It’s 11:00 at night. You’ve just submitted your book. You’ve gone to sleep and then, suddenly, it’s 2:00 a.m. and you’re wide awake, “what’s wrong with the yearbook?”
Hundreds of pictures, hundreds of names, thousands of words. Is it all right? Is someone in the wrong class? Did I spell something wrong?
It’s a common fear and a common condition. The middle of the night sweats thinking that something you have put your heart and soul into for the past few months is flawed. And who will find that flaw?
So, let’s do all we can during the design and proofing phase to avoid this.
Here is a breakdown of some of the more common yearbook typos/errors that we’ve come across:
1. “The Principal is your pal.” We learned this in grade school. The correct spelling for the leader of your school is Principal, not Principle. Capitalized when it’s used as their title, lower case “p” when referring to the title, not the person. “Principal Smith is the principal of our school”.
Learn this. Memorize it. Teach it to your yearbook staff, students, and children. Trust me when I tell you that it will save you a huge embarrassment.
2. It / It’s / Its – “It” is a thing. This is really simple. Just remember that “it’s” is used to replace the words “it is”. It is a nice school can be written “It’s a nice school”. If you want to say “it has been a nice day”, then you don’t need the apostrophe “its been a nice day”. There are more advanced rules for this conjugation, but this will likely work for you most of the time.
3. They’re / There / Their – A common error. Just remember one little phrase: “They’re leaving their yearbooks over there.”
4. Apostrophe s / s apostrophe – Remember that an apostrophe indicates possession: “This is Principal Smith’s school”. If this was a school owned by Principal Davis (name ends in S) then it would be Principal Davis’ school or Principal Davis’s school. Either form is acceptable. Just please, oh please, make sure that you use it the same way consistently throughout the book: Mr. Jones’ Class, Mrs. Weeks’ Class or Mr. Jones’s Class, Mrs. Weeks’s Class.
5. I and Me. This is one of the most common grammatical errors. Remember to use “I” if you are the subject of the sentence: “I love school”. Use “me” when you are the object of the sentence: “This school loves me”. There’s a simple tool to help you remember it: break down the sentence.
Would you say “John and I are going to the bus?” or “John and me are going to the bus?” Which makes more sense: “I am going to the bus” or “Me is going to the bus”? Since I am the subject of the sentence, then “John and I are going to the bus.”
Of course, you should refer to a grammar website or book for more detailed explanations for the correct use of each of the above items, but these practical guidelines should help you avoid some of the most common flaws.