Grammar and you.

Grammar and punctuation are important in creating structure and context for your written work. A comma or apostrophe can make all the difference in an important assignment or email.

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The most classic example of failure to use proper punctuation is “Let’s eat Grandma” compared to “Let’s eat, Grandma”. As you can see, missing a single comma can completely change the context of written text. Now, not only are you terrible with your punctuation, but you’re a sadistic cannibal too.

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Of course, everybody knows the most common grammatical error in the history of the internet and probably the entire planet. Even you’re Grandma would know… or is it your Grandma? A simple mistake, right? If you didn’t know simple English maybe. Let me break it down for you. You’re = YOU ARE e.g. you’re using that contraction wrong. Your = it BELONGS to YOU e.g. you should get your dictionary out.

Proper grammar and punctuation not only makes your work easier to read, but it makes you sound like a professional. That doesn’t mean you have to restrict your exceptional English to your school or work life though. A firm grip on the English language can be used on social media too. Imagine this…

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You’re sitting in an office across the table from your (hopefully) future boss. You’ve both just gone over why you want the job and how excited you are to start.What you don’t know is he has just finished looking at your public Facebook profile, and your latest post. “Job intaveiw tmarw cud not care les all I want is de $$$$”. He stares at you across the table and wonders how you “passed NCEA L3 English” like you wrote in your CV. You do not get the job.

Facebook is an amazing way to connect with others, but it’s kind of like ‘Big Brother’; somebody is always watching. You can try to hide your personal life away on social media, but there is always going to be somebody who knows somebody who knows… well you get the point. Also, I can guarantee you anyone who does not know you but has heard about you will explore your Facebook account at some point too. Leading a double life is hard, so let a little professionalism flow into your personal life and keep your English clean and beautiful. You never know who might be watching.

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