4 Grammatical Mistakes That Can Enhance Your Copy

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I spent 5 years as an elementary school teacher before I became a commercial freelance writer. Along the way, I think it’s safe to say that I became a bit of a grammar snob. Besides making me pretty annoying, this also made my transition into freelance writing more difficult.

Since getting into the business, I’ve learned to drop my grammar pride. It’s all fine and dandy for writing research papers, but when you’re writing marketing materials, the rules don’t always apply. Sure, you don’t want punctuation mistakes or misspellings, but there are some academic no-no’s that work great when writing sales materials. Here’s a few of them.

Fragments
While complex sentences impress the scholar, they only hurt your conversion rates. Fragments offer a way to cut down your average sentence length. Making your copy more readable by setting a rhythm. By the way, that was a fragment.
Starting with conjunctions
I remember getting points off on papers for beginning sentences with conjunctions. Well guess some what? Sometimes it just makes the transition flow more smoothly. And frankly, I like beginning sentences with “and.”
One sentence paragraphs
— Nothing draws attention to a key point like a one sentence paragraph. Here let me show you:

Often people define a paragraph as a block of text with a minimum of three sentences. Anything less and you need either need to expound on the paragraphs main idea or combine it with another paragraph. You wouldn’t want to break sacred grammar rules, would we?

If you’re a copywriter, you betcha!

So the main idea is set aside in its own paragraph, ensuring that the reader doesn’t miss it. Typically in copy, this one sentence paragraph will highlight a main benefit of the product or service.
Slang—You want a conversational tone for your copy. The reader needs to feel like they could sit down and exchange some words with you over a few beers. That said, now’s not the time to sound like a professor. So those rules about slang—throw them out the window. That includes contractions.

As always, remember your audience. You aren’t going to say “rock and roll, dude!” to someone looking to hire a lawyer. On the other hand, you might to a group of, well… rockers. And also, if you don’t know the correct slang, don’t use it. “Rock and roll, dude!” probably went out of style with the ninja turtles, so I wouldn’t really use it. If you can’t talk the talk, keep it simple and straight forward.
Remember, these “mistakes” don’t always work. Use your best judgment and use them as you see fit.

About The Author

Eric Brantner

Eric Brantner is a freelance business copywriter from Houston TX.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 at 4:13 pm and is filed under SEO Blog, blogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

http://kikolani.com/ Kristi

Definitely some great points, especially for blogging. Blog posts and copy in a more “informal” tone is usually more effective. I had the same issue when I started writing though, and even now when I’m editing guest posts – sometimes I have to step back and think about how the post sounds if you were reading it. If it sounds like it makes sense, then it is probably good.
http://kikolani.com/ Kristi

Definitely some great points, especially for blogging. Blog posts and copy in a more “informal” tone is usually more effective. I had the same issue when I started writing though, and even now when I’m editing guest posts – sometimes I have to step back and think about how the post sounds if you were reading it. If it sounds like it makes sense, then it is probably good.
Kristi´s last blog ..Article Marketing Promotion with Blog Commenting
http://just-ask-kim.com/ Kimberly Castleberry

Very very few of us “speak” in proper grammar. It’s not how the spoken form of our language works. It’s important when blogging to be sure that our written word carries our true “voice” across and thus that means we’re going to have to break some formality rules! Thanks for these great tips on which “mistakes” can be bonuses!
Kimberly
http://just-ask-kim.com/ Kimberly Castleberry

Very very few of us “speak” in proper grammar. It’s not how the spoken form of our language works. It’s important when blogging to be sure that our written word carries our true “voice” across and thus that means we’re going to have to break some formality rules! Thanks for these great tips on which “mistakes” can be bonuses!
Kimberly
Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..WordPress SEO – The Why -amp How of the Robotstxt File
http://www.sweetsfoods.com/ Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog

As English is my second language, these tips come very handy because I didn’t have clear if I needed to write in a more formal way or with more slang & informal way for my blog posts.
I’ve chosen the second option and I see it was a good decision, sound better for the readers.

Still I struggle reading articles that are plenty of slang; I need going permanently to the Urban dictionary, but I know that they are important for copywriting.

Cheers,

Gera
http://www.sweetsfoods.com/ Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog

As English is my second language, these tips come very handy because I didn’t have clear if I needed to write in a more formal way or with more slang & informal way for my blog posts.
I’ve chosen the second option and I see it was a good decision, sound better for the readers.

Still I struggle reading articles that are plenty of slang; I need going permanently to the Urban dictionary, but I know that they are important for copywriting.

Cheers,

Gera
Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog´s last blog ..Uruguay Food- Football and Soccer World Cup 2010
http://www.SEO-writer.com/blog/ David Leonhardt

I really have a hard time calling these grammatical mistakes. I have debated the “And” and “But” one before.

And whoever said a single sentence paragraph is wrong?

As for fragments, I agree that is bad, bad grammar…but I use them a fair amount for effect, so again I agree.

And as for clang, that one is a little dicey. There is a place for it, but there are places where it would also detract, so I suggest using it with caution.
http://www.SEO-writer.com/blog/ David Leonhardt

I really have a hard time calling these grammatical mistakes. I have debated the “And” and “But” one before.

And whoever said a single sentence paragraph is wrong?

As for fragments, I agree that is bad, bad grammar…but I use them a fair amount for effect, so again I agree.

And as for clang, that one is a little dicey. There is a place for it, but there are places where it would also detract, so I suggest using it with caution.
David Leonhardt´s last blog ..SEOthropology 101
http://www.glosonblog.com/ Gloson

LOL! I agree! I really like informal writing rather than “very formal and professional” ones, because the formal sounds impersonal, and the informal sounds personal.

