Frequently Asked Questions

Small grammar errors cost clarity and credibility. Quick diagnostics and copy-ready fixes below focus on homophones, apostrophes, verb tense/agreement, hyphenation, and spacing - with work, school, and casual examples you can paste directly.

Quick answer: top everyday errors and one-line fixes

Most mistakes are wrong-word swaps (their/they're/there, your/you're), apostrophe errors, verb-tense or agreement slips, and hyphen/spacing issues. Use the short tests below and the ready corrections in the examples.

Their / they're / there: substitute "they are"; ownership = their; place/existence = there.
Your / you're: expand to "you are" - if it fits, use you're; otherwise use your.
Apostrophes: only for possession or contractions. Not for regular plurals (1990s, files).
Verb tense: match verbs to time words (yesterday = past). Check subject-verb agreement (she drives; they drive).
Hyphens & spacing: hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun (10-year-old student). Avoid extra spaces before punctuation and use one space after a period.

Core explanation: diagnose the problem fast

Read the sentence aloud. If a word sounds off, try substitution tests; if punctuation looks wrong, check apostrophes, hyphens, and spacing; if time is referenced, check tense. Context usually shows the right choice.

Wrong word → substitute (they are / you are / it is). If substitution works, replace the original.
Punctuation → add or remove apostrophes/hyphens to test meaning changes.
Tense/Agreement → align verbs with time markers and subject number.

Examples: copy-ready wrong → right pairs (use directly)

Below are many common wrong/right pairs covering homophones, apostrophes, verb tense, hyphenation, and spacing. Use the "Right" sentence as a template.

Wrong: Their meeting starts at 9; they're late already.
Right: Their meeting starts at 9; they're not late yet.
Wrong: Your the only person who can help.
Right: You're the only person who can help.
Wrong: Its been two weeks since I heard back.
Right: It's been two weeks since I heard back.
Wrong: I seen the draft yesterday and it's fine.
Right: I saw the draft yesterday and it's fine.
Wrong: She bought three CD's at the store.
Right: She bought three CDs at the store.
Wrong: Please find attached the two page summary.
Right: Please find attached the two-page summary.
Wrong: The CEOs's decision was final.
Right: The CEOs' decision was final.
Wrong: She moved into a 10 year old apartment.
Right: She moved into a 10-year-old apartment.
Wrong: Please send the files to John and I.
Right: Please send the files to John and me.
Wrong: We're going to discuss there concerns tomorrow.
Right: We're going to discuss their concerns tomorrow.
Wrong: Your going to love this cafe!
Right: You're going to love this cafe!
Wrong: The report is on the managers's desk.
Right: The report is on the managers' desk.

Their / they're / there - short rule + work, school, casual examples

'They're' = they are; 'their' = possessive; 'there' = place or existential (there is/are). Quick test: substitute "they are" when unsure.

Work: Their Q3 projections are on the shared drive. (ownership)
School: They're returning the graded exams today. (they are)
Casual: Is the coffee shop still over there by the station? (place)
Wrong: There putting their coats on.
Right: They're putting their coats on.

Your vs you're and other homophones (to/too/two, its/it's)

Expand contractions. If "you are" makes sense, use you're. Use substitution or reading aloud for to/too/two and its/it's.

To = preposition/infinitive; Too = also/excessively; Two = number.
It's = it is / it has; its = possessive.
Work: You're leading the client call at 10; please update your slides.
School: Is this your research or someone else's? It's due Friday.
Casual: I'm going to the game too - I have two tickets.
Wrong: Its a long way to the venue.
Right: It's a long way to the venue.

Apostrophes: possession vs contractions - quick rules and examples

Use apostrophes for contractions and possession. Do not use them for regular plurals. Possessive pronouns (its, yours, theirs) never take an apostrophe.

it's = it is / it has; its = possessive.
Single owner: boss's report. Multiple owners: bosses' meeting.
Decades: 1990s (no apostrophe).
Work: The team's plan and budget were submitted. (team's = possession)
School: Students' essays were returned. (many students)
Casual: That's Alex's jacket - it's on the chair.
Wrong: I found the 2000's artifacts in the box.
Right: I found the 2000s artifacts in the box.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct choice clear.

