Common grammatical errors || Part || ||
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This document provides examples of common grammar mistakes and how to correctly use punctuation like commas, apostrophes, and prepositions. It also discusses the proper use of words like fewer vs less, good vs well, affect vs effect, and capitalization in titles. Following the examples and guidelines can help avoid confusing or incorrect grammar.
Common grammatical errors || Part || ||
- 2. • A comma should be used after an introductory word, phrase, or clause. Using a comma gives the reader a slight pause after an introductory element and often can help avoid confusion. • Example 1: • Incorrect: In case you haven’t noticed my real name doesn’t appear in the article. • Correct: In case you haven’t noticed, my real name doesn’t appear in the article. • Example 2: • Incorrect: Before she had time to think about it Sharon jumped into the icy pool. • Correct: Before she had time to think about it, Sharon jumped into the icy pool.
- 3. • Apostrophes are used to show possession. However, you do not use an apostrophe after a possessive pronoun such as my, mine, our, ours, his, hers, its, their, or theirs. • For example: • Incorrect: "My mothers cabin is next to his' cabin." • Correct: "My mother's cabin is next to his cabin." • In the case of it's, the apostrophe is used only to indicate a contraction for "it is." • For example: • Incorrect: "Its a cold day for October." • Correct: "It's a cold day for October."
- 4. • An antecedent is a word that comes before a pronoun and helps the reader understand what the pronoun means. Generally, you can clear up this confusion by rearranging the wording. • For example: • Incorrect: "The dad found the boy, and he was happy." • Correct: "The dad was happy when he found the boy."
- 5. • Another common grammar mistake is ending a sentence with a preposition. A preposition, by its nature, indicates that another word will follow it. In casual conversation, this type of error is no big deal, but you should avoid this mistake in your writing. • For example: • Incorrect: "What reason did he come here for?" • Correct: "For what reason did he come here?"
- 6. • People often get confused when adding an "s" to the end of a word. When do you need an apostrophe? In general, you use an apostrophe before an "s" to show possession or as a contraction, like "that's" for "that is." If you're just trying to say something is plural, you don't need the apostrophe. Like most rules in the English language, this has some variation. However, if you keep the general guidelines in mind, you'll be correct most of the time. • For example: • Incorrect: "The dogs dish was full of bone's." • Correct: "The dog's dish was full of bones."
- 7. • One of the most common grammatical errors is mixing up "well" and "good."In general, "well" is an adverb, while "good" is an adjective. When you aren't sure which one to use, simply ask yourself whether an adjective or an adverb is appropriate for the situation. • For example: • Incorrect: "I am doing good in math." • Correct: "I am doing well in math."
- 8. • While commas are important for clarity and give the reader a chance to pause in the sentence, it's possible to use commas when you don't need them. These unnecessary commas can be confusing to read, and they make writing look less professional. Before you use a comma, think about why you're using it. If you aren't sure it's needed, double check by reviewing comma rules. • For example: • Incorrect: "She had a stomach ache, because she ate too much ice cream." • Correct: "She had a stomach ache because she ate too much ice cream."
- 9. • Sometimes, it's not a matter of mixing up the spelling as much as an error in word choice. There are many words that sound similar but have different meanings and spellings. These include the following: • "Affect" and "effect" • "Except" and "accept" • "Comprise" vs. "compose" • "Further" vs. "farther" • For example: • Incorrect: "The rain had a good affect on the farmer's field." • Correct: "The rain had a good effect on the farmer's field."
- 10. There are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. If you mix these up, it can be an embarrassing mistake. These are a few of the most commonly confused words: • "You're" vs. "your" • "To" vs. "two" vs. "too" • "Weather" vs. "whether" • "There" vs. "their" • For example: • Incorrect: "There father went to school there." • Correct: "Their father went to school there."
- 11. • If you mix up adverbs and adjectives, this can be an embarrassing grammar mistake. This is the kind of error that can annoy a teacher or make the difference between a great grade on an essay and getting marked down. This happens most often with words that end in "- ly." • For example: • Incorrect: "Susan gave me a real nice bouquet of flowers." • Correct: "Susan gave me a really nice bouquet of flowers."
- 12. • Knowing when to capitalize the words in a title can be very confusing. In general, you should capitalize the first and last words, all nouns and pronouns, all verbs, and all adjectives and adverbs. However, there are specific title capitalization rules depending on the style you are using. • For example: • Incorrect: "Around the world in 80 days" • Correct: "Around the World in 80 Days"
- 13. • Many people mix up "fewer" and "less." If you're talking about the amount of something, you need to decide whether the item is all one thing or a group of many things. If it's a group of many smaller things, you should use "fewer." If it's one thing, you should use "less." • For example: • Incorrect: "The store was almost out of dog food. There were less cans on the shelves than there were yesterday." • Correct: "The store was almost out of dog food. There were fewer cans on the shelves than there were yesterday."