The One Writing Mistake Editors Can’t Stand—And You’re Probably Making It Right Now

I’ve been a professional writer and editor for roughly a decade now. (Yeah, I know… I, too, am shocked that people pay me a livable wage to use my English degree.)

While I started my career with a solid understanding of grammar, spelling, and punctuation, some writing mistakes were harder to catch. One in particular took me years to master, but once I did, I noticed it everywhere — especially in Taylor Swift songs.

Now, this common writing tic drives me up a wall.

Let’s see if you can spot it for yourself

In the lyrics of her song “Invisible String,” T-Swift uses this writing faux pas a total of 10 times:

• “Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park”
• “Teal was the color of your shirt when you were sixteen at the yogurt shop”
• “Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA”
• “Bold was the waitress on our three-year trip getting lunch down by the lakes”
• “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart”
• “Gold was the color of the leaves when I showed you around Centennial Park
• “Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven”
• “All along there was some invisible string tying you to me” x3

She also uses it in her song, “The Last Great American Dynasty,” when she sings, “And then it was bought by me,” (referring to her seaside home, Holiday House). And again in her song “Lover” with the line, “And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear.”

Do you know what it is yet?

It’s passive voice, and editors hate it

According to the University of Toronto, “In a passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end, introduced with the preposition ‘by.’”

• Active voice: “The chicken crossed the road.”