My 11th rule of writing would be re-read everything you write. It you thoroughly re-read everything that you write you will be less likely to send out something that includes mistakes. This could fall under Secret #9: Revise, however, I believe it is important enough to include as a rule of its own. I find in my own writing that if I thoroughly read over what I have written I catch many mistakes. If you simply scan quickly your brain tends to compensate for the mistakes and the writing will look like what you intended, rather than what you wrote. Another trick of mine, to check for incorrect spelling, is to re-read the paper backwards. Reading the paper backwards makes me more likely to catch mistakes because I thoroughly study every word. Reading over some of the emails I received this week I found the following mistakes.
1. Because anti-self-defense people enjoy the deterrent factor of an armed society.
The first problem with this sentence is, it is a fragment. The sentence also lacks parallelism.
Corrected: People who are for gun control still enjoy the deterrent factor of an armed society.
2. Look at the way this puppy guards it's house.
This sentence confuses possessives and contractions.
Corrected: Look at the way this puppy guards its house.
3. This litter of puppies are cute aren't they? (Example 1 & 2 came from the same email.)
This sentence contains a subject and verb that do not agree.
Corrected: This litter of puppies is cute isn't it?
I re-read all the emails I send out and I often find mistakes. Doing this helps make my emails make sense.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I have turned in papers at school that after I get them back I look at certain parts and think "What in the world was I trying to say there?" I try to be a lot more careful now because it is so important to check everything to make sure it all makes sense and it says what you intend it to say.
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