An English Lesson for Those Who Speak English

   Do you have a blog or a website? Do you attend classes? Do you write anything, EVER? Well, this information is for you!

    Lately, I have seen too many grammatical and spelling errors, online especially, to count, and I feel I would be remiss if I stood idly by while people pervert and butcher the English language. Well, not really. Who ever feels remiss? What does that mean, anyway? The truth is, it annoys the crap out of me. My feeling is, if you or I have a blog or website that we hope will gain traffic and eventually make money, we want to look professional. Well, we can't do that if our spelling and grammar is all wrong! 

    My college major was English. I won the spelling bee in sixth grade. Trust me. Many of you could use a refresher, so read up!


1. Do not use an apostrophe and an "s" to express a plural noun. 
                                      Example: Dog's For Sale

   This is incorrect. It should simply read: Dogs For Sale. The plural form of a noun NEVER has an apostrophe in it.

   When you use an apostrophe, it implies OWNERSHIP of something.

                                  Example: Dog's House For Sale

   This time, the house is for sale, not the dog. So when applying this to every other use, we do not bake cake's, cookie's, or bread's. And we do not have car's, house's, or dishe's. (Yes, I've seen it spelled that way...) Simply spell it with an "s". 

2. There, Their, and They're

   Oh, goodness, if I had a nickel... Look, I guess I understand where this comes from. Laziness, mainly, but let's go over this just once to get it out of the way: 

There: as in, "over there"
Examples: There is the cat. Is there any jam? The book is over there.

Their: as in, this belongs to them
Examples: Their car is in the driveway. This mailbox is theirs.

They're: as in, "they are"
Examples: They're going to the park today. Those cookies? They're for you!

3. Your, You're
This one I consider an extension of #2, because it's essentially the same concept.

Your: This one is possessive of YOU. You own it.
Example: Is your mother okay? Your house is nice. Where did you get your dog?
Yours: This jacket is yours.

You're: as in, "you are"
Examples: You're so crazy! You're still going to the party, right?

4. Awe, Aww
   Now, I have no idea how this began, but I'm starting to see it everywhere! This must stop!

Awe: this expresses amazement.
Example: I was in awe when I saw the waterfall. 

Aww: usually what we say when we see something adorable.
Example: Aww! Look at that puppy!

Alright, guys, those were the first four that came to mind. Hope it helps.
Got any others? I'd love to hear it!