Here are 4 common spelling mistakes that we should all avoid!
1. Your vs. You’re
“Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in ‘your car” or “your dog”.
“You’re” is a contraction for “you are”. such as “you are beautiful”.
Don’t confuse them!
2. It’s vs. Its
This is another common mistake. It’s also easily avoided by thinking through what you’re trying to say.
“It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has”. “Its” is a possessive pronoun, as in “that cat has got its collar on”.
Here’s a super easy tip: repeat your sentence out loud using “it is”
instead. If that sounds correct then write “it’s”, if it sounds wrong,
it’s probably “its”.
3. There vs. Their
This one seems to trip up everyone occasionally, often as a pure typo. Make sure to watch for it when you proofread.
“There” is used many ways, including as a reference to a place
(“let’s go there”) or as a pronoun (“there is no hope”). “Their” is a
plural possessive pronoun, as in “their bags” or “their opinions”.
Always do the “that’s ours!” test—are you talking about more than one
person and something that they possess? If so, “their” will get you
there.
4. Affect vs. Effect
“Affect” is a verb, as in “Your ability to communicate clearly will
affect your income immensely”. “Effect” is a noun, as in “The effect of a
parent’s low income on a child’s future is well documented”.
By thinking in terms of “the effect”, you can usually sort out which
is which, because you can’t stick a “the” in front of a verb.
Excellent work!
What are the mistakes you usually make?
