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– 22 min read

99 most common grammar mistakes

The Writer Team

grammatical mistake in speech or writing

Does proper grammar seem daunting to you? Not sure if you should use the word “irregardless” or “regardless” in a sentence? Or how to use an infinitive verb?

The English language is finicky enough that a single missing comma can radically change the meaning of, well, everything you were trying to say:

Let’s eat friends! is more than a little creepy, while

Let’s eat, friends! sounds warm and inviting.

It’s our hope that this guide helps you avoid such blunders.

99 most common grammar mistakes in writing

One of the questions our subscribers ask most, whether they’re proofreading pros or full-time students, is how they can avoid the most common grammar mistakes. In this list, we outline some of the most common grammatical errors we’re seeing, based on millions of data points from Writer subscribers.

1. Let’s vs. Lets

Let’s not get carried away here — this one is pretty simple:

Let’s = let us. As in, let us not get carried away here…

Lets = to make something possible. This checklist lets you write better.

2. Its vs. It’s

It’s simple:

It’s = it is. As in, it’s so dang cold outside.

Its = associated with something recently mentioned. As in, the weather has a mind of its own.

3. Your vs. You’re

Your is a possessive pronoun that describes ownership of an item: your jacket is sweet!

You’re is the contraction of you are: you’re probably glad you have that jacket.

4. May vs. Might

May indicates a possibility; might indicates a hypothetical probability. I may quit my job — even though I’m good at it.

Then again, I might get fired.

5. Lay vs. Lie

Lay describes the action of placing something flat: lay down, Fido!

Lie describes the status of something resting flat: Fido likes lying (lie-ing) down.

6. Affect vs. Effect

Affect implies action: “I want to affect the world in a positive way,” said Jane. Effect describes its result. “The effects of your intention should be good,” replied her friend. Find out more about Affect vs. Effect here.

7. Too obvious?

Is this one too obvious, or not? Based on what must be billions of text-message bloopers it’s probably worth mentioning! Too refers to, well, too much of something / too many of something: “I have too much money to live in such a small house.”

It can also be used as a form of agreement: “yeah, I feel that way too.”

8. To vs. two

Two is a number (you know, this one: 2). ‘To’ is a word meant to be used in all sorts of different ways.

9. There vs. their

There refers to a location; their refers to a designation:

“See that restaurant over there?” – “Yep, that’s their favorite one!”

10. Their vs. they’re

They’re = they are:

‘They’re going to love that restaurant!’ – “Yeah, like I said it’s their fav.”

11. Loose vs. lose

Loose refers to something that’s been let out of control. While lose-ing is the opposite of winning! “Don’t be afraid to let loose. After all, what do you have to lose?”

12. Peek vs. peak

Peek means to look at something; peak refers to the top of something.

“Can I take a peek of the scenery?” – “Sure, but I heard the view’s better from the peak”

13. Peak vs. pique

We already mentioned what peak means. Just in case you were wondering, though, don’t confuse it with pique, which means ‘to stir up’ — “my interest was piqued.”

14. Compliment vs. complement

While both of these words refer to nice things, their meanings are quite different. A compliment is something nice you tell someone; complement refers to things that go well together.

Here’s a brain-bending compliment: “Your shoes complement your outfit so well!”

15. Piece of mind vs. Peace of mind

A piece of mind refers to one’s perspective or opinion: “My neighbor’s truck is so loud, it’s about time I gave him a piece of my mind!”

Whereas peace of mind refers to a mental framework: “Yeah…all that noise is really hurting my peace of mind.”

16. Literally

If you use the word literally, be sure to use it, well, literally! Watered-down words are no good for anyone.

17. To comma or not to comma

Commas are tricky little beasts. Sometimes skipping an oxford comma or two (even if using one would be grammatically correct) is actually a good call, so trust your instinct.

“Once upon a time, there was this really good writer…”

“Yeah I heard she didn’t always use commas.”

18. Semicolons

Semicolons are actually more like periods than commas. They usher in a new train of thought.

Semicolons are actually more like periods than commas; they usher in a new train of thought.

19. Semicolons + commas

Sometimes, though, semicolons are best followed up by a comma; in cases such as these, it’s totally okay to use them both!

20. Semicolons vs. commas

Many times commas work just fine by themselves, so don’t use semicolons if you don’t need to.

Many times commas work just fine by themselves; so don’t use semicolons if you don’t need to. (Doesn’t that look awkward?)

21. Parentheses and periods

Normally periods and other punctuation marks go after parentheses (normally).

22. Periods inside parentheses

The exception is if you’re writing an entire sentence within parentheses — like the example in mistake #20 above.

23. Quotation placement

“Periods, commas, question marks, exclamation points, quotations within quotations, etc. should always be placed inside quotation marks,” he explained.

24. Unless you’re outside the United States

That’s right: in most other countries, punctuation marks actually go outside quotations. Go figure.

25. Plural or singular!

It really don’t sound good if you doesn’t stay consistent with plural and singular forms…

26. Hyphens vs. dashes

A hyphen, like the one to the right, connects two or more inter-related words — a dash, like the one just to the left, connects two or more related thoughts.

27. En dash or Em dash?

An en dash is about the width of the letter “N,” and it’s meant to show a range, like 1-10.

An em dash is longer — it’s meant to facilitate those fun connections we mentioned earlier.

28. Inappropriate hyphens

In general, don’t use hyphens to connect two parts of one word. The way we spelled ‘inter-related’ up there? Yeah…that’s incorrect. Unless you’re trying to prove a point.

29. Missing dashes

On the other hand, don’t rule out the use of hyphens entirely. They can be insanely-awesomely-silly-ly useful!

30. Don’t be too negative

Actually, forget that — be positive. After all, why negate a negative when you can present a positive instead?

31. The other kind of double negative…

Ever feel like you can’t do nothing right? Maybe like you can’t spell nothing correct at all? Please, don’t ever write like this. Unless you’re authoring a Southern-twanged novel or something.

32. Dot-dot-dot

Some people like doing dots like this…

Others like this method . . .

But feel free to use whatever resonates most with you.

33. Dash spacing

And some people don’t like having spaces around their em dashes—they can get pretty particular about it. Best-selling author Tim Ferris leaves spaces around his, though — so apparently it doesn’t matter too much.

34. 50 cent(s)

This is like the mathematical version of the double-negatives we mentioned earlier. If you’re trying to denote a certain number of cents, either write out the full decimal, or list the number of cents:

50 cents, or $0.50

Don’t do both: $0.50 cents

…unless, of course, you really are talking about half of one cent…

35. The issue of marriage

In this case, marriage is only an issue if the term is used incorrectly:

“She was married with a football player.”

Saying “she was married to a football player” just sounds way better.

36. Each and every student

The term “every” almost always goes with a singular noun:

“Every student passed the test” is correct, while “every students passed the test” is not.

37. Although/but

The words although and but don’t often work well together. Try to use one of them or the other, not both!

Although it was raining, we still went outside.

It was raining, but we still went outside.

38. You and I

“Pam and me went to get some groceries” is incorrect;

“Pam and I went to get some groceries” is spot on.

39. Amount vs. number

‘Amount’ should be used for something uncountable: “a large amount of dirt.”

‘Number’ should be used for things you can quantify: “a large number of people.”

40. Fewer vs. less

‘Less’ should be used for something uncountable: “less dirt.”

‘Fewer’ should be used for things you can quantify: “fewer people.”

41. Shared possessions

If you’re sharing something, then it’s enough to use one apostrophe: This is Tim and Andy’s house.

42. That’s all well & good…

“I slept well” is correct; “I slept good” makes it sound like you need a little more sleep.

43. Or is it good & well?

If you’re describing the quality of something, however, ‘good’ can be a very good fit.

44. The police is coming!

Actually, the police are coming. Unless this is also part of that slang-infused novel you’re writing.

45. A vs. an

Do you have an idea of whether or not this sentence is grammatically correct? Hint: it is!

46. Amicable/amiable

‘Amicable’ should be used to describe pleasant meetings and such; ‘amiable’ should be used as a synonym for ‘kind.’

47. Write vs. right

This article is meant to help you write…the right way.

48. Beside/besides

“Want to sit beside me?” is more correct than “want to sit besides me?”

49. Farther/further

“Want to bike a little farther?” is more correct than “want to bike further?”

50. Can vs. may

‘Can’ implies an ability; ‘may’ implies a possibility.

51. Since/for

I’ve been in Europe for 3 weeks. I’ve been in Europe since the first. If you try swapping ‘since’ and ‘for’ in the above sentences, it just doesn’t work.

52. No one vs. anyone

“He didn’t know nobody” is incorrect; “he didn’t know anyone” is much better.

53. More smart, or smarter?

If you want to sound smarter, try to avoid talking about being “more smart” than others!

54. A lot/alot

Did you know that ‘alot’ isn’t a word? Use ‘a lot’ instead

55. Alot/Allot

Unless, of course, what you’re really trying to say is ‘allot,’ a word which means “to give or assign.”

56. Wreck vs. wreak

The wreck wreaked havoc on several of the cars involved.

57. Pore vs. pour

A pore is a small opening; a pour is what’s done to a drink!

58. Ran vs. run

“I ran fast” and “I run fast” are both correct, but they do have slightly different meanings. If you’re still pretty quick, use the ‘run’ version.

59. Suppose so?

You’re supposed to use ‘suppose’ in the above type of situation.

60. Collocations

Some words just go better together. “Due to the fact that” is one prime example. If you use collocations like these, don’t try to divide them up!

61. Got know-how?

“I know how to write.” “I’ve got business writing know-how.” While both of these sentences are grammatically correct, one is much less awkward than the other.

62. Keep tense consistent!

“I went to the grocery store and buy some eggs.” → See how improper that sounds? Make sure you keep your tense consistent, whether it’s past or present or future tense you’re talking about.

63. Unless you’re talking about something universal…

If you’re talking about a timeless truth, though, you can switch your tense up a little:

“‘The earth revolves around the sun,’ his parents explained.”

64. Seniority

“He’s senior to me” works, and so does “he’s older than me”…but don’t try to flip these around: “he’s senior than me” and “he’s older to me” are both wrong.

65. Neither/nor

‘Neither’ and ‘nor’ go great together: “She was neither stronger nor faster, but she was still a great athlete.”

66. Cardinal vs. ordinal

Cardinal numbers deal in absolutes; this is grammar mistake #66. Ordinal numbers deal with positions; this is the 66th grammar mistake listed.

67. Spell it out

Typically numbers under 10 should be spelled out, though there may be one or two valid exceptions to this rule.

68. Missing articles

Don’t forget to put the word ‘the’ before appropriate items: the book, the blog , the article, and so on.

69. One should stay consistent

If you’re speaking about another person, use consistent pronouns: “One should stay consistent when they are writing” sounds much better than “one should stay consistent when he is writing.”

70. Hard vs. hardly

“Writing is hard.” → Correct

“Writing is hardly hard when you use Writer .” → Also correct!

71. Hardly vs. hardy

“Carrots are very hardly vegetables.” → ??

“Carrots are very hardy vegetables.” → Correct.

72. First come, first served?

Though most people (i.e., restaurants) will say “first come, first serve,” what makes much more sense is “first come, first served.”

73. Shoulda woulda coulda

‘Should of,’ ‘would of,’ and ‘could of’ are actually all incorrect, though they might sound decent enough.

The proper usage, of course, is ‘should’ve,’ ‘would’ve,’ and ‘could’ve.’ These are contractions for “should have,” “would have,” and “could have.”

74. Wait, so you could or couldn’t care less?

Many people use the phrase I could care less’ to describe something they don’t really care about. If you think about it, though, what they’re trying to say is that they couldn’t care less.

75. “I” shouldn’t come last

“At the restaurant, it was just her and I” just doesn’t sound as good as “At the restaurant, it was just me and her.”

76. But “me” shouldn’t come first

The above writing mistake also has an inverse:

“Me and her went to the restaurant” just doesn’t sound as good as “her and I went to the restaurant” — but that’s not right, either. Why? Because if you take away “I,” the sentence would read “her went to the restaurant.“ The correct usage is “She and I went to the restaurant.”

77. Apostrophe calamity

The Johnson’s. The 70’s. The Jones’s…life is simpler without all these apostrophe’s!

For plurals, try the Johnsons, the 70s, and (if you’re trying to keep up with them) the Joneses instead. But if the Joneses own something, it’s the Joneses’ (see number 93).

78. Mmm, expresso

While ‘expresso’ might sound correct to some, it’s actually spelled ‘espresso.’ Just FYI.

79. A sleight of hand

That’s right: a ‘slight of hand’ is actually incorrect!

80. Forte, niche, and other mispronunciations

Forte’s pronunciation = fort .

Niche’s pronunciation = neesh .

Just don’t spell either of them that way…

81. Exact revenge!

If you must have your revenge, don’t extract it, exact it!

82. Soggy appetites

“That really wet my appetite.” → Incorrect

“That really whet my appetite.” → Correct

83. Do your due diligence

See what we did there? It’s ‘due diligence,’ not ‘do diligence.’

84. Per say

‘Per se’ is a Latin phrase meaning ‘in itself’… per say is how you pronounce it.

85. Worse comes to worst

While we’ve all heard the phrase “if worse comes to worse,” it doesn’t really make sense unless “worse” goes all the way to “worst.”

86. Chalk it up…

…don’t “chock it up.”

87. Free rein

To give “free rein” to something means to let go of control.

To give “free reign” implies kingship without effort.

88. Nip it where?

In the bud, not in the butt! For those unfamiliar, this phrase’s literal meaning refers to nipping flowers in the bud.

89. Disinterested vs. uninterested

These two terms aren’t actually synonyms. Being disinterested implies that you couldn’t care less; being uninterested means you care enough to turn your interest away.

90. Nauseous vs. nauseated

Don’t worry: almost everyone gets this one wrong. “Nauseous” technically means to be capable of making others nauseated; “nauseated” means not feeling well.

91. The impact of impactful

Is impactful a word? Contrary to what you may have heard, it is — so don’t let people tell you otherwise.

