If I had a dollar for every awkward grammar or punctuation I see, I’d be a millionaire. Seeing poorly written papers and signages makes me cringe and sympathetic toward a writer. But they also make me laugh, knowing I sometimes make the same mistakes.
Are grammatical mistakes your pet peeve? Here’s a list of 25 memes that will annoy and entertain the proofreader in you.
1. Regrets. Lots of Regrets
Everyone’s a little guilty of only double-checking that email after sending it. We proofread our assignments after submitting them just to check what the professor will be reading. It’s a horrible habit we all should unlearn if we want our writing to be successful.
Read your text several times for different types of errors. Scan it for spelling errors, then grammar mistakes, and punctuation issues. It would also help to fix that awkward sentence.
2. When You’ve Already Poured All Your Energy into writing.
Let’s get one thing straight. You need to care about proofreading! Otherwise, you shouldn’t have put much thought into writing.
Always allow time for editing and proofreading your text the same way you do with writing. Look at the structural changes you need to make and the minor, more technical errors.
3. Exactly What Proofreading is All About
This meme perfectly explains the importance of reviewing your work. Sometimes, you think you’re making sense until you realize you have a poor choice of words.
Aside from reviewing your own work, it also helps to have someone read your paper. What you think is clear and readable might actually be a delirious clutter to your readers.
4. Take a Moment to Applaud Their Invisible Superpower
Unseen typos are a fact of life. We don’t always notice them on the second and third rounds of edits because we are not focused enough. Also, our minds are conditioned to read words correctly despite the wrong sequence or missing letters.
That’s why many books and articles undergo multiple stages of editing. There are developmental editors to check your arguments and copy editors for your grammar blunders.
5. Even the Kindergartener is Disappointed with the Proofreader
How could these two pages containing two numerical symbols and two words still have a typo? I could only imagine the kindergartener reader doing a facepalm.
The proofreader needs a refresher on the basics. Or did the publisher even hire one?
6. Anything to Get an A+ On the Next Paper
A polite greeting, perfect grammar, and two hours of proofreading a short email will make you think you’re exaggerating the email. And your professor will confirm this with their quick, effortless “ok” without a period.
But there’s nothing wrong with that. Behaving respectfully in emails is the norm if you want to be polite and have a good reputation.
7. When a Pile of School Work is Making You Lose Motivation
We’ve all done this with our school assignments. We type random, sarcastic text on items we don’t know the answer to or funny sentences we promise to delete. But the deadline is in five minutes, and there’s no more time to proofread.
You’re lucky if your professor is kind enough to take a joke. Otherwise, he’ll see you in detention.
8. I Bet You Had to Read this Meme Again
Again, our minds are conditioned to read words without errors. We can perceive words despite their sequence, the lack of letters, and the additional ones. In fact, there’s more than one error on the meme. Could you spot the two other mistakes?
9. If You Laugh, You Go to Hell
Proofreading is indeed next to godliness. Don’t make this embarrassing error, especially when writing pieces for critical settings like the church. God’s probably looking down on the writer with a disappointed look on their face.
I hope this meme inspires you never to skip proofreading because our brains’ auto-correction mode doesn’t always work.
10. Just As As What?
Another piece of writing with only a few words but a lot of mistakes. But at least it’s clear with the “I’m glad we’re friends” part!
Whether you make short greeting cards or long novels, you need a proofreader and editor for your tiny mistakes.
11. Separation of Church and State What?
Did you know that the religious scenario of Iceland during the 13th century influenced the composition of Prose Edda? And Christianity hasn’t been very nice to the country’s rich literature, mythology, and culture.
The moral of the story here is to get to know your editor and proofreader. Don’t let them twist your words!
12. The True Definition of Relationship Goals
I’m not the romantic type of person. But I have to admit this meme made me jealous. All I could think of is the money I could save when I have a partner to edit my work. Plus points if he’s an English major with a collection of books.
13. A Rule I’m Willing to Break
Even law enforcers would rather ask you to break the law on this one. The local government unit should take this as a lesson to hire a translator and proofreader next time.
14. Is It a Grammar Thing or a Politics Thing?
Another prime example of why you should hire a proofreader… or take a class on humanitarian studies.
Does anyone know if this slogan genuinely meant well? At first, it looks like a typo or grammatical mistake. Then, you notice the logo on the lower right.
15. Please Practice What You Preach
Insert Will Smith’s line from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: “He a little confused, but he got the spirit.” We get the message, but we don’t get the spelling.
16. Punctuation Saves Lives
Make sure to know proper comma placements. This punctuation mark indicates whether the noun after the verb is a direct address or a direct object.
17. Or Make Melonades
Proofreaders aren’t necessarily fruit experts. But they’re spelling and language experts who can save you from a few embarrassing moments. Get professional proofreading services to avoid all the confusion in your writing.
18. I Hope This Isn’t a Surgeon’s Washroom
Who thought placing quotation marks in this sentence was a good idea? Fake hand-washing can transmit infections, viruses, and diseases, kids. So does improper punctuation placement. And someone, please change “employee” into its plural form!
19. This is What a Writer-Proofreader Relationship Looks Like
Everyone has an inner proofreader in themselves. It doesn’t cost a lot to correct someone’s punctuation error. It’s a small act of kindness that can help the person become a better writer over time.
20. Modern Cannibalism is Scary
This slogan probably meant “People are eating in this area.” Aside from saving lives, proofreaders advocate for ending cannibalism.
A few tweaks in format, punctuation, and grammar could change this signage’s entire meaning. Unsurprisingly, more children would finally visit the area without fear.
21. This Meme Will Help Alot of Writers
Some people need a daily reminder that “alot” doesn’t exist. Either you mean “a lot” or “allot.” However, if you want a quick way to piss off an editor or proofreader, “alot” sounds acceptable enough.
22. Apostrophes and Other Punctuation Problems
Two super confusing words in the English language are “its” and “it’s.” Remember to use “its” for the possessive form of the pronoun “it.” Only use the form “it’s” with an apostrophe as a contraction for “it is.”
23. Not Graduation Year, I Guess
If you’re going to paint graffiti on your car, you might as well write and proofread it on paper first. Ask yourself, do I need a possessive pronoun or another linking verb? People will look at you in the driveway for all the wrong reasons.
24. Context Matters, Too
It’s another case of “punctuation saves lives.” This time, we find the other sentence appropriate in specific yet rare situations.
25. The Downside to Marrying a Proofreader
Have you ever met someone who pinpoints every single mistake you make? That’s exactly how it feels when married to a proofreader.
Proofreading Isn’t Easy
These images prove that proofreading and editing are no easy tasks. I hope these awkward signages and funny proofreading and editing memes inspire you to double-check your writing.
Always check your email or homework for typos, grammatical errors, and punctuation mistakes before hitting send or submitting. Otherwise, your work might end up viral on this list too!