As a professional author and grant writer, writing is a huge part of my life. I deal with all styles of writing: fun, informative, long, to-the-point. While the content may be different, one thing remains the same: they require correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar to properly get their message across.

In the professional world, you use your writing on a daily basis to express yourself and your ideas so it’s super important that you ensure you’re doing everything you can to be received well. That starts with correcting the tiny mistakes that can make a huge difference.

Here are some of the most common writing mistakes and how to fix them.

Using quotation marks to add emphasis. This is a huge no-no! When wanting to emphasize something, many use quotation marks around a word or phrase. The best way to highlight something is to use italics, not quotation marks.

Who vs. That. Here’s one that even I misuse at times.If it’s a person or an animal with a name, use who. If it’s an inanimate object or animal without a name, use that.

There vs. Their vs. They’re. A known and super common mistake. Here’s how to get it right:

–There is a location, physical or otherwise

–Their is possessive

–They’re is the contraction of “they are”

Putting punctuation outside of quotation marks. Another tricky one.In British English, punctuation goes outside quotation marks, while in American English they always go inside.