92. However vs. nevertheless

Fans of classic grammar will insist that sentences shouldn’t be started with “however,” at least not when they can be started with “nevertheless” instead. We’d say use whichever sounds better to you.

93. Too many s’s

When in doubt, drop the extra s. Arkansas’ is usually preferred over Arkansas’s, for example.

94. Run on sentences

Contrary to popular belief run-on sentences aren’t necessarily long they simply occur when commas and/or other types of punctuation are missing like this.

95. Too many commas

Using too many commas, on the other hand, isn’t good either, because it can reduce the casual flow, from word to word, that you should strive for.

96. A break from parallel

“He was studying math, science, and digital photos” might not sound that bad, but why not say, “he was studying math, science, and digital photography” instead?

97. Sentence splice

I wanted to cook a great dinner, however I was just too tired.

I wanted to cook a great dinner; however, I was just too tired.

I wanted to cook a great dinner. However, I was just too tired.

The first of these three sentences is incorrect. Why? Because it’s spliced together without the appropriate punctuation.

98. Misplaced semicolons

On the other hand; using semicolons where they’re not needed (say, in place of commas) isn’t good either.

99. Incorrect capitalization

You probably know to capitalize proper nouns and the first word of each sentence. But sometimes you also need to capitalize after a semicolon or the first word of a quote.

Christine explained, “Community is key to building a successful online business.”

7 major types of grammatical errors

Bad grammar can make a poor first impression, whether you’re writing a business email or messaging a potential date . People tend to make assumptions about your abilities based on how you communicate. If you’ve made it this far and want to learn how to write better , let’s look at some examples of bad grammar.

Verb tense errors

One of the most common grammar mistakes is using the wrong verb tense. The verb tense tells your reader when the action takes place: in the past, present, or future. When writing anything, you want to be consistent on verb tense unless there is a good reason to switch tenses.

The mistake: I drive to the store and I bought shoes.

Why it’s wrong: A verb tense shift happens when the writer changes tense in a sentence or paragraph. In this case, drive is present tense and bought is past tense.

The correction: You should change drive to drove , or change bought to buy to make the sentence correct. Be mindful of shifting tenses within a paragraph.

Subject-verb agreement

The subject of the sentence (the person or thing doing the action) and verb (the action) in a sentence must agree with each other. If the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb must be singular. If it’s plural, the verb must be plural also.

The mistake: Michael and Sue is going to the beach.

Why it’s wrong: “Michael and Sue” are plural. The auxiliary verb “is” is singular, which is a lack of agreement.

The correction: The sentence should read, “Michael and Sue are going to the beach.”

Comma splice

A common punctuation mistake is the comma splice. A comma splice happens when two separate sentences take place rather than using a period or semicolon.

The mistake: I went to Steve’s house, and ate lunch.

Why it’s wrong: Writers often use a comma splice when they connect two independent clauses with a comma rather than a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

The correction: Use commas to separate two independent clauses when they are joined by coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, for, so, yet. In the compound sentence above, “and ate lunch” doesn’t have a subject, so you don’t need to add a comma before “and”.

Small punctuation errors like this seem like a small thing, but punctuation helps guide readers through your text smoothly. You can use a punctuation checker to double check your work and correct these grammar errors in minutes.

Misplaced or dangling modifiers

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from the word it modifies or describes. A dangling modifier is a grammatical error where the modifying word is too far away from the subject of the sentence, or there is no subject.

Sentences with these mistakes often sound awkward or confusing. But don’t worry, misplaced and dangling modifiers are common writing mistakes and even trouble the experts in English grammar.

The mistake: Disappointed, the story took me forever to write.

Why it’s wrong: The modifier should be as close as possible to the thing it modifies. Since the subject of the sentence is disappointed (not the story), the sentence should have the speaker and modifier closer.

The correction: The sentence should read, “I was disappointed by how long the story took me to write.”

Overuse of adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes a verb—they often end in -ly. Writers use adverbs to give more information about the verb and make it more descriptive. Using adverbs every so often isn’t bad grammar, but too many can mean poor verb choices.

The mistake: The wedding went really bad.

Why it’s wrong: The adverb “really bad” modifies the verb “went”. While “really bad” gets the point across, does it really paint a picture for the reader?

The correction: Use a more descriptive sentence like “the wedding was a disaster” instead.

Passive voice

English grammar experts and teachers consider passive voice a bad writing habit. With the passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. It’s recommended to turn passive constructions into active voice, where the subject does the action of the verb in a sentence. Active voice can make your writing stronger and more direct.

The mistake: The car was driven by Chris.

Why it’s wrong: The last words in the sentence “by Chris” make up a preposition that tells the reader who is performing the action. Even though Chris is performing the action, he is not the subject of the sentence. You could remove him from the sentence entirely using passive voice.

The correction: The active voice construction would be “Chris drove the car”.

Sentence errors

Sentence structure mistakes are one of the most common grammatical errors. You can break down sentence errors into three categories: sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and overloaded sentences.

Sentence fragments

Sentence fragments are clauses that miss one of the following elements: a subject, a verb, a complete thought. You often miss fragments because they are no big deal in spoken grammar , aka conversation, but can make a big impact on your writing’s clarity.

The mistake: He still loved his parents. Despite everything that had happened.

Why it’s wrong: The second sentence “despite everything that had happened” has no subject or verb. You depend on the first sentence to give the second one meaning.

The correction: The complete sentence for this clause is “Despite everything that happened, he still loved his parents.”

Run-on sentences

Run-on sentences, also known as fused sentences, happen when two complete sentences are brought together without any punctuation or conjunction, such as a semicolon or period. Run-on sentences don’t have to be long to be considered grammatically incorrect.

The mistake: Yesterday was the best day ever my family and I began our ski vacation.

Why it’s wrong: There is more than one idea communicated by two independent clauses.

The correction: Yesterday was the best day ever! My family and I began our ski vacation.

Overloaded sentences

An overloaded sentence is one that squashes too much information together and, as a result, becomes hard to understand for readers.

The mistake: Youth league coaches need to understand that the education of a child is a big undertaking and should be done with care and consistency so that the child can gain maximum benefit from each training in order to set a solid foundation for any follow-up teaching.

Why it’s wrong: A good sentence focuses on one idea. The example above wanders around and takes too much mental effort before understanding the point.

The correction: Youth league coaches need to understand that the education of a child is a big undertaking. It should be done with care and consistency. That way, children can get the most from each training and set a solid foundation for any future teaching.

Related reading: An Introduction to AI Writing Software

Lowering the number of grammar mistakes in your writing

They say rules are meant to be broken — and we’d agree, as long as one is talking about the core grammar rules. Sometimes a missing comma or random sentence splice can make good writing great! So don’t be afraid to follow your intuition. If you’re having fun, chances are your reader will be, too.

(For the words that matter most, take no chances! Make sure you’re using Writer .)

Common grammar mistakes FAQ

What is a grammatical error.

A grammatical error refers to an occurrence of faulty, unconventional or controversial usage, such as a dangling modifier or possessive noun errors. Grammar errors are also called usage errors.

What are examples of grammatical errors?

Faulty sentence structures
Punctuation mistakes
Passive voice misuse
Dangling participles

How do you identify grammatical errors?

You can identify grammatical errors by using a grammar checker to find and fix errors, improve word usage, verb tense, and punctuation for English text.

What are the 10 most common grammar mistakes?

Using millions of data points from Writer subscribers, we identified 10 common grammar mistakes:

Let’s vs. lets
Its vs. it’s
Your vs. You’re
May vs. Might
Lay vs. Lie
Affect vs. Effect
There vs. their vs. they’re
Loose vs lose
Peek vs. peak

What are three most common sentence errors?

--> “A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.” -->

May Habib CEO, Writer.com

Here’s what else you should know about Ascending.

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Oxford comma: is it necessary?

Jessica Malnik

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Devon Delfino

What is grammar? Grammar definition and examples

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Writing Tips

The 10 Most Common Grammar Mistakes

9-minute read

3rd February 2023

Whether you’re learning English online or in person, you’ve likely experienced trouble with grammar at some point. As a student, it can be frustrating when your teacher highlights grammatical errors in your writing (often without indicating why they’re errors).

In this post, we’ve compiled 10 common grammar errors in English with explanations and examples to help you avoid them in your writing. Believe it or not, even native English speakers unwittingly make these mistakes! By being aware of these errors, you’ll know what to watch out for, and your writing skills will improve.

1. Subject-verb Agreement

This is a common mistake associated with grammar tenses , in which the subject doesn’t agree with the corresponding verb. Let’s consider this example:

The mayor is an example of a third-person subject (e.g., he , she , it , they ). Since this is in the present simple tense, the verb must be conjugated as signs to agree with the subject.

Subject–verb agreement errors often occur with collective nouns (e.g., family , audience , group ) and infinitive nouns (e.g., anybody , everybody , none ). Because these nouns appear to be more than one person, the writer erroneously assumes the verb shouldn’t be conjugated as the third person. You can avoid this type of error by:

● Knowing which subjects are singular and plural

● Making the verb agree with the closer subject when or, nor, either/or , or neither/nor connects two subjects

● Watching out for subject complements (don’t confuse the subject complement for the real subject of a sentence)

Additionally, make sure you’re looking at the correct subject. Look at this example:

The writing (noun) in those paragraphs (noun) is (verb) horrible.

Because paragraphs is the last noun before the verb, it can be tempting to assume it’s the subject. However, it’s actually the object of a preposition ( in ). Therefore, writing is the correct subject of this sentence.

2. Pronoun-antecedent Agreement

This occurs when a pronoun doesn’t agree with the noun it’s referring to (the antecedent).

Students and writers often don’t know which pronoun to use with animals, so they erroneously use plural pronouns, such as their, like in the above example. The straightforward rule is that singular and plural nouns must go with their respective singular and plural pronouns. An example of this error would be:

Boy is singular, and they is plural. Therefore, the correct version would be:

You can avoid this error by knowing which pronouns are singular and plural. Indefinite pronouns ( everybody , nobody , somebody , etc.) are often mistaken as plural when they’re actually considered singular. When compound antecedents are joined by and , both nouns become plural (e.g., Jack and Jill ).

You should also be careful with compound antecedents that are joined by or, nor, either/or , or neither/nor . The pronoun should agree with the closer antecedent.

Example: Neither the nurse nor the doctors like when their patients are in pain.

3. Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Run-on sentences and comma splices occur when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined. Either a comma is missing, or it needs to have a conjunction after it in a sentence. Let’s consider this example of a run-on sentence:

As you can see, the sentence is missing a comma and is difficult to read. We would add a comma and a conjunction to improve readability:

Here’s an example of a comma splice:

Again, this doesn’t read well. To correct it, you could change the comma to a semicolon or add and after it.

To avoid run-on sentences, see if two or more independent clauses communicate more than one idea. If there is more than one idea, you must add a comma. Similarly, you can solve comma splice errors by:

● Adding a conjunction

● Changing the comma to a semicolon

● Making separate sentences if necessary

4. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers add spice to sentences and descriptive speech. You can use modifiers in the form of adjectives or adverbs. For example, you can modify the word lion by adding an adjective: the fearsome lion or the powerful lion.

Modifiers need to be placed very close to the word they’re modifying. Unfortunately, writers sometimes misplace the modifiers by placing them too far away from the words they’re meant to connect with, thus changing the sentence’s meaning. Let’s consider an example of a misplaced modifier:

It’s not clear which word is being modified. Did she crawl for the day? Did she walk slowly? Had she thought about walking for an entire day but decided against it? We don’t know. However, if we move the modifier, we can change the sentence to match the writer’s intended meaning:

Now, we get it! She did walk, and she walked for nearly an entire day.

Dangling modifiers occur when something modifies a word or phrase that hasn’t been identified. Let’s take this example:

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Was the sun looking into the distance? That’s unlikely, unless it was one of those smiling cartoon suns. So, who was looking into the distance? To clarify, we should add the word being modified.

Much better! Now we know who was looking into the distance.

To avoid misplaced modifiers, you need to know the word or phrase you’re trying to modify and place the modifier very close to the intended word. With dangling modifiers, you always need to clarify what’s being modified. You can also rephrase the sentence so that it’s clear.

5. Homophone Trouble

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. They’re also often spelled similarly, which makes them easy to confuse in writing. Take your and you’re . The former is a possessive adjective, while the latter is a contraction of you are . However, it’s easy to get them mixed up. Here are a few examples of using your and you’re :

Another common homophone error is there , they’re , and their . Take these examples:

Homophone errors might not matter when speaking, but they do in writing! So, it’s vital to know the differences between the meaning of those mentioned above:

● There describes a location (i.e., the opposite of here ).

● They’re is the shortened version of they are .

● Their is the possessive form of they .

When working with homophones, take a moment to think about which word is correct by going through the different meanings of each spelling. This can be tedious at first, but with practice, it’ll become second nature.

6. Adjective and Adverb Confusion

Confusing adjectives and adverbs results in writing that comes off as very informal or uneducated. You’ll often notice this issue with words ending in “-ly.” Let’s look at these examples:

This is what the writer actually meant:

To avoid such errors, you should know which word the adjective or adverb in question modifies. If the word modified is a noun or pronoun, use an adjective. If it’s a verb, also use an adjective. And if it’s an adverb, use an adverb.

7. Overusing Adverbs

Writers tend to overuse adverbs, especially fiction authors. Adverbs are often overused to describe actions and events. Here’s an example from a work of fiction:

Because of the overabundance of adverbs, there’s more telling than showing. We could rephrase the passage with fewer adverbs to provide more kick:

See the difference? The new words carry the same meaning, but there’s more show than tell (paramount for fiction writers).

You can avoid this error by using adverbs sparingly, especially when describing actions and events. Think of different verbs that will convey the same meaning.

8. Misplaced Apostrophes

Apostrophes can indicate that something belongs to someone or something else. For example:

Writers sometimes misplace apostrophes with regular plural nouns when describing what or who they belong to. For example:

Another misplaced apostrophe error occurs with it’s and its . For example:

Remember that it’s is short for it is . So, there’s no apostrophe at the end of its when it’s being used as a possessive. You should also remember to place the apostrophe at the end of regular plural nouns.

