The repeat grammar offenders incorrectly placed there apostrophes on you’re media release. Did your eye just twitch? Because it should (if it didn’t, your willpower and resilience is impressive). Incorrect spelling and grammar is up there with the most heinous of crimes and should be abolished. This seems to be more apparent with people relying heavily on autocorrect (which is a problem in itself) and a more relaxed and conversational “text speak”.
So why is spelling and grammar so important?
1. Communication
Learning to use correct spelling and grammar naturally helps with effective communication and eliminates confusion. It creates consistency as well as clear and concise messaging. Whether it is emails, website copy or a Facebook post, a well written piece will be a lot easier to understand and won’t irk your friends, work colleagues or clients. Communication professionals and those working in an industry that relies heavily on writing aren’t the only ones who should care. Can you imagine a doctor or nurse who misspells their patient’s notes? Even a simple email to your boss can make or break how professional you appear, which leads us to the next point.
2. Your writing represents you
When you hit send and publish your writing to the world, you are doing so knowing that whatever you put out there represents you (and in a professional setting, your company). Publishing work that is riddled with errors can give off a careless vibe or the sense that you don’t take your work seriously. This is especially important when working in PR as you are also representing your client. Writing with too many mistakes will also affect your professional reputation.
3. Future prospects
Now I can feel your eyes rolling into the back of your head, after all, people hire you for your experience, not your ability to differentiate there, their and they’re. This is true to a certain extent, however an employer is less likely to continue reading your application, or take it seriously for that matter, if you don’t know how to spell “definitely” or even their company name.
It’s okay to be a little relaxed in non-professional settings, as long as you take care to read over your work. And if you think it’s not a serious issue, your wrong.
