9 Most Common Grammar Mistakes Students Make

1. English Forward 9 Most Common Grammar Mistakes Students Make English is commonly perceived as an easy language to learn, but that doesn’t mean you are protected from making these nine common grammar mistakes. Check them out to make sure your English is as polished as it can be. Subject-Verb Agreement 1 When speaking or writing in English you have to make sure the subject and the verb in a sentence are either both singular or both plural. Examples: The dog always barks at the postman. Dogs and wolves like to howl at the moon. 2 Its versus It’s It is actually a very easy differentiation - when you talk about possession you don’t need the apostrophe, while “it’s” is the short form of “it is” Example: The kid lost its hat. It’s a blue hat. 3 Adjective order Adjectives in English follow this order: Quantity or number, Quality or opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Proper adjective (often nationality, other places of origin, or material), Purpose of qualifier. OSASCOMP, or in other words - Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose. On Sunday And Saturday Cool Oysters Make Parties 4 Switching up words because they sound similar These words sound almost the same but have completely different meanings, so you have to make sure you are using the right words. You need to accept the invitation in order to attend the party. Most people can attend the party, except for those without an invitation. 5 Run-on sentences These are long, boring sentences without any meaning. To avoid run-on sentences, try to separate independent clauses into separate sentences like this: These are long, boring sentences without any meaning. To avoid run-on sentences, try to separate independent clauses into separate sentences like this: Wrong: Students can take up any class they like, they need to sign up for it beforehand. Correct: Students can take up any class they like. They need to sign up for it beforehand. 6 Sentence Sprawl A class had been planned for Wednesday, November 18, but some people were not going to be available at that time, so the university rescheduled it for Friday, November 20, and then everyone would be able to attend. A sentence sprawl means that you meaningless string of words. Split the text to improve its meaning. Split Infinitives 7 Split infinitives usually occur when you want to enhance the meaning of an infinitive verb by adding an adverb to it. He used to secretly talk to her. I have to really watch how they behave. Better: He secretly used to talk to her I really have to watch how they behave. There/their/they’re 8 These three words are often misused because they sound almost the same but knowing their meanings will guide you. There is a mouse in my apartment. Their apartment is more spacious than mine. They’re worried about a mouse infestation in the apartment. In simple terms, there is used to refer to a place, their is used to state someone has possession over something, and they’re is the short form of writing they are. Me, Myself and I 9 Using the right pronoun when referring to yourself in a sentence is one of the most important things you should learn if you want to be fluent in English. Usage dictates the noun form used. I spoke to my father on Sunday. My father asked me a question. I did all the cleaning by myself. Once you get the hang of all these common grammar mistakes and start excluding them from your speech and writing, your English fluency will improve dramatically. Check out the rest of our informational pieces, and the services we provide if you are looking to better your understanding and use of this amazing language. 250 Million+ Users Served World’s #1 “Learn English” Platform Join the English Forward Community E EnglishForward.com