The Internet has done countless wonderful things for humankind. That said, it has led to decline in respect for the written word, especially regarding grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, and most egregiously, spelling. As Exhibit A, I would suggest anyone take a good look at any Facebook page. If you want to make the day just a little better for your cousins, your grammar-loving friends, your mom and especially me, avoid these common Facebook mistakes. You won’t even need cash loans to get a tutor.
1. Misusing “your”
For some reason this word seems to be misused more often than it is used correctly. If you are using the contracted form of “you are,” the word is “you’re,” with an apostrophe and everything. Take the extra two seconds to think about what you are writing and get it right. You double check your information before you submit a personal loan application, right? Your is possessive, as in “your Facebook status.”
2. Apostrophe usage
Many people have decided that using apostrophes is unnecessary when posting message for all the world to see on Facebook. This can result in unclear communication and, more importantly, annoying me. If you use a possessive that uses a contraction, use an apostrophe – if 12 year olds know that, you don’t have an excuse. It will make your pinky feel useful.
3. Capitalization
I will admit to guilt on this one if using an instant messenger. Then again, that’s because the lag or speed of a conversation can make things hectic. That said, a Facebook status message can be edited before your pathetic grammar skills are put on display for all to see. Capitalize things, especially when referring to yourself as “I.”
4. Using homophones incorrectly
Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and mean different things. For instance, if you don’t know the difference between “passed” and “past,” “then” you are worse at your own language “than” a 5th grader, this is far “too” obvious “to” ignore – see what I did there? This bothers me mostly because I think that if writers were to think for a split second, they’d know the correct form to use.
5. Unpunctual punctuation
Punctuation that has no function in the English language has no place in writing, unless you are posting mathematical equations on Facebook for the Nobel Committee to consider. For example, “…” should not be used in lieu of (…) or forgetting where a period is supposed to be used. Did that many people skip English? Commas, hyphens, and semicolons can be confusing, but the basics are not beyond grasping. Calm down on the exclamation point usage while you’re at it.
6. Copy/paste statuses
It isn’t so much a mistake as an instance where the mistakes are more glaring. Not everyone is a fan of “copy and paste this to your status ” trend, and it bothers me even more when I see the same mistake over and over. If you do copy and paste one of those viral status messages, go ahead and fix mistakes in it. It isn’t as if it is that difficult. It’s as easy as getting online cash loans.
7. Titling Quizzes
I have actually seen grammatical mistakes in quiz titles that were about grammar. The authors aren’t always obvious, but if you write something that will get wide circulation, please get it right. It is annoying enough to have my news feed clogged with announcements about the ridiculous quizzes my acquaintances are taking; at least don’t force me to read even more grammatical mistakes than I already have to.
