Have you ever read through a piece of writing and come across a sentence that just doesn't seem right? Maybe the words are in the wrong order or there's a misspelled word that completely changes the meaning?

Common Grammar Mistakes

Unfortunately, many people struggle with grammar and fall victim to common mistakes. These errors can make your writing appear less professional and can even lead to misunderstandings. In this article, we'll explore some of the most common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them.

Subject-Verb Agreement

One of the most common mistakes in English grammar is subject-verb agreement. This occurs when the subject of a sentence does not match the verb in terms of number. For example:

• Incorrect: The dogs plays in the park.
• Correct: The dogs play in the park.

In the first example, "dogs" is a plural subject, so the verb should also be plural ("play"). However, in the incorrect sentence, the verb is in singular form ("plays"), which is grammatically incorrect.

Run-On Sentences

Another common mistake is creating run-on sentences when two or more independent clauses are joined together without proper punctuation. For example:

• Incorrect: I love to write I find it very therapeutic.
• Correct: I love to write. I find it very therapeutic.

In the incorrect example, two independent clauses ("I love to write" and "I find it very therapeutic") are joined together without a punctuation mark, such as a period, semicolon, or comma and coordinating conjunction.

Confusing Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Using the wrong homophone can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. For example:

• Incorrect: They're going to their friend's house for dinner.
• Correct: They're going to their friend's house for dinner.

In the first example, "there" is used when it should be "their." "There" refers to a place, while "their" shows possession.

While proofreading your work can help catch some of these mistakes, it's always a good idea to have an extra set of eyes. Utilizing a tool like the Linguix grammar checker can help you catch and correct these common grammar mistakes effortlessly.