Each Monday on the Pure Purpose blog, I feature This Week’s 7, a simple list about an everyday topic, giving you ideas and encouragement. This week’s list includes common writing errors. Not everyone who follows this blog is a fellow blogger, but we all write on a daily basis. I personally don’t want to be the grammar police, and I admit to stretching some rules to write with a conversational feel. However, there are common mistakes that I often find in others’ and my own writings, because even when we know the correct word choice, our fingers might be flying so quickly, we think one word and type another similar one. Both are valid words, so spell and grammar check won’t catch the error.

If you find the details of grammar annoying, you can certainly ignore the top 7 list for this week. However, I recommend you take a glance at the list and then at your own writings. You won’t be perfect, but proofing never hurts!

1. Your vs. You’re. “Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in “your computer.” “You’re” is a contraction for “you are,” as in “You’re not paying attention to what you’re writing.”
2. There vs. Their. “There” can be used as a pronoun (“There is my house.”) or in reference to a place (“I’m going there next week.”).  “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun, as in “their books.”
3. Loose vs. Lose. “Loose” is an adjective, as in “His loose pants are about to fall.” “Lose” is a verb, as in “He will probably lose his pants.”
4. It’s vs. Its. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has,” as in “It’s going to be a hot day.” “Its” is a possessive pronoun, as in “The plant fell off its stand.”
5. I.e. vs. E.g. “I.e.” stands for id est, Latin for “that is.” To make it simple, consider “i.e.” as “in essence” or “in other words.” “E.g.” stands for “example given.” “I.e.” rephrases or clarifies. “E.g.” gives specific examples.
6. Affect vs. Effect. “Affect” is a verb, as in “The weather affects my mood.” “Effect” is a noun, as in “The effect of the weather on my mood is annoying.”
7. Could of, Would of, Should of. “Of” should not follow “could,” “would,” or “should.” Replace “of” with “have,” as in “I could have proofed my blog. I should have proofed my blog.”

If you’re a grammar geek, be sure to check out Grammar Girl for grammar myths, tips, t-shirts and more!

Next’s week post will transition from the written to the spoken word, providing 7 questions to jumpstart great conversations.