The 10 Most Common Mistakes in English

English can be really tricky because there are so many rules and exceptions to remember.

Even people who grew up speaking English can have a hard time getting everything right.

Whether you’re still learning English or just want to get better at it, knowing about the most common mistakes can really help you communicate better.

I will show you the top ten errors that people make when using English, and it will give you examples and tips to help you avoid making those mistakes.

Misuse of Apostrophes

Apostrophes are small but mighty punctuation marks that often cause confusion.

Their misuse is one of the most common errors in written English.

The two primary functions of apostrophes are:

a) To show possession

b) To indicate contractions

Possessive apostrophes: For singular nouns, add ‘s:

The dog’s bone
Sarah’s book

For plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s:

The dogs’ bones
The students’ assignments

For plural nouns not ending in s, add ‘s:

The children’s toys
The women’s rights

Contractions:

It’s = It is / It has
You’re = You are
They’re = They are

Common mistakes:

Using an apostrophe to form plurals: DVD’s (incorrect) vs. DVDs (correct)
Confusing its (possessive) with it’s (contraction of “it is” or “it has”)
Misplacing the apostrophe in years: 1990’s (incorrect) vs. 1990s (correct)

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Always check if you’re indicating possession or a contraction when using an apostrophe.
Remember that “its” is like “his” or “her” – possessive pronouns don’t use apostrophes.
Never use an apostrophe to form a simple plural.

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in English grammar, yet it’s often overlooked.

The principle is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Examples of correct agreement:

The dog barks. (singular subject, singular verb)
The dogs bark. (plural subject, plural verb)

Common mistakes occur with:

a) Compound subjects:

Incorrect: John and Mary is going to the party.

Correct: John and Mary are going to the party.

b) Indefinite pronouns:

Incorrect: Everyone have their own opinion.

Correct: Everyone has their own opinion.

c) Subjects separated from verbs:

Incorrect: The list of items are on the table.

Correct: The list of items is on the table.

d) Collective nouns:

Incorrect: The team are playing well.

Correct: The team is playing well. (In American English; British English may use plural verbs with collective nouns)

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Identify the true subject of the sentence, especially in complex sentences.
Be cautious with indefinite pronouns (everyone, somebody, neither).
Remember that subjects don’t appear in prepositional phrases.

Comma Splices

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma.

This is considered a major punctuation error in formal writing.

Incorrect:

It’s raining today, I’ll stay home.

Correct options:

It’s raining today. I’ll stay home. (Two separate sentences)
It’s raining today, so I’ll stay home. (Joining with a conjunction)
It’s raining today; I’ll stay home. (Using a semicolon)

To fix a comma splice, you can:

a) Separate the clauses into two sentences

b) Join the clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so)

c) Use a semicolon instead of a comma

d) Make one clause dependent by adding a subordinating conjunction

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Recognize independent clauses: they can stand alone as complete sentences.
Use the FANBOYS acronym to remember coordinating conjunctions (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
When in doubt, make two separate sentences.

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers are words or phrases that provide additional information about a subject.

When placed incorrectly, they can create confusion or unintentionally humorous sentences.

Misplaced modifier:

Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees were beautiful.

Correct: Walking down the street, I saw beautiful trees.

In the incorrect version, it sounds like the trees were walking down the street.

Dangling modifier:

Incorrect: Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.

Correct: Having finished the assignment, I turned on the TV.

The first sentence suggests that the TV finished the assignment.

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Place modifiers as close as possible to the word or phrase they’re modifying.
Ensure the subject being modified is clearly stated in the sentence.
Rewrite the sentence if the modifier seems awkward or unclear.

Incorrect Use of Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

Confusing these words is a common source of errors in writing.

Some frequently confused homophones:

Their/There/They’re

Their: possessive pronoun

There: indicating location

They’re: contraction of “they are”

Your/You’re

Your: possessive pronoun

You’re: contraction of “you are”

To/Too/Two

To: preposition indicating direction or recipient

Too: also, or excessively Two: the number 2

Accept/Except

Accept: to receive or agree to

Except: excluding or other than

Affect/Effect

Affect: usually a verb meaning to influence

Effect: usually a noun meaning result or consequence

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Learn the specific meanings of commonly confused homophones.
Use context clues to determine the correct word.
When in doubt, look up the word or try substituting its definition in the sentence.

Run-on Sentences

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are improperly connected.

Unlike comma splices, run-on sentences might not have any punctuation between clauses.

