English Grammar Blog
The Top 5 English Writing Mistakes
The English language is difficult to master because of the large number of grammatical rules in English writing. However, some of the most common writing mistakes are quite simple and one only needs to be careful. These mistakes have to do with English terms that are very close in their spelling and pronunciation.
Mistake number one is confusion about the proper uses of three similar words. They are “there,” “they’re” and “their.” It is important to remember that “their” is a possessive, “they’re” is a contraction of the words “they are,” and “there” is an adverb for a particular direction. However, because they only have slight differences with regards to spelling and pronunciation, these three words are sometimes interchanged.
Mistake number two is confusing the use of the possessive with the plural form. Sometimes, some writers omit the apostrophe even when the context indicates that the possessive form should have been used. On the other hand, some people may insert an apostrophe before the letter “s” even if what they mean is the plural form of the word.
Mistake number three is another common error because the only difference between the words “its” and “it’s” is the apostrophe. The confusion arises because the apostrophe is often used for the possessive form. However, in this particular example, it is the word without apostrophe that denotes the possessive form while the one with the apostrophe is a contraction of the words “it is.”
Mistake number four is very similar to mistake number three but it involves the words “your” and “you’re.” Once again, the word without the apostrophe denotes the possessive form while the word with the apostrophe is a contraction of the words “you are.” To prevent confusion it is always important to remind oneself, which of these words are contractions.
Mistake number five has to do with the placement of commas in a list or series. Commas are to be used to separate the various components of the list but it should not be placed before the conjunction in a series.
These are but a few of the common mistakes made in English writing. Constant practice and keeping these rules in mind will be helpful in ensuring that we can avoid these mistakes. Some of these mistake may appear insignificant but there are reasons for the rules and one of these is to avoid confusion. To make sure that you will be understood by the reader, it is important to abide by the rules.
Related posts:
- English Punctuation
- What Is an Adjective and How Are They Used?
- Proofreading Tips
- What Is a Noun and How Are They Used?
I appreciate this website and your insight–thank you. But, this article states the following: “Commas are to be used to separate the various components of the list but it should not be placed before the conjunction in a series.” I do not believe this statement is correct.
A writer may use a comma before the contraction ending a series separated by commas. While a writer may omit this comma and still straddle grammar rules, a majority of reference manuals I have read prefer using a comma preceding the conjunction in a series.
Strunk & White: William Strunk Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, fourth edition, published by Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, Massachusetts, 2000,