The three little words featured on the cartoon are probably abused as much (or more) than any other words in the English language--I see them used incorrectly on a regular basis, along with scores of other errors. A friend on Facebook sent me the cartoon because I am . . . well, a self-described Grammar Nazi. I am proud to be a Grammar Nazi. After all, somebody has to do it! We have to root out illiteracy and shoddy syntax wherever we can, right?
When I've marked such errors on writing assignments over the years, some of my English students have flippantly retorted, "So what? Who cares? It's no big deal!" Well, my dear misspellers, such errors are a big deal to prospective employers who seek to hire, even for entry-level positions. When weeding out applications before tossing those that are poorly written, such people want applicants who pay attention to detail. They reason that if an applicant cannot complete a job application with at least decent conventions (spelling, sentence structure, usage, etc.), then said applicant will not be hired where such skills are expected--or required. For example, a business letter with this kind of error turns off prospective clients, because a company or business is judged as competent or not by its written words. Attention to detail can make a big difference in business growth.
There, their, they're--you'll find another job--maybe.
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