by Crystal Bowman
In both speaking and writing, grammatical errors are common. In light of eternity, it really doesn’t matter, but as professional writers we want to strive for excellence (not perfection). Here are some words and phrases that often get used incorrectly:
Then and than
Then indicates time and refers to the past or future.
- How old were you then?
- First, we will go to the movies. Then we’ll get ice cream.
Than is a word for comparison:
- I’d rather play the piano than sing a solo.
- Their house is bigger than ours.
Further and farther
Further refers to a figurative distance, or something that is in addition or more.
- After further investigation, she was found innocent.
Farther refers to actual distance. (What helps me remember is the word “far” within the word.)
- The museum was farther than they thought it was.
All right and alright
All right is two words. Alright has become acceptable because it is misused so often that CMS caved. As a professional writer—please write it as two words.
- Everything will be all right when you follow the rules.
Should of and should have
When someone writes or says, “I should of known better,” what they mean to say is, “I should have known better.” Now that you know better, use “should have.”
I could care less
What the writer or speaker actually means is “I could not care less” or “I couldn’t care less.”
- I could not care less about the free offer.
Try and vs try to
People often use the word “and” after the word “try” when the word should be “to.” When someone says, “I will try and fix the computer,” the correct way to phrase it is, “I will try to fix the computer.”
With two independent clauses, however, the word “and” correctly follows the word “try.”
- I will try, and then we’ll see what happens.
Whole other and whole nother
Though I’ve never seen it written, people often use the word “nother” rather than “other” when they speak. Here is the correct verbiage:
- That’s a whole other subject that we will discuss tomorrow.
Real and really
Real is an adjective and really is an adverb.
- Her ring is made from real silver.
- Close your eyes really tight.
So, those are my grammar tips for now. I hope you have a really good day and try to enjoy every minute. In the future, we can talk about punctuation, but that’s a whole other topic!
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Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and families. She also writes lyrics for children’s piano music and is a monthly contributor to Clubhouse Jr. Magazine, Arise Daily, and Christian Children's Authors. She enjoys coaching children's writers as well as teaching at writers conferences. When she is not writing or speaking, she likes going for walks and spending time with her huggable grandkids. She and her husband live in Michigan and Florida and try to avoid snowstorms.
Great reminders. Thanks, Crystal!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! Thanks for commenting.
DeleteThank you. So helpful!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome!
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