TECHNICAL ACCURACY
How to avoid common but basic SPaG errors
This guide deals with some common mistakes which students make in their spelling, punctuation, and grammar. These are the kinds of amateurish mistakes that you absolutely must avoid in your writing.
This guide is part of the Technical accuracy series:
How to avoid common but basic SPaG errors
Their / They’re / There
Their is possessive, meaning something belongs to someone.
For example: I hate our new neighbours. Their elephant keeps leaving footprints in our front lawn.
In this case, the elephant belongs to the new neighbours.
They’re is a contraction of ‘they are’.
For example: They’re going to get a piece of my mind unless they get that elephant under control.
This translates as “they are going to get...”
There refers to a place or an idea.
For example: “Look over there!” said my new neighbour. “My elephant just sat on your fence.”
In this case, ‘there’ refers to the place where the elephant is sitting: the fence.
Your / You’re
Your is possessive, meaning something belongs to you.
For example: “Your elephant is going to get its come-uppance one of these days,” I told my next- door neighbour angrily.
This is referring to the elephant belonging to the next-door neighbour.
You’re is a contraction of ‘you are’.
For example: “No, you’re not allowed to shoot the neighbours’ elephant,” said my wife wearily via satellite phone.
This translates as “you are not allowed to shoot the elephant…” etc.
Its / It’s – this is the trickiest and most often confused
Its (no apostrophe) indicates possession. Use this when one thing owns another.
For example: An elephant can use its tusks to dig for ground water in the barren landscapes of Africa, which is how my basement got flooded.
In this case, the tusks belong to the elephant. Using it’s would mean an elephant can use it is tusks to dig for ground water, which makes even less sense than keeping an elephant in your garden.
It’s (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ (usually the former). It is never, under any circumstances, used for possession.
For example: “It’s not fair that Freddie gets to ride an elephant to school,” my son complained. “Why can’t we get an elephant?”
In other words: “It is not fair that Johnny gets to ride the elephant to school...” etc.
A lot / A bit / In fact
Alot is not a word; neither is abit; neither is infact
Neither, in fact, are alittle, afew, abunch, or anelephant. A lot and a bit are made up of two separate words, as, in fact, are as well and in fact.
Somewhat bafflingly, albeit and inasmuch are both one word, and not three words. Also, words like today and tomorrow used to be made up of two words, so you might see them hyphenated from time to time in older texts (e.g. to-day).
Nobody said this stuff was easy.
Could’ve / Would’ve / Should’ve
The modal verbs could, would and should (along with may, might, will, and others) can be paired with ‘have’ to create the phrases ‘could have’, ‘would have’ and ‘should have’, which are, in turn, sometimes contracted to ‘could’ve’, ‘would’ve’ and ‘should’ve’.
Under no circumstances should the phrases could of, would of or should of be used. They are always wrong, both grammatically and morally.
For example:
I could’ve been an astronaut like my wife if I’d only been better at grammar.
I could of been an astronaut like my wife if I’d only been better at grammar.
I would’ve shot the elephant, but my wife cares too much about animal welfare.
I would of shot the elephant, but my wife cares too much about animal welfare.
I should’ve moved house when the elephant moved in next-door.
I should of moved house when the elephant moved in next-door.