The English language is full of quirks that can trip you up – and when you’re writing for business, mistakes can cost you sales.

These simple tips will stop you falling flat on your face.

Tip 1

A lot, as well, thank you, no one and all sorts are all two words.

(Unless you happen to be writing about Liquorice Allsorts, which – let’s face it – is unlikely.)

Tip 2

Don’t use here’s (here is: singular) or there’s (there is: singular) when you mean here are or there are: plural. 

“Here are tips”, not “here’s tips”.

Tip 3

Too means also (“can I come, too?”) or excessively (“that’s too loud”).

To indicates direction (“I’m going to London”) or shows the infinitive form of a verb (“I’m going to have some lunch”).

Two is always a number.

Tip 4

It’s usually wrong to say you have two choices – you have one choice, with two (or three, or ten) alternatives or options.

Tip 5

An ellipsis is always three dots – no more, no less (and never a random number just to fill a gap).

Tip 6

Stop confusing you’re and your.

You’re is short for ‘you are’.

Your means belonging to you.

“You’re driving to town in your car.”

Tip 7

Blame pronunciation for this one. Saying could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve often leads to writing could of, would of, should of – which is wrong.

Always write could have, would have, should have.

Tip 8

Use fewer for things you can count, and less for things you can’t. Less food = fewer calories.

Ditto number (for things you can count) and amount (for things you can’t).

Check out my multi-award-winning The Little Book of Confusables and The Little Book of Confusables 2 for more fun, memorable spelling tips.

Do you know the difference between YOU’RE and YOUR? These simple tips will help you get it right every time.

In a nutshell, you’re is always a contraction of you are, while your describes something that belongs to you.

When to use YOU’RE

The apostrophe reminds you that you’re is a shortened form of you are. If you can replace the word with you are, use you’re.

When to use YOUR

Usually followed by a noun, describing something that belongs to you: your book, your dog, your job.

We get confused because we know apostrophes are used to indicate possession – that something belongs to someone: Amy’s dog, George’s car. But this doesn’t apply with pronouns – yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.

Example:

You’re going to get it right if you remember this – just use your head.

ADVANCED – if you’re already confused, save this for another day.

You’re and you’ll can sound similar in speech, and occasionally get mixed up.

Remember that you’ll means you WILL. Don’t write you’re (you ARE) when you mean you will.

Example:

You’ll be late – *applause*

You’re be late – quack quack oops

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Get more simple, memorable spelling tips in The Little Book of Confusables 1 + The Little Book of Confusables 2

My four-times award-winning books take the mystery out of misused words for just just £11.95. You’ll wonder how you managed without them!

IT’S or ITS? These straightforward tips will help you remember the difference between these two commonly confused words.

Knowing whether to write it’s or its can trip you up.

In a nutshell, it’s is always a contraction of it is or it has, while its describes something that belongs to ‘it’.

It’s

The apostrophe reminds you that it’s is a contraction of it is or it has. If you can replace the word with ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ use it’s.

Example:

It’s easy when you remember this rule (it is).

It’s been a busy day (it has).

Its

Usually followed by a noun, its describes something that belongs to ‘it’:

Example:

The dog chased its tail.

We get confused because we know apostrophes are used to indicate possession – that something belongs to someone or something. But this rule doesn’t apply to pronouns – its, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

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Get more simple, memorable spelling tips in The Little Book of Confusables 1 + The Little Book of Confusables 2

My four-times award-winning books take the mystery out of misused words for just just £11.95. You’ll wonder how you managed without them!

Using the wrong there/their/they’re is a common mistake – here are some simple tips to make sure you get it right.

In a nutshell, if the word means ‘belonging to them’ use their. If you can replace the word with ‘they are’ use they’re. Otherwise, use there.

There

It’s ‘here’ with a T: think here and there.

Example:

Did I leave my phone here? No, it’s over there.

Their

Used to indicate that a noun (thing) belongs to them.

Example:

That’s their house. 

They’re

The apostrophe reminds you that ‘they’re’ is a contraction of two words: they are. Think of they’re as they are and you’ll know if your sentence makes sense.

Examples:

Look at the statue over they are: no – should be there

The boys are taking they are cars: no – should be their

They are here already: yes – they’re here already

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ADVANCED – if you’re already confused, you might want to skip this.

Remember, there’s means there IS. Don’t write there’s when you mean there ARE.

Example:

There’s lots to do here – *applause*

There’s lots of cars in the car park – quack quack oops

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Get more simple, memorable spelling tips in The Little Book of Confusables 1 + The Little Book of Confusables 2

My four-times award-winning books take the mystery out of misused words for just just £11.95. You’ll wonder how you managed without them!

Do you know the difference between LOSE and LOOSE? Don’t learn the hard way, like Jessie J.

Last year, pop singer Jessie J admitted she’d had a tattoo of one of her song lyrics. Nothing unusual about that, maybe. But instead of ‘Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars’, the tattoo says ‘Don’t loose who you are in the blur of the stars’.

Imagine being tattooed with a typo. Double ouch.

It’s common for lose and loose to be mixed up, and easy to see why. But how do we avoid it?

Loose rhymes with moose and goose, but lose… well, it doesn’t rhyme with anything with the same ending.

Pose, nose and rose all end the same, but are all pronounced with an ‘oze’ sound. Only lose has an ‘oos’ sound.

What’s more, loose has the same ‘oose’ ending as choose, which rhymes with lose – gah!

When we think lose but write loose perhaps we’re thinking of loos which sounds the same, and contains a double o. But if that’s the case, we need to stop.

These tips should help you remember how to get it right: 

• To write lose think of losing the second o. Or think of loser.
• Loose rhymes with moose, so picture a moose with loose antlers.

And Jessie – use a dictionary next time. Mamma Knows Best, remember?

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Get more simple, memorable spelling tips in The Little Book of Confusables 1 + The Little Book of Confusables 2

My four-times award-winning books take the mystery out of misused words for just just £11.95. You’ll wonder how you managed without them!