Today, I’m going to highlight more mistakes that ruin your writing.

First, check out  Spelling Mistakes that Ruin your Writing #1

These spelling mistakes are also serious because they indicate grammar issues.  Let’s have a look at the problem words:                  

a) to,  too,  two                                 

b) who,  whom,  whose,  who’s

c) threw,  through

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a) to, too, two

All have the same pronunciation: /ˈtuː/  

♦ to –  preposition (followed by a noun) 

I’m going to India next year.             
I went to that country four years ago and I’m looking forward to returning.
I’m travelling to India by myself.
I’m looking forward to my holiday to India.

♦ to – first word of infinitive (followed by base infinitive)

I’m hoping to see the incredible Indian stepwells.
I also want to visit Mahatma Gandhi’s home.
I’d like to try the Indian curries in Rajasthan.

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♦ too – adverb 

We can use too to add emphasis to an adjective, usually negative:

It is too hot in Delhi in summer for many tourists. = It is very hot, (in a negative sense).

We also use too to mean also:

I want to see as many cities in India as I can during my holiday. However, I’m really interested in meeting the local people too.

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♦ two – adjective

The two men in the photo are playing chess.

♦ two – noun

In card games, like 500, the two of spades is usually the lowest card in the pack.

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b) who,  whom,  whose,  who’s

♦ who – question word

Who are those men playing chess?
Who is that gorgeous Indian girl? 

♦ who – question word & subject (at the same time) 

Who is winning the chess game?

You know that ‘Who’ is the subject in the sentence above because you can replace it with a noun/subject:

Who is winning the chess game?   The old man is winning the chess game.
.
Who knows? He knows.                     

♦ who – noun clause marker

Do you know who won the chess game?                                 

♦ who – relative clause marker                        

           The old man won the chess game. He’s the guy who has beaten everyone in                           the city.  

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♦ whom – relative clause marker, object pronoun

Don’t worry too much about ‘whom’. Most native speakers use ‘who’ when speaking:

That’s the guy whom the old man beat at chess.
The old guy beat him.  ‘Whom‘ replaces ‘him’.

This may seem a little too formal. When speaking, most people would say:

That’s the guy who the old man beat at chess.

However, if you are writing for a publication or doing an exam, it is preferable to use ‘whom’. Sometimes it is unavoidable, especially after a preposition or when it is a relative clause marker, or both:

I have two sisters. Both of them live in Melbourne.
I have two sisters, both of whom live in Melbourne. 

The president gave the award to whom?

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♦ whose – question word showing possession 

   Whose idea was it to take that photo? My idea!

   Whose hand is holding the ice cream? Her hand

♦ whose – relative clause marker showing possession

    She’s the girl whose photos are all over the internet.

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa, whose history is  ….               f fascinating, receives over one million visitors a year.

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♦ who’s – contraction of ‘who is’ or ‘who has’

  Who’s that brave girl on the swing? 

  Who is that brave girl on the swing?

  That’s Jenny who’s always doing crazy.things.

..That’s Jenny who is always doing     crazy.things.things. 

  Who’s encouraged her to do such a dangerous           thing?

  Who has encouraged her to do such a dangerous thing?

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c) threw, through

Both have the same pronunciation: /ˈθruː/ 

♦ threw – past tense of verb ‘to throw’

    The basketballer threw the ball through the hoop.

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♦ through – adverb, preposition, adjective

    He opened the door and went through.

    The basketballer threw the ball through the hoop.

The old stadium was in a no-through street, but the new stadium is in a  through one.       

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