The ability to communicate our thoughts through words is a unique ability given to only one species on earth – human beings! A language allows us to express our mind and our feelings to another individual and “English” is the most universally accepted language. While we may pride ourselves on our English vocabulary skills, and believe that we rarely make mistakes in our written communication, it would still be a good idea to have a quick look at this article, for pointers on “Using correct English when posting on Social Media”.





Texting and the use of new age acronyms have taken the world by storm. While the younger generation has succumbed to accepting slang and “short version” replacements for common words or phrases, the older generation also seems to be getting pulled in fast. While a casual and extremely personal style of writing is perfectly acceptable on “Social Interaction for Fun” kind of sites, this would be an absolute no-no when posting on professional networking sites like Linked In.

So, let’s look at some common mistakes that are inadvertently made on social media posts…


“Your v/s You’re

Your is a possessive pronoun and indicates a sense of belonging - “Where is your car parked?”. On the other hand, you’re is a contraction for “you are” – “You’re a good listener”


It’s v/s Its

It’s (with an apostrophe) is short for “it is” or “it has”, but if used in its possessive pronoun form, there is no apostrophe (theirs, hers, ours etc) – “It’s time to eat lunch”. On the other hand, Its is a possessive pronoun –  “Its fleece was white as snow”


There, Their, and They're

There means “in or at a place” whereas ‘their’ is a plural possessive pronoun. There is a contraction for “they are” and these examples below will differentiate the three.

1. “Please keep the cup there”

2. “Each one got their fair share of the pie”

3. “They’re leaving tonight”


Sentence Starters and Endings

Every sentence must start with a capital letter and end with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.


Punctuation





Need we say any more on this? Punctuation mistakes can cause misunderstandings and hence we need to give our posts a relook for errors in punctuation.


Lose v/s Loose

This is exasperatingly misused by a lot of people daily. I "lose" interest easily v/s my pants have become “loose”. It is quite common to see “loose” being used loosely instead of “lose”!

While these above examples may be the most commonly seen, it is imperative that we keep an eye open for all possible errors before we click – Post.  A Forbes Article recommends a 12 step checklist that will help ensure that you do not overstep the boundaries of basic social media etiquette.

Social Media etiquette in a nutshell is about posting content responsibly.  The checklist encourages you to keep in mind certain factors before you post (age appropriate, spell checked, non-offensive, simple to understand etc.)

Also, a good point to note, and end this article with, is that many people in India use their regional language to communicate on social media.  While this is a plus when it comes to interacting with your loved ones, it is advisable to use English as your preferred language when posting on professional platforms.

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- By Shailja Varma


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