{"id":1523,"date":"2020-10-06T10:27:44","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T10:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/?p=1523"},"modified":"2020-10-12T16:28:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T16:28:35","slug":"11-common-grammar-mistakes-in-writing-you-should","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/11-common-grammar-mistakes-in-writing-you-should\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Common Grammar Mistakes in Writing You Should Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/category\/business\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">work<\/a> it&#8217;s crucial to pick up on any grammar mistakes you have made in your writing. You could use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.customwritings.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professional essay writing services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Semicolons<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have my final exam tomorrow; I can\u2019t go out this evening.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;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 \u2018 and,\u2019 \u2018but,\u2019 \u2018like\u2019, or \u2018or,\u2019\u00a0 it is better to use a comma instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Its or It\u2019s<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018It&#8217;s\u2019 or \u2018its\u2019 catches many people out. \u2018It\u2019s\u2019 is a contraction of \u2018 it is, \u2019 whereas \u2018its\u2019 is possessive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s getting very cold in the mornings.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can hear its footsteps outside.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>There\/They\u2019re\/Their<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common grammatical mistake made by many. Simply explained:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018There\u2019 relates to a place. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">( i.e. The bag is over there, next to the door.)<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018They\u2019re\u2019 is a shortened form of \u2018 they are.\u2019\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">( i.e. They\u2019re coming to my house on the weekend for the party. )<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Their\u2019 refers to something that is owned. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">( i.e. Their pizzas are the best in the city! )<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though you may understand the difference between these three, it&#8217;s crucial that you double-check you&#8217;ve used the correct options in your writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Using too many adverbs<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adverbs usually end in \u2018ly\u2019 Although they are okay to use, they can sometimes show that you haven&#8217;t used a strong verb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The girl walked quickly to make sure she didn\u2019t miss her bus.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of using the word \u2018quickly,\u2019 you could change the verb \u2018walked\u2019 to \u2018sprinted\u2019 As this verb paints a better picture than using quickly to enhance the verb \u2018walked.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Could of<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many people use the term \u2018could of\u2019\u00a0 which is actually incorrect and should always be \u2018could have.\u2019 The reason for this mistake is probably linked to the way we speak. In the speech, we will use the contraction \u2018could\u2019ve\u2019\u00a0 which does sound like \u2018could of.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I could have been first in that race if I\u2019d have focussed better on training.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Your or You\u2019re<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An easy way to explain the difference between these two words is:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Your\u2019 is possessive and refers to owning something<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How are you getting on with your essay? Have you nearly finished it?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re is a contraction of the words \u2018 you are.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;re getting much better at organizing your assignments these days.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Commas<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will take a look at the correct ways to use commas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To separate an introductory phrase or word<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quite often, when we are writing we will use an introductory phrase or word which requires a comma. For instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To begin with, I didn&#8217;t understand how to use commas correctly.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other introductory phrases or words include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018However\u2019, \u2018although\u2019, \u2018while\u2019, \u2018after\u2019 and \u2018when.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To separate individual elements in a series<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Elements in a series need to be separated using a comma. For instance,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I went to the shops last week I bought some bananas, a loaf of bread, and a packet of biscuits.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last comma which is used before the \u2019and\u2019\u00a0 is known as an \u2018Oxford comma.\u2019 This is usually optional.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To separate independent clauses<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas can be used to separate independent clauses which have been joined by words such as\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018so,\u2019 \u2018and,\u2019 \u2018 so,\u2019 \u2018yet,\u2019 or \u2018but.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My sister is amazing at making bread, and I\u2019ve learned from her.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Affect or effect\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Affect\u2019 is a verb whereas the effect is a noun and relates to a change that occurs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was really affected by the book I was reading.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The effects in the movie were amazing.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Complement vs Compliment<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although both of these words are pronounced exactly the same, their meanings are very different.\u00a0 Below we will explain the difference between the two words.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complement &#8211;\u00a0 if something complements it means it makes it perfect or completes it.\u00a0 For instance, a particular wine may complement the chicken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Compliment &#8211;\u00a0 if you compliment your friend\u2019s new dress, you are praising or admiring it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0Capitalizing titles<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0As a rule of thumb, follow the below advice.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Capitalize the first and last word<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Capitalize all verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and subordinate conjunction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Don&#8217;t capitalize words such as \u2018the,\u2019 \u2018an,\u2019 or \u2018a.\u2019<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Apostrophe usage\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When showing possession, apostrophes need to be used.\u00a0 However, an apostrophe doesn&#8217;t need to be used after a possessive pronoun such as their, theirs, its, his, hers, mine, my, our, or ours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below is an example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorrect usage: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My fathers house is next to his\u2019 shop.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Correct usage: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My father\u2019s house is next to his shop.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>That or Which<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is used to define something whereas which is used to describe something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam built that shed.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The shed, which Adam built, looks like a farmhouse.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1267],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1523"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1564,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523\/revisions\/1564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.voozon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}