In all of my grammar, spelling, and word-usage rants I point out that the wrong word in a sentence has two effects:
- It confuses the reader, so they have to stop and think about what the writer meant - then the flow of the message is lost.
- It makes the writer look either uneducated or sloppy.
Since none of us wants to look uneducated or sloppy, it pays to take the time to proofread. Or - to take the time to get someone else to proofread.
For someone like me who writes for a living, missed errors are especially embarrassing. After all, everything I write is an example of my work.
No one wants to use a writer who doesn't know "your" from "you're."
That's why I'm sure there's one copywriter out there tonight whose face is burning red. She sent a promotion for her copywriting boot camp, and along with the promotion sent her weekly article.
To introduce the article she wrote: "This week we are taking a look at personal journey's and why it's important that it is shared with others."
Ouch!
Surely she knows that the plural of journey is not journey's.
Surely she knows that you don't refer to a plural as "it."
And if those errors weren't bad enough, the sentence is simply awkward.
My guess is that she was in a hurry - or perhaps was interrupted mid-sentence - and didn't stop to re-read what she wrote. If she had, surely she would have re-written that sentence, because it is most definitely not an advertisement for her expertise.
We all make mistakes - and that's why proofreading is vital to everyone who wants and needs to maintain a professional image.
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