It’s time for my weekly 5 Minute Grammar Rant. Bias or biased is an error I come across a lot in my college composition classes and in blogs I read. It drives me nuts, honestly.
Bias? or Biased?
Here’s the deal. BIAS is a noun. BIASED is an adjective.
A person should never be described as BIAS because ADJECTIVES describe nouns.
It’s proper English to talk about BIASED PEOPLE. A person can BE biased or HAVE a bias. For instance:
- I am a biased mom and think my kids are the cutest kids on earth.
- I have a BIAS and think my kids are the cutest kids on the earth. OR
- I am BIASED – my kids are the cutest kids on earth.
It’s NOT proper to say –
- I am bias – my kids are the cutest kids on the earth.
It’s simple! Just remember AM BIASED or HAVE A BIAS. That’s all there is to it. 🙂
More grammar posts you may like:
Your welcome or You’re welcome?
How to make the word PEOPLE possessive
Should have gone or Should have went?
If you’re looking for helpful grammar resources, here are my top picks:
Strunk & White Elements of Style
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Bonolo
Sunday 2nd of April 2017
Hi Michelle
Sparky
Saturday 14th of March 2015
Hi michelle.actually I am a limited speaker..I have been learing english for a year..anyway I just see your thread and understand what the difference between bias and biased! But I also have seen a word such as bias (vt)..and I am confused..you was like"just remember am biased and have a bias"but how does it work when it comes to bias (vt)
Vince
Friday 20th of November 2015
Bias (vt) means to create a bias in the object of the verb. For example: "If we administer our political survey only to people with facial piercings, it might bias the results." In this example, the survey results would be biased / have a bias.
Kevin
Saturday 17th of January 2015
This is going to be a tough one... The example is: The judge was biased but he was unbias in his adjudication. Many, including Google and many autocorrects, do not observe unbias as a word. In my view when you take an action you are acting in an unbias manner and when you have a belief you are unbiased or biased. the -ed signifies a past relationship with the belief. Thoughts?
Alex Dizon
Monday 24th of January 2022
@Kevin, if bias is a verb or a noun, it does not appear correct to add the prefix un ( unbias) to make it an adjective.
Michelle Marine
Sunday 18th of January 2015
Hi Kevin, definitely add the -ed and make it unbiased. :-)
Wayne Fairley
Tuesday 25th of November 2014
An irritating error very common nowadays is the use of "loose"instead of "lose". Well worth a post.
Regards
jai
Monday 13th of January 2014
Love your 5 minute lessons!!! I learn so much! Since I ignored my teachers in English class when it came to the grammar part. Just give me a story!! My biggest pet peeve is anyway vs. anyways. ARGH!
Michelle Marine
Monday 13th of January 2014
:-) I learned most when I started teaching college classes!!!