@David: Last time, when I used “And” or “But” at the beginning of a sentence, she told me not to do it.

But now I realized there’s nothing really wrong with that. And writing like this is cool too!
http://www.glosonblog.com/ Gloson

LOL! I agree! I really like informal writing rather than “very formal and professional” ones, because the formal sounds impersonal, and the informal sounds personal.

@David: Last time, when I used “And” or “But” at the beginning of a sentence, she told me not to do it.

But now I realized there’s nothing really wrong with that. And writing like this is cool too!
Gloson´s last blog ..My Guest Post- 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Annoy Your Readers -amp What I’ve Been Doing
http://www.dennisedell.com/about Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Ma

WOOT! FINALLY! I’ve been saying and debating this since I started blogging moons ago. I write as I talk and readers do seem to eat it up…with one or two detractors of course.

I love the one sentence paragraphs as well.

If I wanna do it, I’m gonna do it.
http://www.dennisedell.com/about Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing

WOOT! FINALLY! I’ve been saying and debating this since I started blogging moons ago. I write as I talk and readers do seem to eat it up…with one or two detractors of course.

I love the one sentence paragraphs as well.

If I wanna do it, I’m gonna do it.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Organization is a MUST I’m Taking Time Off…Line
http://www.dennisedell.com/about Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Ma

Btw Gerald, somehow I got unsubscribed; dunno how but here I am again.
http://www.dennisedell.com/about Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing

Btw Gerald, somehow I got unsubscribed; dunno how but here I am again.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..You’ll Want to Read-Comment-Share the Following Posts ASAP – Please-
Gerald Weber

Hmmm that sure is odd.

In any case good to have you back Dennis.
Gerald Weber

Hmmm that sure is odd.

In any case good to have you back Dennis.
http://www.gitanablog.com Gina SuuperG Stark

Great post, Eric. Thanks for legitimizing my informal, slang-filled writing style! I am guilty of run-on sentences…in a BIG way. Thanks for permission to carve them into more digestible bites Cheers! Gina
http://www.gitanablog.com Gina SuuperG Stark

Great post, Eric. Thanks for legitimizing my informal, slang-filled writing style! I am guilty of run-on sentences…in a BIG way. Thanks for permission to carve them into more digestible bites Cheers! Gina
Gina SuuperG Stark´s last blog ..Hiking Stats- The Fall of SuuperG
http://www.helpcopyanddesign.com Chris

I agree– slang is tricky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But when used preoperly, it can be effective.
http://www.helpcopyanddesign.com Chris

I agree– slang is tricky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But when used preoperly, it can be effective.
http://www.globalcopywriting.com Sarah Mitchell

So Eric, I really like this post. I do. One time I had a client ask his school-teacher mother to review my website copy. She injected it full of gobbledygook phrases like “proven track record”, “winning differences” and “innovative and unique”. She also corrected my grammar.

I wish I’d had this post to show them both.
http://www.globalcopywriting.com Sarah Mitchell

So Eric, I really like this post. I do. One time I had a client ask his school-teacher mother to review my website copy. She injected it full of gobbledygook phrases like “proven track record”, “winning differences” and “innovative and unique”. She also corrected my grammar.

I wish I’d had this post to show them both.
http://flexdiary.blogspot.com Amy Blankenship

In the first example, you could have had just as effective a sentence by dropping the “ing” on Making in favor of “Make.” (BTW, that was the only one that was actually a grammatical error.)

If you’re willing to put a bit more effort into your writing, you can often make it punchy _and_ grammatically correct. When I was doing technical writing, we had a constraint of making the writing no higher than 9th grade level, but we aimed for 7th.

You know what? We really had to know what we were talking about in order to create short, simple sentences in the active voice–7th grade level writing does not allow you to obfuscate behind passive voice. But we would spend up to an hour on a page (about 2 paragraphs), rewriting it over and over until it met our standards.

The one that really gets my goat is that network television can’t seem to afford writers who know what a dangling participle is and how to avoid it. Not only does this make for a lot of completely nonsensical sentences, it also is creating an entire generation for whom they “sound right.”
http://flexdiary.blogspot.com Amy Blankenship

In the first example, you could have had just as effective a sentence by dropping the “ing” on Making in favor of “Make.” (BTW, that was the only one that was actually a grammatical error.)

If you’re willing to put a bit more effort into your writing, you can often make it punchy _and_ grammatically correct. When I was doing technical writing, we had a constraint of making the writing no higher than 9th grade level, but we aimed for 7th.

You know what? We really had to know what we were talking about in order to create short, simple sentences in the active voice–7th grade level writing does not allow you to obfuscate behind passive voice. But we would spend up to an hour on a page (about 2 paragraphs), rewriting it over and over until it met our standards.

The one that really gets my goat is that network television can’t seem to afford writers who know what a dangling participle is and how to avoid it. Not only does this make for a lot of completely nonsensical sentences, it also is creating an entire generation for whom they “sound right.”
Amy Blankenship´s last blog ..Installing AMFPHP to Windows 7
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe

Glad to have an authority figure’s opinion, like a (former) elementary school teacher, on that one.

Gotta say that I absolutely love how free-form blogging has become; it definitely gives it quite a unique voice!

Thanks for the tips, Eric!

Ana Hoffman
202 Bite-Sized Tips To Insanely Increase Your Blog Traffic
http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe

Glad to have an authority figure’s opinion, like a (former) elementary school teacher, on that one.

Gotta say that I absolutely love how free-form blogging has become; it definitely gives it quite a unique voice!

Thanks for the tips, Eric!

Ana Hoffman
202 Bite-Sized Tips To Insanely Increase Your Blog Traffic