Let’s be real, learning grammar rules for freelance writers sounds as appealing as eating a handful of sawdust.
I’m sure you hated grammar and punctuation in English class. I know I did.
Even as a kid I remember thinking: “There’re is just too many rules! Can’t I just write and my readers will figure it out?”
While I wish that were the case, it isn’t. These rules help us clarify our thinking and message to the reader.
Fortunately for us, we can file an overwhelming list down to the 20% (or less) of rules that get us 80% of the results.
For the rest, let’s just say I’m a big fan of just-in-time knowledge vs. just-in-case –– use what you know and Google the rest as you go.
For those of you that already feel a little TLDR about this post, I’m not offended.
I created this post so you can add it to your bookmark bar or swipe feel and reference it when you need it.
Here’s all you need to know:
- The basics are 80% of the battle: Active voice, complete sentences, comma usage, other punctuation usages, and correct verb tenses.
- To avoid grammar errors, keep 80% of your sentences short, and 20% long.
- Use a writing assistant like Grammarly Pro or Pro Writing Aid software to keep your writing grammatically correct and error-free.
- Google what you don’t know when you need it.
Now, let’s dive in…
1) Use Active Voice
If you don’t use any other rules in this article, commit numbers one and two to memory.
This is the number one grammar mistake.
We see it all the time with both new and experienced writers.
Passive voice uses a subject that’s acted upon by the verb.
Active voice uses a subject that’s doing the action.
Here’s an example of passive voice:”The article was written by me.”
The active voice version: “I wrote the article.”
See the difference?
When you use passive voice, your writing can sound weak and less direct.
Active voice makes your writing strong, clear, concise, and direct.
2) Write in Complete Sentences
A complete sentence must have at least a subject and a verb. It has to express a complete thought, start with a capital letter, and end with the correct punctuation mark.
Here are some examples of incomplete sentences:
- “Eating too much pizza.”
- “Because she was late.”
- “Walking to the store.”
- “A time of joy.”
- “Because of the storm.”
- “Looking forward to seeing them.”
See how each of these incomplete sentences is missing either a subject or a verb?
Completed, these may look like:
- “He was eating too much pizza.”
- “She missed the show because she was late.”
- “She saw me walking to the store.”
- “That was a time of joy.”
- “The sail tore because of the storm.”
- “He was looking forward to seeing them.”
3) How to Use Commas Correctly
We use commas all the time in writing. They serve wildly versatile purposes from setting off natural pauses and introductory statements to writing items in a list.
Here are the most common ways we use commas:
- Use a comma after an introductory clause, such as “While I was eating my dinner, she called my house.”
- Use a comma to separate items in a list, such as “I have a dog, a cat, and two fish.”
- Use commas to set off quotation marks, such as “He said, ‘I love pizza.'”
- Use commas to separate items in a series, such as “I brush my teeth, wash my face, and comb my hair.” Or “I need new shoes, socks, and laces.”
- Use commas to set off nonessential words, phrases, or clauses: such as “I, for one, think pizza is delicious.” “Pizza, as we all know, is a popular food.”
- Use a comma before the conjunction in a compound sentence: such as “I brush my teeth, and then I comb my hair.” Or “She likes dogs, but I prefer cats.” “I could go to the store, or I could go to the movies.”
- Use a comma after the last item in a series that includes “and” or “or”: such as “I can have a dog, a cat, or a rabbit.”
- To separate closely related adjectives: such as “She’s a tall, thin woman.”
- Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions: such as “Alli, my best friend, is going to the store with me.”
- When you are listing items, after the second item: “I have two sisters, Sarah and Emma.”
- When you are adding an extra phrase or clause to a sentence: such as “She didn’t get the job, but she was really hoping to.”
If you aren’t sure when to use a comma, Google it. You can also read your sentence out loud. If you naturally pause, then there’s a good chance you need a comma.
4) Grammar Rules for Freelance Writers: Correct Verb Tenses
The essential verb tenses are past, present, and future.
Now, you can get into the simple, progressive, and perfect versions of these, but we’re keeping it simple, remember? If you’re interested in learning more about verb tenses and verb tense usage, check the resources section at the end of this post.
To keep this as straightforward as possible, write in the tense that reflects the event, thing, or idea you’re talking about.
Present tense: Something that’s happening right now or happens all the time.
- “I go to the park.”
- “I go to the park every Tuesday.”
Past tense: Something that happened before now.
- “I went to the park.”
- “We had lunch.”
- “They ate lunch earlier.”
Future tense: Something that will happen in the future.
- “I will go to the park.”
- “I will eat lunch.”
- “We will walk the dog.”
If you’re writing about ideas or events that happened in the past, write in the past tense.
Keep the present in the present and save the future for the future.
It is totally acceptable to shift tenses in your writing.
For instance, say you’re writing about how past events have shaped a present circumstance.
That would be an appropriate time to switch back and forth from past to present.
As with all things writing, just make sure the transitions between tenses aren’t confusing.
5) How to Use Quotation Marks
Quotation marks also have a variety of uses.
Quotation marks are used to show you are quoting someone else’s exact words.
Example: He said, “I’m going to the store.”
We also used quotation marks for titles of short works, such as articles, poems, and songs.
Example: I read the article “The Benefits of Running” in the paper this morning.
We use single quotation marks for quoting someone else’s words within a quote.
Example: He said, “I heard her say ‘I’m going to the store.'”
