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    Common Grammar Mistakes

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    Dean Maulidin

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Common Grammar Mistakes

    Uploaded by

    Dean Maulidin
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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    1 views5 pages

    Common Grammar Mistakes

    Uploaded by

    Dean Maulidin

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    COMMON GRAMMAR MISTAKES

    Grammar is the set of rules that govern how we use language to communicate. It may seem
    boring or complicated, but it is essential for clear and effective writing. However, many
    people struggle with some common grammar mistakes that can affect their credibility and
    professionalism. In this article, we will look at four of these mistakes and how to avoid
    them.

    1. MISPLACED APOSTROPHE

    An apostrophe (') is a punctuation mark that has two main functions: to indicate possession
    and to indicate a contraction.

    POSSESSION

    Possession means that something belongs to someone or something else. For example,
    “John’s car” means that the car belongs to John. To show possession, we usually add an
    apostrophe and an s ('s) to the end of the noun that owns something. For example:

     The girl’s horse (the horse belongs to one girl)


     The dog’s tail (the tail belongs to one dog)

    However, if the noun that owns something is plural (more than one) and ends with an s, we
    only add an apostrophe (') after the s. For example:

     The girls’ horse (the horse belongs to more than one girl)
     The dogs’ tails (the tails belong to more than one dog)

    CONTRACTION

    A contraction is a shortened form of a word or a phrase that omits some letters or sounds.
    For example, “don’t” is a contraction of “do not”. To show a contraction, we use an
    apostrophe (') to replace the missing letters or sounds. For example:

     Don’t be late (do not be late)


     She isn’t here (she is not here)

    EXAMPLES

    Here are some examples of how to use apostrophes correctly and incorrectly:

     Correct: The cat’s toy is under the sofa. (possession)


     Incorrect: The cats toy is under the sofa. (missing apostrophe)
     Correct: The cats’ toys are under the sofa. (possession, plural noun)
     Incorrect: The cat’s toys are under the sofa. (wrong apostrophe position)
     Correct: It’s a beautiful day. (contraction of it is)
     Incorrect: Its a beautiful day. (missing apostrophe)
     Correct: The sofa looks great with its new cover. (possession, no apostrophe for it)
     Incorrect: The sofa looks great with it’s new cover. (wrong apostrophe for it)

    2. ITS VS IT’S

    ONE OF THE MOST common grammar mistakes is confusing “its” and “it’s”. They sound the
    same, but they have different meanings and uses.

    ITS

    “Its” is a possessive pronoun that means belonging to it. It is used to show ownership or
    relationship of something that is not a person. For example:

     The dog wagged its tail. (the tail belongs to the dog)
     The book has lost its cover. (the cover belongs to the book)

    IT’S

    “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has”. It is used to describe or identify something that is
    not a person. For example:

     It’s raining outside. (it is raining outside)


     It’s been a long day. (it has been a long day)

    EXAMPLES

    Here are some examples of how to use “its” and “it’s” correctly and incorrectly:

     Correct: It’s snowing outside. (contraction of it is)


     Incorrect: Its snowing outside. (missing apostrophe)
     Correct: The snowman has a carrot for its nose. (possession, no apostrophe for it)
     Incorrect: The snowman has a carrot for it’s nose. (wrong apostrophe for it)

    3. "COULD HAVE," "WOULD HAVE," AND "SHOULD HAVE"

    The "could have," "would have," and "should have" are verb phrases used in English to
    express different aspects of past actions or events. They are often used in conjunction with
    the past participle form of a verb. Let's explain the rules for each of these phrases:
    1. Could Have:

    - Usage: "Could have" is used to talk about past possibilities or past unrealized
    opportunities.

    - Structure: Subject + "could have" + past participle

    - Example: "I could have studied more for the exam."

    In this example, "could have" indicates a missed opportunity to study more for the exam in
    the past.

    2. Would Have:

    Usage: "Would have" is used to discuss hypothetical or unrealized actions or events in the
    past. It often implies that something didn't happen but might have under different
    circumstances.

    Structure: Subject + "would have" + past participle

    Example: "She would have attended the conference if it hadn't been for her illness."

    In this example, "would have" suggests that the person didn't attend the conference due to
    illness, but under different circumstances, she might have attended.

    3. Should Have:

    Usage: "Should have" is used to express regret, criticism, or the idea that something was a
    good idea in hindsight.

    Structure: Subject + "should have" + past participle

    Example: "You should have proofread your report before submitting it."

    In this example, "should have" indicates that it was a good idea to proofread the report
    before submitting it, but it wasn't done.

    4. THERE/THEIR/THEY’RE
    Another common grammar mistake is confusing “there”, “their”, and “they’re”. They sound
    the same, but they have different meanings and uses.

    THERE

    “There” is an adverb that means in or at that place. It is used to indicate location or


    existence. For example:

     She lives over there. (location)


     There are no cakes left. (existence)

    THEIR

    “Their” is a possessive pronoun that means belonging to them. It is used to show ownership
    or relationship of something that belongs to more than one person. For example:

     Their house is very big. (the house belongs to them)


     They love their children. (the children belong to them)

    THEY’RE

    “They’re” is a contraction of “they are”. It is used to describe or identify more than one
    person. For example:

     They’re my friends. (they are my friends)


     They’re very smart. (they are very smart)

    EXAMPLES

    Here are some examples of how to use “there”, “their”, and “they’re” correctly and
    incorrectly:

     Correct: There is a spider on the wall. (existence)


     Incorrect: Their is a spider on the wall. (wrong word)
     Correct: Their dog is very friendly. (possession)
     Incorrect: There dog is very friendly. (wrong word)
     Correct: They’re going to the movies. (contraction of they are)
     Incorrect: Their going to the movies. (missing apostrophe)

    5. FEWER/LESS

    Another common grammar mistake is confusing “fewer” and “less”. They are both used to
    indicate a smaller amount or quantity, but they have different rules.
    FEWER

    “Fewer” is used to modify nouns that can be counted individually. These nouns are called
    countable nouns. For example:

     I have fewer books than you. (books can be counted individually)


     She ate fewer cookies than him. (cookies can be counted individually)

    LESS

    “Less” is used to modify nouns that cannot be counted individually. These nouns are called
    uncountable nouns. For example:

     He has less money than her. (money cannot be counted individually)


     She drank less water than him. (water cannot be counted individually)

    EXAMPLES

    Here are some examples of how to use “fewer” and “less” correctly and incorrectly:

     Correct: There are fewer people in the park today. (people can be counted
    individually)
     Incorrect: There are less people in the park today. (wrong word)
     Correct: He spent less time on his homework. (time cannot be counted individually)
     Incorrect: He spent fewer time on his homework. (wrong word)

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