Incorrect: I love cooking I make dinner every night.

Correct options:

I love cooking. I make dinner every night.
I love cooking, so I make dinner every night.
I love cooking; I make dinner every night.
Because I love cooking, I make dinner every night.

Run-on sentences can be fixed using the same methods as comma splices:

a) Separating into individual sentences

b) Using coordinating conjunctions

c) Using semicolons

d) Making one clause dependent

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Identify the independent clauses in your sentences.
Ensure proper punctuation or conjunctions between independent clauses.
Break long, complex thoughts into multiple sentences when necessary.

Inconsistent Verb Tenses

Maintaining consistent verb tenses throughout a piece of writing is crucial for clarity.

Shifting tenses unnecessarily can confuse readers and disrupt the flow of your text.

Incorrect: Yesterday, I go to the store and bought some groceries. Then I will cook dinner.

Correct: Yesterday, I went to the store and bought some groceries. Then I cooked dinner.

While it’s sometimes necessary to shift tenses (e.g., when discussing past and present events), these shifts should be logical and clear.

Acceptable tense shift: I have always enjoyed reading (present perfect), but yesterday I decided (simple past) to try writing my own story.

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Establish the primary timeframe of your writing and stick to it.
Use verb tense shifts intentionally and sparingly.
Review your writing specifically for verb tense consistency.

Incorrect Pronoun Usage

Pronouns replace nouns in sentences but using them incorrectly can lead to ambiguity or grammatical errors.

Common pronoun mistakes include:

a) Pronoun-antecedent disagreement:

Incorrect: Each student must bring their own lunch.

Correct: Each student must bring his or her own lunch. (formal)

Alternative: All students must bring their own lunches. (less formal, more inclusive)

b) Unclear antecedents:

Unclear: John and Bill were arguing, and he stormed out of the room.

Clear: John and Bill were arguing, and Bill stormed out of the room.

c) Incorrect case:

Incorrect: Me and him went to the store.

Correct: He and I went to the store.

d) Who vs. Whom:

“Who” is used for the subject of a clause, while “whom” is used for the object.

Who wrote this book? (subject)

To whom should I address this letter? (object)

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Ensure pronouns agree in number with their antecedents.
Check that the antecedent for each pronoun is clear.
Use “who” for subjects and “whom” for objects.
For “I” vs. “me,” remove the other person from the sentence to check which sounds correct.

Faulty Parallelism

Parallel structure is about using the same grammatical form for similar elements in a sentence or list.

Faulty parallelism occurs when this consistency is broken.

Incorrect: I enjoy running, swimming, and to ride my bike.

Correct: I enjoy running, swimming, and riding my bike.

Parallelism is particularly important in:

Lists
Comparisons
Correlative conjunctions (not only/but also, either/or, neither/nor)

Incorrect: The job requires a candidate who is fluent in Spanish, can type quickly, and have excellent interpersonal skills.

Correct: The job requires a candidate who is fluent in Spanish, can type quickly, and has excellent interpersonal skills.

Tips to avoid this mistake:

When listing items, use the same grammatical structure for each element.
In comparisons, ensure that the things being compared are in the same form.
With correlative conjunctions, make sure the elements following each part of the pair are parallel.

Overuse of Passive Voice

While not grammatically incorrect, overusing passive voice can make writing unclear, wordy, and less engaging.

Active voice generally creates more direct and vigorous prose.

Passive: The ball was thrown by John. Active: John threw the ball.

Passive voice is appropriate in some situations:

When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant
In scientific writing, where the focus is on the process or results rather than the researcher
To deliberately create a sense of distance or objectivity

However, in most cases, active voice is preferable.

Tips to avoid this mistake:

Identify the subject (doer) and the action in your sentence.
Place the subject before the verb when possible.
Look for forms of “to be” (is, was, were, etc.) followed by past participles, as these often indicate passive voice.
Use passive voice intentionally and sparingly.

Conclusion

Learning how to overcome the tricky parts of English can really help you get better at writing and talking.

Just remember, language is like a tool for talking to others, so make sure you’re getting your point across clearly. And don’t worry too much about messing up – it’s more important to share your thoughts!

Practicing regularly, reading a lot, and asking for feedback are great ways to get better at English. You can use grammar-checking tools to help, but don’t depend on them completely – it’s important to understand the rules yourself.

Also, remember that language is always changing, so what’s right now might not be right later.

10 Common English Grammar Mistakes and How to Fix Them

The 10 Most Common Mistakes in English