9. Incomplete Comparisons

Comparisons compare one noun to another by using comparatives. The error occurs when a comparison is left incomplete. Take this example:

The reader will respond, “It was much hotter than when?” We need to complete the comparison in this sentence. Here’s one way:

When using comparisons, be sure to complete them. We can’t have comparisons if we don’t know who or what they’re being compared to.

10. Mixed Verb Tenses

This is a form of faulty parallelism in which there are mixed verbs within a sentence. Take this example:

This sentence is unclear because it contains a verb in the present and past. Therefore, both verbs need to be in the same tense for consistency.

To avoid this error, remember to have consistency in verb tense. Determine if your sentence is referring to the past, present, or future, and then make sure all your verbs match that.

These are just a few examples of common grammar mistakes, but there are many other mistakes that people make. Practicing writing, reading extensively, and using grammar-checking tools will help you identify and correct mistakes. With time, practice, and patience, you’ll be able to improve your grammar skills and become a more confident writer.

Common Grammar Error FAQs

1. how do i know if a sentence is grammatically incorrect.

The subject and verb must both be singular or plural to make a sentence grammatically correct. In other words, the subject and verb must agree. Check for this after writing sentences.

2. What are some common grammar mistakes in academic writing?

Comma splices as well as dangling and misplaced modifiers are common errors in academic writing . The academic world also tends to frown upon contractions in writing ( they’re , it’s , can’t , etc.), as they’re considered informal.

3. How do I fix common grammar mistakes in my writing?

After you’ve finished writing your paper, we recommend proofreading it to catch common errors. If you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, we suggest leaving it up to our team of experts! We’ll check your work for common grammar mistakes, ensure perfect spelling, and much more. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today!

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30 Common Grammar Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

Even the best writers have made grammatical mistakes in their work. Heck, even the creators of grammar rules probably committed the same errors!

English grammar rules can be confusing, so I created a list of the thirty common grammar mistakes you should avoid with examples. Consult this list when you’re self-editing to sound like a native speaker in your next writing.

Is a Typo a Grammatical Error?

A grammatical error is a mistake based on prescriptive grammar that shows unconventional or faulty usage. Some examples include a misplaced modifier or dangling modifiers.

Typographical errors are not grammatical errors because they do not show unconventional usage of English words. Instead, they are unintentional mistakes that occur when you accidentally type the wrong letter, number, or symbol on the keyboard.

You can correct typographical errors without consulting the rules of grammar. Proofreading is one way to avoid these inconsistencies.

How Do You Avoid Grammar Mistakes?

An online writing editor like Grammarly will help you catch your overlooked grammar mistakes. These online writing assistants can also check for spelling mistakes, unclear sentences, and inappropriate tone in your documents. You can learn more about Grammarly’s accuracy and reliability here.

But the best way to avoid grammar mistakes is by learning the basic grammar rules and following them. No amount of online grammar checkers will be able to polish your writing. Take online grammar classes to enhance your sentence structure and word choices.

Mastering the grammar rules also saves you money from hiring a proofreader for your work. You’ll independently analyze and improve your text without needing anyone’s assistance.

30 of the Most Common Grammatical Errors

Here’s a look at the 30 most common grammatical mistakes you should avoid if you want to sound more intelligent.

They’re vs. Their vs. There

The most common grammar mistake you should avoid is getting confused between “they’re,” “their,” and “there.” Committing this error is understandable because these words are homophones or words with the same pronunciation.

The first one is a contraction for “they are.”

Example: They’re heading to the store.

“Their” is a possessive pronoun you should use when referring to an object owned by a group.

Example: They’re heading to the store with their husbands.

“There” refers to a place you’re pointing.

Example: Their husbands are waiting over there .

Avoid this common mistake by always double-checking your sentences.

Your vs. You’re

“Your” and “you’re” are another pair of words with identical sounds but different spellings and meanings. The difference between these two terms is that one takes ownership while the other is being.

The first word, “your,” is a possessive pronoun.

Example: Your new haircut looks good on you.

“You’re” is a contraction of “you are.”

Example: You’re driving too fast.

If you’re having difficulty memorizing the two, consult advanced grammar checkers like Grammarly.

Its vs. It’s

Even the best writers get confused about this grammatical mistake. “Its” may seem like an ambiguous pronoun, but it shows an animal, event, or object taking ownership of something.

Example: This sandwich is past its expiration day.

Meanwhile, “it’s” with an apostrophe is a contraction of “it is.”

Example: It’s a beautiful day to be happy.

The key to remembering these grammar rules is to note that words with apostrophes are shortened versions of two words. It also applies to “you’re” and “they’re.”

Incomplete Comparisons

Only a few people know about this common grammar error. Can you see what’s wrong with this sentence?

Jillian looks happier and more motivated.

There are two modifiers in the comparative degrees. The first is “happier,” while the other is “more motivated.” But what makes it wrong is the lack of a noun to whom you’re comparing Jillian. Happier than who? More motivated than what?

Always be clear with the nouns you’re comparing. Otherwise, your readers will be frustrated with your text. Here’s a better example.

Jillian looks happier and more motivated than she was five months ago.

While the writer did not compare Jillian to anyone else, they compared her to her past self.

Passive Voice

Using the passive voice is not necessarily a grammatical mistake, but overuse of this sentence shows bad grammar.

Passive sentences occur when the object of the sentence starts the sentence instead of appearing at the end. The result is a weak, dull, and unclear piece of writing that doesn’t have a subject.

Any experienced writer knows the importance and benefits of active writing. Active voice construction makes you sound more engaging and professional.

A basic rule of thumb is to ensure every sentence in your paragraph is active. The only times you can use the passive voice is when it’s essential to highlight the action instead of who’s doing it.

The car was driven by her son (passive).
Her son drove the car (active).

You can use an advanced grammar checker to correct passive sentences in your text.

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers are one of the many pet peeves of editors. It’s a word, modifier, or phrase that describes a word in a sentence that is not clearly defined.

Example: Sick of all the games, their relationship finally came to an end.

Who is sick of all the games? One might assume that the “relationship” is sick of all the games because it’s the closest noun to the modifier. Here’s the correct sentence.

Sick of all the games, Mary decided to end the relationship.

“Mary” is being modified by the modifier “sick of all the games.”

It’s also much better to flip the sentence structure around.

Mary decided to end the relationship because she was sick of all the games.

Referring to a Brand or Entity as ‘They’

Calling a business or brand “they” is a sign of a bad writing habit. Although it makes sense because a company is made of several people, an entity in itself is still singular.

“He” or “she” sounds wrong when the antecedent is genderless. Use “it” instead.

Example: FedEx reports a decline in its profit due to labor shortages.

It might seem strange to refer to FedEx as “it” or “its,” but it will sound more natural once you’re used to it.

Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns typically include an apostrophe and an S. But where should you put the apostrophe?

Example:

Most of the student’s papers are missing.
Most of the students’ papers are missing.

Both statements are correct but have different meanings. In the first sentence, the apostrophe is placed before the S. It implies that there is only one student whose papers are missing. The second sentence means many students have missing papers.

Here are the general rules for using possessive nouns to avoid poor grammar:

Add an apostrophe following the letter S if the noun is plural.
Place an apostrophe before the S for a singular noun.
Add an apostrophe after the S if you have a singular noun that ends with an S.

More Common Grammar Mistakes

Overusing adverbs.

The overuse of adverbs is one of many grammar errors you should avoid in your writing. It’s a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or a fellow adverb. You should avoid using too many adverbs, no matter how useful they are. However, completely avoiding adverbs is not recommended in formal documents, including business and academic writing.

Avoiding adverbs is not recommended in formal documents, including business and academic writing. It makes the writer look lazy and messy, especially when using filler adverbs and “-ly” adverbs.

Here are some filler adverbs to avoid:

Misplacing Apostrophes

I’ve already mentioned misplacing apostrophes in possessive nouns. But there are other ways you can misplace this punctuation.

Remember that apostrophes indicate ownership or contracted words.

Can’t = Cannot.
Shouldn’t = Shouldn’t.

Always place the apostrophe where the missing letters of the contraction are. For example, it should be “can’t” instead of “ca’nt” because the missing O in “cannot” is between the N and T.

Another rule to note is that you should never use apostrophes to make a word plural.

Two vs. Too. vs. To

These three words sound the same but should be used in different contexts. “Two” is a number that comes after one.

Example: I accidentally paid two times.

“Too” shows a higher degree or an alternative to “in addition.”

Examples:

I’m too scared to try that ride.
Is he joining us too ?

“To” is a preposition that indicates direction, contact, or purpose. You are likely to find this word before an infinitive verb.

I’m going to her house this Monday.
Apply some polish to the wooden furnishings.
I want to purchase a dress for my graduation.

Here vs. Hear

“Here” and “hear” are also among the most classic grammar mistakes you might commit. The first word is a modifier that points somewhere close. It means “in, on, or at this location.”

Example: I’m here inside the mall.

“Hear” is a verb meaning the act of perceiving sounds using one’s ear.

Example: I can’t hear your voice without the microphone.

Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs

The difference between adverbs and adjectives is often confusing and can result in a poor writing style. Your text will sound uneducated and informal to your readers.

Incorrect: Thanks for the real good meal.
Correct: Thanks for the really good meal.
Better: Thanks for the good meal.

“Real” is an adjective. But you need to use its adverb form because you’re modifying the adjective “good” and not the noun “meal.”

However, “really” is a filler adverb, so it’s best to remove it altogether.

Here’s another example:

Incorrect: She rushed quick inside the room when the bell rang.
Correct: She rushed quickly inside the room when the bell rang.

Pronoun Disagreement

Sometimes, you think you have the perfect grammar until you find out you’re using the wrong pronouns. Always check if your nouns and pronouns agree with each other, as not all grammar-checking platforms detect these mistakes.

Remember that singular pronouns always use singular nouns. Plural pronouns, on the other hand, go with plural nouns.

Incorrect: Each girl must greet everyone when he comes in.
Correct: Each girl must greet everyone when she comes in.

If the antecedent is vague or gender-neutral, you can use “they.” It’s now acceptable to use this plural pronoun even if the noun you’re referring to is singular.

Example: Each person must greet everyone when they come in.

You can also use “he or she,” but it might not show inclusivity to people in the middle of the gender spectrum.

Comma Splice and Run-On Sentence

Run-on sentences combine two independent sentences or clauses without the proper conjunction or punctuation. The result is a compound sentence with an improper structure.

A comma splice is like a run-on sentence, except you’re using a comma to mix two clauses without a conjunction.

Here’s an example of an incorrect sentence structure:

Timmy is a kind little boy, he assisted the old lady when crossing the street.

There are many ways to fix this statement. First, you can separate them into two sentences.

Timmy is a kind little boy. He assisted the old lady when crossing the street.

Also, you can try replacing the comma with a semicolon. However, many style guides do not recommend using this proper punctuation to join two independent clauses.

Timmy is a kind little boy; he assisted the old lady when crossing the street.

Another solution is to add a coordinating conjunction after the comma. The coordinating conjunctions include “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”

Timmy is a kind little boy, for he assisted the old lady when crossing the street.

If you want to eliminate the comma, replace it with a subordinating conjunction.

Timmy is a kind little boy because he assisted the old lady when crossing the street.

Lack of Subject-Verb Agreement

Many grammatical errors are caused by subject-verb disagreement. This oversight happens when you use an incorrect verb tense or auxiliary verb in your sentence.

Your subjects and verb should agree with one another in number too. If the subject is singular, then so should your verb be.

Incorrect: The men is going to the basketball court.
Correct: The men are going to the basketball court.

Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is a statement that doesn’t have a complete subject or verb. It often occurs after the writer writes a related idea.

Incorrect: Looking forward to working with you.
Correct: I’m looking forward to working with you.

Many English writers fail to notice the fragments in their paragraphs because our incomplete thoughts may seem complete on their own. They think it’s enough to express an idea starting with a capital letter and ending with punctuation.

Here’s another example of an incomplete sentence and a complete sentence:

Incorrect: Because of him
Correct: Because of him, Kesha dyed her hair black.

Missing Comma in Compound Sentence

A compound sentence shows complete and connected thoughts and should always include a conjunction.

Aside from the conjunction, your compound sentence should always have a comma to separate the two ideas.

Incorrect: Megan is at school and Jane went with her.
Correct: Megan is at school, and Jane went with her.

You can also separate two sentences into two to avoid overloaded sentences.

No Clear Antecedent

An antecedent refers to a word that comes before or after a pronoun. It allows your audience to understand which word the pronoun is replacing.

Incorrect: This is so exciting.
Correct: This party is so exciting.

The pronoun “this” should have an antecedent after it. Otherwise, your readers would have no idea what you’re talking about

Sometimes, your antecedent is part of the sentence but still lacks clarity. You can avoid confusion by fixing your sentence structure.

Incorrect: Jonah’s father adopted the dog, and he was happy.
Correct: Jonah’s father was happy when he adopted the dog.

Ending a Sentence in a Preposition

I bet this grammar rule is something you’ve never heard of. Never end your sentence with prepositions. Take the first sentence of this paragraph as an example. Here’s how you can correct it:

I bet you’ve never heard of this grammar rule.

Ending your statements with prepositions shows unprofessionalism and informalism. It’s only acceptable in casual conversations and friendly types of writing.

Affect vs. Effect

The confusion between the words “affect” and “effect” isn’t a matter of misspelling as much as an error in your choice of words. Both words have very similar meanings and pronunciations, yet they are of different parts of speech.

“Affect” is a verb that means “to create a shift in or act on.”

Example: The UV rays affect the color of these sneakers.

“Effect” is a noun that refers to “result or consequence.”

Example: The changing color of these sneakers is the effect of the UV rays.

One trick to remember the difference is the acronym RAVEN.

R = Remember

A = Affect is a

E = Effect is a

Well vs. Good

Another common grammatical error you should be aware of is mixing up “good” and well.” Both have the same meaning, but “well” is an adverb and “good” is an adjective.

That means “well” should modify a verb, adjective, or a fellow adverb. Below is an example.

