Common Grammar Errors

Grammar Errors Undermine Your Work

Grammar errors in your work – especially common grammar errors – undermine your credibility, and this can prevent your readers from accepting your message. Put another way, your readers are likely to concentrate on your mistakes rather than what you're saying.

If you're presenting a new idea or something controversial, your assertions could be ignored if your writing contains errors. More specifically, upon noticing the errors, your readers will deduce that they are smarter than you, and so it will be harder for you to convince them, influence them, or take them on your mind journey.

Not all grammar errors are a disaster. Some are, and some aren't. In our list of 70 grammar mistakes, we have ordered them by seriousness as follows:
  • Mistakes that will damage your credibility (11 errors)
  • Mistakes that will make you look careless (21 errors)
  • Mistakes for which you'll be forgiven (21 erros)
  • Mistakes most people won't notice (13 errors)
  • "Mistakes" that might annoy (7 errors)
common grammar errors

A List of Common Grammar Errors

Common grammar errors include mistakes with:

(1) Contractions

  • This is engineering at it's best. wrong cross
  • Your welcome. wrong cross

(2) Homonyms or near homonyms

  • This idea will bare fruit. wrong cross
  • Implementing the new system does not effect the budget. wrong cross

(3) Possessive apostrophes

  • Here is a scan of the boys' heart. wrong cross
  • I would like to display the womens' range. wrong cross

(4) Subject-verb agreement

  • A box of tools were needed. wrong cross
  • Neither the CEO nor the MD are available. wrong cross

Table of Contents

  • Common Grammar Errors Ordered by Seriousness
  • Mistakes That Will Damage Your Credibility
  • Mistakes That Will Make You Look Careless
  • Mistakes For Which You'll Be Forgiven
  • Mistakes Most People Won't Notice
  • "Mistakes" That Might Annoy
  • Test Time!

Common Grammar Errors Ordered by Seriousness

Some grammar errors are more damaging than others. The list below starts with the bad ones and ends with the ones your readers probably won't notice. (You can use this list to prioritize our lessons and tests.)

Mistakes That Will Damage Your Credibility

Confusing any of the following:

Writing any of the following:

Mistakes That Will Make You Look Careless

Confusing any of the following:

Doing any of the following:

Mistakes For Which You'll Be Forgiven

Confusing any of the following:

Doing any of the following:

Mistakes Most People Won't Notice

Confusing any of the following:

Doing any of the following:

"Mistakes" That Might Annoy

These are not mistakes, but lots of people think they are.

Confusing any of the following:

Doing any of the following:

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This page was written by Craig Shrives.