10 Common English Grammar Mistakes and How to Avoid Them • Englishilm

The foundation of any language, including English, is grammar. It offers a set of guidelines and frameworks that enable efficient communication. Even the most experienced English speakers, meanwhile, frequently make some basic grammar errors. In order to assist you avoid them, we will go over ten examples of these mistakes in this blog post along with comprehensive explanations and illustrations.

Table of Contents

1. Subject-Verb Agreement:

One of the most common mistakes is mismatching the subject and verb in terms of number (singular or plural). Remember that singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. For example:

Incorrect: The dogs runs in the park.
Correct: The dogs run in the park.
Incorrect: The cat chase mice in the garden.
Correct: The cat chases mice in the garden.
Incorrect: She plays piano every day.
Correct: She plays the piano every day.
Incorrect: The students study hard for their exams.
Correct: The students study hard for their exams.
Incorrect: The book on the table belong to me.
Correct: The book on the table belongs to me.

2. Misusing Apostrophes:

Apostrophes are often used incorrectly, particularly when indicating plural instead of possessive. Remember that apostrophes show possession or contraction, not plurality. For instance:

Incorrect: I have two cat’s.
Correct: I have two cats.
Incorrect: The dog’s are barking loudly.
Correct: The dogs are barking loudly.
Incorrect: I have two sister’s.
Correct: I have two sisters.
Incorrect: The boy’s room is messy.
Correct: The boys‘ room is messy.
Incorrect: It’s raining cat’s and dog’s.
Correct: It’s raining cats and dogs.

3. Run-On Sentences:

Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or coordinating conjunctions. To fix this, use appropriate punctuation or break the sentence into two separate sentences. For example:

Incorrect: I went to the store I bought groceries.
Correct: I went to the store, and I bought groceries.
Incorrect: I woke up late this morning I missed my bus.
Correct: I woke up late this morning, so I missed my bus.
Incorrect: She loves to cook delicious meals she learned from her grandmother.
Correct: She loves to cook delicious meals that she learned from her grandmother.
Incorrect: They went to the beach they enjoyed swimming in the ocean.
Correct: They went to the beach and enjoyed swimming in the ocean.
Incorrect: He finished his project early he decided to take a break.
Correct: He finished his project early, so he decided to take a break.
Incorrect: We went to the park we had a picnic under a tree.
Correct: We went to the park and had a picnic under a tree.

4. Using “Your” and “You’re” incorrectly:

Confusing the possessive pronoun “your” with the contraction “you’re” is a common mistake. “Your” shows possession, while “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” Consider the following:

Incorrect: Your going to the party tonight?
Correct: You’re going to the party tonight?
Incorrect: Your going to the store later?
Correct: You’re going to the store later?
Incorrect: You’re shoes are untied.
Correct: Your shoes are untied.
Incorrect: Your my best friend.
Correct: You’re my best friend.
Incorrect: You’re welcome to come over anytime.
Correct: You’re welcome to come over anytime.

5. Confusing “Their,” “They’re,” and “There”:

Mixing up these homophones leads to errors. “Their” indicates possession, “they’re” is a contraction of “they are,” and “there” refers to a place or location. For instance:

Incorrect: Their going to the park.
Correct: They’re going to the park.
Incorrect: There going to the party tonight.
Correct: They’re going to the party tonight.
Incorrect: Their are my favorite books.
Correct: Those books are my favorite.
Incorrect: They’re cat is very playful.
Correct: Their cat is very playful.
Incorrect: There going to be a storm tomorrow.
Correct: There’s going to be a storm tomorrow.
Incorrect: Their going on vacation next week.
Correct: They’re going on vacation next week.

6. Incorrect Word Order:

Placing words in the wrong order within a sentence can lead to confusion. Ensure that the subject comes before the verb and that adjectives precede nouns. For example:

Incorrect: She gave to me the book.
Correct: She gave me the book.

7. Misusing Articles:

Using “a,” “an,” or “the” incorrectly before nouns is another common mistake. Remember that “a” or “an” is used for non-specific nouns, while “the” is used for specific ones. Consider this example:

Incorrect: I want to buy a new shoes.
Correct: I want to buy new shoes.

8. Confusing “Its” and “It’s”:

Mistaking the possessive pronoun “its” for the contraction “it’s” is a common error. “Its” shows possession, while “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.” For instance:

Incorrect: The dog wagged it’s tail.
Correct: The dog wagged its tail.

9. Using Double Negatives:

Employing two negative words in a sentence can create confusion. Avoid using double negatives to maintain clarity. For example:

Incorrect: I don’t have no money.
Correct: I don’t have any money.

10. Using “Effect” and “Affect” incorrectly:

Interchanging “effect” and “affect” is a common mistake. Remember that “effect” is a noun, while “affect” is usually a verb. Consider the following:

Incorrect: The medicine had an affect on my headache.
Correct: The medicine had an effect on my headache.

Conclusion:

Your written and spoken communication abilities will be greatly improved if you are aware of these ten common English grammar errors and know how to prevent them. Always remember to follow these guidelines and ask for comments to help you understand them better. You will be able to communicate your ideas in English with more accuracy and self-assurance if you have a strong understanding of grammar.