She’s doing well in her studies.

“Good” should modify a noun or a pronoun. Take a look at this example.

Bruno is a good dog.

One exception to this “good” vs. “well” debate is when the verb being modified is “taste.” A certain food should taste good instead of tasting well.

Fewer vs. Less

Some English speakers and writers also mix “less” and “fewer.” To remember the difference them just decide if the item is all one thing or a group of several ones. Use “fewer” for a group of many objects, and use “less” if it’s singular.

Incorrect: There’s fewer ice cream in the tub
Correct: There’s less ice cream in the tub.

Title Capitalization

Another grammar problem you should resolve in your writing is how you capitalize your titles and headings. The rule of thumb is always to capitalize the first and last words. You should also capitalize every verb, pronoun, and adjective in the title.

Longer conjunctions also require capitalization, along with long prepositions and adverbs.

Example: What I Learned About My Trip to Madrid

Inflated sentences are characterized by wordiness because of the unnecessary fillers you’re using. Make your sentence as concise as possible so that readers will understand what you say. You don’t want them to be annoyed by your pointless words.

Make sure you’re using stronger verbs and nouns, so you don’t need to add “very,” “just,” and “really.”

Incorrect: It’s come to my attention that your payment for the rent is overdue, and I urge you to settle your payment as soon as possible.
Correct: Your rent is overdue. Please settle your payment now.

Sure, the first statement sounds more polite. But it wastes a few seconds of your recipient’s time.

Too Many Prepositional Phrases

Most complete sentences contain prepositional phrases. However, excessive use makes your text wordier. Focus on simplifying your statements.

Incorrect: I went over to their house.
Correct: I visited their house.

“To their house” is a correct phrase. But it’s better to find a shorter way to say it.

Tautologies

Tautologies are phrases or expressions that say the same idea twice, making your writing longer and undesirable. English experts would also argue that tautologies make you sound foolish.

Example: I want to see him personally.

The word “personally” repeats the idea of seeing someone. It doesn’t add new information, so it’s best to cut it.

Wrong Comma Usage

You already know that two independent clauses without punctuation indicate bad grammar. But there are other ways you can misuse a comma.

Some people forget to use a comma in a series of elements before the word “and.”

Incorrect: red, orange, blue and green.
Correct: red, orange, blue, and green.

Always use a comma to separate introductory words and direct address.

At first, I thought you were rude.
Tania, you should audition.

Then vs. Than

“Then” is an adverb which means “at that time” or “after that.” “Than” is a word that shows a comparison.

She tied a string to her brother’s loose tooth and then pulled it hard.
You’re taller than me.

Further vs. Farther

Many people use “further” and “farther” interchangeably. But, there’s actually a big difference between the two.

“Farther” refers to physical distance.

Example: I traveled farther from the hills.

“Further” is for figurative distances.

Example: The business is falling further away from its aims.

Set Yourself Up for Writing Success

Whether you’re a business owner, student, or blogger, correct grammar is the hallmark of precise and professional communication.

You can improve your writing quality through simple corrections like differentiating between fewer and less or practicing subject-verb agreement. Take advantage of the list above to help you avoid common grammatical mistakes.

Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

15 Common Grammar Mistakes That Kill Your Writing Credibility

I love to write, but I’m not so crazy about grammar.

Learning about words that dangle, split, and get misplaced isn’t my idea of fun.

However, as an English major in college, I had it drilled into my head that poor grammar revealed laziness and a lack of respect for the reader.

It’s the literary form of bad manners and exposes the writer as someone who isn’t serious about the craft.

If you’re an author, particularly a self-published author, you need to do everything possible to win your readers’ hearts and minds.

When they are distracted by grammatical errors or confused by the meaning of a sentence, they aren’t likely to buy your next book — or finish the one they are reading.

As tedious as grammar may be to those of us who just want to write, it is well worth a few minutes of your time to refresh the basics and make sure you don’t fall into one of the problematic grammar traps.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

2. sentence fragments, 3. missing comma after introductory element, 4. misusing the apostrophe with “its”, 5. no comma in a compound sentence, 6. misplaced or dangling modifier, 7. vague pronoun reference, 8. wrong word usage, 9. run-on sentence, 10. superfluous commas, 11. lack of parallel structure, 12. sentence sprawl, 13. comma splice, 14. colon mistakes, 15. split infinitives.

(Side note: If you want the peace of mind that you’re publishing with good grammar and punctuation, then check out the free Grammarly proofreading tool .)

Here are 15 common grammar mistakes that can kill your credibility as a writer:

The subject and verb of a sentence must agree with one another in number, whether they are singular or plural. If the subject of the sentence is singular, its verb must also be singular; and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

red pen on top of paper with words common grammar mistakes

Incorrect: An important part of my life have been the people who stood by me.

Correct: An important part of my life has been the people who stood by me.

Incorrect: The two best things about the party was the food and the music.

Correct: The two best things about the party were the food and the music.

Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences that don’t have one independent clause. A fragment may lack a subject, a complete verb, or both. Sometimes fragments depend on the proceeding sentence to give it meaning.

Incorrect: He gave his mother an extravagant gift after the argument. In spite of everything.

Correct: In spite of everything, he gave his mother an extravagant gift after the argument.

Incorrect: The boys snuck home late that night. Then waited for the consequences.

Correct: The boys snuck home late that night, then waited for the consequences.

A comma should be used after an introductory word, phrase, or clause. Using a comma gives the reader a slight pause after an introductory element and often can help avoid confusion.

Incorrect: In case you haven’t noticed my real name doesn’t appear in the article.

Correct: In case you haven’t noticed, my real name doesn’t appear in the article.

Incorrect: Before she had time to think about it Sharon jumped into the icy pool.

Correct: Before she had time to think about it, Sharon jumped into the icy pool.

You use an apostrophe with it’s only when the word means it is or i t has. Without the apostrophe, it means belonging to it.

Incorrect: I don’t believe its finally Friday.

Correct: I don’t believe it’s (it is) finally Friday.

Incorrect: The cat was licking it’s tail.

Correct: The cat was licking its tail.

woman covering her face with a book common grammar mistakes

A comma separates two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence separated by a conjunction. The comma goes after the first clause and before the coordinating conjunction that separates the clauses.

Incorrect: The man jumped into a black sedan and he drove away before being noticed.

Correct : The man jumped into a black sedan, and he drove away before being noticed.

Incorrect: She was beautiful and she was happy and she was full of life.

Correct: She was beautiful, and she was happy, and she was full of life.

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated improperly from the word it modifies or describes. Sentences with this error can sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.

Incorrect : While walking on the sidewalk, Mary found a sparkly girl’s bracelet.

Correct: While walking on the sidewalk, Mary found a girl’s sparkly bracelet.

Incorrect: After finally setting off on the trail, the morning felt more exciting.

Correct: After finally setting off on the trail, he felt the morning was more exciting.

A pronoun can replace a noun, and its antecedent should be the person, place, or thing to which the pronoun refers. A vague pronoun reference (including words such as it, that, this, and which) can leave the reader confused about what or to whom the pronoun refers.

Incorrect: When Jonathan finally found his dog, he was so happy. (The dog or Jonathan?)

Correct: Jonathan was so happy when he finally found his dog.

Incorrect: Don felt a lot of anger and bitterness as a result of Marie’s decision. This is what ended everything. (What ended everything? Don’s anger and bitterness or Marie’s decision?)

Correct: Don felt a lot of anger and bitterness as a result of Marie’s decision. Her choice ended everything.

There are a variety of words and phrases that are commonly confused and misused in sentences. Misusing these words can change the meaning of the sentence or simply reflect carelessness on the writer’s part. There are hundreds of these commonly confused words, so when in doubt, always check the definition and correct spelling of the word.

Incorrect: She excepted his offer to drive her home.

Correct: She accepted his offer to drive her home.

Incorrect: It was a breathe of fresh air to meet someone so genuine.

Correct: It was a breath of fresh air to meet someone so genuine.

A run-on sentence occurs when you connect two main clauses with no punctuation .

Incorrect: She tried to sneak out of the house her mother saw her leaving.

Correct: She tried to sneak out of the house, but her mother saw her leaving.

Incorrect: He ran through the field as fast as he could all the while rain was soaking him to the bone.

Correct: He ran through the field as fast as he could. All the while rain was soaking him to the bone.

19 thoughts on “15 Common Grammar Mistakes That Kill Your Writing Credibility”

#10 says “it’s common writing mistake” by the way!

Yes good point. I’m going to harp on the word ‘writing’, because it brought to mind another issue. Even though the topic is about grammar, I’d like to ask anyone wants to explain one thing. Why do so many youngsters hold the writing tool, be it a pencil, pen or other in such awkward way? It makes them uncomfortable with the ergonomics. The way in which they hold the pencil (e.g.) only pretty much engages the wrist. The most ergonomically efficient way is for you to hold it so the process engages the two knuckles of the fingers and the one of the thumb. Together they enable you to roll your hand with the wrist to draw smooth flowing concentric circles w/o stopping, pausing etc. That’s the first exercise we were taught to do before starting cursive writing. Once you become adept at it you can be better at tracing, drawing, sketching and painting and so on. If you play racket/paddle sports you will likely understand that the ‘grip’ is the ‘foundation’ to hitting adeptly. Without that grip (appropriate to the specific shot/stroke) your shot execution will not be at its peak efficiency.

The last point on this page was worded incorrectly. It should say; “He wanted to improve his strength by gradually increasing the weight in each workout.

Why though? It seems fine to me. The sentence you used has a different meaning than the one in the example.

#12 correct suffers from #3. That is, unless “Unexpectedly Jason” is the guy’s name or a trademark or something. #15 correct suffers from #6. Nobody WANTS to improve their strength gradually: they want to improve their strength period, and this is done by gradually increasing the weight.

#5 contradicts #13 because although “however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless, and furthermore” are subordinating conjunctions, you can also use subordinating conjunctions with a comma to separate two independent clauses.

Look, all of the above mistakes as well as numerous other ones are what I’d like to point out.It really irks me when I hear and read stuff that’s wrong. ‘Irregardless’ is not a word. It’s either ‘regardless’ or ‘irrespective.’ How about, ‘the whole entire’? Redundancy! I heard some one the other day say ‘I don’t agree with it, although I don’t not agree with it either’. She meant to say ‘I don’t disagree with it either’. I can and would love to go on and on with this. I just don’t have the time or patience at the moment. I truly fear for our kid’s and grandkid’s lack of education when I compare it to my education. Cheers! Can you point out any mistakes here?

Yep – loads! Your first sentence as a whole is awkward – you can’t say ‘all of the above mistakes are what I’d like to point out’. You could fix this by saying ‘I’d like to point out the above mistakes, as well as numerous others.’ Although, pointing out mistakes that have just been pointed out seems redundant. Someone is one word. While it wouldn’t be acceptable in formal writing, people can say ‘I don’t not agree with it either’ to stress their evenly split opinion of something. And you’ve used apostrophes incorrectly twice in a row with ‘kid’s and grandkid’s’ unless you are specifically referring to the lack of education of your one ‘kid’ and your one ‘grandkid’.

Jane Schroeder, I believe you pointed out every mistake I inserted but one. Perhaps if you can or care to take the time, you may/might be inclined to jump on it, lol! Is it ‘may’ or ‘might’ or other in this post? Cheers!

Hmmm – the missing space between the first sentence and the next? But that is just an easy typo…. Oh, I know! ‘some one’ – should be someone. 🙂

You already pointed out that some one should be ‘someone’. Gotcha! Missing space between the first sentence and the next? No. It’s the ‘period’ (aka, full stop)between the first sentence and the next. It’s not spaced out, lol! 🙂

I hate to point out a grammatical error here, but I think it’s fair due to the nature of the article.

In #2, example 2, the work “sneak” is incorrectly used. The principal parts for sneak are technically, “sneak, sneaked, has sneaked.” Snuck is used in the jocular sense and will probably one day become official, but for now, it is incorrect.

Number 11 also needs a comma after the introductory phrase “All the while.”

Jocular sense or colloquial sense?

#2: “Sometimes fragments depend on the proceeding sentence to give it meaning.” Is this irony, or what? Not only have you got a noun-pronoun agreement error (“fragments” are plural, so you must need to give “them” meaning, not “it”, you also have an incorrect word (“the proceeding sentence” makes absolutely no sense – I suspect it should have been “the preceding sentence”). You are not a terribly good advert for your own advice…

Number 10, example #3 – Pretty sure Same should be “Sam”

Example 3: Incorrect: Sam knew immediately, what was going to happen next. Correct: Same knew immediately what was going to happen next.

Of these, I think Split Infinitive is the error that is most likely to trip me up. Split infinitives typically “feel” better to me than the correct construction. “To boldly go…” has a clear meaning to me, and feels more dynamic than “To go boldly…” Maybe it’s because I grew up watching Star Trek.

I once noticed a rather oversized billboard due to its uncommon size. I pulled off the roadway to read the whole thing. Across the top it read ‘ sex ‘ in capital (upper case/block) letters. It went on to say (read) ‘now that we have your attention, we’d like to tell you that the city you’re about to enter is climate controlled’. Hmmm! Envisioning a huge glass dome draped over a small city made me smile. I thought to myself, is this a prototype or a completed product, replete with all the necessary accoutrements? Turns out it didn’t exist. Wow! Why would they even incur the expenses for advertising it? Apparently it was a project someone was working on. Details may be forthcoming, but I’m not sure if that is a fact.

My pet peeve is the shifting of nouns into verbs. You can’t “access” information any more than you can “kangaroo” information, but the ship has sailed on that one. Two cars can have an impact, but people can’t be impacted by interesting ideas; that’s because the ideas aren’t really “impactful”. In my day, we could be affected by powerful ideas. It was less painful in a couple of ways. Then there are those who insist on telling us they are “transitioning” from one idea to another, because they thing it sounds more “impactful” than saying “changing.” Children now “transition” from elementary school to secondary school. That’s rather magical, because apparently they do so without making the transition…they’re just “transitioning” during the summer in between. And suddenly, everyone talks about “going forward” and “moving forward” instead of using “in the future” or “later”. This is a spatial reference being used to describe something that is temporal. Language changes; that is one of the wonderful things about it. But people adopt catchy new expressions uncritically, and when we use words without thinking about them we are harming ourselves intellectually.

