editor

Hi, my name is Ashley, and I'm a grammar guru.

Which is probably why I'm studying to become an editor. And sometimes, it's a hard life. Not the studying or the editing, but the fact that not everyone in the world is a grammar guru like me. 

A friend of mine (who happens to be in the same major as me) recently posted on Facebook: 

It doesn't really affect my life. Everyone has the right to make their own choices.
But gosh, I'd sure smile a little more if people learned the proper use of the apostrophe.

I had a good laugh because I feel that way about all grammar :) So here's my friendly grammar lesson on a few simple things. Hopefully you'll take a minute to make sure you've got these things under control, because your writing credibility goes wayyyy up when you use correct grammar, even if you're just writing to friends and family :) This post is not written to offend, but to inform, so please don't be offended! :)

Homophones
We learned about them in like second grade, but even at twenty-something, people still make mistakes with homophones all the time. It's understandable, since homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Take a look--see if there are any groups that you can never remember which one is right for which situation.

Their/They're/There
Their is possessive. It is their cat. That is their car. It is their fault.

They're is a contraction; it combines they are into one word. They're going to the supermarket. They're happy. They're swimming right now, but they'll be back later.

There is the word that is used in every other case besides the possessive or contraction forms. The ball is over there. There is going to be a party tonight. There was nobody cool at the party I went to last night. There are no good movies out right now. She lives right there.


Its/It's
This one confused me for a while when I was young. I thought for sure it's was possessive because 's is how you make a name possessive: Ashley's dog wagged it's tail, right? WRONG! 

Its is the possessive version: The dog wagged its tail. the elephant stomped its feet.

It's is the contraction: it combines it is into one word. It's going to be a great day. It's a book about wizards. It's the best movie I've ever seen.


Your/You're
Again, it's as simple as one being possessive, and the other being a contraction.

Your is possessive. That is your dog. Did you do your homework? This shirt is yours.

You're is a contraction for you are. You're coming tonight, right? You're the greatest. You're going to get in big trouble.


Hear/Here
Hear is what you do with your ears. I hear a dog barking. I hear a train coming. I hear that movie is great.

Here is a location or pretty much any other use of the word. I'm over here. Here is your movie. There is a lot of noise around here.


Wear/Where
Wear is what you do with clothes. I wear jeans every day. I wear red lipstick.
Wear is also what happens when your stuff starts to break. My cellphone is getting a lot of wear because I drop it so much. My jeans are getting a lot of wear because I spend so much time on my knees.

Where is a location. Dude, where's my car? Where are you right now? I am where the road meets the train tracks.


Two/Too/To
Two is a number. I have two tests tomorrow. I'm going out with my two besties. There are two days until my birthday.

Too can act like another word for also, OR it is a kind of quantifier, meaning that it is associated with the number of things or amount of things (often before many or much). I'm going to the party, too. There are too many people in here. I have way too much to do in these next two hours.


Weather/Whether
Weather is what's going on outside. What's the weather going to be like today? The sun is shining--I love this weather! Rainy weather is my favorite.

Whether is a conjunction used to weigh alternatives, usually having some doubt involved. I'm not sure whether or not I'll go tonight. Whether or not you like exercise, you should still do it. I'm going to date him whether you like it or not.

Than/Then
Than is used in any sort of comparative situation. My husband is taller than me. I would rather go swimming than hiking. What could be better than a break from school?

Then is used when talking about timing. I'm going to the store; then I'm going home. I'll have the article to you by then. Everyone was happy, but then a monster came and killed them all [that sentence idea was courtesy of my husband :)]

Sell/Sale
Sell is a verb. I'm going to sell my clothes to Plato's Closet. We're selling a lot of stuff on Craigslist these days. We better go now or they're going to sell out of all that stuff we want.

Sale is a noun. We're having a yard sale this weekend. Everything at the mall is on sale on black Friday. They're having a great sale this Monday.


So if you're ready to step up your game in the grammar department, use these simple tips to do so! But if not, no worries, we can still be friends. After all, I need some non-grammar gurus in the world for some job security, right? ;)


**ashleynicole