Top 7 Grammar Errors I Hear Public Speakers Make

The good news is that, as a speaker, you can't make any mistakes in spelling, punctuation, or capitalization (at least not with your voice; PowerPoint is another story). The bad news is that your grammar is front and center as everyone is listening to you.

As a speaking coach, I hear a lot of clients trying to do their best, as well as watching a lot of speakers online. Grammar errors can pull audience members out of the moment. Yes, two-thirds of your audience probalby won't even notice, but we don't want to distract that other third if we can help it. We want everyone focusing on your message, not your words.

Here are seven common errors I hear people make that are easily fixed if you know the correct form to use:

1: Well/Good

"Well" describes how something was done; "good" describes a thing or person.

Toby is such a good dog that he follows commands well.

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2. Between/Among

"Between" is for two items; "among" is for three or more.

First, Molly could not decide between the chicken and the fish and then, later, she was stuck choosing among the four dessert options.

 _______________________

 3. Besides/Beside

 "Besides" means "in addition to." Use "beside" to mean "next to."

 Besides breaking the lamp itself, he knocked over the glass of milk that was beside it.

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4. Literally/Figuratively

Literally means it actually happened; it does not mean "very." For example, you are not literally blown away by how great Debbie's presentation was or there would have been a huge wind that whisked you out of the room, probably causing serious bodily injury. You were figuratively blown away, showing that "blown away" is a figure of speech. However, including the word "figuratively" sounds ridiculous so simply use neither word and everyone will know you're just exaggerating to make an effect.

There was literally no place to park outside the building so I was blown away by how kind the supervisor was when I was 15 minutes late for my job interview.

 _______________________

5. Less/Fewer

 Less is a measurement. Fewer is a lower number of a countable quantity.

 I have less interest in shopping there since they started carrying fewer brands of detergent.

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6. That/Who

 "That" is for things and animals; "who" is for people.

 The dog that we keep seeing on the street belongs to the woman who lives next door.

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7. Me/Myself

This one is creeping into the norm more and more because people think it sounds more grand. For those with good grammar, it only sounds wrong. 

Only use "myself" if you're the only person involved, as in, "I see myself in the mirror.". Many speakers put "myself" where "me" should be as they add additional people. If you're unsure, remove the other person from the sentence and see which word feels right; it becomes very clear that "myself" would sound wrong. 

Would you ever say "Someone set the table for myself"? No, it's clearly "Someone set the table for me." So why would that change to "Someone set the table for Jill and myself"? It shouldn't.

Try removing "Tom or" from the sentence below and you'll see how odd "myself" would sound where the "me" is.

I can do the job myself. If you have questions, you're welcome to ask Tom or me.

  _______________________

With these seven in check, you'll do well among all your speaking opportunities, beside holding your audience's attention with fewer distractions from anyone who might notice. Literally!

Milo Shapiro www.PublicDynamics.com