It was a brisk winter evening.
While editing a Copyblogger article written by Brian Clark, the sound of my fingers tapping on my keyboard harmoniously blended with the rain pattering on the window next to my desk, as the light from the full moon illuminated my computer monitor.
Then, as the clock struck midnight, something strange happened. My teeth sharpened, my rational mind diminished, and my hands turned into claws hell-bent on changing multiple instances of “who” in Brian’s post to “whom.”
Like many editors before me, I became a Grammar Werewolf.
The next day, I woke up groggy, with little memory of what happened … until I got a message from Brian via carrier pigeon:
“The whom is grammatically correct, but it’s bad copy.”
My heart sank into my stomach. Of course it’s bad copy.
Luckily, we work with digital content that can be updated even after it’s published.
No harm, no foul. But a great lesson. Especially for anyone who takes comfort in using grammar-checking software to review their writing.
Now, proper grammar and spelling are important. Clear, coherent, focused writing that is easy to understand typically uses proper grammar and spelling.
As an editor, I shouldn’t be picky about how someone achieves that goal. If there are free digital tools that help someone who writes clarify their message, that’s a good thing.
But as a writer, grammar checkers irk me when they are regarded as tools that will improve your content.
And that’s why I chose the words “someone who writes” above.
Are you someone who writes or are you a writer?
You may scoff at me seemingly splitting hairs, but the difference is significant for professional writers who want to make a living as content marketing strategists.
Using proper grammar doesn’t make you…
