The 5 most common writing mistakes I correct every day

We all make mistakes.

That bad haircut you got in high school. Eating that entire box of cookies. Buying those three copies of Time Cop when you were drunk. Getting drunk and shopping online in the first place.

As a writer, I have my own list of writing mistakes, whether they’re ones I’ve made myself or edited out for colleagues, friends, boyfriends, or family (or that friend-of-a-friend who needs a second set of eyes).

And no matter the author, a few repeat offenders come to mind; common errors that sneak in or habits that are tough to break.

In the interest of making the world a little more grammatically correct and linguistically beautiful, I’d like to share them with you today.

So are the five most common mistakes I correct for myself and others – and how to avoid them.

Commonly confused words

What they are:

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently, and mean different things.

Think they’re/their/there, your/you’re, its/it’s, except/accept, lose/loose, effect/affect, desert/dessert…

What you can do:

Services like Grammarly do a bang-up job of catching confused words, and when I’m not 100% sure which is correct, a quick Google search usually helps. If it’s a common mistake, you’ll find your answer from a reputable dictionary, style guide, or a blog like Grammar Girl (a personal favourite of mine). Nothing goes farther than spending a little extra time double-checking your usage, though.

Looooong sentences

What it is:

Long, complex sentences that are difficult to read. You can identify them pretty easily: lots of ideas separated by commas or clauses, jam-packed with adjectives, or littered with words like “and”, “or”, “to”, “by”, “with” and “so”.

What you can do:

While sentences can be any length, resist the urge to squeeze everything you want to say into one statement. Try to limit sentences to one idea per, or two if you must (unless, of course, you’re going for a true-to-life conversational or train-of-thought style for a specific reason). In cramped spaces, that might mean prioritizing which messages get included and which get cut or bumped down.

Run-on sentences and comma splices

What it is:

Comma splices use a comma to join two otherwise complete sentences without some kind of joining word like “and” or “but”. Run-on sentences are the same, but without any punctuation separating the two.

What you can do:

Thankfully, there are two simple cures. In places where you don’t mind a stronger break, replace that comma with a period. In places where you want to signal that the two parts are interconnected, you might be able to toss in a semicolon. Be especially aware when you’re using “therefore” and “however” – they’re almost always preceded or followed by a semicolon.

Compound words and hyphens

What it is:

Confusion over how and when to combine two or more words into one. When do you use “every day” vs. “everyday”? What about “login” vs. “log in”? “Up-to-date” vs. “up to date”?

What you can do:

Grossly simplified crash course time. Hyphens reduce ambiguity by grouping words that belong together. If the compound word describes something that follows immediately after (e.g. “up-to-date news” or “everyday activity”), combine them. If not (e.g. “This news is up to date” or “I do that every day”), don’t.

Overly complex words

What it is:

We have lots of words to choose from, and sometimes we pick the more complicated option. Longer words can make a simple idea difficult to understand, which isn’t the best idea for readability (and readability matters).

What you can do:

Adopt plain language. Don’t confuse “plain” with “boring” – I’m talking about the short and familiar stuff that’s broadly used and quickly understood. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for technical language or a more poetic approach if it fits with your voice and serves a specific purpose, but pick those cases carefully and use big words sparingly. Basic, common words should still be your building blocks.

What mistakes pop up most often for you? How do you avoid them? Let me know in the comments!