(Uh, this should read “You’re welcome.”)
I was behind a truck recently that had a cool LCD border around the license plate. LCD license plate borders are designed for users to type in their own message. Here’s what this user typed on his border:
“If your reading this, than your too close.”
Do you see what I saw? Not one, not two, but three typos! The message should read:
“If you’re reading this, then you’re too close.”
I just shook my head when I read the plate. I shook my head because the “Your” versus “You’re” grammar gaffe is very common, yet it makes people look not so smart.
All it takes to avoid the “Your vs You’re” gaffe is to take a second and think about what you’re trying to say.
“Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in “your car” or “your blog.”
“You’re” is a contraction for “you are,” as in “you’re going to be so much more effective at writing emails because you attended this webinar.”
Grammar gaffes like these can rob people and companies of credibility. If you communicate with customers in writing, your grammar needs to be tight. Consider my “Before You Hit Send” webinar to help you tighten your grammar. Discover 7 grammar gaffes that make you look dumb and get tips and tricks to avoid these fails. Plus, learn how to structure your emails so that you completely restore customer confidence in your brand after any service failures. Learn more here.
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