21 Common Grammar Mistakes People Make Every Day
You're writing a text or email in a rush, you hit send and then you realize you used the wrong version of “they’re”/“their”/“there.” Or maybe you put in an apostrophe where you didn't need one. Whether we are native English speakers or not, we all make grammar and punctuation mistakes from time to time. We’ve rounded up some of the top grammar issues people struggle with and information on what is correct.
Ensuring that your grammar is correct is helpful in a wide variety of scenarios, from writing your family’s holiday card to communicating with your boss at work. It helps you feel confident in your dealings with others and makes it easier for people to understand what you’re saying or writing.
Keep reading to see some common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them.
Incorrectly Using “Literally”
Many people make this error in casual conversation, but it’s easy to catch. Rather than saying “I was so hungry I could have literally eaten a horse,” you’d say “I was so hungry I could have eaten a horse.” There’s no need to include the word “literally,” as the phrase you are using here is figurative.
“There” vs. “Their” vs. “They’re”
Using these words incorrectly is a very common grammatical mistake. “There” refers to a place, “their” indicates possession, and “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.” For example:
“The library is right there."
“Their daughter goes to day care every day.”
“They’re looking forward to Christmas.”
“Its” vs. ”It’s”
“Its” is possessive, while “it’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” For instance, you’d write, “The company emailed its vendors about the delay” or “It’s really hot outside.”
“Your” vs. “You’re”
Another common grammar mistake is confusing “your” and “you’re.” “Your” indicates possession, while “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” You would write, “Your dog is so cute,” as the dog is owned by the human you’re addressing. But you would write, “You’re responsible for sending the party invitations,” because what you are saying here is “You are responsible for sending the party invitations.”
“Less” vs. “Fewer”
Use “fewer” when describing countable items and “less” for uncountable ones. You should write “There are fewer kids in the classroom than there were last year,” as it would be easy to give an exact number. But you’d write, “Borrowers are spending less money and saving more,” as here you are describing something more abstract.
Overusing Apostrophes
When a word ends with “s,” people often want to place an apostrophe between the “s” and the rest of the word, but that isn’t grammatically correct unless the word is meant to be possessive. For instance, you’d write, “This restaurant has great tacos,” not “This restaurant has great taco's.”
“Affect” vs. “Effect”
Many people find it tricky to understand when to use “affect” vs. “effect.” “Affect” is typically a verb, while “effect” is usually (though not always) a noun. You would write “The conversation had a positive effect on me” or “The gloomy weather can affect my mood.”
If you’re ever uncertain, you can often use the word “impact” instead. For instance: “The conversation had a positive impact on me,” or “The gloomy weather can impact my mood.”
“Lose” vs. “Loose”
“Lose” is a verb, while “loose” is an adjective meaning “not tight.” You would write “We can’t lose any more clients this quarter” and “The doorknob is feeling a little loose.”
“Me” vs. “I”
Knowing when to use “me” rather than “I” can be confusing. Use “me” when you’re writing about something being done in relation to you and “I” when you are the one doing something. For instance, you would write “Taylor and I went to the store” rather than “Taylor and me went to the store,” as you are one of those going to the store. But you’d write, “My boss gave the task to Joey and me,” as you are the recipient of your boss’s action in that sentence.
If you’re ever unsure which word to use when you’re talking about yourself and someone else, mentally remove the other person from the sentence and see what sounds correct. For example “I went to the store” is correct; “Me went to the store” is not. “My boss gave the task to me” is correct but “My boss gave the task to I” is not.
Misplaced Modifiers
To make your writing as clear as possible, you’ll want to avoid misplaced modifiers, which means ensuring that your descriptors are placed close to the things they’re describing. For example, “She served sandwiches to the children on blue plates” could be misinterpreted as meaning the children are sitting on blue plates. A better version of this sentence would be “She served sandwiches on blue plates to the children,” as that makes it clear that the sandwiches are what are on the plates.
Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
When you’re using a singular subject, use a singular verb. Likewise, when you’re using a plural subject, use a plural verb. For example, in the sentence “the dog barks loudly,” you use “barks” because the subject, “dog,” is singular. In the sentence “The children play outside every Saturday,” you use the plural verb “play” because “children” is a plural subject.
“Farther” vs. “Further”
This can be a tricky one, as both words refer to distance. However, “farther” refers to physical distance, while “further” refers to figurative distance or degree. For instance, you’d write, “I can swim farther than you,” as that refers to a measurable distance. But you’d write, “We need to discuss this matter further,” as this refers to a metaphorical distance.
“Than” vs. “Then”
“Than” is used for comparisons, while “then” is used to indicate the passage of time. You would write, “He is taller than his sister,” as this is a comparison of heights, but “We went to the movies, then to dinner,” as this suggests an order of events.
Using “Myself” Unnecessarily
“Myself” isn’t a direct substitute for the word “me,” as it’s a reflexive pronoun, meaning that it refers back to an “I” that appears earlier in the sentence. You would say not say, “Please contact Katie or myself with any questions,” but “Please contact Katie or me with any questions.” An example of correct use of “myself” would be “I was proud of myself,” as “myself’ refers back to the earlier “I.”
Comma Splices
A comma splice is when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a conjunction or a semicolon. Instead of writing “I wanted to go for a walk, it started snowing,” you would write “I wanted to go for a walk, but it started snowing” or “I wanted to go for a walk; it started snowing.”
Double Negatives
When you use a double negative, the two negative words cancel each other out. “I don’t have no idea what’s happening” should be “I don’t have any idea what’s happening.” “He didn’t say nothing about the trip being rescheduled” should be “He didn’t say anything about the trip being rescheduled.”
Everyday vs. Every Day
“Everyday” is an adjective used to describe something common or routine, while “every day” is an adverbial phrase that means “each day.” You would write, “I wear my everyday shoes when I’m running errands since there’s no need to dress up,” but “I drink tea every day before work."
“Lie” vs. “Lay”
When these words are used as verbs, “lie” generally means to assume a horizontal resting position, while “lay“ refers to putting something onto a surface and thus requires a direct object. You would say “I’m going to lie on the couch,” but “I always lay the keys in the same place.”
Good vs. Well
Mixing these up isn’t always an egregious mistake, but the difference between them is still something to be aware of. “Good” is an adjective, meaning it modifies nouns. ”Well” is an adverb, meaning it modifies verbs. Instead of saying, “He writes good,” you should say, “He writes well.”
Incorrectly Using an Adjective Instead of an Adverb
Sometimes, people use an adjective when they should use an adverb. For instance, you might erroneously write “The machine runs smooth” whereas you should write “The machine runs smoothly.” “Smooth“ is a descriptor, while “smoothly” is an adverb that modifies the verb “runs.”
Dangling Participles
A dangling participle happens when an adjective is incorrectly placed such that it modifies the wrong noun. Rather than saying “Running down the street, my scarf blew off,” you’d say, “While I was running down the street, my scarf blew off.” The first sentence unintentionally suggests that the scarf was running down the street, while the second sentence is clearer.
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