Common Grammar Errors Every Writer Should Know and Fix

Common Grammar Errors Grammar accuracy always matters. Whether you are crafting blog posts, emails, or reports, grammar errors can cost you credibility. They might confuse readers, reflect unprofessionalism, and ruin your trust.

Fortunately, avoiding or fixing grammar errors isn’t tricky at all. You just need to know what to look for and how to fix them. And today, we will acquaint you with the top grammar mistakes many students and content creators make. Here they are!

Subject-Verb Agreement Error

This error occurs when the subject and verb don’t match in number. For instance, the subject is singular but the verb is plural. This is one of the most frequent issues in everyday writing. A mismatch between the subject and the verb causes awkward, confusing sentences.

Wrong: The list of items are on the desk.
Right: The list of items is on the desk.

Here’s the trick. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a nearby noun. In the sentence above, “list” is singular. “Items” may be plural, but it doesn’t matter.

When you are in doubt, isolate the subject and analyze whether it’s singular or plural. Then plug in the verb. If it sounds natural, it’s good. Otherwise, change the verb.

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers are words or phrases that describe other parts of a sentence. But if they are not in the right spot, your sentence might say something you didn’t mean.

Misplaced: She nearly drove her kids to school every day.
Better: She drove her kids to school nearly every day.

“Nearly” changes the meaning completely. In the first version, it sounds like she didn’t quite drive them. In the second, the sentence means she usually did.

Dangling: Walking through the woods, the birds chirped loudly.

Who’s walking? The birds? Probably not.

Fixed: As I walked through the woods, the birds chirped loudly.

Always make sure the modifier is next to the word it’s describing.

Confusing Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Using the wrong one can change your sentence or just make it look sloppy.

Common homophones that many people confuse with:

Their / There / They’re
Your / You’re
Its / It’s
To / Too / Two
Than / Then

Wrong: Your going to love this.

Right: You’re going to love this.

Most of this can be caught with a reliable AI grammar checker. This advanced tool goes a step further by analyzing the entire sentence to ensure that you’ve used the correct word in the right context.

If a word is incorrect, the tool will highlight it and suggest a more suitable alternative. This not only enhances your sentence but also improves overall clarity.

Incorrect Punctuation Usage

Punctuation marks aren’t just for decorations. They shape your message, add clarity, and prevent confusion. If you misuse them, your sentences start falling apart and making no sense.

Common punctuation errors:

Comma splices: Two independent clauses joined with just a comma.

Wrong: I finished the draft, and I sent it to the client.
Right: I finished the draft, and I sent it to the client.

Apostrophes in plurals:

Wrong: All the photo’s are on the table.
Right: All the photos are on the table.

Missing commas in compound sentences:

Wrong: He wanted to leave but he stayed for dessert.
Right: He wanted to leave, but he stayed for dessert.

Overusing exclamation points: One is fine. Two is too many. But three makes you sound like you are yelling.

Clean punctuation makes a big difference. It signals where to pause and what to emphasize. It also shows you are paying attention.

Run-on Sentences

Often, writers craft run-on sentences. These sentences look awkward and fail to communicate the intended message. Therefore, you must avoid this mistake. It usually happens when two or more independent clauses are stuck together without the proper punctuation or connectors.

Wrong: I wanted to go to the store I needed milk.
Fixed: I wanted to go to the store because I needed milk.
Or: I wanted to go to the store. I needed milk.

Run-ons don’t always look like long sentences. Sometimes, they’re short. To avoid the issue, look for two thoughts that could stand alone. If they are joined together without a comma and a conjunction or a semicolon, you have a run-on. Fix it immediately.

To fix them:

Add a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so, or, yet)
Use a semicolon
Break into two sentences

Passive Voice Overuse

A passive voice isn’t always wrong. Sometimes, they are more suitable than the active voice. However, overusing passive voice sentences can weaken your writing. It hides the subject and dulls your sentence.

Passive: The report was written by Sarah.
Active: Sarah wrote the report.

The second sentence is sharper. It tells you who did the action, and it does so quickly.

Use passive voice only when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted. Otherwise, stay active.

Double Negatives

Double negatives confuse readers and usually contradict your intended message.

Wrong: I don’t want nothing.
Right: I don’t want anything.

In English, two negatives make a positive. While some dialects use double negatives for emphasis.

Sentence Fragment

A sentence needs three things: a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. Fragments miss at least one of these. As a result, the sentence feels unfinished.

Fragment: Running through the park with her dog.
Complete: She was running through the park with her dog.

Often, fragments show up in casual writing. And sometimes they work in creative settings. But in formal writing, fragments weaken your point.

To fix them:

Combine them with a nearby sentence
Add the missing parts

Capitalization Errors

Capital letters have a simple job: start sentences and identify proper nouns. That’s it. But they’re often misused.

Overcapitalization Example:

Wrong: The Company Will Host A Party On Friday.

There is no need to capitalize each word. Just capitalize the word and the proper noun. It’s enough.

Right: The company will host a party on Friday.

Only capitalize:

The first word of a sentence
Names of people, places, and official titles
Days of the week, months, and holidays

Don’t capitalize:

Common nouns (school, car, city) unless part of a proper name
Random words for emphasis

Conclusion

Good grammar builds trust. It keeps your message clear and your tone professional. Even strong ideas lose power when buried under errors.

To avoid grammar mistakes, make sure to understand grammar rules and learn about the common errors writers make.

Also, proofread the entire text for grammar mistakes. This will help you find all the imperfections in the text and refine your writing.

Now that you’ve learned about the most common grammar errors, you’re in a much better position to learn any foreign language effectively—whether it’s French, German, or Spanish. Strong grammar skills are the foundation of mastering any language.

If you’re ready to start your language-learning journey, contact Kochiva. Our expert-led online foreign language courses make language learning both engaging and effective. Kochiva offers comprehensive training in multiple foreign languages, helping you gain fluency and confidence in real-world scenarios.

Contact: +91 9872334466

Email: info@kochiva.com

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