As copywriters, we love grammar—and we love when it’s used correctly. We’re the sort of people who point out errors in menus to our waiter (politely, of course). We relish spotting the occasional misspelled word in a novel. And we consider unfriending people who use the wrong form of “your.”
So when Yvonne Mason, a retired English teacher, pointed out the flaws in a letter from President Trump, we rejoiced at finding another grammar nerd on our team.
Earlier this month, Mason received a letter from the White House that was riddled with mistakes. An English teacher at heart and a lifetime grammarian, Mason put pen to paper and pointed out these errors, sending back the final marked up copy to the president and sharing her work on Facebook.
Mason’s edits, which included the correction of a number of improperly capitalized words, culminate with a pithy piece of advice: “Have y’all tried grammar style check?”
Our hero’s post highlights the importance of grammar, and how easily some people see fit to ignore its valuable rules.
If she continues correcting letters, tweets, and speeches from the White House, Ms. Mason is going to have her work cut out for her (we still don’t know what “covfefe” means). But it’s a necessary job, and we think she’s up to the challenge.
Putting politics aside for a moment, we should all agree that good grammar is important. From first graders to POTUS, strong grammar skills can help anyone avoid confusion, and get their message across clearly. It’s especially crucial for a business (and bad grammar can even cost you big).
For all writers—whether you’re a high school English student, business owner, or the president—we recommend a few simple tips:
- Spellcheck
- Consult the dictionary
- Have a friend edit your work
But for clean, grammar-conscious copy, you need more than just spellcheck. Reach out to the grammar fiends at MarketSmiths today to find copywriters and grammarians who are fit to edit the president like Yvonne Mason.
