Editor's Choice Common Grammar Mistakes & Simple Cheats to Help Writing Improve |
Believe it or not, there are common grammatical mistakes made by lots of people. Here find some simple ways to overcome these problems.
If you have specific grammar woes that plague you, you are not alone. Many people have problems with the same rules. Sometimes, all you need is a hint, or “cheat” (to borrow a gaming phrase), to help you quickly and easily figure out what is needed in a sentence.
Below are some common grammar mistakes and simple ways to overcome them.
Affect Versus Effect
The first thing to remember is that one of these words is a verb and the other is a noun (this is not a “hard-and-fast” rule, but it’s correct 90% of the time, and you’ll rarely mess up if you think of them this way). So if one is a verb and the other is a noun, how do you remember which is which? Here’s an easy way. A verb indicates “action” of some kind. “Affect” is most often used as a verb. “Action” and “affect” both begin with “a.” So if you can remember that “affect” is the verb, then you’ll remember that “effect” is the noun. Here is an example:
Your Versus You’re
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that an apostrophe (‘) stands in a word to indicate that something is missing. The word “you’re” is a contraction, meaning it is a combination of two different words; in this case, it is a combination of “you” and “are,” and the apostrophe stands in for the missing “a.” Sometimes writers will use “your” when they should be using “you’re.” They sound the same, but they do not mean the same thing. The easiest way to tell is to substitute the words that have made the contraction in the sentence in question. See this example:
Don’t Versus Doesn’t
This approach works for all contractions; many people use “don’t” incorrectly, but when the contraction is broken up into its separate words, it’s harder to make that mistake. See how simple it is:
Self-Help
The best part of correcting these kinds of errors is that, once you become familiar with what your instructor is looking for and you can begin to identify problem areas on your own, the less apt you will be to make mistakes in the future. Sometimes all a person needs is a simple hint to help him correct his own errors. Being aware of common mistakes is a good place to start.
If you have specific grammar woes that plague you, you are not alone. Many people have problems with the same rules. Sometimes, all you need is a hint, or “cheat” (to borrow a gaming phrase), to help you quickly and easily figure out what is needed in a sentence.
Below are some common grammar mistakes and simple ways to overcome them.
Affect Versus Effect
The first thing to remember is that one of these words is a verb and the other is a noun (this is not a “hard-and-fast” rule, but it’s correct 90% of the time, and you’ll rarely mess up if you think of them this way). So if one is a verb and the other is a noun, how do you remember which is which? Here’s an easy way. A verb indicates “action” of some kind. “Affect” is most often used as a verb. “Action” and “affect” both begin with “a.” So if you can remember that “affect” is the verb, then you’ll remember that “effect” is the noun. Here is an example:
- Noun: I tried pushing the button, but it had no effect.
- Verb: When I watched the movie, it affected me deeply.
Your Versus You’re
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that an apostrophe (‘) stands in a word to indicate that something is missing. The word “you’re” is a contraction, meaning it is a combination of two different words; in this case, it is a combination of “you” and “are,” and the apostrophe stands in for the missing “a.” Sometimes writers will use “your” when they should be using “you’re.” They sound the same, but they do not mean the same thing. The easiest way to tell is to substitute the words that have made the contraction in the sentence in question. See this example:
- I like your/you’re dress.
- I like you are dress.
- I know your/you’re going to love it.
- I know you are going to love it.
Don’t Versus Doesn’t
This approach works for all contractions; many people use “don’t” incorrectly, but when the contraction is broken up into its separate words, it’s harder to make that mistake. See how simple it is:
- He don’t/doesn’t like to go to the store.
- He do not like to go to the store.
- He does not like to go to the store.
Self-Help
The best part of correcting these kinds of errors is that, once you become familiar with what your instructor is looking for and you can begin to identify problem areas on your own, the less apt you will be to make mistakes in the future. Sometimes all a person needs is a simple hint to help him correct his own errors. Being aware of common mistakes is a good place to start.