This blog is not to prove that I'm a pro myself but I can say I had a solid foundation in English language.
Back in senior secondary school, our proprietor ensured we all attended literature class irrespective of our department till we started preparing for our final exams. This helped my comprehension of English especially in writing to some extent. I also loved to read. I read every books/novels that I came across which helped my vocabulary development. I've not been reading in the past though (the mind has a lot of things to resolve now)
The thing is a lot of people want to become content creators which is not bad as long as they can avoid simple but glaring mistakes.
Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
Writing effectively is hinged on proper understanding of the basics of English language - Grammar, the use of verbs, spellings, e.t.c
Here are few things to note while writing
The use of the forms of the verb "be" which are am, is, are, was and were
They are used to indicate the state of something whether in the past or present.
"Is" and "am" are singular forms, "are" is plural form while "are" is the plural form and the three are present tense forms.
For example - she is, they are
"Was" and "were" are plural forms with "was" being singular and "were" in plural.
For example
I was, we were
Moreover, the subject and the verb had to agree. The use of present forms or past forms of verb need to be understood as well.
HOMOPHONES
A homophone is a word that sounds as another word but has the same meaning and/or spelling.
Example include
Meat and meet
Piece and peace
Greet and grit
Sight and site
When using a word that sounds like another, it's important to check the dictionary for the correct spelling of the word.
Recently I saw thought used in place of taught. I would have said it's a typographical error but it was used the same way many times. I don't think these two are homophones.
Here's why
Taught starts with the consonant sound /t/ in the English transcription while thought begins with a consonant sound as well but a different one /θ/. Well, I'm only explaining with my own understanding, I'm not a graduate of English.
Another bullet wanted to hit me but I dodged it. "Has" was used for "as" but they are not pronounced the same way.
Incorrect spelling
Some words are not written the way they are pronounced. Psychology, listen, plumber amongst others are not written as they are pronounced. It's better to cross check the spelling of a confusing word. It's not nice to disgrace one's English teacher 😊😊
I'll pause here.
Suggestions
We're in the time of information explosion. There are writing apps to use, I can suggest the Grammarly app for better writing.
In conclusion, proof reading cannot be wrong, we can always be better
There's no limit to how many times you can proof read your writing. It saves from a lot of mistakes. Sometimes there might be typographical errors overlooked.
Always have in mind that your content will be seen by different people using the online space, it won't be nice to make avoidable mistakes. Of course we make mistakes but some are avoidable. I'll say again, what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
Incorrect spelling or usage of verbs can discourage a reader from reading through a write-up. We can always be better at writing.
Have a mistake free writing.
You can also suggest some writing mistakes that can be avoided in the comments.
Thanks for being here.
