Top 100 Common Grammar Mistakes with Correct and Incorrect Examples
- Bashir Amani
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Grammar mistakes can confuse readers, weaken your writing, and sometimes change the meaning of your sentences. Many people struggle with common errors that are easy to fix once you know what to look for. This post highlights 100 frequent grammar mistakes, showing both incorrect and correct examples to help you write clearly and confidently.
Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
One of the most common grammar mistakes involves matching the subject and verb correctly.
Incorrect: She go to school every day.
Correct: She goes to school every day.
Incorrect: The dogs runs in the park.
Correct: The dogs run in the park.
Remember, singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Misuse of Apostrophes
Apostrophes often confuse writers, especially when showing possession or making contractions.
Incorrect: Its a beautiful day.
Correct: It’s a beautiful day. (It is)
Incorrect: The cat licked it’s paw.
Correct: The cat licked its paw.
Use apostrophes to show possession (John’s book) or contractions (don’t), but not for plurals.
Confusing Homophones
Words that sound alike but have different meanings cause many errors.
Incorrect: Their going to the store.
Correct: They’re going to the store.
Incorrect: I need to buy some flour.
Correct: I need to buy some flower (if referring to a plant).
Check the meaning carefully before choosing homophones like there/their/they’re or your/you’re.
Incorrect Use of Commas
Commas help clarify meaning but are often misused.
Incorrect: I like cooking my family and my pets.
Correct: I like cooking, my family, and my pets.
Incorrect: She said “I’m tired”.
Correct: She said, “I’m tired.”
Use commas to separate items in a list, after introductory phrases, and before quotations.
Problems with Pronoun Case
Choosing the right pronoun form is essential for clear sentences.
Incorrect: Him and me went to the store.
Correct: He and I went to the store.
Incorrect: Between you and I, this is a secret.
Correct: Between you and me, this is a secret.
Use subject pronouns (I, he, she) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her) for objects.
Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices
Combining independent clauses without proper punctuation creates run-ons.
Incorrect: I love to read I have many books.
Correct: I love to read. I have many books.
Incorrect: She likes tea, he prefers coffee.
Correct: She likes tea; he prefers coffee.
Use periods, semicolons, or conjunctions to separate independent clauses.
Misplaced Modifiers
Modifiers should be placed next to the word they describe.
Incorrect: She almost drove her kids to school every day.
Correct: She drove her kids to school almost every day.
Incorrect: I found a gold woman’s ring.
Correct: I found a woman’s gold ring.
Misplaced modifiers can change the meaning or confuse readers.
Incorrect Verb Tenses
Using the wrong tense disrupts the timeline of events.
Incorrect: Yesterday, I go to the park.
Correct: Yesterday, I went to the park.
Incorrect: She will finished her homework soon.
Correct: She will finish her homework soon.
Keep verb tenses consistent and appropriate to the time frame.
Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Incorrect: She runs quick.
Correct: She runs quickly.
Incorrect: He is a real fast runner.
Correct: He is a really fast runner.
Use adverbs to modify actions and adjectives to describe things.
Incorrect Use of Articles
Articles (a, an, the) can be tricky, especially for non-native speakers.
Incorrect: She is a honest person.
Correct: She is an honest person.
Incorrect: I saw an cat outside.
Correct: I saw a cat outside.
Use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds.
Confusing Prepositions
Prepositions show relationships but are often misused.
Incorrect: She is good in playing tennis.
Correct: She is good at playing tennis.
Incorrect: We arrived to the airport late.
Correct: We arrived at the airport late.
Learn common preposition pairs to avoid mistakes.
Double Negatives
Using two negatives in a sentence can create confusion.
Incorrect: I don’t need no help.
Correct: I don’t need any help.
Incorrect: She can’t hardly wait.
Correct: She can hardly wait.
Avoid double negatives to keep meaning clear.
Confusing Who and Whom
Use "who" as a subject and "whom" as an object.
Incorrect: Whom is coming to the party?
Correct: Who is coming to the party?
Incorrect: Who did you give the book to?
Correct: Whom did you give the book to?
If you can replace with "he" or "she," use "who." If you can replace with "him" or "her," use "whom."
Incorrect Use of That and Which
Use "that" for essential clauses and "which" for non-essential clauses.
Incorrect: The book, that is on the table, is mine.
Correct: The book that is on the table is mine.
Incorrect: The car which I bought last year is blue.
Correct: The car, which I bought last year, is blue.
Commas help distinguish non-essential information.
Confusing Less and Fewer
Use "fewer" for countable items and "less" for uncountable amounts.
Incorrect: There are less apples in the basket.
Correct: There are fewer apples in the basket.
Incorrect: I have fewer water in my glass.
Correct: I have less water in my glass.
This distinction improves clarity.
Commonly Confused Words
Some words look or sound similar but have different meanings.
Incorrect: Accept and except are the same.
Correct: Accept means to receive; except means excluding.
Incorrect: Affect and effect can be used interchangeably.
Correct: Affect is a verb; effect is usually a noun.
Knowing these differences prevents errors.
Using Who’s and Whose
Incorrect: Who’s book is this?
Correct: Whose book is this?
Incorrect: Whose coming to dinner?
Correct: Who’s coming to dinner?
"Who’s" means "who is" or "who has." "Whose" shows possession.
Incorrect Capitalization
Capitalize proper nouns and the first word of a sentence only.
Incorrect: I visited new york city last summer.
Correct: I visited New York City last summer.
Incorrect: She loves reading books by jane austen.
Correct: She loves reading books by Jane Austen.
Confusing Then and Than
Incorrect: I am taller then my brother.
Correct: I am taller than my brother.
Incorrect: We went to the store, then bought ice cream.
Correct: We went to the store, then bought ice cream.
"Than" is for comparisons; "then" relates to time.
Incorrect Use of Me and I
Incorrect: Me and him went to the game.
Correct: He and I went to the game.
Incorrect: She gave the gift to John and I.
Correct: She gave the gift to John and me.
Use "I" as the subject and "me" as the object.
This list covers many common grammar mistakes, but there are more to explore. Practice identifying errors and correcting them to improve your writing skills. Clear grammar helps your ideas shine and makes your communication stronger.
Keep this guide handy and review examples regularly. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to spot mistakes and write with confidence. Good grammar is a powerful tool for success in writing.
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