20 Most Common Grammar Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Hannah Yang

Whether you’re writing an email, an article, or an entire book, you want to make sure your writing is free of grammatical errors.

So what are the most common grammatical errors in the English language, and how do you make sure you steer clear of them in your own writing?

To keep your writing professional and polished, you can use ProWritingAid’s grammar checker .

Read on to learn the 20 most common grammar mistakes you should look out for when you’re editing your own work.

1. Run-On Sentences

2. sentence fragments, 3. grammatical errors involving apostrophes, 4. inconsistent pronouns, 5. lack of subject–verb agreement, 6. misplaced periods, 7. dangling modifiers, 8. mixing up hyphens and dashes, 9. unnecessary commas, 10. mixing up adverbs and adjectives, 11. unclear antecedents, 12. misusing present participles, 13. mixing up i.e. and e.g., 14. mixing up “who” and “whom”, 15. mixing up “between” and “among”, 16. inconsistent verb tenses, 17. incomplete comparisons, 18. mixing up “me,” “myself,” and “i”, 19. mixing up similar words, 20. mixing up homonyms.

A run-on sentence is a sentence that contains multiple independent clauses that aren’t joined together with proper punctuation. Often, run-on sentences will use commas where there should be periods, or omit necessary conjunctions like “and” or “where.”

Incorrect: “We went to the movie theater today, we saw a comedy about two people getting into scrapes.”

There are multiple ways to fix a run-on sentence. The simplest is to break up the independent clauses into multiple smaller sentences. Alternatively, you can add conjunctions between the independent clauses to tie them together. Finally, you can replace the comma with an em-dash or a semicolon.

Correct Option #1 (replacing the comma with a period): “We went to the movie theater today. We saw a comedy about two people getting into scrapes.”

Correct Option #2 (adding a conjunction): “We went to the movie theater today, where we saw a comedy about two people getting into scrapes.”

Sentence fragments occur when you write an incomplete sentence. Every sentence in the English language needs to have a subject and a verb. Every time you omit either the subject or the verb, you create a sentence fragment, which is another common grammar mistake.

Incorrect: “She ran to her bedroom. And wept into her pillowcase.”

You can fix a sentence fragment either by attaching it to another sentence or by inserting the missing subject or verb.

Correct Option #1: “She ran to her bedroom and wept into her pillowcase.”

Correct Option #2: “She ran to her bedroom. She wept into her pillowcase.”

A common mistake is to put an apostrophe in the wrong place, or to omit one where you should have one.

Here’s a quick guide to some situations where many writers tend to misplace apostrophes.

Apostrophes with Contractions

You need an apostrophe when you create a contraction, such as “won’t,” “don’t,” or “isn’t.”

Incorrect: “He couldnt remember why he’d come here.”

Correct: “He couldn’t remember why he’d come here.”

Apostrophes with Possessives

You usually need to use an apostrophe to make a noun possessive.

Incorrect: “My mothers house is bigger than mine.”

Correct: “My mother’s house is bigger than mine.”

The exception is for the word “its.” You don’t need to use an apostrophe to make the pronoun “it” possessive.

Incorrect: “Look at that tree! It’s leaves are so red.”

Correct: “Look at that tree! Its leaves are so red.”

Apostrophes with Plurals

You should never use an apostrophe to make a noun plural. If you’re talking about a group of people or things, you don’t need an apostrophe before the “s.”

Incorrect: “My dog’s are named Missy and Woof.”

Correct: “My dogs are named Missy and Woof.”

For a more detailed guide to apostrophes, check out our article on how to use apostrophes correctly .

Make sure that your pronouns match the nouns they’re referring to. Even the most experienced writers will sometimes use the wrong pronouns, so keep an eye out for this common mistake.

Incorrect: “It’s every man for themselves out here.”

Correct: “It’s every man for himself out here.”

In every sentence, the subject and the verbs should agree in number. That means that if the sentence has only one subject, it should use a singular verb (such as “She is”). If the sentence has multiple subjects, it should use a plural verb (such as “They are”).

Incorrect: “The box full of books, which my wife brought home last week, are still sitting in the garage.”

Correct Option #1 (singular “box”): “The box full of books, which my wife brought home last week, is still sitting in the garage.”

Correct Option #2 (plural “books”): “The books, which my wife brought home last week, are still sitting in the garage.”

Subject–verb agreement rules can be hard to remember—along with all the other grammar rules. Luckily ProWritingAid’s grammar checker will show you thousands of possible grammar corrections so you don’t have to remember all the rules yourself.

Make your writing error-free with a free ProWritingAid account.

Confusion about where to put the period at the end of a sentence is common when you have quotation marks, parentheses, or some other type of punctuation at the end of the sentence.

Here’s a quick rundown on where to put the period when you’re also using other punctuation.

Periods with Quotation Marks

When you have quotation marks at the end of a sentence, the period should be placed before all closing quotation marks.

Incorrect: “She said, ‘I hate eating turnips ’. ”

Correct: “She said, ‘I hate eating turnips .’ ”

Periods with Parentheses

Periods with parentheses can be very tricky. When part of a sentence falls inside parentheses and part falls outside, the period goes outside the closing parenthesis.

Incorrect: “I’m happy with my life (at least for now .) ”

Correct: “I’m happy with my life (at least for now ). ”

On the other hand, when a whole sentence falls inside the parentheses, the period goes inside the closing parenthesis.

Incorrect: “Do you like chicken? (I’m talking about the food, not the animal ). ”

Correct: “Do you like chicken? (I’m talking about the food, not the animal .) ”

A modifier is a phrase that gives more information about a word in the sentence.

Make sure your modifiers attach to the right word. If they’re incorrectly attached, the sentence might end up being confusing or even funny.

Incorrect: “ Fluffy and well-bred, I loved playing with my new puppy.”

Correct: “I loved playing with my new puppy , which was fluffy and well-bred .”

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words together. For example, you need a hyphen to write the words “merry-go-round,” “mother-in-law,” and “sixty-four.”

Incorrect: “We want to hold a princess — themed party for our kid next year.”

Correct: “We want to hold a princess - themed party for our kid next year.”

A dash is longer than a hyphen. You use a dash to indicate a pause in a sentence, like a semicolon or a comma. For example: “We’d love to see you tonight—come over any time after eight.”

Incorrect: “I hate cats - they make me sneeze.”

Correct: “I hate cats — they make me sneeze.”

You might find yourself inserting a comma in a part of the sentence where you don’t need one. Make sure it’s a necessary comma before you use it, or else your writing will appear less polished and professional.

Incorrect: “She loves to ski , because her whole family would go on ski trips together when she was little.”

Correct: “She loves to ski because her whole family would go on ski trips together when she was little.”

Another mistake is to use an adjective when you should be using an adverb. Remember that adjectives are used to modify nouns and pronouns. You should always use an adverb, not an adjective, to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Incorrect: “He seems like a real sweet guy.”

Correct: “He seems like a really sweet guy.”

Whenever you use a pronoun, like “he,” “she,” or “they,” you should make sure the reader knows exactly which person each pronoun is referring to.

An antecedent is a word that establishes the person the pronoun refers to, such as “Tom” or “Susie” or “the girl in the red dress.” Make sure your antecedents are clear so your reader can figure out which person or subject each pronoun refers to.

Incorrect: “When Sarah finally met her long-lost sister, she was crying in a subway station.”

Correct: “Sarah was crying in a subway station when she finally met her long-lost sister.”

Often, writers will use a present participle (a verb that ends in -ing ) for an action that isn’t simultaneous to the other actions in the sentence. Misusing present participles can make your writing clunky and confuse the reader.

Incorrect: “ Unlocking the door, she walked inside and started doing her homework.”

Correct: “ After unlocking the door, she walked inside and started doing her homework.”

Many people mix up “i.e.” and “e.g.,” especially in professional settings. I often have to look up the difference! Remember that the term “i.e.” means “in other words,” while “e.g.” means “for example.”

You should use “e.g.” to provide examples of something you’ve said.

Incorrect: “Please pack all the personal belongings you’ll need on the trip, i.e. toiletries, clothing, snacks, etc.”

Correct: “Please pack all the personal belongings you’ll need on the trip, e.g. toiletries, clothing, snacks, etc.”

You should use “i.e.” to clarify something you’ve said, or to rephrase it in other words.

Incorrect: “I am a vegetarian, e.g. I don’t eat meat.”

Correct: “I am a vegetarian, i.e. I don’t eat meat.”

Many writers confuse “who” and “whom.” As a rule of thumb, “who” should be used to describe someone performing an action (“Who sent this email?”), while “whom” should be used to describe someone on the receiving end of an action (“To whom should I send this email?”)

Incorrect: “ Who do you like more?”

Correct: “ Whom do you like more?”

Always make this correction in formal writing. However, in informal settings, “who” is acceptable and even sometimes preferred.

Another common mix-up involves the words “between” and “among.”

The word “between” is used to refer to two or more things that are clearly distinct from one another.

Incorrect: “There’s an intense rivalry among these two schools.”

Correct: “There’s an intense rivalry between these two schools.”

The word “among” is used to refer to multiple things that aren’t clearly distinct because they’re part of a group of people or objects.

Incorrect: “That’s put the cat between the pigeons.”

Correct: “That’s put the cat among the pigeons.”

Inconsistent verb tenses are a common mistake for fiction writers. I can’t count the number of times I’ve written a story in past tense and accidentally slipped into present tense.

Make sure you choose a single tense and stick to it.

Incorrect: “I wake up in the morning and grabbed a bite to eat.”

Correct Option #1 (present tense): “I wake up in the morning and grab a bite to eat.”

Correct Option #2 (past tense): “I woke up in the morning and grabbed a bite to eat.”

An incomplete comparison is one that doesn’t explain what you’re comparing something against. To avoid confusing the reader, you should always complete your comparisons.

Incorrect: “I’m much happier now.”

Correct: “I’m much happier now than I was in college .”

Many writers, especially in business settings, will make the mistake of using the wrong pronouns when there are multiple subjects or objects in the sentence.

As a rule of thumb, you should always use the same pronouns you would use if you had only one subject or object.

Incorrect Option #1: “Michael and me are proud to present our new project.”

Incorrect Option #2: “Michael and myself are proud to present our new project.”

Correct: “Michael and I are proud to present our new project.”

This is because you would say “ I am proud to present my new project.” and not “ Me / Myself am proud to present my new project.”

There are many words that are easy to confuse with one another, even though they don’t sound exactly the same.

Common mistakes include “affect” vs. “effect,” “except” vs. “accept,” “lose” vs. “loose,” “assure” vs. “insure” vs. “ensure,” and “ compliment” vs. “complement .”

Here’s a quick guide to the differences between these commonly confused words.

Affect vs. Effect

“Affect” is a verb that means “to make a difference to.” For example: “The storm affected over 300 houses.”

“Effect” is a noun that means the result of an action. For example: “Taking illegal drugs can have fatal effects .”

Except vs. Accept

“Except” is a preposition that means “not including.” For example: “Everyone got a Valentine’s Day card except me.”

“Accept” is a verb that means to welcome or to consent to receive. For example: “Did you accept the payment?”

Mixing up except and accept happens often. The good thing is that ProWritingAid doesn’t only correct typical grammar errors, it’ll also highlight possibly confused words like except and accept .

Use the right words with a free ProWritingAid account.

Lose vs. Loose

“Lose” is a verb that means to fail to win, or to cease to have. For example: “Did you lose your keys again?”

“Loose” is an adjective that means not tight. For example: “My daughter has her first loose tooth.”

Assure vs. Insure vs. Ensure

“Assure” is a verb that means to guarantee or convince. For example: “My sister assured me that she would take care of it.”

“Insure” is a verb that means to arrange for compensation in the event of damage or injury. For example: “Was the house insured before the fire?”

“Ensure” is a verb that means to make sure or to make certain. For example: “Please ensure that you’ve locked all the doors.”

Compliment vs. Complement

“Compliment” is a verb or noun that means praise or admiration. For example: “Thank you for the kind compliment !”

“Complement” is a verb or noun that means a thing that completes or enhances. For example: “Those new shoes really complement your outfit.”

Homonyms are words that sound exactly the same but are spelled differently and mean different things. You should be careful to use the one that you mean.

Common mistakes include “there” vs. “their,” “to” vs. “two” vs. “too,” “then” vs. “than,” and “whether” vs. “weather.”

Here’s a quick guide to the differences between these commonly confused homonyms.

There vs. Their

“There” is an adverb that means “in that place.” For example: “Look over there !”

“Their” is a determiner that means “belonging to or associated with.” For example: “Don’t touch their food without asking them first.”

To vs. Two vs. Too

“To” is a preposition that means “approaching” or “in the direction of.” For example: “Are you on your way *to *school?”

“Two” is a number. For example: “I packed you two sandwiches.”

“Too” is an adverb that means “in addition” or “excessively.” For example: “You drink way too much caffeine!”

Then vs. Than

“Then” is an adverb that means “at that time” or “after that.” For example: “And then what happened?”

“Than” is a conjunction used in comparisons. For example: “You’re taller than your brother.”

Weather vs. Whether

“Weather” is a noun that describes the state of the atmosphere. For example: “How’s the weather today?”

“Whether” is a conjunction that expresses a choice between different options. For example: “Have you decided whether you want to ski or snowboard?”

There you have it: the 20 most common grammar mistakes in the English language.

Are there any grammar mistakes you tend to make often? Let us know in the comments.

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips from Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Alert: Proofread carefully. The reader can read only the form you present on the page to understand what you mean. When you leave typos, misspelled words, and serious sentence errors in your paper, you give the impression that you might expect the reader to "read between the lines." In academic writing, the goal is just the opposite: you want to be as clear, as precise, and as exacting as you are able. Write to minimize the possibility that the reader could misunderstand your thought.

