “Loose” denotes ease, or slackening of pressure; “lose” is used as in a loss. So it’s “It was a shame to lose a client due to silly grammatical errors” … “Let’s keep the meeting agenda loose.” You might “loosen” a knot but you never “loose” something, you always “lose” it.
(This concludes my high-falutin’, holier-than-thou, Monday morning sermon.)
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Todd — how could you forget some all time favorites such as “loose” versus “lose” and “their” versus “there?” As the father of two teenagers, the lack of emphasis I see on corrent spelling and proper use of grammar in our schools really kills me. Thank God we older folks are still around for the time being to try to enforce the rules!
The worst is the seemingly increasing use of “loose” to mean “lose”. As in, “I would like to have gone for a coffee, but I was worried that I’d loose my place in line…”
Also, I have to disagree with your pronunciation of “rapport”. It’s from the French, and is pronounced Ra-pour or Ra-porr.
I totally agree. Spelling things correctly is important. People might scan your content and ignore accidentally misspelled words. Not when it comes to “it’s” and “its” though. It probably takes 5 minutes to check the grammar with word or a similar software.
Thanks for suggesting the Merriam-Webster search add-on, going to get that one immediately.
Your so right! I see apostrophe abuse all the time and its so frustrating!
While we are on the topic let’s toss out another gramurder with: irregardless.
Really? When I hear this or seer it I immediately shut off and do everything I can to stop myself from screaming “fraud!”
A peeve of mine is “premier” (first in rank) versus “premiere” (debut).
Can you make this a regular Monday morning post? Ever since Terry Fallis abandoned “Inside Proper English,” I’ve been jonesing for something like this. Maybe you could tackle “further” and “farther” in your next installment.
Thanks, all, for the addtl examples. @Shel, given the quick & ferocious responses to-date, I just might do a semi-regular post like this one!
Great post Todd! I agree with Shel, can you make this a regular post? How about tackling i.e. versus e.g next week? That’s my personal pet peeve.
Count me in as someone who who would be happy to listen to more of your Monday morning sermons, especially if they’re about grammar. I especially appreciated the reminder about the difference between “loose” and “lose.”