#the autocorrect errors abound. but you know what that is

[hipsofsteel]

Oh good lord, Cold Seas series. It's been so long! Had to go reread it upon seeing these.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful art and your work on translating!

My hetalia oldoldoold pics for mermay. I love mermaids so much tho. btw I I drew it from a fic, and y'all know which. ;) @hipsofsteel Heyo! I used to translate your fan fiction, but I completely forgot that I also drew pictures! It's a wonderful story! I'm crying. :')

[theyuniversity]

5 Simple Ways to Avoid Spelling and Grammar Errors

💁🏻 This article was originally published on Medium.

One of my English professors at UC Berkeley (most likely Prof. Breitwieser) once told me that turning in a first essay that is rife with spelling and grammar errors will leave a permanent bad impression with him or a GSI (graduate-student instructor) who reads it. That admonition, unlike its source, has found a permanent home in the back of my mind, and it comes to the fore whenever I come across an image like this:

Because I have neither personally met nor spoken to 99.99% of all people I “know” on the Internet, my first impression about a person is formed on the basis of their spelling and grammar on their Twitter bio, tweet, Tumblr post, or article on Medium. My YUNiversity colleagues and I are staunch supporters of the idea that how you write says a lot about you. (But we say that as a matter of fact, not as a condemnation.)

Don’t get me wrong: we admins at The YUNiversity are far from perfect ourselves. We’ve made our share of embarrassing mistakes, so much so that we made this image:

That confession notwithstanding, here are our five tips for avoiding common spelling and grammar errors:

1. DON’T COUNT ON SPELL CHECK (AND DISABLE GRAMMAR CHECK)

Technology is great, and spell check can be helpful at times, but we all know that it doesn’t catch everything. To make matters worse, it isn’t even always right. And don’t even get me started on Microsoft Word’s so-called grammar checker. I’m sure you’ve seen a few pictures like the following that attest to its “usefulness”:

Instead of letting a program catch (more like miss) your mistakes, either proofread your writing yourself or …

2. HAVE SOMEONE YOU TRUST LOOK IT OVER

Before hitting Send or turning it in by hand, have someone you trust read over your essay, letter, or résumé to see if there are any errors you might have overlooked. If you stare at the same piece of writing for hours, it’s easy to miss typos, awkward phrases, and other mistakes. A fresh set of eyes will catch them immediately. (We wrote about the advantages of having extra sets of eyes examine your writing in a previous article called “Want to Write Better?”) As a bonus, they might even give you suggestions on how to improve your writing.

3. DON’T PROOFREAD RIGHT AFTER YOU’VE FINISHED WRITING

Speaking of having a fresh set of eyes, the worst thing you could do is proofread your writing immediately after finishing it. Because you are so familiar with what you had just written, either your eyes won’t catch the mistakes or your brain will instantly autocorrect your errors and convince your eyes that they aren’t there. The simplest way to avoid this problem is to take a break. Go for a walk. Take a shower. Turn on the television and watch three episodes of your favorite TV show. You’ve earned a break.

Do anything that will take your eyes off the computer screen long enough to wipe the writing from your memory, so the next time you look at it, it will be with fresh eyes. For some people, an hour is sufficient; for others, it’s better to start proofreading the next morning. Find out what works best for you (and plan accordingly, i.e., start on your writing early enough to give yourself the necessary time to proofread).

4. PROOFREAD YOUR ESSAY “BACKWARDS”—FROM FINISH TO START

Those of you who don’t have the luxury of time to implement tip #3 will appreciate this method. You might have procrastinated or underestimated how long the writing was going to take, so you have no time to go for a walk or take a shower … because the writing is due in five minutes. What to do? Instead of living dangerously and turning it in as-is, read your essay “backward.” Read the last sentence of the essay, then read the one above it, and so on. The weirdness of this exercise, combined with how strange each sentence now feels, will make your writing seem “new.” It might not be the most comfortable method, but it is highly effective. Give it a try and see how you like it.

5. USE A DICTIONARY

Some of you who read our article on the usefulness of reading books may remember that one of our staff members has actually been “reading” the dictionary this year. His motive was to learn obscure yet interesting words that he had never seen before, e.g., abapical. When it comes to checking a word’s spelling, there is nothing better than consulting a dictionary. The Internet abounds with dictionaries:

Pick your favorite (or favourite, if that’s how it’s spelled/spelt where you live); just make sure that you don’t misspell any words.

