The Do’s and Don’ts of Grammar: Writing Professionally Without Overcomplicating It

In professional writing, polished grammar is key to presenting yourself to the reader as confident, credible, and attentive to detail. Whether you’re drafting an email, generating web content, blog writing, copywriting, or any other type of professional writing, the right use of grammar ensures your message is received and easy to understand.

But listen. We’re not here to be the grammar police. And we’re not literary editing agents with hard-fast rules of “do this” and “don’t do that.” But when it comes to writing for businesses, where the copy has to resonate with the audience who’s usually scrolling on a mobile device, there are some grammar best practices to keep in mind.

Writing consists of a range of skills, including research, formulating ideas, outlining, editing, and revising. However, the most important and basic skill of writing is mastering the mechanics. Start with recognizing the basics first. Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure are important for clarity and readability. Poor grammar can diminish your credibility with the reader and confuse the message you’re trying to convey.

We explore the do’s and don’ts of grammar in business writing, from the basics to those tricky ones that trip up even seasoned writers from time to time. The fundamental principles and rules of grammar are fairly straightforward. But common mistakes happen all the time. Create some checklists for yourself and keep these big-ticket grammar essentials handy.

The Do’s with Content Writing Online:

Use proper punctuation

• The use of proper punctuation guides the reader through the text. To ensure a good flow, use commas, periods, exclamation points, and other punctuation correctly. It brings clarity and cohesion to each piece of writing by separating ideas and making the text easier to follow.

• Example of improper vs. proper punctuation: “The dog chased it’s tail.” (incorrect apostrophe usage)

• Let’s eat kids.” (incorrect) vs. “Let’s eat, kids.” (correct)

Be consistent with verb tense usage

• erb tenses get tricky and, if not used properly, can confuse the reader. Focus on recognizing the time frames of past, present, and future, and which tense your text will be in. Stay consistent and avoid shifts unless you’re communicating a change in time.

• Example of verb tense misuse: “While he was running, I walked.” (incorrect) vs. “While he was running, I was walking.” (correct)

Use active voice

• Active voice in writing is when a subject performs the action of a verb. It’s a straightforward and concise way to write. Sentences in active voice are generally more assertive and engaging for the reader.

• Example of active voice vs. passive voice: “The cat is eating the food.” vs. “The food is being eaten by the cat.”

Be consistent

• Some grammar rules are up for interpretation. Not every rule is the law of the land, and your writing style can dictate how you want to portray your finished product. However, it’s important to stay consistent. If you are going to use the Oxford comma in one sentence, you need to use it for the remainder of the piece. If you are hyphenating a certain compound word, keep it consistent throughout the rest of the text.

• Example: “Ebook” vs. “E-book” (Both can be correct, but stay consistent on which one you choose.)

Proofread

• Don’t ever submit paid writing work without proofreading it first. This will help you find any grammar errors, unclear sentence structures, and awkward phrasing.

The Don’ts with Your Business Writing

Avoid long sentences

• Run-on sentences create confusion and miscommunication for the reader. When two independent clauses are combined without the right punctuation, the result is a sentence that is hard to read and understand. There are lots of ways to fix run-on sentences, like making the independent clauses into separate sentences, separating them with a semicolon, and using a comma with a coordinating conjunction.

• Example of a run-on sentence: “I love this new restaurant; it's the best one in town.” Fix the run-on sentence by making it two sentences. “I love this restaurant. It’s the best one in town.”

Don’t mix up homophones

• Homophones are when two or more words have the same pronunciation but mean different things and have different spellings. They are easy to mix up, and getting a firm grasp of them is important. Pay close attention to the context of each sentence when proofreading to ensure proper usage.

• Example of a homophone: “They’re going to their school over there.”

Avoid unnecessary capitalization

• Some words are more important in a text than others. There can be a temptation to excessively capitalize letters when it’s not necessary. It distracts the reader and alters the flow of the text. Use capitalization for proper nouns, at the start of a sentence, and in headings.

• Example of excessive capitalization: “The Product Launch will be headed up by the Marketing Department at this year’s Corporate Event.” vs. “The product launch will be headed up by the marketing department at this year’s corporate event.”

Don’t be redundant

• It’s true, writers can be too wordy at times. The best way to get your point across when writing is to be concise and avoid redundancy. Repeating the same information doesn’t add to the text and can make a reader disinterested in the rest of the piece. Declutter your writing with unnecessary words and phrases.

When in Doubt, Ask Your Client for More Formatting Insights

Over the years, we’ve noticed some clients tend to favor certain formats of writing over others. They’re not necessarily grammar fixes so much as they’re brand preferences or SEO driven. Here are some examples of punctuation and grammar that you might want to clarify with your client or look for in their style guide.

• Numbers: It’s common to spell out digits one through nine and use numeric characters for anything over 10.

• Punctuation in or out of the parenthesis: When writing with parentheses or quotations, some prefer the punctuation (period or comma) to go inside versus outside.

• Capitalization: Some clients will have a preference for capitalizing each word in a header versus sentence-casing them.

• Oxford commas: In our experience, the Oxford comma is preferred when writing a sentence with a series of three or more, like “Dogs bark, wag, and jump when visitors arrive.”

• Cut the fluff: Go through your work and remove any words or phrases that don’t add value. It will bring clarity to your writing that clients and their audience love. For example, instead of “It helps to bring a new level of clarity to your blog,” say “It brings clarity to your blog message.”

Writing is all about sharing your message in a way that’s easy, approachable, and makes readers feel like you're speaking directly to them. Every piece you write will have its own flavor and focus, but at the end of the day, it’s all about clear communication and delivering a cohesive message. Once you’ve got the basics of proper grammar down, you’ll feel way more confident, and your content will truly connect with your audience. Keep this in mind as you dive into your next projects, and watch your writing shine!

Tips to Keep Your Writing and Grammar On Point

So, keeping up with grammar and polishing your writing can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how you can incorporate the grammar and punctuation best practices without overcomplicating things and adding more time to each project.

• Start with what the client suggests: Your client might give you a content brief and style guide that outlines what they expect with your writing. Start there and use it as a checklist after you’ve written your post.

• Write first, edit later: Don’t try to edit as you go. It will only bog you down in your writing process. Instead, create your outlines and write the article. Then, go back and polish any potential punctuation or grammar fixes.

• Find a grammar review tool you love: It’s easy to skim over misspelled words or improperly spaced em dashes. Use Grammarly, Copyscape, or Hemmingway to help review your work and easily spot quick grammar fixes.

• Read it out loud: Sometimes, how you have a sentence structured appears correct, but when read aloud, it sounds wonky. Take a breather from your finishing blog and come back later to read it out loud. You’ll find clarity and flow fixes much easier with a fresh set of eyes, too.

Jumpstart Your Writing Career with Tools from The Pajama Writer

Let’s get you writing! It starts with building a little confidence in your writing and a process for finding paying writing clients. Put your best copywriting foot forward with these grammar tips. And then, when you’re ready to make your move, we can help.

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