10 GRAMMAR MISTAKES TO AVOID
- Ruddy Lyngdoh
- Jan 7
- 2 min read
Not adding “ S" to plural
Subjects:
Ignoring the “S" in plural subjects can alter the entire meaning of a sentence.
Example: "The boys are playing." If “s” is left out, the sentence becomes “The boy is playing”, which changes the subject from plural to singular.
Understanding the use of the verb “to be”
In English, the present and past progressive tenses require the Verb "to be" (in its appropriate form) followed by the gerund form of the main verb ( the - "ing” form).
Example:
Present progressive: “I am studying.” (Correct).
Past progressive: “I was studying”. (Correct). You wouldn’t say “I studying “ because it lacks the necessary form of “to be”.
The use of articles with plural subjects in English
We don’t use “a” with plural subjects .
Example : “There are students waiting outside,” not “There are a students …”
Apostrophe Misuse
A common error people make with apostrophes is confusing possessive and contraction forms.
For possessive forms, don’t use an apostrophe. For instance, "The cat is licking its paw," not "it's paw." In contractions, however, an apostrophe is necessary, like in “It's raining outside" (where “it's stands for "it is"), not "Its raining outside."
Confusing Homophones
Homophones can be confusing because they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings
Examples: “They’re going to their house,” not “there house.”
They’re (They are) refers to a contraction for “they are”.
Their is a possessive pronoun, meaning “belonging to them .”
There refers to a place or position.
Not adding proper punctuation between separate sentences
Don't join separate sentences without the right punctuation.
Example:
Incorrect: "I like to read it helps me relax."
Correct: "I like to read ; it helps me relax." Or, you could also write: “I like to read because it helps me relax."
Commas in direct address
Another common grammar mistake is forgetting commas, especially in sentences that include direct address (talking to someone directly).
Example: "Let's eat, Jane" means that someone is inviting Jane to join them in eating. "Let's eat Jane" without the comma, suggests that Jane is the item being eaten, which has a very different, and unintended meaning.
Using double negatives in sentences
Do not use double negatives in a sentence.
Example: "I don't need any help,” not “I don’t need no help.”
Omitting articles:
Articles like "a" "an", and "the" are important in English as they help clarify whether we are talking about something specific or something more general.
Example: “I have a pet dog,” not "I have pet dog.”
Incorrect word order in questions:
In English, the correct word order for yes/no questions involves placing the auxiliary verb (in this case "are") before the subject ("you").
Example: “Are you coming to birthday party ?” However, the sentence "You are coming to the birthday?" with a question mark is correct if used as a statement with a questioning tone.
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