In this day and age of automatic spelling and grammar checks in word processing software, it is no surprise that many people struggle to spell quite basic words and use punctuation correctly without the aid of a computer.
If you are confident with your writing abilities but find that you are often let down by incorrect spelling or poor grammar, there are a number of tricks and tips you can use to help you polish your writing. Of course, knowing where your main faults lie – with the incorrect spelling of particular words, for example, or not understanding how to use apostrophes – is part of the solution.
Have a good look at samples of your own writing, and circle any spelling and punctuation you are unsure about. If you find that you are repeatedly making the same mistakes, perhaps the hints and tips below will help you in the future.
Helpful Rhymes:
You may remember being taught rhymes or poems at school to help you understand the rules of spelling. For example, ‘i before e, except after c.’ If you can remember this little ditty, you will no longer have trouble with words like ‘chief’ – a common word which many people spell as ‘cheif’ (with the i and e the wrong way around). If you’ve had a look at your own writing and have noticed a common theme in the errors you have made, try making a rhyme or ditty that will help you remember the rule.
Knowing which homophone is correct:
Another common error is the incorrect use of words that sound identical, but are spelt differently, such as ‘whether’ and ‘weather’; ‘where’, ‘wear’ and ‘ware’; ‘there’ and ‘their’; or even ‘flour’ and ‘flower’. These sorts of words are known as homophones. If you often confuse the words and their contexts, try writing up a list of definitions you can keep near your computer or at your writing desk.
The curse of the apostrophe:
One of the most common problems in writing texts can be understanding how and where to put an apostrophe (‘). Common errors are ‘we’re’ and ‘were’ (‘We are’ and ‘were’), or ‘their’, ‘there’ and ‘they’re’ (‘Their jacket’, ‘there is the jacket’, ‘they are wearing a jacket’). If you are guilty of using apostrophes incorrectly, try writing out examples of their use in sentences and keeping these close at hand.
Helpful Rhymes:
You may remember being taught rhymes or poems at school to help you understand the rules of spelling. For example, ‘i before e, except after c.’ If you can remember this little ditty, you will no longer have trouble with words like ‘chief’ – a common word which many people spell as ‘cheif’ (with the i and e the wrong way around). If you’ve had a look at your own writing and have noticed a common theme in the errors you have made, try making a rhyme or ditty that will help you remember the rule.
Knowing which homophone is correct:
Another common error is the incorrect use of words that sound identical, but are spelt differently, such as ‘whether’ and ‘weather’; ‘where’, ‘wear’ and ‘ware’; ‘there’ and ‘their’; or even ‘flour’ and ‘flower’. These sorts of words are known as homophones. If you often confuse the words and their contexts, try writing up a list of definitions you can keep near your computer or at your writing desk.
The curse of the apostrophe:
One of the most common problems in writing texts can be understanding how and where to put an apostrophe (‘). Common errors are ‘we’re’ and ‘were’ (‘We are’ and ‘were’), or ‘their’, ‘there’ and ‘they’re’ (‘Their jacket’, ‘there is the jacket’, ‘they are wearing a jacket’). If you are guilty of using apostrophes incorrectly, try writing out examples of their use in sentences and keeping these close at hand.