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Common Mistakes Writers Make

by Mary McWilliams Johnson, Senior Member

For whatever it's worth, I have jotted down five mistakes writers make over and over again—even experienced writers and journalists (especially TV and radio newscasters)—and technical writers, too.

Yes, even the "professionals" do violence to our language every day. This makes me worry that people who see these aberrations in print (or hear them on the airwaves) are going to think it's all right to go right on mimicking the aberration.

My contention is that professional writers and anyone who wants his/her writings to appear professional should continually seek guidance from style manuals and grammar guides. It's hard to know everything, even if you're a Rhodes Scholar, and styles do change over time. We should not take comfort from the fact that others mangle the language and get away with it.

Subject and Verb Don't Agree

I wince when I hear a network announcer say something like, "Neither of the two leading candidates have won a clear majority." The subject of the sentence is neither, which is singular; therefore, the correct verb is has.

Here are several situations where some writers might be tempted to use a plural verb, but of course you wouldn't make such mistakes.

Wrong: Neither John nor Mary are to blame.
Right: Neither John nor Mary is to blame.

Wrong: The President or one of his cabinet members are expected to attend.
Right: The President or one of his cabinet members is expected to attend

When a compound subject is joined by or or nor, the subject remains singular. In the second sentence, don't be confused by the prepositional phrase "of his cabinet members" that comes just before the verb.

Here are some other examples where a writer might be tempted to use a plural verb because a prepositional phrase with a plural object snuck in just before the verb.

Any of a number of solutions is likely to work.
"Of a number" and "of solutions" are prepositional phrases; the subject is any.

Each of the soldiers has received a decoration.
The subject is each, not soldiers.

Making Inappropriate Comparisons

The offense of inappropriate comparisons is committed daily by the advertising fraternity and the broadcast industry. Fortunately, when a professional writer sees such words on paper, he or she usually catches the error.

A network announcer, reporting on insurance rates, said that one company's rates were the "highest of any insurance company." Sorry, but that can't be. Their rates could be "higher than those of any other insurance company" or "the highest of all," but not "highest of any," since any implies any ONE.

Advertisers often say their product is the "best of any." Nothing can be the "best of any", since (again) any implies any one. The product can be "the best of all" or "better than any other."

Using Infer and Imply Incorrectly

Here's a case where constant misuse of a word has just about made its incorrect use acceptable. People constantly say, "Do you infer that I was to blame?" when they mean, "Do you imply..."

Infer means "conclude or judge from premises or evidence."

Imply means "to indicate or suggest as something naturally to be inferred."

A correct use of infer would be, "I infer from your comments that you think I was to blame." (Implying is something the talker or writer does; inferring is something the listener or reader does.)

Using Oral and Verbal Incorrectly

If you have erred on this one, you're in good company because almost everyone talks about a "verbal agreement" when they mean an "oral agreement." After all, verbal means "of or pertaining to words." Every agreement, written or spoken, is a verbal agreement since it consists of words. The only way to distinguish an agreement not committed to paper is to call it an "oral agreement." Similarly, we need to avoid using "verbal instructions," "verbal argument," etc. (I'll have to admit this is somewhat academic because almost everyone seems to have consented—however incorrectly—that oraland verbal mean the same thing.)

Putting Quotation Marks in the Wrong Place

Even though you may sometimes see commas and periods placed outside quotation marks in published material (such as British literature), the best American style guides maintain an ironclad rule:

• Periods and commas go inside quotation marks.
• Colons and semicolons go outside.
• Question marks and exclamation marks go inside or outside, depending on whether they belong to the quotation.

Examples:

He said, "I love you." She swooned.

"I'll take bacon and eggs," she said briskly.

"It's quitting time," she said, "but I have twenty more pages to type."

Did he say, "Four score and seven years ago"? (Question mark does not belong to the quotation.)

She asked, "When do I get a raise?" (Question mark belongs to the quotation.)

He yelled, "Stop that car!"

While we’re on the subject of quotation marks, another mistake writers frequently make is the use of single quote marks to set off quotations. This is a “no-no.” Single quotation marks are used only to set off a quotation within a quotation.

She said, “I yelled ‘Stop!’ but he kept right on running.”

Using Online Reference Sources

Even if you aced your college English classes, it’s wise to constantly check with modern reference sources to be sure you’re up-to-date with current English usage, spelling, and punctuation. I depend on Internet reference sources to keep me on track.

For spelling, I use Dictionary.com. I find it keeps pace with current trends in correct spelling.

As for style guides, I’m a devotee of Chicago Manual of Style, but unfortunately its online version is available only by subscription. So I use reference sources like Bartleby.com, where you’ll find links to several style guides, like the great Strunk’s The Elements of Style. Using Bartleby’s handy search tool, you can check out several style guides in one session. But, beware of the obscure guides, which lack authenticity. Stick with Strunk’s. I also like Jack Lynch’s Guide to Grammar and Style.

Happy wordsmithing!