Grammar Police: Five Common English Grammar Errors You Might Be Making
Skillful writing means more satisfying revenue streams
English, as a global language, connects millions of people worldwide. However, learning and mastering it, even as a native speaker, can be a challenging experience, especially when it comes to grammar. I feel sorry for those who have to learn it as a second language!
To improve your writing and make more money as a skilled content writer, you have to be able to identify and correct common grammar errors. Here are the top five English grammar mistakes and pro tips to help you avoid them.
Misuse of homophones
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Want a plethora of examples? Look at a few posts on any social media. on social media. Frequently misused homophones include:
Their/They’re/There
Your/You’re
Its/It’s
Remember, their indicates possession, they’re is a contraction of they are, and there refers to a location. Similarly, your shows ownership; you’re means you are, and its denotes possession (it had its merits), while it’s is a contraction of it is (it’s only fair). Got it?
Incorrect verb tenses
Using the wrong verb tense can create confusion and affect the clarity of your message. Verb tenses indicate when an action takes place. Pay attention to the following common tense errors (see what I did there—common tense? Common sense…ah, never mind.) Onward.
Simple past vs. present perfect: The simple past indicates a completed action in the past, while the present perfect refers to an action that started in the past and continues into the present. For example, “I lived in London for five years” (simple past) vs. “I have lived in London for five years” (present perfect). Writers tend to chuck the word have into every sentence. A good way to obscure your meaning.
Past simple vs. past continuous: The past simple refers to a completed action in the past, while the past continuous describes an ongoing action in the past. For example, “I was cooking dinner (past continuous) when the phone rang (past simple).”
Carefully consider the time frame and context of the action before choosing an appropriate verb tense.
Note that making every verb a gerund (an ing version) bloats your writing and loses readers. Example: “I wanted dinner” is crisp and satisfying. “I was wanting dinner.” Drags the reader and spoils the rhythm. “He walked home” vs “He was starting to walk home…”
Subject-verb agreement
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in English grammar that matches the verb form to the subject in number (singular or plural). Common subject-verb agreement errors include:
Using a singular verb with a plural subject, or vice versa: For example, “The books is on the table” (no match in number) vs. “The books are on the table” (correct).
Misidentifying the subject: Sometimes, prepositional phrases or additional words can create confusion about the subject-verb agreement. For example, “The bouquet of flowers make the room smell nice” (incorrect) vs. “The bouquet of flowers makes the room smell nice” (correct). The subject is bouquet (singular), not flowers (plural).
Identify the subject of the sentence and ensure the verb form matches its number even if there are additional words between the subject and verb.
Run-on sentences and comma splices
This one is ultra-common and really tough to learn. Pay close attention to your sentence construction. Editors will jump on this like kangaroos.
Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions. A comma splice is a run-on sentence in which a comma incorrectly tries to connect two independent clauses.
These errors can make your writing confusing and difficult to follow. Examples:
Run-on sentence: “I went to the store I bought groceries.” (incorrect)
Comma splice: “I went to the store, I bought groceries.” (incorrect)
To fix run-on sentences and comma splices, use a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) with a comma:
“I went to the store. I bought groceries.” (correct)
“I went to the store; I bought groceries.” (correct)
“I went to the store, and I bought groceries.” (correct)
A complex sentence is different. A complex sentence requires no comma because it only contains one independent clause and a dependent clause. Like this: We went to the theater (independent clause) but never saw the whole movie (dependent clause—can't stand alone as a sentence because there is no subject). That’s a complex sentence. No comma.
We went to the theater, but we never saw the whole movie. (compound sentence with two independent clause — each has a subject we — comma required).
Misuse of apostrophes
Almost every writer falls prey to misusing apostrophes—because the rules are confusing. Mainly, apostrophes show possession and form contractions. Common apostrophe errors include:
Adding an apostrophe to make a plural noun: For example, “I have three cat’s” (incorrect) vs. “I have three cats” (correct).
Omitting an apostrophe in contractions: For example, “I cant find my keys” (incorrect) vs. “I can’t find my keys” (correct).
Then there’s the possessive problem—cat’s meow if there’s only one cat—cats’ meows for more than one feline.
To avoid apostrophe errors, remember that apostrophes are used to show possession (e.g., John’s book) and to form contractions (e.g., don’t). However, they are not used to form plurals.
Mailtribune says this about the trickier possessives: “There are some acceptable variations; however, you will never be wrong if you follow three simple rules.
First, if your noun is singular, its possessive will always be on target if you add an apostrophe and an “s”: girl=girl’s; town=town’s; Jess=Jess’s; Mr. Jones=Mr. Jones’s. Some people favor adding only an apostrophe to a singular noun ending in s, like Jess, but you can't be wrong if you follow my cool rule.
If a plural noun does not end in an s, you must make it possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s: women’s; children’s.
Wait for it… the third rule is that a plural noun that does end in s needs only the apostrophe (added to the end, no additional s): animals’; shoes’; the Harrises’.”
Confused yet? Moving right along.
Putting a fine point on it
English grammar can be tricky, but understanding and avoiding these five common errors can significantly improve your writing skills and give you a certain edge in the marketplace. And who doesn’t like a honed edge?
By paying close attention to homophones, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and apostrophe usage, you will be well on your way to mastering the art of clear and effective English writing and speaking—a skill some say is vanishing in our current world.
Remember that practice makes perfect, so keep honing your skills and strive to learn from your mistakes. If you’re in doubt about a specific grammar situation, don’t just guess how it should go.
Google the sentence you’re trying to write or describe the point in question. Like this: “Possessive, Mr. Jones hat” or “What is a run-on sentence?”
The writing industry is known for a ton of competition, and you deserve every edge you can get. Try the following sites for more help.
Purdue OWL — I’d be lost without this site.
Grammar Girl —this one, by Mignon Fogarty has been around since the internet went public to consumers. She has every answer to everything grammarly.
I can’t even read social media posts anymore because people write/ spell phonetically and it drives me nuts!
My husband had an interesting query yesterday that sent me scrambling to look up the correct answer: Is it better to say “I wish he was here” or “I wish he were here.” Since “he” is singular, “was” might seem correct, but “were” sounded better to my ear. Sure enough, “were” is apparently correct because it is the subjunctive mood in English and expresses a hypothetical.