I followed #1 and #3 while proofreading this, but according to Muphry’s Law (which is not a typo), there will be an error somewhere in this article. If you find a spelling or grammar mistake, feel free to point it out. 👀🔍

Website | Twitter |  Instagram | Medium

[ber39james]

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing on a Mobile Device

In ancient times (circa 1995), so-called “cell phones” were designed exclusively for making phone calls. But these days we spend a lot more time typing on our smartphones than talking.

We use our mobile devices for everything—texting, email, posting to social media, Slacking with coworkers, commenting on our favorite blogs, and flirting with our latest matches. There’s even a growing number of authors tapping out entire novels on their mobile devices.

While the list of things we don’t do on our smartphones continues to shrink, writing on a mobile device still has its own set of challenges. So today we’re sharing five common mistakes (and how to avoid them) so you can always show up as your best self—even when you’re writing on mobile.

1Bad Grammar

That feeling when autocorrect does the wrong ‘its’ in a reply to someone with a huge following… pic.twitter.com/gWy8m1zbGl

— Young Crone (@ThrupennyBit) October 7, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

There’s just no context where blatant grammar errors will make you look good. Whether you’re texting with your mom (or your crush), emailing your boss, or crafting a witty retort on Twitter—good grammar matters.

Unfortunately, typing on a tiny touch screen can be . . . challenging. Typos abound. And when autocorrect kicks in, the results can get embarrassing.

The solution? Slow down and proofread your messages before you hit “send.” Did your phone’s autocorrect change “baked” to “naked”? Did you type “their” when you should have used “they’re”?

If you don’t have the time to proofread your texts, or you don’t trust yourself to catch every error, download the free Grammarly keyboard for your iPhone. We’ll do the proofreading for you as you type (just like on your web browser) so you can elevate your mobile writing to the same quality as what you produce on your Mac or PC.

2Keeping It (Too) Casual

https://giphy.com/embed/YrSlt0NJshH2

via GIPHY

We’re so used to sending casual messages to friends and family that it’s easy to forget the need for formalities in more official communication—such as answering work emails.

Writing on a mobile device does not give you a pass to be unprofessional. When you pick up your phone, remind yourself which audience you’re writing for. Are you texting your buddy about evening plans, or are you responding to a client’s question?

A “formal” message has five distinct parts: salutation, opening line, body content, call to action, sign-off.

Hi Nancy, (Salutation: addresses who you’re writing to)

Welcome to round one of your product rebrand! (Opening Line: addresses why you’re writing)

Here’s what our team came up with… (Body Content: your main message!)

Let me know which of these options is your favorite. (Call to Action: what you need from them)

Thanks so much for your feedback! (Sign-off: show your appreciation and sign your name)

—Joanna

If writing a formal message on your mobile device feels too complicated, wait until you can get back to your laptop or desktop to craft your message.

3Convoluted Text Messages

If your text message is longer than my iPhone 6 screen.. You should probably just call me.. Holy cow #longtext

— stephanie morrison (@smorrison627) March 23, 2016

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

We all just want to be understood. Increase your success rate (in life, love, and business) by writing messages that are clear and concise.

Lengthy, rambling text messages viewed on the tiny screen of your mobile device are not a great way to communicate. Especially when your novel-length missive gets broken into multiple messages that arrive jumbled in the wrong order.

https://giphy.com/embed/l1J9xxutJ7e1TCLK0

via GIPHY

Do everyone a favor by keeping things simple, and if it’s too complicated to communicate over text—don’t. Send an email or ask if you can call.

For specific examples of how to improve your texting game, click here.

4Too Much Text-Speak

There is no excuse for #textspeak in a world of #autocomplete. #tech #grammar pic.twitter.com/75uvFKqoLr

— Grammarly (@Grammarly) December 23, 2013

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The opposite of the dreaded “rambling text” is the message that’s been shortened into obscurity using “text-speak.”

You may have spent your youth tapping out “wut r u ^ 2?” on your phone’s numeric keypad, but technology and the etiquette of mobile communication have since evolved.

So if your opening line to potential dates is still “hey, r u frE 2nt?”, I’ve got bad news. Research conducted by dating sites Match.com and Zoosk have found that bad grammar is a significant turn-off for the majority of their users—both women and men.

Your flagrant use of text-speak isn’t impressing anyone, and you’re likely coming off as childish or uneducated. Instead, show up as your best self by using your device’s qwerty keyboard to write complete words and sentences with punctuation.

5Overusing Emojis

https://giphy.com/embed/TlK63EGn8YyRbiI6mBy

via GIPHY

Emoji-use is another classic case of “know thy audience.”

