10 Most Common Grammatical Mistakes in the United States
The English language has many unclear grammar rules. Whether you are new to high school English classes or have been writing essays for college for a while, there are a few typical blunders that might land you in trouble. Even fluent speakers can fall victim to these at times! But don’t panic; simple solutions exist for most common grammar errors.
We are aware of how important proper grammar is. Therefore, it would be wise for you to review these specifics and make sure you understand the guidelines. You can show your best qualities to your peers and professors this way!
Listed below are the ten most common grammar mistakes and tips to avoid them, something provided by services like Capstone Editing.
Then vs. than
Mixing “then” and “than” is a simple but common grammar error. Clarifying their meanings is the best method to avoid this confusion.
- The word “then” is frequently used to indicate event sequencing.
- “Than” compares two things.
You’re vs. your
This typical mistake makes a big difference! Correct sentence usage requires understanding “you’re” and “you are”. If it makes sense, use “you are” instead of “your” or “you’re”; otherwise, use “your”. This method helps determine the correctness of sentences.
There vs. their vs. they’re
The error in the sentence is due to the similar sounds of “there” and “they,” which are the inverses of “here” and “their,” respectively, suggesting a distant position and belonging to a known subject.
Its vs. It’s
The distinction between “it’s” and “its” is an apostrophe. You’ll utilize both words efficiently once you know how and when! The possessive pronoun “its” (without an apostrophe) refers to genderless things and nouns. “It’s” is shortened from “it is” or “it has.” The contraction requires an apostrophe after the “t.” Try this to decide whether to use “its” or “it’s”. Speak your statement using “it is.” Use contractions as appropriate. If not, use the possessive pronoun.
Fewer vs. less
Since they mean similar things, “fewer” and “less” may seem interchangeable. The main difference is the nouns used in both words. “Fewer” is for apples and books. “Less” is used for uncountable nouns like time and water.
i.e.” vs. “e.g.”
This is a typical college and high school essay error. For clarity, “i.e.,” and “e.g.,” are acceptable abbreviations. Despite common belief, i.e., and explication are not interchangeable. Abbreviations add information, while ‘i.e.’ reinstates it.
Subject-verb disagreement
In this situation, a single-form verb is used for a plural noun or a plural noun is used for a single-form verb.
Verb tense shifting
When discussing a topic, verbs in the same clause should utilize the same tense. Different tenses can confuse a sentence’s actions’ temporal frame.
Verb form confusion
The most prevalent verb form faults are wrong verb participle and present participle overuse. British and American English may spell verb participles differently. The US uses “learned”; the UK uses both “learned” and “learnt”. Most facts, habits, and conditions are discussed in the present simple tense.
Sentence fragments
People commonly write unfinished sentences. Grammatically erroneous phrase fragments are allowed in less formal circumstances like texting, conversations, blogs, and other conversational media. Do not utilize sentence fragments in academic or professional writing. Fragmented sentences lack a topic or primary figure of speech. Phrases and clauses can be sentence fragments.
Now that you’ve taken a step in the right direction, you can write and speak English with proper grammar.