15 common writing mistakes you are making right now

15 common writing mistakes you are making right now15 common writing mistakes you are making right nowLet me start this by introducing myselfImMaddie,copy editor and vorwort assistant at The Everygirl. Much of my time is spent copy editing - which means that I edit stories that come in for both grammar and style. I graduated with my degree in editorial journalism last spring, where my entire life consisted of editing and writing. Long story short, Im a grammar junkie, and have edited lots and lots of stories in my 22 years - and (very, very unfortunately) am a living, breathing example of the meme that corrects peoples your to *youre in the middle of a texting argument.Through this, I learned that when it comes to grammatical errors, people tend to continually make the same few mistakes - whether theyre a professional writer or havent touched a book since 8th grade English class. From stories for our site to billboards over the highway, these mistakes areeverywhere.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIve always wished I could shout them from my rooftop to everyone I know, but this is the next best thing. Without further ado, here are the most common writing mistakes I see, and all of the tricks Ive used to remember them1. DecadesThis is hands down the most common mistake I see - down to brands having it wrong on T-shirts.You arent a 90s baby, youre a 90s baby.*shakes fists in air*Think of the apostrophe as replacing the numbers youre omitting. Full decades do not have any punctuation.Right 90s/ 1990sI was born in the 1990s.I was born in the 90s.Wrong 90s/ 1990sI was born in the 1990s.I was born in the 90s.2. Its vs. itsThis is a tough one. Generally, apostrophes indicate possession, but with its, its the exact opposite.Its is a contraction forit is.Its 30 degrees outside.Its is thepossessiveof it.The dog hurt its paw.3. Accept vs. exceptEven though these w ords are pronounced similarly, their meanings are completely different.Accept meanstoreceive.She accepted the award.Except meansto exclude.I like all vegetables except broccoli.4. Affect vs. effectI know professional writers that arestillstumped by this one. Affect and effect have similar meanings, but one is used as a noun, and the other as a verb.Affect is a verb, meaningto influence.The game will affect the teams rankings.The rain will affect my commute.Effect is a noun, meaningto cause.The medicine had horrible side effects.(The tip I use for this one is to remembersideeffects - the most common use of the word.)5. Follow-up vs. follow upEver sat and debated this in the email subject to someone you just had an interview with before reluctantly pressing send and hoping you didnt just blow your chances at a new job? Same.Follow-upis a noun and adjective. Hyphenate when used before a noun.I sent her a follow-up email.Follow upis a verb.I contacted the manager to see if I could follo w up.6. 6am in the morningI see so many instances where people describe time as 6am in the morning or 10pm at night. We already know 6am is in the morning, so following with in the morning is redundant.7. Who vs. whomWhois used as the subject of a sentence.Whomis used when someone is the object of a verb (or preposition).TipWhen youre stuck, try substituting he or she, and him or her into the sentence where who is.If he or she works, usewho.If him or her works, usewhom.ExampleWho/whom ate my lunch?She ate my lunch vs. Her ate my lunch.The first is obviously right, so the right word would be who.Who ate my lunch?8. Whos vs. whoseWhosis a contraction for who is.Whos there?Whoseis the possessive of who.Whose coat is this?9. Their vs. there vs. theyreTheiris a possessive pronoun.Their house has a pool.Thereindicates direction.Look over thereTheyreis a contraction for they are.Theyre moving to New York.10. Principle vs. principalAprincipalis in charge of a school.I went to the principals office.Aprinciplemeans a truth, law, or motivating force.I wasnt mad at what happened, I was mad at the principle of it.11. Roll vs. roleTorollis to move on wheels (or a piece of bread you eat).My car rolled down the hill.Aroleis a part played by a person in a situation.I described my job role.12. Peek vs. peakThe top of a mountain is apeak(or the maximum of something).I climbed to the peak of Everest.Peekmeans to look quickly.Here is a sneak peek of our new collection.13. Then vs. thanThenis used to express time or what will come next.Im going to go for a run, then go to the office.Thanis used for comparison.I am taller than my sister.14. SemicolonsAh, semicolons - the form of punctuation that seems to strike the most fear into people considering using them. Semicolons arenotas complicated as people think. Here are the most common instances that I personally use themFor clarification in a series. If an element in a list requires a comma itself, separate it with a semicolon.I saw Ted, a farmer Fred, an accountant and Ned, a policeman.Before the word however when however is joining two independent clauses (which is almost always).I love cats however, I am allergic to them.To combine two ideas that are equal in position or rankAbigail likes Americanos Josie likes lattes.15. ParallelismParallelism is matching grammatical structure within a sentence.Basically, everything in your sentences needs to agree in tense and form. This makes sentences clear and a lot more readable.WrongWe went skiing in the alps, swam in the ocean, and drove in the desert.RightWe went skiingin the alps, swimmingin the ocean, and drivingin the desert. (All of the verbs are now the same tense.)WrongGyms can be an incredibly exclusionary environment.RightGyms can be incredibly exclusionary environments.(Gyms is plural, so environment should be as well.)This article originally appeared on The Everygirl.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers k now your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people