I keep my screen shot clicks on my cell phone handy, just in case I come across mistakes that are the bane of English writers. Here is part of my collection, cum commentario. Among them:
It would be better for all New Orleans city leaders children, black and white, to see symbols in prominent places in New Orleans city leaders city that make them feel proud of their city and inspire them to greatness.
– quote attributed to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
I am pretty sure the Mayor did not say exactly that.
Proofreading
What?
Plurals and Possessives
The plural of advertisement is advertisements. The possessive advertisement's means "that which belongs of the advertisement."
Fact Check
Beto is a candidate for Cruz's senate seat. You can't be "across the aisle" from an opponent until you get elected.
Fact Check
That snake is 6 feet 8 inches long.
Fact Check (geography)
My kinfolk in Canada tell me that Canadians prefer to be called "Canadians." What a bunch of complainers, right?
Fact Check (geography)
Coloradoans are face-to-face with the border wall. Except that there is an entire state between them and the border with Mexico.
Fact Check (math)
Check your math on this one. P.S. Everyday (one word) is an adjective, as in "an everyday affair." Use every day to mean "all of the days."
Fact Check (geography and math)
Apparently 2% of Zealandia is missing.
Proofreading
Huh?
Proofreading
Translation software has come a long way in the past decade. Obviously it's not perfect, so you still have to proofread.
Proofreading
Never rule out the possibility that you'll never rule out the possibility that you need to proofread your work one more time.
Dangling Modifiers
According to this sentence, KTRK is dumping rain on Houston. P.S. You don't need to describe tornadoes as moving. Readers will make that assumption on their own.
Emo Geez!
If your writing isn't powerful on its own, adding lots of emojis won't help. Neither will the use of bold face, red font, underlines, all caps, or SERIAL EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!
Spellchecker
Niece. It is spelled the way it is pronounced (in French).
Spellchecker
Oh shirt! I guess I cannot depend on my spellchecker all the time.
Spellchecker
That is all.
Irregular Verbs
They got it right the first time. Past participles are often used as predicates and adjectives. The past participle of bite is bitten.
Subject/Verb Agreement
The third-person singular of the verb speak is speaks. P.S. I am pretending I didn't see the headline.
Subject/Verb Agreement
Larry Noble: You were given one task, to fill in one blank. "The chances are very high..."
It's its, not it's
It's, with the apostrophe, is short for "it is." Its, without the apostrophe, refers to something that belongs to it. P.S. Don't look at the headline.
It's Again
It's, with the apostrophe, is short for "it is." Its, without the apostrophe, refers to something that belongs to it. P.S. The last sentence doesn't mean anything.
Houston is Having a Bad Day
Stabbed, killed, died, death, and death. And meth.
Plural Nouns
The noun apologies is the plural of apology. The verb is apologizes. P.S. The last sentence doesn't make sense.
Plural Nouns
One mouse, many mice. One louse, many lice. So schools must notify parents if lice are found. It's not clear what happens if just one louse is found.
Plural Nouns
The plural of sheriff is sheriffs. The possessive - that which belongs to the sheriff - is sheriff's.
Bulleted Lists
A bulleted list should provide examples of some point you are making. It's not clear what the mop water has to do with the shark.
News Should Be News
Why do we need to know this?
The News Should Be News
Thank God for "Science Education!" And thanks to Fox News for keeping us informed on the latest developments in science.
Subject/Verb Agreement
The subject of the sentence is one, which is obviously singular. "One out of every six trucks is sold...."
Subject/Verb Agreement
The subject of this sentence is those. They have much to fear.
Irregular Verbs
The simple past of the verb plead is pled or pleaded.
Oops
Let's assume this refers to a server error unrelated to the headline.
Check Your Dictionary
Succession refers to the sequence of events. Secession is the act of withdrawing from a group or federation.
The Right Word
If you have just shot someone, you are a bit more than unruly.
The Right Word
Even Ivy Leaguers err. To reign is to rule over. To rein in is to curb, restrain, or control.
The Right Word
This is a fairly common error. To champ is to bite upon or grind impatiently. To chomp is to eat noisily.
Write for Precision
This happened at the criminal courthouse. Describing someone as suspicious doesn't really help your reader.
Write for Precision
If you have a baseball bat in your hands, your threat is no longer merely verbal.
