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Improve Your Writing Skills: Common English Grammar Errors Made Easy
English today is widely recognized as the primary language of international communication. Regardless of your background or native language, learning English offers immeasurable value personally and professionally.
However, English can pose challenges for new learners, especially in terms of grammar. But do not fear! With dedication and practice, you can overcome these obstacles and become proficient in English. Remember, practice makes perfect.
Let’s explore some common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them, making your journey to English fluency smoother and more enjoyable.
What is a grammar mistake?
A grammar mistake is any incorrect use of words or punctuation in writing. In other words, it is a deviation from established grammatical rules. Grammar rules make writing easier for readers to understand, so when a writer makes one or another of the following common grammar mistakes, they risk their work being misunderstood.
However, it is important to note that not all deviations from grammatical rules are mistakes. Language is constantly evolving, so a phrase or word choice that is regularly used today may have been grammatically incorrect in the past.
Understanding the most common grammar mistakes, why we make them, and how to correct them can help you develop language and break effective rules as you develop your writing skills.
Common English grammar mistakes
- Present and Past Tense
- Present tenses: used for the present, future, and storytelling.
- Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous.
- Past tense: used for finished events and long-standing situations.
Examples of Present & Past tense verbs.
- Present Simple: “I work.”
- Present Continuous: “I am working.”
- Present Perfect: “I have worked.”
- Present Perfect Continuous: “I have been working.”
- Past Simple tense: I did the work.
- Avoiding Overuse of Adverbs
- Adverbs express various meanings and modify verbs.
- Overusing manner adverbs in storytelling.
- Importance of showing rather than telling in writing.
Incorrect: “The curtain opened quickly, and Ben came slowly into the room.”
Correct: “The curtain opened abruptly, and Ben entered the room with a leisurely pace.”
Incorrect: “He saw Emma looking flirtatiously with Jack and walked over to her aggressively.”
Correct: “He witnessed Emma exchanging flirtatious glances with Jack and approached her assertively.”
- Your/You’re
- “Your” indicates possession, while “you’re” is short for “you are.”
Examples of correct usage – Common English grammar mistakes
Incorrect: “Your beautiful.”
Correct: “You’re beautiful.”
Incorrect: “Do you know when your going?”
Correct: “Do you know when you’re going?”
Incorrect: Did Karim return you’re book yesterday?
Correct: Did Karim return your book yesterday?
- Misplacing Apostrophes
- Apostrophes indicate ownership.
- Placing apostrophe before ‘s’ for single possession, after ‘s’ for plural possession.
- Apostrophes in contracted words like “can’t.”
- Avoid using apostrophes for plural forms.
Incorrect: It’s raining outside’s.
Correct: It’s raining outside.
Incorrect: The childrens’ toys are scattered .
Correct: The children’s toys are scattered .
14 Common English Grammar Errors Made Easy – Common English grammar mistakes
From the above information we can understand that some small grammar mistakes can make our English language difficult. So grammar and punctuation are essential in the English language and gaining confidence in how to avoid grammatical mistakes is a valuable part of your learning journey.
You should practice developing your grammar every day; This will help you become a confident writer with a solid grasp of the English language.
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