B is for “because” because “because” is used badly
I’ve searched every inch of my brain to come up with something to write about on the letter “B.”
There are not as many common mistakes with this letter as “A,” but I’ve put together some material to browse. For this new edition of the The ABCs of Writing, I’ll walk you through a few common errors that begin with the letter “B.”
Because / because of / due to
Anyone can make a mistake with these words when writing and look over it when editing. Do not use “because of” or “due to” because they contain unnecessary words. In general, always use “because” because it’s much simpler. You can sometimes use the phrase “because of” effectively. You might have to make a judgment call.
Other phrases to watch out for:
- because of the fact that
- due to the fact that
- owing to the fact that
He died because of his sister’s boyfriend.
He died because his sister’s boyfriend hit him with a hammer.
“Because” can be a powerful word when writing. When you use it in sentences, they have more credibility. For example, if you’re telling your readers to read an article you found, tell them why.
You should read “How to Lose a Girl after Three Dates.” (Bad)
You should read “How to Lose a Girl after Three Dates” because the writer lays out the rules for dating in a readable and entertaining article. (Good)
Believe
This is a commonly misspelled word. It’s also one of those times when the “i comes before e,” which is a rarity in the English language.
I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. I believe I can soar.
Use the phrase “I believe” sparingly. If you’re writing it, then a reader can assume that you believe it. A good exception to this rule is when talking about beliefs themselves (possibly religion). Also, avoid “I think.” Removing “I believe” from your sentences makes your writing more effective. It makes it stronger. In addition, you omit needless words.
I believe Britney Spears is the dumbest person ever. (Less effective)
Britney Spears is the dumbest person ever. (Effective)
Even when writing about religion, you can make your sentence stronger.
I believe that God, the angels, and heaven exist. (OK)
God, the angels, and heaven exist. (Stronger)
Blog
There’s a way to misuse the word “blog”? Yes, there is. If I only had a dime for every time I read a blog post or heard it used incorrectly in casual conversation, well…(Also, avoid clichés when writing.)
Blog is short for the word “weblog.” The only time you can use it as a noun is when you’re referring to a blog itself, which includes all of the blog’s posts. You cannot use the word to mean “blog post.” They are not interchangeable. “Blog” can also mean “to write an entry into a weblog” — blog, blogging, blogged.
I wrote a blog about raccoons and orgasms today. (Wrong)
I wrote a blog post about raccoons and orgasms last night. (Right)
I blogged about raccoons and orgasms this morning. (Right)
Bibliography
While writing a bibliography doesn’t necessarily apply to blogging, it never hurts to learn. I won’t write a tutorial on this because that would warrant an entire post, maybe several posts. Instead, you can read How to Write a Bibliography - Examples in MLA Style. It looks like a good reference for nearly any type of bibliography. You never know when you might need it.
Commonly misspelled words beginning with the letter B
- balloon
- barbeque / barbecue
- basically
- battalion
- beautiful
- beggar
- beginning
- benefited
- bicycle
- Britain
- broccoli
- Buddha
- bureau
- burglar
- business
Bartleby.com
This is a great reference site for anyone that’s serious about his or her writing. It has encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, and much more. You can probably bookmark their site and forget all about reading this tutorial series.
The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge.
- Excerpt from Bartleby.com
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations
A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations is a good book to add to your library. Why not reference the greatest writers of all when looking for some inspiration or an easy way to explain something? This book is something you should not go without. If nothing else, impress your friends by putting it on the coffee table beside your photography book. Seriously, it’s a great read.
Final thoughts:
This edition of the series was a little shorter than the last, but that was expected because there aren’t as many errors with the letter “B.” I’m sure there are mistakes in this post, and I urge you to find them. This is as much a learning tool for me as it is for you.
Subscribe to the feed to know when I write about the letter “C.” I have quite a few ideas on it.