They’re easy to access through your smartphone’s keyboard, and can be a great tool for enhancing written communication, but they are not appropriate in every context and can even have negative consequences when used in the workplace.

While you’re safe using emojis in messages to friends and family, research has shown it’s a bad idea to send them to your boss and work superiors, clients, and coworkers you’re not close with.

Instead, focus on writing messages that are clear and unambiguously worded so they don’t need the assistance of emojis to convey their meaning.

The post 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing on a Mobile Device appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

from Grammarly Blog https://www.grammarly.com/blog/5-mistakes-avoid-writing-mobile-device/

[theyuniversity]

5️⃣ Simple Ways to Avoid Spelling and Grammar Errors

💁 We originally published this article on Medium.

One of my English professors at UC Berkeley (most likely Prof. Breitwieser) once told me that turning in a first essay that is rife with spelling and grammar errors will leave a permanent bad impression with him or a GSI (graduate-student instructor) who reads it. That admonition, unlike its source, has found a permanent home in the back of my mind, and it comes to the fore whenever I come across an image like this:

Because I have neither personally met nor spoken to 99.99% of all people I “know” on the Internet, my first impression about a person is formed on the basis of their spelling and grammar on their Twitter bio, tweet, Tumblr post, or article on Medium. My YUNiversity colleagues and I are staunch supporters of the idea that how you write says a lot about you. (But we say that as a matter of fact, not as a condemnation.)

Don’t get me wrong: we are far from perfect ourselves. We’ve made our share of embarrassing mistakes, so much so that we made this image:

That confession notwithstanding, here are our five tips for avoiding common spelling and grammar errors:

1. Don’t count on spell check (and disable grammar check)

Technology is great, and spell check can be helpful at times, but we all know that it doesn’t catch everything. To make matters worse, it isn’t even always right. And don’t even get me started on Microsoft Word’s so-called grammar checker. I’m sure you’ve seen a few pictures like the following that attest to its “usefulness”:

Instead of letting a program catch (more like miss) your mistakes, either proofread your writing yourself or …

2. Have someone you trust look it over

Before hitting Send or turning it in by hand, have someone you trust read over your essay, letter, or résumé to see if there are any errors you might have overlooked. If you stare at the same piece of writing for hours, it’s easy to miss typos, awkward phrases, and other mistakes. A fresh set of eyes will catch them immediately. (We wrote about the advantages of having extra sets of eyes examine your writing in a previous article called “Want to Write Better?”) As a bonus, they might even give you suggestions on how to improve your writing.

3. Don’t proofread right after you’ve finished writing

Speaking of having a fresh set of eyes, the worst thing you could do is proofread your writing immediately after finishing it. Because you are so familiar with what you had just written, either your eyes won’t catch the mistakes or your brain will instantly autocorrect your errors and convince your eyes that they aren’t there. The simplest way to avoid this problem is to take a break. Go for a walk. Take a shower. Turn on the television and watch three episodes of your favorite TV show. You’ve earned a break.

Do anything that will take your eyes off the computer screen long enough to wipe the writing from your memory, so the next time you look at it, it will be with fresh eyes. For some people, an hour is sufficient; for others, it’s better to start proofreading the next morning. Find out what works best for you (and plan accordingly, i.e., start on your writing early enough to give yourself the necessary time to proofread).

4. Proofread your essay “backwards”—from finish to start

Those of you who don’t have the luxury of time to implement tip #3 will appreciate this method. You might have procrastinated or underestimated how long the writing was going to take, so you have no time to go for a walk or take a shower … because the writing is due in five minutes. What to do? Instead of living dangerously and turning it in as-is, read your essay “backward.” Read the last sentence of the essay, then read the one above it, and so on. The weirdness of this exercise, combined with how strange each sentence now feels, will make your writing seem “new.” It might not be the most comfortable method, but it is highly effective. Give it a try and see how you like it.

5. Use a dictionary

Some of you who read our article on the usefulness of reading books may remember that one of our staff members has actually been “reading” the dictionary this year. His motive was to learn obscure yet interesting words that he had never seen before, e.g., abapical. When it comes to checking a word’s spelling, there is nothing better than consulting a dictionary. The Internet abounds with dictionaries:

Pick your favorite (or favourite, if that’s how it’s spelled/spelt where you live); just make sure that you don’t misspell any words.

I followed #1 and #3 while proofreading this, but according to Muphry’s Law (which is not a typo), there will be an error somewhere in this article. If you find a spelling or grammar mistake, feel free to point it out.