Verb tenses and subject-verb agreement - practical fixes

Past markers (yesterday, last week, in 2019) call for past tense. General truths use present. Match verb forms to singular/plural subjects.

Past markers → past tense (yesterday → I saw).
Collective nouns: choose singular or plural based on meaning and style (the team is / the team are).
Wrong: He walk to work every day last year.
Right: He walked to work every day last year.
Work: By the time the client arrived, we had finalized the proposal.
School: Describe your methodology in past tense (we measured, we recorded).
Casual: I already ate before the movie started.

Hyphenation and spacing - rules that stop small meaning changes

Hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun (well-known artist, cost-effective plan). Do not hyphenate when the modifier follows the noun. Remove extra spaces before punctuation; use one space after a period.

Before noun: a 10-year-old student. After noun: the student is 10 years old (no hyphen).
Spacing: no space before commas/periods; one space after periods.
Wrong: We need a year end report by Friday .
Right: We need a year-end report by Friday.
Work: Send a one-page summary and avoid spaces in file names.
School: Use "first-year student" as an adjective before a noun.

How to fix your sentence: step-by-step rewrites (5 examples)

Checklist: 1) Read aloud. 2) Identify type (wrong word, punctuation, tense, spacing). 3) Apply the test (expand, substitute, change tense). 4) Simplify or split the sentence.

Keep subject + verb + object simple when possible. If a sentence still fails, split it into two.
Rewrite:
Original: Their going to submit theres by tomorrow but its unclear.
Rewrite: They're going to submit theirs by tomorrow, but it's unclear who will review the documents.
Rewrite:
Original: Your report due yesterday is missing facts.
Rewrite: Your report, due yesterday, is missing several key facts.
Rewrite:
Original: I seen the files; the CEO's reviewing them.
Rewrite: I saw the files; the CEO is reviewing them.
Rewrite:
Original: The team are deciding on their roles.
Rewrite: The team is deciding on its roles. (US style: singular collective)
Rewrite:
Original: She moved into a 10 year old apartment and its near the park.
Rewrite: She moved into a 10-year-old apartment, and it's near the park.

Memory tricks and similar mistakes to watch for

Use short mnemonics and scan for related errors that often appear together.

You're = you are. If you can say "you are", use you're.
Affect (verb = to influence) vs effect (noun = result).
Lie vs lay: lay needs an object (lay the book); lie does not (I will lie down).
Fewer vs less: fewer for countable items (fewer apples), less for uncountable amounts (less water).
Wrong: She laid down for a nap. (when meaning she reclined)
Right: She lay down for a nap.
Wrong: There is less people than expected.
Right: There are fewer people than expected.

FAQ

How do I remember when to use their, they're, and there?

Substitute "they are" - if it fits, use they're. If you mean ownership, use their. If it's about place or existence, use there.

Is it okay to use contractions in business writing?

Yes for most internal and many external messages. Avoid contractions in formal proposals, legal documents, or when a formal tone is required.

When should I hyphenate ages or compound modifiers?

Hyphenate ages and compound modifiers before a noun (a 5-year-old child, a well-known author). Do not hyphenate when the modifier follows the noun.

What's the fastest way to fix a sentence I doubt?

Read it aloud, identify the error type, apply the quick test (expand/substitute/match tense), then simplify and rewrite.

Can tools replace learning these rules?

Tools catch many errors but may not match your intent. Use automated checks to speed editing, then apply the short rules above before accepting suggestions.

Want a fast check on one sentence?

Paste a single sentence into a grammar tool or ask a colleague for a quick read. Use the substitution tests first so you understand suggested edits.

If you want, paste one sentence here for a copy-ready correction and a one-line explanation.