You can also use quotation marks to set off sarcasm or irony.
Examples:
- I’m “thrilled” to be here. (When you’re not)
- That tasted “great.” (When it tasted like garbage)
- That was so “entertaining.” (When it was boring)
6) How to Use Apostrophes
We use apostrophes in two ways: to show possession and to indicate contractions.
You only need to use apostrophes for possessive nouns and contractions.
How to Use Apostrophes for Possessive Nouns
To show that something belongs to a person or thing, add “‘s.”
If the word is plural and already ends in s, just add an apostrophe to make it possessive.
Examples of apostrophes with singular possessive nouns
- The cat’s toys
- Chris’s computer
- The students’ homework
- Texas’s history
Examples of apostrophes with plural possessive nouns
- The cats’ toys
- The students’ homework
- The Smiths’ house
- All the girls’ shoes
How to Use Apostrophes For Contractions
A contraction is a shortened form of two words, usually with an apostrophe where the letters have been left out.
For example:
- You’re (you are)
- Don’t (do not)
- We’ve (we have)
- I’d (I would or I had)
- She’ll (she will)
- They’re (they are)
- I’m (I am)
- We’d (We would or We had)
- They’ll (They will)
- It’s (It is)
7) Write Short Sentences to Avoid Grammar Errors
If you write mostly using short sentences, you will avoid 93% of grammar mistakes.
Writing in short sentences also
- Makes your writing easier to read
- Makes it easier to read or scan, especially on mobile devices
- Keeps readers interested and engaged in your content
- Keeps readers from getting lost or confused while reading
I read a great quote recently that basically said “Use 80% short sentences, and 20% long ones.”
While this isn’t a grammar rule, it will improve your writing. It will make it easier to read and help you avoid common grammar mistakes.
The longer a sentence is, the more complicated it gets.
The more complicated it is, the more room for error.
Complexity also demands more rules.
Don’t leave yourself open to foul balls and grammar errors.
Keep the vast majority of your sentences short and sweet, then sprinkle in some longer ones to add some rhythm and spice to your writing.
8) For Other Grammar Rules for Freelance Writers, Use Google
If you’re not sure about a grammar or punctuation rule, look it up.
I honestly do this all the time for:
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings)
- How and when to use hyphens vs. en dashes vs. em dashes
- How to format and write numbers for APA vs. MLA
- Word substitution
I’ve been writing professionally for years and I still have brain farts and need to look things up.
I’ve got no shame in that, and neither should you.
There are plenty of grammar resources available online, and if you’re ever in doubt, a quick Google search will usually turn up the answer.
If you’re a new freelance writer and want to 3-5x your writing skills in the next 20-30 minutes, also be sure read
- 32 of the Most Powerful Writing Tips for Beginners
- How to Write a Headline: The #1 Writing Skill
- The Best Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners: Top 12
- The Best Writing Apps for Freelance Writers
- Top 10 AI Writing Generator Software: How to 10x Your Productivity in 24 Hours
In Closing
There you have it, a brief grammar guide for freelance writers. While grammar rules can seem daunting at first, they’re really not that bad once you get the hang of them.
And, as with anything, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you’ll become at using proper grammar and style.
Resources
- https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/11-rules-of-grammar.html
- https://makealivingwriting.com/grammar-rules-for-freelancers/
- Grammar Rules for Freelancers: An English Teacher’s Dirty Little Secret – Make a Living Writing
- What if your English teacher said everything you learned about writing is wrong? Here’s a dirty little secret about grammar rules for freelancers:(makealivingwriting.com)
- Grammar Guide Archives | Freelance Writing Jobs | Jobs for Freelance Writers
- FWJ Grammar Guide for Professional Writers(www.freelancewritinggigs.com)
- Grammar Refresher for Freelance Writers — Kaleigh Moore: Freelance writer for eCommerce & SaaS companies
- This post looks at some of the common grammar mistakes freelance writers make and is a go-to resource for those times when you forget what’s correct.(www.kaleighmoore.com)
- Tools for Writers – Grammar and Training Guides for Freelance Writers
- See relevant tools and resources freelance writers can use to improve their writing quality and grammer across the content they create.(www.tempestamedia.com)
- 27 Best Freelance Grammar Specialists For Hire In October 2022 – Upwork™
- Find freelance english experts for hire. Access 27 english freelancers and outsource your project.(www.upwork.com)
- Three helpful tools for freelance writers
- Writers, we’ve been there – whether it’s writer’s block, or ensuring our spelling and grammar are impeccable. Here are some tools to help you do more and go further.(www.contentgrip.com)
- Freelance Writing: 4 Most Common – and Confounding – Grammatical Errors – Writer Access
- Freelance Writing: 4 Most Common — and Confounding — Grammatical Errors. Insights to help you grow your business.(www.writeraccess.com)
- Freelance writing tools – Women Building & Investing in Success
- (wbis.biz)
- What are the Common Grammar Mistakes Writers Make? – Freelancer FAQs
- (www.freelancerfaqs.com)
- How to Improve Your Writing Skills and Grammar With These 4 Ways – Take It Personel-ly
- (takeitpersonelly.com)
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/is-each-singular-or-plural
- https://examples.yourdictionary.com/fragment-sentence-examples.html
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/mistake-of-the-month-sentence-fragments/
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-to-write-a-complete-sentence-parts-structure.html
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma/
- https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/verbtenses