12 Common Grammar Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Blog / GRAMMAR
Most grammar mistakes come from a small set of confusing pairs and sentence-structure slips. Learn these twelve and your writing will look more careful immediately.
Confusing word pairs
1. their / there / they're. 2. its / it's. 3. your / you're. 4. affect / effect. 5. then / than. 6. lose / loose.
Quick test for contractions: expand them. "It's" = "it is"; "you're" = "you are". If the expansion doesn't fit, use the other word.
Sentence-structure errors
7. Comma splice: "I was tired, I went home." Fix with a period, semicolon or conjunction: "I was tired, so I went home."
8. Run-on sentences and 9. sentence fragments: every sentence needs a subject and a verb and should express one complete thought.
Agreement errors
10. Subject-verb agreement: "The list of tasks is long" (the subject is "list", not "tasks").
11. Pronoun agreement: make sure each pronoun clearly refers to one noun.
Apostrophes
12. Plurals don't take apostrophes: "two apples", not "two apple's". Possessives do: "the apple's colour".
Read your draft slowly or aloud; most of these errors are easier to hear than to see.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common grammar mistake?
Confusing pairs like its/it's and your/you're are among the most frequent.
What is a comma splice?
Two complete sentences joined only by a comma.
Does Top Word Counter check grammar?
No. It counts and analyses text but does not check grammar.