The English Language has been created, developed and interpreted in various ways, sparking debates about the use of punctuation to the spelling of what should be simple words. We as humans have a habit of having an ability to spell words people would usually find difficult (90% is pure luck by guessing) but the simple words seem to throw us a curve ball. Here are some simple spelling tasks that our brains just don’t seem to want to spell correctly.

‘Lose’ and ‘Loose’

One defines the opposite of ‘win’, and the other defines the opposite of ‘tight’ – but many people forget the terminology and put these words in the completely wrong sentence. Although by accident, we seem to think that the word ‘lose’ is ‘loose’ and therefore make a complete fool of ourselves when we use it in everyday situations. To text someone and go “Hi, I’ll be late home because my tire is lose” should be illegal and people really should know the difference. If you allow your grammar to be let loose, then you shall lose.

‘Weird’

It is weird how this is another word we seem to forget how to spell, despite being taught several times in rudimentary English lessons. A cruel lesson to be learnt should be that every time people misspell ‘weird’ they get shocked with 1000V of pure electricity and that should do the trick. We generally use this word as a word of unsettlement or use it to someone acting like a “creep”. To call someone “weird” could be both a compliment and an insult at the same time, but if you do use it please spell it correctly!

The ‘they’re, their and there’ Conundrum

How many times must we misuse these three words in every day context!? It’s such a simple process, with the apostrophe in the word “they’re” offering us a massive hint of where to use this word! These three set of words are the most commonly misspelled in the English language, as education and grammar seems to wear off after about 30 years. To clarify, “they’re” is used if you are talking about a group of people and what they are going to do; “their” is to define possession on somebody else’s behalf and “there” is simply to define a location as to where you/somebody else is going. In a nutshell, the sentence “They’re going over there on their motorbikes” is both a tongue-twister and grammatically correct. Use it well, people.

The ‘you’re and your’ Issue

If you’re speaking on your own behalf, you must use these terms correctly to save yourself from looking like you are uneducated. A quick English lesson here: You use ‘you’re’ when you’re define something that you personally are going to do, and you use ‘your’ to define something of your own personal possession. It’s not that difficult, so stop rushing your work and proof read every sentence, to avoid the inevitable “you can’t spell” tease from your social group.

These “conundrums” have baffled people for years and people still confuse themselves but that is a part of nature. Be careful though, especially young people as you must use your grammar correctly to succeed, especially in an English course. When doing every piece of work, check your sentence for grammar and punctuation and make sure you know what you’re talking about, in case your teacher/tutor questions you on the knowledge of the particular subject.

A word of warning to university students studying English – your dissertation is vital! Punctuation and grammar is just the foundation basics you need to get the crucial marks on knowing your stuff.

Ian Appleton is a writer who used a professional dissertation binding service when he was at university before submitting this piece of work. It made the content look impressive and presentable, helping him to get a great result.