Edit carefully: Proofread thoroughly for errors like those listed here. Reread what you have written. Read your paper aloud to someone else. If you read a sentence and have to read it again to understand it, edit the sentence so it is clear the first time through.

This part of the Website provides a quick check of common errors students make with grammar and punctuation. Although the list is not exhaustive, it does include errors you might find in your own paper. You also can use the list as a reference for comments professors might make in the margins of your graded papers.

Indefinite referents: Whenever possible, avoid using "it," "there," and "this" when no specific referent precedes these pronoun: "It is difficult to say what caused the problem" or "It is necessary to understand this argument" Other examples include "There are many reasons for adopting this policy" or "This is because nonverbal communication is ambiguous." Often these types of sentences can be reworded to avoid the use of "it," "there," or "this" and to create stronger sentences as a result: "The problem arose from unknown causes" or "Often we miscommunicate because nonverbal communication is ambiguous." If you cannot point to a specific noun in the preceding sentence (or sentences) to which one of these words refers, change the structure of your sentence. Rewriting these structures often causes you to make an effective change from passive verbs to active ones.

Shifts in person or point of view: Be consistent with the use of "you," "they," and "I." Each of these pronouns represents a different point of view. Choose one and use it all the way through your paper. Any piece of writing should be grounded in a particular point of view. That point of view can be first person, second person, or third person. The following demonstrates the same idea from each of these three points of view:

(First person: I, me, we, us) I have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because I do not think the research represents all of us. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make us wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

(Second person: you) You will have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because you cannot be sure the research findings represent you. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make you wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

(Third person: her, him, he, she, they, them) A person would have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because the research findings do not represent all individuals. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make a reader wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

Second person (you) is rarely used in academic writing. Many instructors prefer third person (her, him, he, she, they, them) because they believe third person is the most objective of the three points of view. On the other hand, some academicians prefer to have writers claim responsibility for their own ideas and interpretations; those academicians will encourage writers to use first person (I, me, we, us). If the instructor's preference is not evident, students should inquire.

Students err when they shift from one point of view to another within the same paper. Shifting the point of view can be confusing to the reader. The incorrect shift in person demonstrated here is common in student papers:

(Incorrect shift from first person to second person) I have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because you cannot presume the research represents all people. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make you wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

In this example the author moves from first person ("I have trouble") to second person ("you cannot presume"). Shifts in person should be eliminated. A good way to edit for shift in person is to read every other page of the paper. Identify on each page the point of view being used.

Such as: Examples should be introduced by "such as" rather than by "like": "Her light reading included works such as The Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity and the Principia Mathematica."

Lack of agreement: Lack of agreement means two parts of a sentence do not agree in kind. Lack of agreement in student papers occurs in a variety of ways, but two are demonstrated here:

(Noun and verb) A plural noun may not agree in number with the singular verb used (or vice versa).

Incorrect example: "The series of explanations of concepts help make the meaning clear." "Series" is singular and takes "helps," not "help."

Correct example: "The series of explanations of concepts helps make the meaning clear."

(Nouns and pronouns) A pronoun may not agree with its antecedent noun.

Incorrect example: "An argument will not be successful unless their claims have been made clear." "Argument" (the singular, antecedent noun) requires "its" (singular pronoun) rather than "their" (plural pronoun).

Correct example: "An argument will not be successful unless its claims have been made clear." Remember that "everyone" and "audience" are singular nouns that do not agree with "their." Conversely, "media" and "data" are plural nouns that do not agree with "it."

One troublesome agreement problem occurs because English has no convenient way to use a singular pronoun without indicating sex. "They" can be used in English to indicate a group of people whose sex is not named. When the writer wants to indicate an individual without attributing a sex to that person, English has no similar, singular pronoun to use. What pronoun should a writer use in this sentence? "A scholar should be aware that _?_ is consuming information created by other scholars." To fill in that question mark, writers use a variety of solutions: "he/she," "s/he," "she or he," or "she (he)." Sometimes writers use "they" even though the antecedent noun is singular: "Every theorist strives to do their best work." Students should inquire about their instructors' preferences on this issue just as graduate students and professors must inquire about journal editors' policies and standards.

Critical differences: Certain words are similar in meaning to each other but are used in slightly different ways:

"Less" and "Fewer:" "Less" and "fewer" are different. The rule is simple: if you can count it, use "fewer"; if not, use "less." Correct usage would be "fewer students" (not "less students") and "less knowledge." The parallel series moves from many to few to fewer and from much to little to less.

"Like" and "As:" Both "like" and "as" are used to indicate comparisons, but the former precedes a noun phrase while the latter is used before a verbal expression: "He drinks like a fish" and "There's no business like show business," but "The symphony ended as it had begun--in E flat major."

No such word: "Alot" is not a word (although "allot" is), and "a lot" is generally inappropriate use of informal speech in writing. "Irregardless" and "eachother," also are not words.

"Quote" and "Quotation:" "Quote" is not a noun. "Quote" is a verb. "Quotation" is a noun. "Quote" is not a short form for quotation as, for example, "memo" is for "memorandum." Writing "this quote proves my point" is inaccurate usage."

Splitting phrases. Avoid needlessly splitting infinitives and verb phrases. "He tried to walk quietly into the room" is preferred over "He tried to quietly walk into the room." "He believed that he probably would go" is preferred over "He believed that he would probably go."

"Which" and "That:" "Which" and "that" should not be used interchangeably.

"Which" is used when what follows is not crucial to the meaning of the sentence. Example: "Those gray squirrels, which you have been feeding, gnawed a hole in our roof." Example: "on the ice barrier, Byrd and his men established winter quarters, which they named Little America."

"That" is used when what follows is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Example: "The studies that have produced such results are numerous." Example: "This article is the one that changed the course of the discussion."

Hint: "That" is correct more often than "which." Also, when "which" is used, commas usually appear around the clause or phrase introduced by "which."

Sentences: Sentence errors include use of incomplete sentences (sometimes marked as "sentence fragment" or "frag"), run-on sentences, and comma splices.

Incomplete sentences. A complete sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. Students often write incomplete sentences when they begin the sentence with an adverbial, dependent clause. Example: "After Coates completed the surveys of the undergraduate participants and distributed a new set of surveys to graduate students." This example of an in complete sentence suggests the writer did not proofread slowly and carefully. Muttering the sentences aloud to yourself as you proofread is a good way to catch incomplete sentences like this one.

Run-on sentences. A run-on sentence is actually two or more sentences run together without punctuation. Example: "Dr. King's use of metaphor creates striking images that appeal to the imaginations of listeners in his audience people came from their hometowns all over the United States in hopes they might be inspired at the rally in Washington, D.C." The writer should use punctuation after "audience" and before "people." The writer could choose either a semi-colon between these two independent clauses or a period (after "audience") and a capital letter (on "people").

Comma splices. Commas splices are like run-on sentences except that the writer places a comma between the two clauses: "Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions, it is not a usable theory." Commas cannot connect two independent clauses unless a conjunction (such as "and" or "but") also is used. Usually, a semi-colon can repair a sentence with a comma splice. The example could be repaired by using a conjunction ("Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions, and it is not a usable theory"), by using a semi-colon ("Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions; it is not a usable theory"), by making the sentence into a single sentence ("Uncertainly reduction theory is not a usable theory because it has too many conditions"), or by making it into two separate sentences ("Uncertainty reduction theory has too many conditions. It is not a usable theory"). Using the semi-colon in this case might be the strongest construction because you want the writer to associate the two thoughts expressed in each of these independent clauses.

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Common English Grammar Mistakes and How to Fix Them

One of the most common challenges experienced by people who are learning english as a second language is choosing the right word for the right context..

The English language is well known for being the language of international communication in the modern world – and wherever you originate from, and whatever native tongue you speak, it’s likely that learning English will be invaluable in both your personal and professional lives. Of course, the English language frequently frustrates new learners with various grammatical hurdles and stumbling blocks.

Signing up for our courses at Oxford International English School is a great way to improve your English language skills.

Common English Grammar Mistakes 

1) present and past tense .

Present tenses in English are used to talk about the present, the future and to summarise a book, film or play when telling a story in the present tense.

There are four present tense forms in the English language.

Present Simple: I Work

Present Continuous : I am Working

Present Perfect : I have worked

Present perfect continuous : I have been working

You can use the past tense to talk about events or situations that have finished. You can also use past tense in English to talk about long-standing events and situations that have already happened in the past.

For example : When I was a young child, I lived in the countryside.

Here are some frequently used examples of verbs in past simple: are, was, were and went.

2) How To Avoid the Overuse of Adverbs

Adverbs are a varied class of words that work in many different ways to express many different kinds of meaning. 

This can make adverbs a useful word group. You should, however, avoid overusing these words to describe actions and events. 

The most commonly overused adverbs are manner adverbs, this particular type of adverb modifies the verb.

For example :

Emily Scott shook her head vigorously .

He was in a good mood now, smiling broadly as he grabbed his mug of tea.

A common issue in story writing occurs when you rely too heavily on manner adverbs in your stories.

For example:

The curtain opened quickly, and Ben came slowly into the room. He saw Emma looking flirtatiously with Jack and walked over to her aggressively. ‘Why are you here?’ he screamed angrily.

Here is the same extract with the manner verbs highlighted:

The curtain opened quickly, and Ben came slowly into the room. He saw Emma looking flirtatiously with Jack and walked over to her aggressively . ‘Why are you here?’ he screamed angrily .

The correct use of adverbs is to show not tell the reader what is happening in the story.

3) Your/You’re

These words are also troublesome homophones that cause many problems.

“ Your ” indicates a possession – and defines that something belongs to you.

“ You’re ” is short for “ You are ”.

Here is how not to use these words:

Your beautiful.

Do you know when your going?

Can I have you’re coat?

How to get it right:

You’re beautiful.

Do you know when you’re going?

Can I have your coat?

4) Misplacing Apostrophes

You find apostrophes a little tricky, but once you follow the rules, it will become easy. P utting an apostrophe in the wrong place is a common mistake.

Apostrophes indicate something belongs to something or is owned by someone else.

To show that something belongs to one person, place the apostrophe before the letter ‘S.’

For example – “ The girl’s sheep”.

To show that something belongs to more than one person, you need to place the apostrophe after the letter ‘S’.

For example – “ The girls’ sheep”.

Apostrophes are also used in contracted words such as “ Can’t” to indicate that the ‘O’ is missing from “ Cannot. ”

Apostrophes should never be used to make a word plural.

5) There / Their /They’re

You may find that these pesky homophones, a little bit of a headache.

Use “There” to refer to a place that isn’t here, for example, “Over there.”

Use “Their” to refer to how owns something – showing that something belongs to that person.

Use “They’re” is a shortened version of “They are”.

Their going to be here soon.

We should contact they’re friend.

Can we use there house?

They’re is is an argument that says.

Here is how you use these words correctly:

They’re going to be here soon.

We should contact their friend.

Can we use their house?

There is an argument that says.

6) Confusing similar spellings and words

The English language is quite rich in words which sound similar, or are spelled similarly, but which have different meanings and need to be used in different contexts.

Perhaps the most common stumbling block experienced by people who are learning English as a second language is making sure to use the right word in the right context, rather than a similar but improper one.

The only way to avoid this issue is to learn which words fit in which context, on a case-by-case basis.

Here are some words people often mix up:

“ Two,” “too,” and “to”

“Here” and “hear”

“ Your” and “you’re”

“Weather” and “whether”

7) Using incomplete comparisons

Many words in the English language imply a comparison – and using them without “completing the comparison” is a common grammatical mistake.

Here’s an example of an incomplete comparison:

“It was much hotter today.”

To make this example grammatically correct, you would need to complete this comparison. Here’s one way you could do that:

“It was much hotter today than yesterday.”

8) Getting adjectives and adverbs confused

Confusing your adjectives and adverbs often results in speech or writing that comes off as very informal, and even uneducated – and it’s a great way of infuriating many English teachers.

Often, you’ll notice this issue happening with words that end in “-ly.”

Here are a couple of grammatically incorrect examples:

“It was a real nice day today.”

“I ran quick to the bus stop.”

And here’s how these two examples would look if they were made grammatically correct:

“It was a really nice day today.”

“I ran quickly to the bus stop.”

9) Misplacing your modifiers

Language would be pretty dull without words to add a bit of extra flavour to sentences and descriptive speech.

This is exactly where modifiers come in.

With modifiers, “the tiger” can become “the fearsome tiger,” “the sunrise,” can become “the beautiful sunrise,” and so on.

The issue is that these modifiers need to be placed very close to the word they’re modifying, or else the meaning falls apart.

“Misplacing your modifiers” means that you are putting these modifiers too far away from the terms they are meant to be modifying, in your sentence.

The result is confusion.

In fact, misplaced modifiers can even completely change the meaning of your sentence in unintended ways.

Here’s an example of a misplaced modifier:

“He almost walked for the entire day.”

And here’s how this example would read with the modifier in the right place:

“He walked for almost the entire day.”

In the example with the misplaced modifier, it is not clear if he “crawled”, “ran slowly”, or simply “thought about walking” for the entire day.

In the correct example, the meaning is clear.

10) Falling into pronoun disagreement

A common grammatical mistake for English learners is for their pronouns and nouns to disagree, when dealing with singular and plural examples.

The straightforward rule is that singular pronouns must go with singular nouns, and plural pronouns must go with plural nouns.

So, for example:

“Every boy must sign in when they arrive” is incorrect. “Boy” is singular, and “they” is plural.

The correct phrasing here would be:

“Every boy must sign in when he arrives.”

Grammar and punctuation are essential in the English language and gaining confidence in how to avoid any grammatical errors is a valuable part of your learning journey. 

You should practice developing your grammar daily; it will help you to become a confident writer with a firm grasp on the English language.

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50 Common Grammar Mistakes in English

Below are some of the most common English mistakes made by ESL students , in speech and in writing. Go through the examples and make sure you understand the corrections. Then try the grammar test at the end to check your progress.

Test your understanding of this English lesson

7 Common Errors in Writing + How to Fix Them (With Examples)

Yona Schnitzer

We’ve all made errors in our writing — from simple spelling and grammar mistakes to larger structural issues. While we’ll likely make mistakes again (we’re human, after all!), the good news is that we can learn to spot them and keep our writing as polished as possible.

