Avoid these Grammar/Spelling Errors in your Job Applications and Aptitude Tests

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Many Employers want to hire employees who have a solid command of English language and who can represent them in a professional and respectable manner.



Cover letters and other application documents which contain grammatical and spelling errors will cast doubts on your ability to communicate effectively if you are hired.

It's imperative to check your documents for grammatical and spelling errors.

Here are a few common grammatical and spelling errors to avoid:

1) Use of "their" instead of "there" or "they're" 

Use "There" when referring to a place or to indicate the existence of something
eg - The car is over there or There are documents in the cabinet.

Use "Their" to indicate possession, eg - Their phones were stolen by armed robbers

"They're" is just a contraction of the words "They" and "are"
eg - They're coming over or The Nigerian Immigration Service is a Federal government agency. They're recruiting.


2)  Use of "it's" in lieu of "its" 

When you mean it is or it has, use an apostrophe.
eg - It’s a nice day or It’s been great getting to know you.


When you are using its as a possessive, don’t use the apostrophe.
eg - Nigeria has celebrated its fifty years independence.


3)  Use of "whose" instead of "who's"
Whose sits before a noun to state (or ask) to whom it belongs

eg- Whose bag is this?
Who's is short for who is or who has
eg - Who's at the door?


4)  Use of "you're" when you should use "your." 
Same as They're and Their



5) Use of "am" instead of "I am" or "I'm" 
Better explained with examples;
I am coming or I'm coming. Never say "am coming". Rather say "am I coming?"



6) Spelling abbreviations or internet slang
"ur" "wt", "n", ASAP, FYI, FYA and many more.
Why not use Your, With, And, As soon as possible, For you information or For your attention. Don't be lazy.


Test your usage. When you use any of these words, get in the habit of asking yourself these questions, but remember that they will not work in all cases though:

• If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.
• If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.
• If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!

With the advent of social media, the use of IM or internet slangs is on the rise and has affected the use of proper English for many. You can carefully and consciously stop the use of slang.

Do you inadvertently use any of the above wrong form of words? Stop it.

I sincerely hope this post helps.

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