Is Perfection Too Much to Ask?

Becoming a writer changes how you look at the written word. You instinctively pick apart your own and others’ writing, honing in on every little thing that could be improved. Some things are so basic they wave bright, red flags. Obvious spelling and punctuation errors make that shortlist. Other things take a little more experience to note, like clumsy transitions and awkward turns of phrase. We writers probably all have pet peeves that jump up and scream, “You have got to be kidding me!” whenever we see them.

My list of Writing Sins that Really Annoy Me ranges from the specific, such as making nouns plural by adding an apostrophe before the S, to the more nebulous: “Why can’t I seem to follow what this writer is saying without getting lost?” The former bothers me so much I’m tempted to not even insert an example, lest I hurt myself. Okay, for you, because I love writing and want to be helpful (deep breath, repeat after me: a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down …): potatoe’s. Ack! I may have to lie down now.

But the one mistake I’ve been seeing too much of lately is so glaring that it should shock anyone who thinks of writers as people who have a reasonable facility with their native language: improper use of the simple verb “to go.” Twice in one week I saw the same error in articles written by professional freelance writers—in an online magazine about writing. Both times, the author said “I had went” when she meant “I had gone.” Presumably, someone edits this magazine; presumably, this editor saw nothing wrong with saying “had went.” One could be snarky and point out that these articles were part of a series on freelancers having trouble getting paid by their clients, and the reason for nonpayment was not so much deadbeat clients as poor-quality writing. While I doubt that most clients would withhold payment solely based on a botched conjugation, the fact that it would even be a question strikes me as outrageous. Professional writers get paid to write well; bad writing should not be part of the portfolio.

Call me a grammar geek. Call me obsessive-compulsive. Heck, call me naïve. But I believe that professional writers have an obligation to write correctly. We don’t all like the same style of writing and not all writing will be to our taste. But a writer should at least be able to use basic grammar. If you’re a writer, you owe that to your clients—and your readers.

Need help? The Owl at Purdue Online Writing Lab is a great resource for writers of all genres. It has sections on grammar and punctuation with many helpful examples. Worth checking out, even if your writing, like Mary Poppins, is Practically Perfect in Every Way.