Grammar is the backbone of effective communication, but even the most experienced writers can make common grammatical errors. From misplaced commas to subject-verb disagreements, these mistakes can distract readers and diminish your message. Here, we’ll discuss some of the most common grammatical errors and provide practical tips for avoiding them.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
The problem: Subject-verb agreement errors occur when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in number. For example:
Incorrect: The list of items is in the table.
Correct: The list of items is on the table.
How to avoid it:
Identify the subject of the sentence and ensure that the verb agrees in number (singular or plural).
Be careful with phrases that come between the subject and the verb, as they can be misleading.
2. Misplaced or missing commas
The problem: Incorrect use of commas can cause confusion or change the meaning of the sentence entirely. For example:
Incorrect: Let’s eat Grandma.
Correct: Let’s eat, Grandma.
How to avoid it:
Use commas to separate items in a list, after introductory elements, and to separate non-essential clauses.
If in doubt, read the sentence aloud to see if the pause is natural.
3. Confusing Homophones
The problem: Homophones are words that sound similar but have different meanings and spellings, such as ‘there’, “their”, and ‘they’re’. Misusing homophones can confuse readers.
How to avoid it:
Familiarise yourself with commonly confusing homophones.
Check carefully or use tools such as spell checkers, which can often find these errors.
4. Run-On Sentences and Sentence Fragments
The problem: Run-on sentences cram several ideas into one sentence without proper punctuation, while fragmentary sentences lack a subject, verb, or complete idea. Example:
Run-On: I like writing, it’s my favourite hobby.
Fragment: Because I like writing.
How to Avoid Them:
Break unnecessary sentences into shorter ones or use appropriate conjunctions and punctuation.
Ensure each sentence has a subject and verb to convey a complete idea.
5. Incorrect Use of Apostrophes
The problem: Apostrophes are often misused in contractions and possessives. For example:
Incorrect: It’s raining outside.
Correct: It is raining outside.
Incorrect: The dog is wagging its tail.
Correct: The dog is wagging its tail.
How to avoid it:
Use apostrophes to indicate possession (e.g., John’s book) or contractions (e.g., it’s for ‘it is’).
Remember that ‘its’ without an apostrophe is possessive, while ‘it’s’ means ‘it is.’
6. Dangling Modifiers
The problem: Dangling modifiers are descriptive phrases that are not clearly connected to the word they modify. For example:
Incorrect: As I walked across the garden, the flowers were in full bloom.
Correct: As I walked across the garden, I saw the flowers in full bloom.
How to avoid it:
Place the modifier close to the word or phrase it describes.
Reread your sentence to ensure clarity.
7. Incorrect Use of Pronouns
The problem: Pronoun errors occur when the antecedent of a pronoun is unclear or when the pronoun does not agree with its antecedent in terms of number or gender. For example:
Incorrect: Everyone must bring their notebooks.
Correct: Everyone must bring their notebooks.
How to avoid it:
Ensure that pronouns agree with their antecedents in terms of number and gender.
Rewrite sentences to avoid awkward constructions where possible.
