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Whether you are called to write in the line of work or want to make writing your career, you should know the basic rules of English usage. These rules are the foundation – the bedrock – of writing. People who want to write (or need to write to get ahead) and who don’t know the rules of writing are like fine artists who don’t know how to use a brush.

Would-be writers occasionally come to me and tell me how desperately they want to be writers. But when samples of their work show they don’t have even a basic grasp of the rules of writing, I have to question how desperately they want it. 

I’m not saying you have to be a dusty grammarian to be a good writer, but you need a good, basic understanding of the way the rules work.

How do you rate in this area? Take the following quiz and see. Something is wrong with each of the following 10 sentences. Print this out and edit each sentence. Then (don’t cheat) check out the explanations that follow.

10 Flawed Sentences

1. I get depressed when its raining and cold.
2. I was so nice to his mother, I think he could of given me a discount. 
3. I’m so tired I just want to set down.
4. Peggy is one of the employees which works in the Pittsburgh office.
5. Before we bought a car, I use to walk back and forth to the grocery store.
6. As CEO, she has a huge affect on the year’s net profits.
7. All I could do was hold her and tell her everything would be alright.
8. Between the three new receptionists, who is the best with the public?
9. He was around seven feet tall, which is big even for an NBA star.
10. Thanks to the new rules, we had less accidents this year than ever.

And the Answers, Please ….

1. I get depressed when it’s raining and cold. (When the meaning is “it is,” always use the contraction form of “it’s.”)
2. I was so nice to his mother, I think he could have given me a discount. (“Could of” is more than just informal. It’s wrong. Use “could have,” “would have,” “should have” and so on.)
3. I’m so tired I just want to sit down. (You set a book down on the desk, but you sit down on a chair.)
4. Peggy is one of the employees who works in the Pittsburgh office. (When you’re referring to a person, it’s “who.” “Which” is used with things. For example: The Prius is one of the new cars which uses hybrid technology.)
5. Before we bought a car, I used to walk back and forth to the grocery store. (It’s the past “used to” – not the present “use to.” They sound virtually the same, which is why so many people get this wrong.)
6. As CEO, she had a huge effect on the year’s net profits. (In order to use “affect” correctly, it has to mean “to influence or change” and must be a verb. In this sentence, it’s a noun.)
7. All I could do was hold her and tell her everything would be all right. (“Alright” is not a word. You wouldn’t write “alwrong” would you? A few dictionaries have admitted “alright” to their list of acceptable words, but in most circles it is still not correct.)
8. Among the three new receptionists, who is the best with the public? (Why is it correct to write “among” and incorrect to write “between” in this context? As your parents used to say: Just because that’s the way it is!)
9. He was about seven feet tall, which is big even for an NBA star. (For an explanation about why “around” is wrong and “about” is correct in this sentence, refer to sentence #8.)
10. Thanks to the new rules, we had fewer accidents this year than ever. (We’ve talked about this before. If it’s a plural noun – things you can count – use “fewer” – not “less.” Use “less” when the noun is singular. For example: “We had less trouble this year.”)

How Did You Do?

If you correctly edited at least seven of the 10 sentences, you’re doing pretty well. If you missed half of them, you have some work to do. If you got all of them right, or even nine of the 10, pat yourself on the back.

Being a good writer in terms of complying with the rules is not a question of being smart – it’s just a matter of learning them. Yes, it’s boring stuff. Yes, it’s complicated and often illogical. But (again as your parents used to say), that’s the way it is!

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