Let's face it - our country's grammar skills are going down the drain. Blame it on texting or social media or whatever else you can think of, but it is getting more and more difficult to navigate my Facebook feed without cringing at some mistaken status update. Well, worry no more, because I am here to help. Here are some explanations of six common grammar mistakes that we all need to get straight.
1. Its vs. It's
This one can be tricky for everyone because it is backwards from what you'd expect. "Its" is the possessive form while "it's" is the contraction of "it is." While possessive forms usually use 's, take note that this little troublemaker is an exception.
2. Affect vs. effect
This one is easy to master once you get the hang of it. When you want to talk about the action (the verb) then you use affect. If you are talking about the noun, then you use effect.
3. Me vs. I
A handy tool for distinguishing between these two is to take out the other subject in the sentence and see if it still makes sense. For example:
Want to come watch the movie with Shelby and I?
If you take Shelby out of this sentence you can see that this is not grammatically correct. Nobody would say, "Want to come watch the movie with I?" In this instance, you would use "me" instead of "I."
4. Less vs. Fewer
Not many people know this difference, including the people in charge of the checkout lines at grocery stores, since saying "10 items or less" is actually incorrect. For things like items that can be quantified, you use "fewer." Save "less" for things that can't be quantified, like "less working" or "less time."
5. Then vs. Than
"Than" is used for comparisons, while "then" is used to signify a progression of something in time.
6. Who vs. Whom
"Who" is the subject of the sentence while "whom" is the object. "Who" is comparable to "he" while whom is comparable to "him," so for example:
"Who ate all the cake? He did." vs. "Whom should I call? Call him."
I hope you all learned something valuable today. Now, go forth and write with confidence!
