Article writing is a large part of freelance writing. Frequent grammatical errors in articles are one of the main reasons why outsourcing employers often offer so little money for stringent guidelines. Even in the best case scenarios, expecting the most common grammatical errors is common for those who hire freelance writers to fulfill their outsourced writing needs. Once a freelance writer can master some of the most common errors the value of the work should increase.
Correcting Grammatical Errors
Even the most strict English professional may still have grammatical errors. One problem can be that proofreading personally created content can be very difficult. The same mistakes the eyes allowed the first time may indeed skim over them again. If there are no other options available then it may be better to put the work aside for some amount of time and then return to it for final corrections before forwarding it on to a client.
The most common grammatical errors can include:
- Misuse of then/than
Try to remember that 'then' should indicate a past tense phrase or an example of a time expression. Example. "Meet me at the lake later, we can discuss the problem then." While 'than' is indicative of weighing two or more matters against each other, comparisons. Example: "I'd rather have cake than ice cream."
- Excessive or Unused Commas
It is a common mistake to think that you need to precede the use of the word 'and' with a comma. In fact, it is only acceptable to have commas precede the words and, but, yet, nor, for, or, so or only when they introduce an independent clause. A comma can also precede 'and' when used in a list of three or more items. This type of comma is known as the Oxford comma.
The most common comma mistake yet is the one where a writer uses a comma in their text as if they were speaking and required a pause. It may seem comfortable when speaking to say, "I'd like to go to the park, or to the mall." Although in speech there could be a slight pause after the word park, in writing, there is no proper reason for that extra comma.
- The Affect/Effect Error
Another most common grammatical issue is the usage of the words affect and effect. The main thing to remember about these two similar words is that affect and effect can both be nouns or verbs. However, the basic rule for usage for the two words is that 'affect' is a verb while 'effect' is a noun.
- The word 'affect' as a noun is as if taking on another character or 'putting on airs'. Someone who pretends to be rich is an example of putting on an affe ct.
- To 'affect' something as a verb, is to change it.
- For 'effect' as a noun. This is a result of someone or something being affected by something.
- 'Effect' as a verb is to make something happen or to accomplish something.
Irregular Verbs
There are around 200 irregular verbs in the English language. These irregularities in this language are very confusing for even native speakers. Below are some of the most common ones, along with their most commonly misused forms.
- run/ran - Proper usage is 'have run'.
- see/saw - Proper usage is 'have seen'.
- write/wrote - Proper usage is 'have written'.
There are many more irregular verbs and for a freelancer to be successful learning these words can be imperative.
Grammatically Incorrect Articles and Their Impact on Freelance Writers
Grammatically incorrect articles do not just harm the writer producing them. In the long-term this also has an impact on the overall quality that is expected in freelance writing. It is for this reason that outsourcing employers often will set their job proposals up for a very minimal amount of pay.
Additionally, there are many more grammatical errors possible in article writing then the above listed issues. It is always advisable to stay in tune with updates, tips and tricks and common issues in your area of freelance writing expertise.
Join the Conversation