What are the most common grammar mistakes and how can I avoid them?

Question

I often find myself making small grammar mistakes when writing essays and emails. Some common issues I face include misplaced commas, subject-verb agreement, and incorrect word usage. What are the most frequent grammar mistakes that people make, and what strategies or resources can help me avoid them? Are there any good grammar-checking tools or exercises that can help reinforce correct usage? Any advice would be greatly appreciated basketball stars

This question invites detailed responses and useful grammar tips. Let me know if you want a different angle!

Answer 1

Some common grammar slip-ups are mixing its and it’s, confusing their, there, and they’re, and messing up subject-verb agreement. For example, saying “The dog lost it’s collar” instead of “The dog lost its collar.” Or, “They is happy” instead of “They are happy.”

To avoid these, slow down and double-check your work. Reading out loud helps spot errors you might miss. Use simple tricks like remembering they’re = they are or it’s = it is. And don’t be shy to use grammar apps, but trust your own eyes too. The more you read and write, the easier it gets!

Answer 2

I’ve spent the last years working one-on-one with high school and undergraduate, and graduate college students to improve their writing. When I tutor, I start by flagging the two most common issues: run-on sentences and comma splices. I’ll often hear a student read aloud, “I finished my report, it took all night,” and together we’ll pause, diagram the two independent clauses. We work on how to fix them; whether to join them with a conjunction (“and”), a semicolon, or simply split them into two sentences.

Many students also get across verb tense issues. In one session, a student kept slipping between “I walk into the room” and “I sat down.” By the end of our meeting, she’d committed to a simple strategy: choose past, present, or future at the outset, then highlight every verb in draft form to check consistency.

Parallel structure is another frequent errors for learners. Parallel structure refers to errors in the consistency of grammatical structure throughout a sentence. I’ll show students a sentence like “My goals are to learn Spanish, exercise daily, and read more,” then ask which form—infinitive or gerund—feels most natural. Once they pick, we rewrite the entire list in that form, cementing the pattern.

I tend to point students to interactive exercises—Purdue OWL’s comma worksheet or Khan Academy quizzes. Those websites tend to have practice questions, examples, and answer keys.

Answer 3

Hello Basketball,

Some of the most common grammatical errors include issues such as typos, comma splices, confusing subject and object pronouns, and spelling mistakes. In my experience teaching many ESL students and immigrant children across a wide range of levels, these seem to be the most common.

To avoid grammatical issues, it's important to reread what you’ve written out loud and slow down while writing or typing. Reading and exposing yourself to a variety of words can also enhance your vocabulary.

I hope this is helpful to you!

Answer 4

Hello,

A resource I would suggest is downloading Grammarly to help with corrections while writing. https://www.grammarly.com/

However, I would also suggest improving your grammar and writing skills. Grammarly should be treated as supplemental, not a dependency. Typically, I notice students struggle with remembering comma rules when listing multiple things in succession.

For example:

1. We are discussing writing tools, how to improve grammar, and using sites like Grammarly to enhance your abilities.

^^^Most students forget to put another comma in front of the "and." This is known as the Oxford comma. While it is not incorrect to use it or not, it is important to remember to be consistent.

Grammarly is not always reliable, and I often find myself disagreeing with it's suggestions. Think of a comma as a pause in speech. It is possible to use too many commas. Try to avoid making run-on sentences. Speaking of, make sure that when you are using a semicolon that you are dividing a sentence into two sentences. The two should be close in nature, with the semicolon taking the place of words like "and" or "but."

For example:

1. I am writing a response to your question; I typed it on Wynant.
2. You asked for assistance with your grammar skills; the question was typed on a computer.

Also, commas should be added before words like "or" and "but." You can get away with not using a comma before "or", but remember to always do it before "but" for a clearer written sentence. Try to pay attention to how I used all of my commas in my response as well.

For subject-verb agreement, I would say to try to visualize what you are talking about. The issue with English is that it depends on the context.

For example:

1. Sam and Mary go to the movies.

^^Normally, subject-verb agreement would tell you this should be "Sam and Mary are going to the movies" because there are multiple people, so you would use a plural verb. However, with context, you COULD be saying "Sam and Mary go to the movies" in a conversation if someone asked what they do on Tuesdays. It is informal, but if you were writing dialogue, it wouldn't necessarily be seen as incorrect.

It is always best to write more than less. You can always go back and edit your work. Re-reading your work out loud can help you to notice how well it flows. If it feels choppy, hard to read, or you get confused because you can't seem to predict how to keep verbalizing the natural pauses or continuations, then tweak it wherever it feels uncomfortable. Practice makes perfect, so don't be too hard on yourself. The more often you read and write, it'll help to make this process go much faster, and it will become easier for you. That goes for the incorrect word usage as well. If you aren't sure, Google it. Don't try to use fancy words just to make it seem more "intellectual." Yes, vocabulary enhances a document, but it can also hinder it. For now, focus on familiarizing yourself with the concepts and see how far that takes you.

I hope this helps! :)