Common English Grammar Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Every English learner makes grammar mistakes. Even advanced speakers sometimes mix up similar words or use the wrong verb form. The good news is that most mistakes follow patterns you can learn to recognize and correct. Once you understand these patterns, your English writing will become much more accurate and natural. Below are the most common grammar mistakes non-native speakers make, along with simple fixes and examples to help you use them correctly.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and verb in a sentence must match in number. A singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Non-native speakers often get this wrong because their native language may not have the same rules.
- "He go" should be "He goes." The third-person singular "he" requires the "s" ending on the verb.
- "She don't" should be "She doesn't." In English, "do" becomes "does" for he, she, and it.
- "The list of items are on the table" should be "The list of items is on the table." The subject is "list" (singular), not "items."
- "Everyone are happy" should be "Everyone is happy." Indefinite pronouns like everyone, somebody, and each are singular.
Use the Grammar Checker to catch these errors in your writing. It flags subject-verb agreement issues automatically.
2. Commonly Confused Words
English has many pairs of words that sound similar but have different meanings. These are the most common ones to watch out for:
Your vs You're: "Your" shows possession (Your book is on the table). "You're" is a contraction of "you are" (You're going to love this movie). A quick test: if you can replace it with "you are," use "you're."
There vs Their vs They're: "There" refers to a place (The book is over there). "Their" shows possession (Their house is big). "They're" means "they are" (They're coming to dinner).
Its vs It's: "Its" shows possession (The dog wagged its tail). "It's" is a contraction of "it is" (It's a beautiful day). This is tricky because normally we add an apostrophe for possession, but "its" is an exception.
Then vs Than: "Then" relates to time (First we eat, then we leave). "Than" is used for comparisons (She is taller than him).
Our Text Diff Checker can help you compare corrected versions of your text to see exactly what changed.
3. A vs An
The rule is simple: use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. But the key word here is "sounds," not letters. This trips up many learners.
- "A university" — "university" starts with a "yoo" sound (consonant), so we use "a."
- "An hour" — "hour" has a silent "h," so it starts with a vowel sound (ow-er), so we use "an."
- "An honest person" — again, silent "h" makes it start with a vowel sound.
- "A one-time offer" — "one" starts with a "w" sound (won), so we use "a."
If you are unsure, try saying the word aloud. Does it start with a vowel sound or a consonant sound? Our Grammar Checker can also help you spot article mistakes automatically. For improving your article usage further, try the Word Frequency Counter to see how often you use each article in your writing.
4. Double Negatives
In English, using two negatives in one sentence creates a positive meaning — or worse, it just sounds confusing. Avoid double negatives in formal and academic writing.
- "I don't have nothing" should be "I don't have anything."
- "I can't hardly" should be "I can hardly."
- "She didn't see nobody" should be "She didn't see anybody."
- "We haven't done nothing wrong" should be "We haven't done anything wrong."
Some dialects of English use double negatives naturally, but in standard academic and professional English, they are considered incorrect. Stick to one negative per sentence for clarity.
5. Common Phrase Errors
Certain English phrases are often used incorrectly by non-native speakers. These small changes make your English sound more natural:
- Use "different from" not "different than" — This is the standard form in both American and British English.
- Use "based on" not "based off of" — "Based off of" is informal and considered incorrect in academic writing.
- Use "regardless" not "irregardless" — "Irregardless" is not a standard English word.
- Use "couldn't care less" not "could care less" — If you could care less, it means you still care some.
How to Check Your Writing
The easiest way to catch grammar mistakes is to use multiple tools together. Start by writing your text. Then run it through our Grammar Checker to find common errors. Next, use the Readability Checker to see if your sentences are clear and easy to understand. Follow up with the Word Counter to check your average sentence length and word count. Finally, use the Paraphrasing Tool to rewrite any awkward sentences. For students submitting essays, the Text Case Converter is also useful for standardizing formatting.
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