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see online: 10 Grammar Mistakes that Can Keep Your Content from Spreading, by Alexis Grant at copyblogger.com

Ever read a blog post and think, “This writer seems to have some good ideas, but the grammatical errors are driving me crazy”?

Pro tip: If you don’t ever think this, some of your readers probably do.

Grammatical glitches make your writing harder to read, and they turn readers off.

Content may be king, but you’ll gain a lot more respect and credibility if your writing is just as brilliant as the ideas you convey.

And by brilliant, I mean clean.

When your writing is clean, readers understand where you’re coming from. And the more your readers understand and respect where you’re coming from, the more likely they are to share your content.

As editor of Brazen Careerist’s blog, Brazen Life, I often see the same errors in submissions for our site. If our smart contributors make these mistakes, chances are you make them sometimes, too.

So next time you write a blog post, whether it’s a guest post or for your own site, check it over for these errors:

1. Using "that" when you should use "who"
2. Including the word "currently" in your bio
3. Starting a sentence with There is or There are
4. Writing bullets that don’t match up
5. Not using contractions
6. Falling into the "ing" trap
7. Adding a comma after that
8. Using "over" rather than "more than"
9. Forgetting to hyphenate modifiers
10. Writing could "care less" when you actually mean you couldn't care less

For example, since this piece calls for 10 mistakes, each item needs to be something you don’t want to do. Too often, writers mix and match mistakes with what you should do or make transition to shoulds halfway through the post — which only confuses the reader.

If your piece is called 3 Career Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make, here’s a bullet point that works:

Forgetting to tailor your resume each time you apply for a job

Here’s one that doesn’t work (because it’s not actually a mistake — the writer inadvertedly switched to what you should do):

Make sure you tailor your resume

Likewise, if you’re offering “tips for writing while balancing on your head,” make sure the bullets are actually tips, ideas that start with an action verb, not “sitting on your head helps you think better.” That’s a reason to write while balancing on your head, not a tip for how to do it.

Often you can turn any idea into a tip by adding a verb. For example: “Remember that sitting on your head helps you write better.”

Make your bullet points consistent and your writing will read more smoothly.

9. Forgetting to hyphenate modifiers

Whenever you modify a noun with more than one word, you need a hyphen. Lots of people don’t follow this rule, so it’s a great way to show you actually walk the walk.

That means you need a hyphen if you’re writing about full-time work. But you don’t need one if you’re working full time. Got it?

The exception: No need to hyphenate modifiers that end in “ly.” Those are OK on their own. So your newly hired employee doesn’t need that hyphen.

10. Writing could "care less" when you actually mean you "couldn’t care less"

Which is exactly how some people probably feel about this post.

But you? You’re a writer who writes clean copy. And following these suggestions, as picky as they may be, will help you create content that’s clearer and easier to read … and that makes it that much easier to share.

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