Writing well seems to be a daunting task and, in fact, it is. No, we are not trying to discourage you, but it is quite true that if we said otherwise we would be lying. Difficult, but not impossible, especially if you are a good reader, as there is nothing better than enriching your cultural and linguistic repertoire with a good read. In addition to the reading habit, you can also learn from the portuguese tips that Brasil Escola prepared for you.
Today you will learn from the mistakes most made by copywriters, people who, despite writing professionally, are not free from grammatical mistakes, which is absolutely understandable, given the complexity of our language Portuguese. Who has never encountered any kind of grammatical error when opening a newspaper (print or virtual)? These are common situations in our daily lives that end up showing a certain lack of care (reviewing what is written is essential) and also the lack of knowledge of some linguistic norms. There are many rules – and also many exceptions – that can lead the speaker to error when transferring to the written modality the words that live in the world of ideas. Come on? Let's get down to work and good studies!
The top five mistakes made by copywriters
Tip 1 → Beware of the verb “remember”:
The verb “remember” is one of those polysemic verbs. This means that, depending on the context, it can have different meanings. Note how and when to use it correctly according to its meaning and transitivity:
*Remember in the sense of "remember": When the verb "remember" has this meaning, it will require the use of a preposition:
remembered that she hadn't called her boss to let him know the reasons for her being late for the meeting.
remembered me when he heard the song.
**Remember with the sense of "similarity", "similarity": When used with this meaning, the verb “remember” will not require the use of a preposition. See the examples:
He remember quite that famous actor!
that girl remember someone I know but can't remember who!
**Remember in the sense of "warning", "informing": In this sense, the verb "remember" will require an oblique pronoun plus the preposition "from":
The journalist received an email reminding him of publish a story about the public tender.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
The employee received a warning reminding him of importance of good coexistence in the work environment.
Tip 2 → Long term or long term?
As well as the infamous “home delivery”, the expression “long term” also raises many doubts among speakers. To avoid mistakes, avoid using the preposition “a” in these two situations and, if the doubt persists, consult a good source of information to eliminate it. Here are some examples that will show you the proper use of the term “in the long term”:
We have no forecast on the losses we will suffer in the long run.
With work and dedication, the results will come in the long run.
Tip 3 → Use of the “same” pronoun:
You can use the “same” pronoun as a demonstrative, noun, or adjective, but never as a personal pronoun. This type of error is very common in newsrooms. Find out now how to avoid it:
Wrong: The student was removed from school for three days due to his bad behavior. O samewill return to the classroom next week.
Right: The student was removed from school for three days due to his bad behavior. He will return to the classroom next week.
Tip 4 → Beware of “where” employment:
The word “where” syntactically works as an adverbial adjunct to place, that is, it should be used in situations where there is an indication of space, place. Outside that context, use relative pronouns such as “in which” or “in which”. Watch:
Wrong: The child has started to attend school now. This is a wonderful phase, Where the little ones begin to relate to different people and discover life.
Right: The child has started to attend school now. This is a wonderful phase, in which the little ones begin to relate to different people and discover life.
Tip 5 → Pay attention to the use of “be”:
The word “be” should not be used alone in a prayer, nor should it be linked to a conjunction. When used to exemplify something, it should be duplicated. Watch:
Wrong: Whether here or in China, our obligation is to be happy!
Right: Whether here or in China, our obligation is to be happy!
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PEREZ, Luana Castro Alves. "The Five Most Mistakes Made by Copywriters"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/os-cinco-erros-mais-cometidos-por-redatores.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.