5 common grammar pitfalls

But we’re all human, so mistakes can certainly occur, especially in this digital age, when it seems our keyboards are moving faster than the news cycles. The race to quickly publish is heated, but before it’s distributed, writing needs thorough proofreading. After all, content is currency in public relations, and any grammar flops can disgrace circulated content almost faster than pushing it live.

The Associated Press Stylebook is a right-hand guide for all writers and answers many questions about proper prose. Following are some common writing pitfalls, along with the AP Stylebook’s rules to help keep them straight.

1. Compound modifiers. A compound modifier is when two or more words that express a single concept precede a noun. Use a hyphen to link all the words in the compound, except the adverb very and any adverb ending in -ly. The high-performing dashboard displays results instantaneously. The happy-go-lucky boy did what he wanted this afternoon. The first-of-its-kind technology creates easy-to-use solutions.