But to do that, we have to identify them first.

That’s where I come in. As a professional writer, I’ve made — and corrected — plenty of writing mistakes over the years.

In this blog post, I share seven common errors in writing and explain how to fix them using handy before-and-after examples.

What are the different types of writing errors?

Writing errors can be divided into several categories, including:

Spelling errors: These occur when words are misspelled — e.g., “bisness” instead of “business.”
Grammar errors : These are mistakes in sentence form or structure, such as writing an incomplete sentence like “Because of the snow.”
Punctuation errors: These involve using punctuation incorrectly or not using it at all — like writing “Let’s eat Dad” instead of “Let’s eat, Dad.”
Structure errors: These occur when the ideas in a piece of writing are unclear, not well-organized, or repetitive.
Style errors: These happen when a writer doesn’t follow language and style rules — e.g., using passive instead of active voice.

7 common errors in writing (and how to fix them)

Now that you understand the categories of writing mistakes, we can look at specific examples. Below, I cover seven common errors and how to fix them.

1. Run-on sentences

A run-on sentence is a grammatical error that occurs when two independent clauses (complete thoughts) aren’t properly joined. This kind of sentence makes it difficult to see where one idea ends and the other begins .

Two common types of run-on sentences are fused sentences and comma splices.

Fused sentences

A fused sentence joins two independent clauses without using a punctuation mark or coordinating conjunction (e.g., “and” or “but”), as seen below:

❌ Kel loves orange soda it’s his favorite drink.

You’d correct this sentence by inserting a semicolon between the two complete thoughts:

✅ Kel loves orange soda ; it’s his favorite drink.

Another option is to use a period to divide the clauses into two sentences:

✅ Kel loves orange soda . It’s his favorite drink.

Comma splices

A comma splice uses a comma between two independent clauses but forgets the necessary coordinating conjunction .

For example:

❌ Margaret went to Lenox Mall , she bought a new dress.

To correct this sentence, simply add a conjunction after the comma.

✅ Margaret went to Lenox Mall, and she bought a new dress.

2. Passive voice

Passive voice occurs when the receiver of the action (object) becomes the focus of the sentence rather than the one performing the action (subject).

Passive voice:

The decision was made by the jury.

Here, the focus is on the decision being made (object) instead of the jury making the decision (subject). As a result, the reader spends more time processing who is doing what .

To rewrite this sentence in active voice , put the subject at the front of the sentence. That way, the jury becomes the focus and performs the action, as shown here:

Active voice:

The jury made the decision.

This sentence is easier to understand because it follows a straightforward structure: subject (“the jury”) + action (“made”) + receiver of the action (“the decision”).

3. Subject-verb disagreement

Subject-verb agreement means that a singular subject (one person, place, or thing) takes a singular verb , and a plural subject (two or more people, places, and things) takes a plural verb .

For example, in the sentence “ Nancy eats popcorn,” “Nancy” is a singular subject, and “eats” is a singular verb.

Meanwhile, “ Nancy and Rodney eat popcorn” pairs a plural verb (“eat”) with a plural subject (“Nancy and Rodney”).

Notice that when you use a third-person singular subject (e.g., “Nancy,” “he,” “she,” and “it”) in the present tense (the tense for action happening now), you add an “s” at the end of the verb .

Ignoring this rule results in subject-verb disagreement, meaning the subject and its verb don’t match.

For example:

❌ Nancy eat buttered popcorn.

✅ Nancy eats buttered popcorn.

That said, you don’t add an “s” to the end of the verb when using the subjects “I” (singular), “we” (plural), and “they” (plural), as this would also lead to subject-verb disagreement.

❌ I eats buttered popcorn.

❌ We eats buttered popcorn.

❌ They eats buttered popcorn.

To correct the error, simply remove the “s” from the end of “prefer” for these subjects:

✅ I eat buttered popcorn.

✅ We eat buttered popcorn.

✅ They eat buttered popcorn.

AI tip: Wordtune’s Editor can identify subject-verb disagreement and offer suggestions on how to correct it.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

4. Incorrect word choice

Many writers confuse one word for another or misuse words in their work. This often happens with homophones — words that sound the same but have different meanings or spellings, such as “weather” and “whether.”

❌ The whether is lovely today.

The word “whether” means a choice between alternatives or indicates uncertainty. However, in this sentence, it’s used like the homophone “weather,” which refers to the state of or changes in the air or atmosphere (e.g., sun, rain, etc.)

Therefore, the word “weather” is the correct choice for this sentence:

✅ The weather is lovely today.

Now, let’s reverse the context:

❌ I don’t know weather I should read a book or watch a movie.

The word “weather” is incorrect here because the sentence focuses on the speaker’s inability to choose between two options: read a book or watch a movie.

Therefore, you’d use “whether”:

✅ I don’t know whether I should read a book or watch a movie.

Pro tip: The best way to avoid incorrect word choice is to use a memory device. For example, you could remember that “we a ther” refers to the “ a ir” or “ a tmosphere” because all three words contain the letter “ a .”

5. Vague pronouns

A vague pronoun is a pronoun (e.g., “he,” “she,” or “it”) with more than one antecedent (the person, place, or thing that a pronoun refers to). Using vague pronouns confuses readers because they don’t know who or what you’re referencing.

For instance, this sentence about Mitchell and Mike (antecedents) doesn’t clarify who the pronoun “he” refers to:

❌ Mitchell and Mike went to the football game after he finished work. (Who finished work, Mitchell or Mike?)

To fix this issue, you could restate the subject (for instance, “Mike”) so readers know who you’re talking about:

✅ Mitchell and Mike went to the football game after Mike finished work.

A less redundant option would be to rewrite the sentence so the pronoun (“he”) is closer to the subject it replaces (“Mike”):

✅ After Mike finished work, he and Mitchell went to the football game.

6. Dangling modifiers

A modifier is a word, such as an adjective, or phrase that describes another part of the sentence .

For example, in the sentence “Lex is an English professor,” the word “English” modifies the word “professor.” Additionally, in the sentence “After watching TV, Hunter went to sleep,” the phrase “After watching TV” modifies the word “Hunter.”

However, when a modifier describes the wrong thing because the intended subject isn’t in the right place, you get a dangling modifier.

❌ While standing in the freezing outdoors , thoughts of hot chocolate consumed Louise .

In this sentence, the phrase “while standing in the freezing outdoors” modifies “thoughts of hot chocolate.” However, that’s incorrect because “thoughts of hot chocolate” don’t stand outdoors.

Instead, “While standing in the freezing outdoors” is supposed to modify the person having the thoughts — the intended subject, Louise.

To correct this error, place the subject being modified immediately after the modifying phrase :

✅ While standing in the freezing outdoors , Louise was consumed with thoughts of hot chocolate.

Now, the modifier describes what it intended to all along: the person thinking about hot chocolate, not the thoughts themselves.

7. Missing or misplaced apostrophes

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that forms a contraction (e.g., turning “you are” into “you’re”). It’s also used to indicate ownership . For instance, the apostrophe in the sentence “Lily’s cell phone went off in class” shows that Lily owns the phone.

Writers often forget to include apostrophes, or they use them in the wrong place.

The following sentence is an example of a missing apostrophe :

❌ Its hot outside.

This example uses a possessive pronoun (its), but the context of the sentence doesn’t indicate ownership. Instead, the sentence is trying to say that “it is” hot outside.

Therefore, we need to add an apostrophe to create a contraction for “it is”:

✅ It ’ s hot outside.

As for misplaced apostrophes , writers often make this error when dealing with plural possessive nouns. These nouns indicate that something belongs to more than one person — e.g., “the teachers’ lounge” belongs to more than one teacher.

❌ Lane heard laughter coming from the girl ’ s locker room.

Here, the apostrophe is misplaced because the locker room doesn’t belong to only one girl (singular noun). It belongs to a group of girls (plural noun).

So, we’d correct the sentence by adding an apostrophe after the letter “s” to make “girls” a plural possessive noun:

✅ Lane heard laughter coming from the girls ’ locker room.

Common writing errors include run-on sentences, passive voice, subject-verb disagreement, incorrect word choice, and dangling modifiers. Many writers make these mistakes, and the first step in correcting them is knowing what they are and when they happen.

By using the information and tips in this guide, you can better understand these errors and how to fix them in your writing.

For even more actionable advice on improving your work, read our guides on writing better sentences and making your writing flow smoothly .

What are grammar errors in writing?

Grammar errors in writing are mistakes writers make when constructing sentences. These mistakes include subject-verb disagreement (e.g., “I eats” instead of “I eat”), run-on sentences (e.g., “Lisa was thirsty she drank three water bottles”), and inconsistent verb tense (e.g., shifting from past to present tense).

What are common errors in writing essays?

Common errors in writing essays are grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. These include using dangling modifiers, spelling words incorrectly, and forgetting to use an apostrophe to form a contraction (e.g., writing “its” for “it is” instead of “it’s”). Essays may also feature structural errors, such as disorganized sections or redundant arguments.

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Twelve Common Errors

Download this Handout PDF

This list includes only brief examples and explanations intended for you to use as reminders while you are editing your papers. If you would like to learn more, consider the following options:

Take one of the free grammar, style, and punctuation classes offered by the Writing Center.
Set up an appointment for an individual conference in the Writing Center.
Confer with your course instructor.
Consult a handbook for additional examples and complete explanations

1. Sentence fragments

Make sure each word group you have punctuated as a sentence contains a grammatically complete and independent thought that can stand alone as an acceptable sentence.

Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

[2nd sentence = fragment]

Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the cloth contains the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption. Although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.

Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption, although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.

2. Sentence sprawl

Too many equally weighted phrases and clauses produce tiresome sentences.

The hearing was planned for Monday, December 2, but not all of the witnesses could be available, so it was rescheduled for the following Friday, and then all the witnesses could attend.

[There are no grammatical errors here, but the sprawling sentence does not communicate clearly and concisely.]

The hearing, which had been planned for Monday, December 2, was rescheduled for the following Friday so that all witnesses would be able to attend.

3. Misplaced and dangling modifiers

Place modifiers near the words they describe; be sure the modified words actually appear in the sentence.

Not sure what a modifier is? Check our our FAQ.

When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research.

When writing a proposal, a scholar sets an original task for research.

Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried.

Still unsure? For more explanation and examples, see our grammar and style FAQ.

4. Faulty parallelism

Be sure you use grammatically equal sentence elements to express two or more matching ideas or items in a series.

The candidate’s goals include winning the election, a national health program, and the educational system.

The candidate’s goals include winning the election, enacting a national health program, and improving the educational system.

Some critics are not so much opposed to capital punishment as postponing it for so long.

Some critics are not so much opposed to capital punishment as they are to postponing it for so long.

5. Unclear pronoun reference

All pronouns must clearly refer to definite referents [nouns].

Use it, they, this, that, these, those, and which carefully to prevent confusion.

Einstein was a brilliant mathematician. This is how he was able to explain the universe.

Einstein, who was a brilliant mathematician, used his ability with numbers to explain the universe.

Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, he sometimes neglects it.

Because of his interest in economic development, Senator Martin sometimes neglects the environment.

6. Incorrect pronoun case

Determine whether the pronoun is being used as a subject, or an object, or a possessive in the sentence, and select the pronoun form to match.

Castro’s communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between he and President Kennedy.

Castro’s communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between him and President Kennedy.

Because strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than them to judicial reinterpretation.

Because strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than they [do] to judicial reinterpretation.

7. Omitted commas

Use commas to signal nonrestrictive or nonessential material, to prevent confusion, and to indicate relationships among ideas and sentence parts.

When it comes to eating people differ in their tastes.

When it comes to eating, people differ in their tastes.

The Huns who were Mongolian invaded Gaul in 451.

The Huns, who were Mongolian, invaded Gaul in 451.

[“Who were Mongolian” adds information but does not change the core meaning of the sentence because Huns were a Mongolian people; this material is therefore nonrestrictive or nonessential.]

For more information on commas see Commas: Punctuating Restrictive and Non-restrictive Modifiers and Punctuating Coordinating Conjunctions and Sentence Adverbs , or take one of the free grammar, style, and punctuation workshops offered by the Writing Center.

8. Superfluous commas

Unnecessary commas make sentences difficult to read.

Field trips are required, in several courses, such as, botany and geology.

Field trips are required in several courses, such as botany and geology.

The term, “scientific illiteracy,” has become almost a cliche, in educational circles.

The term “scientific illiteracy” has become almost a cliche in educational circles.

9. Comma splices

Do not link two independent clauses with a comma (unless you also use a coordinating conjunction: and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet ).

Instead use a period or semicolon, or rewrite the sentence.

Comma splice:

In 1952 Japan’s gross national product was one third that of France, by the late 1970s it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.

In 1952 Japan’s gross national product was one third that of France. By the late 1970s it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.

Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed, however half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.

Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed; however, half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.

10. Apostrophe Errors

Apostrophes indicate possession for nouns ( “Jim’s hat,” “several years’ work” ) but not for personal pronouns (its, your, their, and whose).

Apostrophes also indicate omissions in contractions ( “it’s” = “it is” ).

In general, they are not used to indicate plurals.

In the current conflict its uncertain who’s borders their contesting.

In the current conflict it is [it’s] uncertain whose borders they are [they’re] contesting.

The Aztecs ritual’s of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.

The Aztecs’ rituals of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.

11. Words easily confused

“Effect” is most often a noun (the effect), and “affect” is almost always a verb.

Other pairs commonly confused: “lead”/”led” and “accept”/”except.”

Check a glossary of usage to find the right choice.

The recession had a negative affect on sales.

The recession had a negative effect on sales. (or) The recession affected sales negatively.

The laboratory instructor chose not to offer detailed advise.

The laboratory instructor chose not to offer detailed advice.

12. Misspellings

Spelling errors are usually perceived as a reflection of the writer’s careless attitude toward the whole project.

Don’t allow your hard work to be marred in this way!

