Good writing has to be free from types of grammatical errors. But have you ever felt confused about ensuring your writing is grammatically correct? Knowing the 6 most common grammar mistakes will help you to avoid errors.
1. Subject Verb Agreement Errors
In a sentence, the subject and verb must agree with one another in number, whether they are singular or plural. So, if the subject of a sentence is singular, then the verb must be singular, and the same goes for the plural.
Example:
Incorrect: My two favorite things at school was the book and the classes.
Correct: My two favorite things at school were the book and the classes.
2. Its vs It’s
Is it confusing for you when to use “its” and when to use “it’s”? In fact, both have different meanings. It is only when the term means “it is” or “it has” that you need to add the apostrophe (it’s). Without the apostrophe, though, it conveys the idea of ownership.
Example:
Incorrect: I can’t believe its your cat. I like it’s color.
Correct: I can’t believe it’s (it is) your cat. I like its color
3. Affect vs Effect
It is standard practice to interchange the meanings of the terms “affect” and “effect” when constructing a statement. To “affect” something implies “to impact the mind or influence the emotion of” or “to act on; generate a change in.” The word “effect” refers to an outcome or a consequence.
However, many confusing words can lead you to misuse them, which can change the meaning of a sentence. So, if you are in doubt, always try to check the definition and correct spelling of the word.
Example:
Incorrect: The song effected his mood. It could be an affect of his love of jazz music.
Correct: The song affected his mood. It could be an effect of his love of jazz music.
4. Who vs Whom
Other confusing words with their own rules to follow are “who” and “whom”. You will need to use “who” to describe someone performing an action, while “whom” should be used to describe the receiver of an action.
Example:
Incorrect: Whom will send the card? And to who should it be?
Correct: Who will send the card? And to whom should it be?
5. Misuse of “Me”, “Myself”, and “I”
Wrong pronouns are very common for many writers. The rule you need to follow is always to use the same pronouns you would use if you had only one subject or object.
Example:
Incorrect: My friend and me are going to the party
Incorrect: My friend and myself are going to the party
Correct: My friend and I are going to the party
You might wonder why, and it is because you would say “I am going to the party” instead of “Me/Myself am going to the party.
6. Overuse of Adverbs
Adverbs are the kind of words that often end in -ly and modify verbs. Using too many adverbs can be an indicator of weak verb choices. To avoid this mistake, you have to know more vocabulary, so you don’t have to use too many adverbs in your writing.
Example:
Incorrect: She ran really fast to school
Correct: She sprinted to school
In the example above, the adverb “really fast” modifies the verb “ran”. Instead of adding adverbs in many of your sentences, try to enhance them by using a verb like “sprinted”.
Above all, it is essential to understand grammar and punctuation in learning the English language. So, if you want to be more confident about your English skill by improving your grammatical proficiency, try to take a course!
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