Say Goodbye to Grammar Goofs and Polish Your Writing Like a Pro

Let’s face it, we’ve all confused “your” and “you’re” at some point. There’s no shame in it. In fact, some might say that learning the difference is part of the writing process! But at the end of the day, pouring your heart and soul into every word only to realize you’ve made an avoidable grammar mistake has got to hurt.

But fear not, weary writers, for Content Development Pros has got your back! With a few smart tips (and the right kind of help), you can leave those grammar goofs behind and reach your true potential as a content writer. Ready to get started? Let’s dive right in and show those typos who’s boss!

Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid

No matter how much you practice, a few common grammatical errors are bound to slip through the cracks. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Subject-Verb Agreement Issues

Every sentence has a subject, and the verb needs to be adjusted according to its quantity. If there’s a single subject, you use the singular verb, but you must use the plural verb if multiple subjects are involved.

For example, if you’re writing about a team winning a game, you must use “is” instead of “are”. The team might include multiple players, but it’s still a singular subject! Considering that, a sentence like “The team is winning the game” would be correct, whereas “the team are winning” would be incorrect.

Frequently Confused Words

Does the weather effect your mood or affect it? Well, affect is a verb and effect is a noun, so the former is correct in this context! Another great example is then vs than. The word “then” implies a time or a sequence, like in the following example:

• We had lunch, then we went to the movies.

“Than”, on the other hand, is used for comparisons. Here’s an example:

• An iPhone is more expensive than most Android phones.

Try to learn the difference between as many commonly confused words as possible, and when in doubt, always consult a dictionary!

Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier is basically a word that alters the meaning of a sentence. Adjectives like “big” or “happy”, adverbs like “quickly” or “loudly”, and quantifiers like “many” or “few” are all modifiers! There are also demonstratives (this, that, these, those), possessives (my, your, his, hers) and interrogatives (which, what, when, where), but you get the idea!

The point is, sometimes you might misplace a modifier in a sentence, like in this example:

• I almost spent my entire salary on a new phone

This implies that you nearly spent your whole salary, but what you’re actually trying to say is you spent almost all of it! The correct sentence would be:

• I spent almost my entire salary on a new phone

Tips for Polishing Your Writing

Now that you know a few grammar goofs to watch out for, how about we discuss a few tactics to avoid them? Remember, these mistakes don’t have any bearing on your skill as a writer. They’re quite common, especially when you’re in the zone and furiously churning out passages! With that said, here are a few quick, easy tips that can improve your writing.

Read Out Loud

You’ll be surprised at how many instances of awkward phrasing and grammatical errors you’ll find if you just read your work aloud. You’ll better understand your sentence structure and how the text flows, allowing you to adjust your writing accordingly.

Tighten Up Your Sentences

In the words of The Office’s Kevin Malone, “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?”

While we wouldn’t advise you to take it that far, there is some value in keeping sentences concise. Grammar mistakes, tonal shifts and other writing mistakes become more likely with run-on sentences, not to mention how they test the comprehension of your readers!

Prioritize Using Active Voice

Active voice might not always work, but when used correctly, it can make your text stronger, clearer, and more engaging. It centers the subject of a sentence and clearly links the action it’s involved in, making the sentence easier to understand as a result.

Consider the following examples:

• The team won the match
• The match was won by the team

Both are technically correct, but using active voice makes the sentence more dynamic and concise.

Maintain Consistency

Are you writing an academic thesis or a science fiction novel? Either way, you’ll need to maintain a consistent tone throughout the text. Shifting from formal to informal can distract readers, which can be disastrous for engagement. That’s particularly relevant for folks working at SEO content writing services, because mistakes like this can drag down some really important metrics!

Get a Second Opinion

Writers are probably the worst people to proofread their own work. That’s why it’s important to get a second opinion from a peer or a professional. They can provide a detailed critique of your work that points out mistakes you might’ve missed. You can even hire an SEO content writing company to help you out! A professional pair of eyes can work wonders for your writing.

Grammar Tools and Resources to Help You Write Like a Pro

The internet’s chock full of tools that can polish your writing. Here’s a list of platforms you could try:

Grammarly

If you’re worried about spelling and grammar, Grammarly is a powerful tool that can handle a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It can even improve your tone by offering suggestions for clarity and evaluating your tone. However, don’t rely on it too much, because Grammarly’s just a tool at the end of the day. It can make errors just like any other piece of tech, so use it wisely!

Hemingway

Sometimes you just want to make sure your text is readable, in which case Hemingway is just what the doctor ordered. It’s a fairly basic tool, but it can point out any overly long or complex sentences and use of passive voice. It also provides a readability grade, with grades 8 to 9 generally preferred. Again, its capabilities are fairly limited and its no replacement for a human proofreader, but it can come in handy in a pinch.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAId is one of the most powerful tools available, providing detailed reports on the quality of your writing. These reports include structural and stylistic analysis of your work, technical flaws you might want to fix, and other revision suggestions. It does come with a steep learning curve, though, and the premium version can be a tad pricey.

Write Like a Pro, or Let the Pros Write for You!

When it comes to improving your writing, there’s only so far you can get with online tools. At Content Development Pros, we know how tricky it can be to put out a perfect blog post, article, or social media post. That’s why our content writing team works around the clock to deliver flawless, informational, and engaging copy for thousands of clients!

Whether you need someone to proofread your work, or if you’d like us to develop an entire content strategy from scratch, CDP is here to help. We’re a content service that actually cares about client satisfaction, which is why we offer unlimited revisions until you’re happy with the work.