Hey Justin! I really enjoy reading practical tips on writing. I’ve come to recognise how valuable it is to be able to communicate well. I have lots to learn, but when I read over some of my old posts, I’m able to see how far I’ve come in the past year.
In regards to your post, I must confess, I get really annoyed when I read, “I wrote a blog yesterday about…” It’s a pet annoyance, I guess.
On the word ‘believe’, are you right when you say, “It’s also one of those times when the “i comes before e,†which is a rarity in the English language.”
Isn’t ‘i’ before ‘e’ more common than vise versa?
Armen
You should see my archives of the last few years. It’s a little embarrassing.
Using “blog” incorrectly is the most annoying thing I can think of that bloggers do.
The “I before E” would seem like it is more common, but I’m not so sure. There are actually too many exceptions to this rule for it to be considered a rule. I just ran a quick search to find some kind of resource on this and found The I Before E Deceit Unveiled. There’s a neat story on the page with many examples of “exceptions” to the rule.
Other articles:
I before E
Language Log: Mrs. Olsen gets a D
Wikipedia article
The British version (see Wikipedia article) of “I before E” works much better than the versions I’ve heard growing up.
When I used the word “rarity,” I was making a bit of a joke because there are too many exceptions.
Justin, thank you so much! I like to see that people care about this, since some rather “famous” bloggers make all these mistakes and e.g. repeatedly spell let’s as “lets”.
As a non-native speaker, I appreciate this even more:)
Iva
I hate to see “lets” in place of “let’s.” That’s bad grammar.
Also, look at the excerpt from Bartelby.com I posted. They didn’t capitalize “Web.” This is another little-known bit of information.
I don’t want to come off as a “grammar Nazi” in these tutorials, but I want to try to teach bloggers to write more effectively. Strong, concise language attracts readers, even the ones that don’t follow any grammatical rules themselves.
Blogging can be detrimental to our language skills because most of us try to write in a casual style that attracts readers. Sometimes, we need to sharpen our skills a little.
Justin, that first article you linked to is excellent, (and quite funny too).
So the ‘i’ before ‘e’ rule, is actually a counterfeit. It’s weird how society can develop ancient rules to language, which are deficient of any weighty proof!
you should do a post on comma slices in C, they are my major weakness as a writer. I probably just made one there. I have become so self-conscious about this that I always question myself when placing a comma, which in turn leads to me going against my instincts, thus forcing me into more mistakes. The good thing is that most people don’t know the rules so I seldomly get caught on my site. Wait, I never get caught on my site. Still, I want to be grammatically correct.
Hi Justin
Here’s the thing.
I was always taught that you can’t have a comer before “,and” or “,but”. I saw you did just that and was wondering id that is correct.
Emperor:
A ‘comma’–not ‘comer’–is required when “and” or “but” separate clauses which could exist as independent sentences.
Mike
Thanks for posting. Emperor, Mike is correct. You must add the comma if it separates two independent clauses.
If the two clauses can stand alone as separate sentences, you need the comma. There are other uses for the comma in slightly different ways that I’m sure I’ll write about.
I believe Britney Spears is the dumbest person ever. (Less effective)
Britney Spears is the dumbest person ever. (Effective)
While I really should not burn my fingers with philosophing about English language, I see a big difference between those two examples.
While the first sentence is your personal opinion, which you are free to postulate, the latter is a personal insult, which you could be sued for (at least so according to Austrian law).
True?
eliZZZa
There is a big difference between the two though — one is a stronger statement. However, both are an insult and an opinion. You can’t be sued for this in the States.
Austrian law sounds rough.
I probably shouldn’t say “can’t” because some people sue others for a lot worse. Also, public officials and public figures don’t have the same “rights” when it comes to what’s printed or said about them in America.
The example wasn’t about being able to say what you want about others though. It was about how to make your language stronger. Removing “I believe” or “I think” doesn’t change your statement so much in terms of meaning but in terms of effectiveness.