Grammar mistakes in writing are very easy to make. Although something may sound correct in your head, it may be actually grammatically incorrect when on paper. When editing your work it’s crucial to pick up on any grammar mistakes you have made in your writing. You could use professional essay writing services to do this for you online, but if you are editing your work yourself, you need to be sure that you are aware of the most common grammar mistakes students make in their academic writing. Below we will highlight some of the most common grammar mistakes that you need to make sure you rectify in your writing.
- Semicolons
Two independent clauses can be connected using a semicolon. However, these independent clauses can stand alone but they are closely related. For instance, a semicolon could be used in the following sentence:
I have my final exam tomorrow; I can’t go out this evening.
It’s clear to see that each of these causes could be a separate sentence, but it makes sense to join them together. If, however, you use a coordinating conjunction such as ‘ and,’ ‘but,’ ‘like’, or ‘or,’ it is better to use a comma instead.
- Its or It’s
‘It’s’ or ‘its’ catches many people out. ‘It’s’ is a contraction of ‘ it is, ’ whereas ‘its’ is possessive.
E.g.
It’s getting very cold in the mornings.
You can hear its footsteps outside.
- There/They’re/Their
A common grammatical mistake made by many. Simply explained:
- ‘There’ relates to a place. ( i.e. The bag is over there, next to the door.)
- ‘They’re’ is a shortened form of ‘ they are.’ ( i.e. They’re coming to my house on the weekend for the party. )
- ‘Their’ refers to something that is owned. ( i.e. Their pizzas are the best in the city! )
Even though you may understand the difference between these three, it’s crucial that you double-check you’ve used the correct options in your writing.
- Using too many adverbs
Adverbs usually end in ‘ly’ Although they are okay to use, they can sometimes show that you haven’t used a strong verb.
E.g.
The girl walked quickly to make sure she didn’t miss her bus.
Instead of using the word ‘quickly,’ you could change the verb ‘walked’ to ‘sprinted’ As this verb paints a better picture than using quickly to enhance the verb ‘walked.’
- Could of
Many people use the term ‘could of’ which is actually incorrect and should always be ‘could have.’ The reason for this mistake is probably linked to the way we speak. In the speech, we will use the contraction ‘could’ve’ which does sound like ‘could of.’
I could have been first in that race if I’d have focussed better on training.
- Your or You’re
An easy way to explain the difference between these two words is:
‘Your’ is possessive and refers to owning something
E.g. How are you getting on with your essay? Have you nearly finished it?
You’re is a contraction of the words ‘ you are.’
E.g You’re getting much better at organizing your assignments these days.
- Commas
We will take a look at the correct ways to use commas.
- To separate an introductory phrase or word
Quite often, when we are writing we will use an introductory phrase or word which requires a comma. For instance:
To begin with, I didn’t understand how to use commas correctly.
Other introductory phrases or words include:
‘However’, ‘although’, ‘while’, ‘after’ and ‘when.’
- To separate individual elements in a series
Elements in a series need to be separated using a comma. For instance,
When I went to the shops last week I bought some bananas, a loaf of bread, and a packet of biscuits.
The last comma which is used before the ’and’ is known as an ‘Oxford comma.’ This is usually optional.
- To separate independent clauses
Commas can be used to separate independent clauses which have been joined by words such as
‘so,’ ‘and,’ ‘ so,’ ‘yet,’ or ‘but.’
E.g.
My sister is amazing at making bread, and I’ve learned from her.
- Affect or effect
‘Affect’ is a verb whereas the effect is a noun and relates to a change that occurs.
E.g.
I was really affected by the book I was reading.
The effects in the movie were amazing.
- Complement vs Compliment
Although both of these words are pronounced exactly the same, their meanings are very different. Below we will explain the difference between the two words.
Complement – if something complements it means it makes it perfect or completes it. For instance, a particular wine may complement the chicken.
Compliment – if you compliment your friend’s new dress, you are praising or admiring it.
Capitalizing titles
As a rule of thumb, follow the below advice.
- Capitalize the first and last word
- Capitalize all verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and subordinate conjunction.
- Don’t capitalize words such as ‘the,’ ‘an,’ or ‘a.’
- Apostrophe usage
When showing possession, apostrophes need to be used. However, an apostrophe doesn’t need to be used after a possessive pronoun such as their, theirs, its, his, hers, mine, my, our, or ours.
Below is an example:
Incorrect usage: My fathers house is next to his’ shop.
Correct usage: My father’s house is next to his shop.
- That or Which
That is used to define something whereas which is used to describe something.
E.g
Adam built that shed.
The shed, which Adam built, looks like a farmhouse.
