Everybody has access to free grammar checkers like Grammarly, so there’s no excuse for making common grammar mistakes. If you confuse “fewer” and “less” or misuse the Oxford comma, you may need to revisit your 5th-grade English lessons. These 6 slip-ups undermine your credibility, especially at work. Here are some grammar tips to help you avoid these embarrassing blunders in the future.
6 Common Grammar Mistakes
1. Mixing Up Their, There, and They’re
One of the most annoying, common grammar mistakes is mixing up these three words with similar spellings: their, there, and they’re. Although they may look alike, they have completely different meanings.
“Their” is a possessive pronoun used to denote ownership (ie. their jacket), while “there” is used to indicate location. “They’re” is a contraction that’s short for “they are.”
Confusing these words will completely change the meaning of your sentence and make it seem like you need a grammar lesson. This unfortunate error may not be corrected by spellcheck, so keep an eye out.
2. Your vs. You’re
A common grammar mistake you shouldn’t make after middle school is confusing “your” and “you’re.” The word “your” is used to indicate possession, whereas “you’re” is a contraction.
In my opinion, texting has made this error even more prominent because it’s easier to drop the apostrophe. But it’s worth taking an extra moment to type “you’re” correctly, especially if you’re trying to give someone a compliment. Saying “your great” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
3. Adverbs vs. Adjectives
Using an adjective when you should’ve used an adverb can make your writing sound unintelligent. To avoid this common grammar mistake, remember that adjectives modify nouns, while adverbs modify verbs.
For example, “she ran quick” is incorrect because “quick” is an adjective and “ran” is a verb. To make this sentence agree, you should use the adverb form “quickly” instead. You can usually turn adjectives into adverbs by adding the suffix “ly.”
4. Fewer and Less
While this is an area where people often get tripped up, this grammar rule is pretty clear. You should use “fewer” for things you can count (fewer cookies, fewer mistakes, fewer excuses) and “less” for things you can’t (less sugar, less time, less drama). Basically, if you can put a number in front of it (five cupcakes, 6 common grammar mistakes), go with “fewer.”
5. Inconsistent Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma has been the subject of intense debate for years. In case you’re unfamiliar, it’s the final comma in a list or series of words. Although it’s grammatically optional, devoted fans of the serial comma say it prevents confusion by creating clear separation between each item in a list. Detractors insist that it’s unnecessary. Some style guides (like the Chicago Manual of Style) suggest that you use it, while others omit it.
At the end of the day, Oxford comma usage comes down to personal preference. But whether or not you use it, remember to be consistent! You’ll confuse readers if you go back and forth between using and omitting it in the same piece of writing. Pick one side of the Oxford comma debate and stick to it!
6. Incorrect Capitalization
In the internet age, capitalization rules (and punctuation rules for that matter) have gone out the window. People often capitalize random words in social media posts, seemingly for emphasis. But this common grammar mistake just makes your writing seem chaotic and distracts from your message. Remember, you only need to capitalize the first word at the beginning of a sentence, book and movie titles, proper nouns, and the pronoun “I.”
What’s the worst grammar mistake or typo you’ve ever made? Let us know in the comments!
Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance writer who enjoys learning about and discussing the psychology of money. In her free time, she loves to cook and tackle DIY projects.