In addition to comprehensive dictionaries, you may want to use electronic spell checks, spelling dictionaries, and lists of frequently misspelled words found in handbooks.

Grammar and Punctuation

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Using Dashes

Using Commas

Using Semicolons

Using Coordinating Conjunctions

Using Conjunctive Adverbs

Subject-Verb Agreement

Using Gender–Neutral Pronouns in Academic Writing

How to Proofread

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

Clear, Concise Sentences

Top 20 Errors in Undergraduate Writing

Main navigation.

The Top Twenty: A Quick Guide to Troubleshooting Your Writing

Readers judge your writing by your control of certain conventions, which may change depending on your audience, purpose, and writing situation. For example, your instructor may or may not mark errors in your paper if he’s more concerned with its argument or structure than he is with sentence-level correctness; he could also decide an error is not serious. Some instructors may even see the errors listed below as stylistic options. However, a large-scale study by Andrea Lunsford and Karen Lunsford (2008) found that these errors are the most likely to attract readers’ negative attention. Before handing in your papers, proofread them carefully for these errors, which are illustrated below in the sentences in italics.

THE TOP TWENTY

1. wrong word.

Wrong word errors take a number of forms. They may convey a slightly different meaning than you intend ( compose instead of comprise ) or a completely wrong meaning ( prevaricate instead of procrastinate ). They may also be as simple as a wrong preposition or other type of wrong word in an idiom.

Use your thesaurus and spell checker with care. If you select a word from a thesaurus without knowing its precise meaning or allow a spell checker to correct spelling automatically, you may make wrong-word errors. If prepositions and idioms are tricky for you, look up the standard usage.

Here are a couple of wrong word examples:

Did you catch my illusion to the Bible?

Illusion means “an erroneous perception of reality.” In the context of this sentence, allusion was needed because it means "reference.”

Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene is a magnificent sixteenth-century allergy.

A spell checker replaced allegory with allergy.

2. Missing Comma after an Introductory Element

Use a comma after every introductory element—whether word, phrase or clause—to clarify where it ends and the rest of the sentence begins. When the introductory element is very short, you can skip the comma, but including it is never wrong.

Without a comma after the introductory element, it’s hard to see the location of the subject (“they”) in this sentence:

Determined to make their flight on time they rose at dawn.

3. Incomplete or Missing Documentation

Documentation practices vary from discipline to discipline. But in academic and research writing, it’s a good idea to always cite your sources: omitting documentation can result in charges of plagiarism.

The examples below follow MLA style. In this example, the page number of the print source for this quotation must be included.

The Social Media Bible defines social media as the “activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media.”

And here, the source mentioned should be identified because it makes a specific, arguable claim:

According to one source, it costs almost twice an employee’s salary to recruit and train a replacement.

Cite each source you refer to in the text, following the guidelines of the documentation style you are using.

4. Vague Pronoun Reference

A pronoun (e.g., he, this, it) should refer clearly to the noun it replaces (called the antecedent). If more than one word could be the antecedent, or if no specific antecedent is present, edit to make the meaning clear.

In this sentence, it possibly refers to more than one word:

If you put this handout in your binder, it may remind you of important tutoring strategies .

In some pronoun usage, the reference is implied but not stated. Here, for example, you might wonder what which refers to:

The authoritarian school changed its cell phone policy, which many students resisted.

To improve this sentence, the writer needs to make explicit what students resisted.

5. Spelling

Even though technology now reviews much of our spelling for us, one of the top 20 most common errors is a spelling error. That’s because spell checkers cannot identify many misspellings, and are most likely to miss homonyms (e.g., presence/presents), compound words incorrectly spelled as separate words, and proper nouns, particularly names. After you run the spell checker, proofread carefully for errors such as these:

Vladmir Putin is the controversial leader of Russia.

Every where she walked, she was reminded of him.

6. Mechanical Error with a Quotation

When we quote other writers, we bring their voices into our arguments. Quotation marks crucially show where their words end and our own begin.

Quotation marks come in pairs; don’t forget to open and close your quotations. In most documentation styles (e.g., MLA Style), block quotations do not need quotations marks. Consult your professor’s preferred style manual to learn how to present block quotations.

Follow conventions when using quotation marks with other punctuation. Here, the comma should be placed inside the quotation marks:

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction", Virginia Woolf argues.

7. Unnecessary Comma

We often have a choice about whether or not to use a comma. But if we add them to our sentences when and where they are not needed, then we may obscure rather than clarify our meaning.

Do not use commas to set off restrictive elements that are necessary to the meaning of the words they modify. Here, for example, no comma is needed to set off the restrictive phrase of working parents , which is necessary to indicate which parents the sentence is talking about.

Many children, of working parents, walk home from school by themselves.

Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) when the conjunction does not join parts of a compound sentence. In this example, no comma is needed before the word and because it joins two phrases that modify the same verb, applies.

This social scourge can be seen in urban centers, and in rural outposts.

Do not use a comma before the first or after the last item in a series.

The students asked their TAs to review, the assignment rubric, a sample paper and their comments, before the end of the quarter.

Do not use a comma between a subject and verb.

Happily, the waiters, sat down during a break.

Do not use a comma between a verb and its object or complement.

On her way home from work, she bought, a book at the bookstore.

Do not use a comma between a preposition and its object.

On her way home from work, she bought a book at, the bookstore.

8. Unnecessary or Missing Capitalization

Capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives, the first words of sentences, and important words in titles, along with certain words indicating directions and family relationships. Do not capitalize most other words. When in doubt, check a dictionary.

Financial Aid is a pressing concern for many University Students.

9. Missing Word

If you read your work outloud before submittingit, you are more likely to notice omitted words. Be particularly careful not to omit words from quotations.

Soccer fans the globe rejoiced when the striker scored the second goal.

10. Faulty Sentence Structure

If a sentence starts out with one kind of structure and then changes to another kind, it will confuse readers.

The information that families have access to is what financial aid is available and thinking about the classes available, and how to register.

Maintain the grammatical pattern within a sentence. Each sentence must have a subject and a verb, and the subjects and predicates must make sense together. In the example above, thinking about the classes available does not help the reader understand the information families have access to. Parallel structures can help your reader see the relationships among your ideas. Here’s the sentence revised:

Families have access to information about financial aid, class availability, and registration.

11. Missing Comma with a Nonrestrictive Element

A nonrestrictive phrase or clause provides additional information that is not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence. Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive element.

David who loved to read history was the first to head to the British Library.

The clause who loved to read history does not affect the basic meaning of the sentence. The clause could be taken out and the reader would still understand that David was the first to head to the British Library.

12. Unnecessary Shift in Verb Tense

Verbs that shift from one tense to another with no clear reason can confuse readers.

Martin searched for a great horned owl. He takes photographs of all the birds he sights.

13. Missing Comma in a Compound Sentence

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. When the clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), use a comma before the conjunction to indicate a pause between the two thoughts.

Miranda drove her brother and her mother waited at home.

Without the comma, a reader may think at first that Miranda drove both her brother and her mother.

14. Unnecessary or Missing Apostrophe (including its/it's)

To make a noun possessive, add either an apostrophe and an s (Ed's phone) or an apostrophe alone (the girls’ bathroom). Do not use an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns ours, yours, and hers. Use its to mean belong to it; use it's only when you mean it is or it has.

Repeated viral infections compromise doctors immune systems.

The chef lifted the skillet off it’s hook. Its a fourteen-inch, copper skillet.

15. Fused (run-on) Sentence

A fused sentence (also called a run-on) joins clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence with no punctuation or words to link them. Fused sentences must be either divided into separate sentences or joined by adding words or punctuation.

The house was flooded with light, the moon rose above the horizon.

He wondered what the decision meant he thought about it all night.

16. Comma Splice

A comma splice occurs when only a comma separates clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence. To correct a comma splice, you can insert a semicolon or period, connect the clauses with a word such as and/or/because, or restructure the sentence.

The students rushed the field, they tore down the goalposts.

17. Lack of pronoun/antecedent agreement

Pronouns typically must agree with their antecedents in gender (male or female, if appropriate) and in number (singular or plural). Many indefinite pronouns, such as everyone and each, are always singular. However, they can be used to agree with a singular antecedent in order to use inclusive or gender-neutral language. When antecedents are joined by or or nor, the pronoun must agree with the closer antecedent. A collection noun such as team can be either singular or plural, depending on whether the members are seen as a group or individuals.

Every guest left their shoes at the door.

18. Poorly Integrated Quotation

Quotations should be logically and smoothly integrated with the writing around them, the grammar of the quotation complementing the grammar of the neighboring prose. They usually need to be introduced (with a signal phrase) rather than dropped abruptly into the writing.

An award-winning 2009 study of friendship "understanding social networks allows us to understand how indeed, in the case of humans, the whole comes to be greater than the sum of its parts" (Christakis and Fowler 26).

"Social networks are intricate things of beauty" (Christakis and Fowler xiii). Maintaining close friendships is good for your health.

19. Missing or Unnecessary Hyphen

A compound adjective requires a hyphen when it modifies a noun that follows it.

This article describes eighteenth century theater.

A two-word verb should not be hyphenated.

The dealers want to buy-back the computers and refurbish them.

20. Sentence Fragment

A sentence fragment is part of a sentence that is presented as if it were a complete sentence. The following illustrate the ways sentence fragments can be created:

Without a subject

The American colonists resisted British taxation. And started the American Revolution.

No complete verb

The pink geranium blooming in its pot.

Beginning with a subordinating word

We visited the park. Where we threw the Frisbee.

These 20 most common errors can be avoided in your writing if you reserve time to proofread your final draft before submission.

Works Cited

Lunsford, Andrea A. and Karen J. Lunsford. “Mistakes are a Fact of Life: A National Comparative Study.” CCC 59 (2008) 781-806.

What Is a Grammatical Error?

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

Maica / Getty Images

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

Grammatical error is a term used in prescriptive grammar to describe an instance of faulty, unconventional, or controversial usage, such as a misplaced modifier or an inappropriate verb tense . Also called a usage error . Compare grammatical error with correctness.

It's also known as: error, usage error, grammar error or mistake, bad grammar

Grammatical errors are usually distinguished from (though sometimes confused with) factual errors, logical fallacies , misspellings , typographical errors , and faulty punctuation .

Interestingly, many people tend to view usage errors primarily as gaffes or potential sources of embarrassment, not as impediments to effective communication. According to an ad for an "amazing book" on usage, "Mistakes in English can cause you embarrassment, hold you back socially and on the job. It can make you look awkward and hide your true intellect." (Note that in the ad's second sentence, the singular pronoun it has no clear referent. Many English teachers would regard this as a grammatical error—specifically, a case of faulty pronoun reference .)

Examples and Observations

In "Correct English," J. T. Baker says "The expression 'grammatical error' sounds, and is, in a sense, paradoxical, for the reason that a form cannot be grammatical and erroneous at the same time. One would not say musical discord ... Because of the apparent contradiction of terms, the form grammatical error should be avoided and 'error in construction,' or 'error in English,' etc., be used in its stead. Of course one should never say, 'good grammar' or 'bad grammar.'"

“We believe, as do most linguists, that native speakers do not make mistakes,” per Peter Trudgill and Lars-Gunnar Andersson, who were quoted in "Errors in Language Learning and Use."

Garner on Grammatical Errors

"If descriptivists believe that any linguistic evidence validates usage, then we must not be descriptivists. Hardly anyone wants to be a nonjudgmental collector of evidence. It’s far more interesting and valuable to assemble the evidence and then to draw conclusions from it. Judgments. Rulings. To the extent that 'the masses' want such reasoning—as one could only wish—it’s because they want to use language effectively," says Bryan A. Garner in his New York Times article, "Which Language Rules to Flout. Or Flaunt?"

In "Garner's Modern American Usage," Garner notes "Because grammatical may mean either (1) 'relating to grammar' [grammatical subject] or (2) 'consistent with grammar' [a grammatical sentence], there is nothing wrong with the age-old phrase grammatical error (sense 1). It's as acceptable as the phrases criminal lawyer and logical fallacy ."

Grammar and Usage

"Usage is a concept that embraces many aspects of and attitudes toward language. Grammar is certainly only a small part of what goes to make up usage, though some people use one term for the other, as when they label what is really a controversial point of usage a grammatical error," according to "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary."

Error Analysis

"Error analysis, as a descriptive rather than a prescriptive approach to error, provides a methodology for determining why a student makes a particular grammatical error and has been a potentially valuable borrowing from this field [research in second-language acquisition], one that could have altered the prescriptive drilling of standard forms which still comprises much of basic writing texts. Unfortunately, however, error analysis in the composition classroom has generally served to simply keep the focus on error," says Eleanor Kutz in "Between Students' Language and Academic Discourse."

The Lighter Side of Grammatical Error

Here's some dialog from the 18th episode of The Simpson's 12th season, the "Trilogy of the Error."

First mobster : Hey. They's throwin' robots. Linguo : They are throwing robots. Second mobster : It's disrespecting us. Shut up a'you face. Linguo : Shut up your face. Second mobster : Whatsa matta you? First mobster : You ain't so big. Second mobster : Me an' him are gonna whack you in the labonza. Linguo : Mmmm...Aah! Bad grammar overload. Error. Error. [Linguo explodes]

Baker, Josephine Turck, editor. Response to a letter. Correct English , 1 Mar. 1901, p. 113.

Garner, Bryan A. Garner's Modern American Usage . 3rd ed, Oxford University Press, 2009.

Garner, Bryan A. "Which Language Rules to Flout. Or Flaunt?" The New York Times , 27 Sept., 2012.

Kutz, Eleanor. "Between Students' Language and Academic Discourse: Interlanguage as Middle Ground." Negotiating Academic Literacies , edited by Vivian Zamel and Ruth Spack. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1998.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed, 2003.

"Trilogy of Error." The Simpsons , written by Matt Selman, directed by Mike B. Anderson, 20th Century Fox, 2001.

Trudgill, Peter and Lars-Gunnar Andersson. 1990, quoted by Carl James in Errors in Language Learning and Use . Addison Wesley Longman, 1998.

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