You're or your? Bono doesn't know!

Rock star and lead vocalist for U2, Bono may write a guest column for the New York Times, but he admits to having his punctuation mixed up. iTALK tells you why you don't have to be a writer or a journo to mind that extra apostrophe

Rock star and lead vocalist for U2, Bono may write a guest column for the New York Times, but he admits to having his punctuation mixed up. iTALK tells you why you don't have to be a writer or a journo to mind that extra apostrophe

U2's front man Bono has his full stops and commas all mixed up. PIC/AFP

Rock group U2's frontman Bono was invited to write a guest column for America's prestigious newspaper, The New York Times, and he had his full-stops and commas out of place. Readers were appalled, and bloggers went crazy criticising the Grammy-winning guitarist. One of the posts read, "I shouldn't sing, and Bono shouldn't write!"u00a0

If you see nothing wrong in sentences like "Your awesome", "I'll meet you at they're house" and "Follow me too the party", it's time you concentrated on the fine print. As Fortune columnist and bestselling business author Stanley Bing puts it, "The thing is, you can't really correct people about it. They hate you. They look at you like you are some kind of jerk. And maybe you are. After all, with all that's going on in the world, does grammar matter?" Yes, it does. Here's why.

Fun lessons on Facebook
We understand you can't take a Wren & Martin to work, so, instead, search for the 'Its or It's Test' application on Facebook. We tried it, and give it a thumbs-up.

You can also join the "Good Grammar Is Hot" group to keep reminding yourself that you need to work on it. Current number of members: 112,334

If poor grammar = great humour for you, read:

I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar: A Collection of Egregious Errors, Inadvertent Bloopers, and Other Linguistic Slip-Ups. The book, penned by Sharon Eliza Nichols, will be released in September this year, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com

What does the literati think?

Jerry Pinto, Author of Bombay Meri Jaan
Good grammar is vital to good communication, but in the last few years, I've grown accustomed to bad grammar. I don't think anyone is concerned about the problem, not even English school teachers, or parents. I teach a post-graduate communications class, and I am appalled at the way my students punctuate
their work.

Raksha Bharadia, Author of Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series
Every sphere of work makes English mandatory. So, correct grammar is a necessity. Start by spelling the words in a correct manner, when you send emails. Read them twice over before shooting "send".

Our easy grammar guide
>>Nominate someone as a grammar guru, at your workplace. Ask him/her to guide and correct you whenever required.
>>Read a good blog/column in office, every day.
>>Talk to your friends and family in English.
>>Read every mail twice before it leaves your inbox; ask your best friend at work to proof-readu00a0 it for you, once.
>>Start maintaining a daily diary.
>>Read at least two good books every month.
>>Refrain from using abbreviation in official SMSes and emails.
>>Grab a copy of Title: When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People
by Ann Batko. Available at leading bookstores.

Seniors make mental note of every error

Sandiip Kapoor, CEO of a creative firm and film director
If you thought all your boss cared about was good output and a''licking, it's time for a reality check. "I judge juniors by their style of speaking. When they are talking to me, I make mental notes of errors, and wrong use of words. Good grammar makes a good impression on me, and most other senior executives. Fluent, flawless speech is important at work, because it means effective communication, even if you hold an IT or accounting profile," says Sandiip Kapoor.

Top five grammar goof-ups

The following get interchanged, often
Your and You're (this is a short form for "you are")
It's (this is a short form for "It is") and Its
There (indicates location) and Their (indicates relationship)
Affect (to influence; verb) and Effect (change that's been brought about; noun or verb)
Lose (to misplace) and Loose (doesn't fit right)
Who (it's the subject) and Whom (it's the object)
Lay (to recline) and Lie (to hide the truth)

You will be taken seriously at work

Tarana Singh, Corporate trainer
"Good grammar makes all the difference. If you speak clearly, coherently and have your punctuation and pronunciation in place, people will respect you for the fact that you take communication seriously," says performer turned corporate trainer Tarana Singh. "I've realised that good language skills give you an edge. Using the right word at the right place, with the right intonation is equally important. You are sure to make a bigger impact," she says.