Common Mistakes in English Writing and How to Fix Them
Writing in English can be challenging, even for advanced learners. Many students make the same common mistakes over and over again — but the good news is, you can easily fix them once you know what to look for!
In this guide, we’ll explore the most common English writing mistakes and show you how to correct them with clear examples.
📝 Common Mistakes in English Writing and How to Fix Them
1️⃣ Mistake: Mixing Up “Your” and “You’re”
❌ Wrong: Your a great writer.
✅ Correct: You’re a great writer.
👉 Tip:
- Your = shows possession (Your book, your car).
- You’re = short for you are.
Always check if you can replace it with “you are.” If yes → use “you’re.”
2️⃣ Mistake: Missing Articles (a, an, the)
❌ Wrong: I have dog.
✅ Correct: I have a dog.
👉 Tip:
Use “a/an” when talking about something general, and “the” for something specific.
Example:
- I saw a movie last night. The movie was great!
3️⃣ Mistake: Wrong Prepositions
❌ Wrong: I’m good in English.
✅ Correct: I’m good at English.
👉 Common examples:
- depend on
- interested in
- listen to
- good at
Memorize prepositions with verbs as phrases, not separately!
4️⃣ Mistake: Confusing “Then” and “Than”
❌ Wrong: She is taller then me.
✅ Correct: She is taller than me.
👉 Tip:
- Then = time (first… then…).
- Than = comparison (bigger than, faster than).
5️⃣ Mistake: Forgetting the “-s” in the Third Person
❌ Wrong: He walk to school every day.
✅ Correct: He walks to school every day.
👉 Rule:
In present simple, add -s for he / she / it.
Example:
- She likes music.
- It rains a lot.
6️⃣ Mistake: Run-On Sentences
❌ Wrong: I went to the store I bought some milk.
✅ Correct: I went to the store, and I bought some milk.
👉 Tip:
Use commas and conjunctions (and, but, because, so) to connect ideas correctly.
7️⃣ Mistake: Using the Wrong Verb Tense
❌ Wrong: I see him yesterday.
✅ Correct: I saw him yesterday.
👉 Tip:
Pay attention to time words like yesterday, last week, already, since… They tell you which tense to use.
8️⃣ Mistake: Capitalization Errors
❌ Wrong: i love english.
✅ Correct: I love English.
👉 Tip:
Always capitalize:
- The first word in a sentence
- Names of people, countries, languages, and days
- The pronoun “I”
9️⃣ Mistake: Using Too Many Words (Wordiness)
❌ Wrong: Due to the fact that I was late, I missed the bus.
✅ Correct: Because I was late, I missed the bus.
👉 Tip:
Keep your writing simple and clear. Short sentences are more powerful.
🔟 Mistake: Confusing “Its” and “It’s”
❌ Wrong: Its a beautiful day.
✅ Correct: It’s a beautiful day.
👉 Tip:
- Its = shows possession (The cat licked its paw).
- It’s = short for it is or it has.
✅ Final Tips to Improve Your English Writing
- Read more – Reading good English helps you see correct structures naturally.
- Use Grammarly or LanguageTool – They highlight mistakes instantly.
- Write every day – Practice is the best teacher.
- Ask for feedback – Let others review your writing.
- Keep a notebook – Write new expressions and corrections.
💡 Conclusion
Everyone makes mistakes when learning English — even native speakers! The key is to recognize your common errors and fix them through daily practice.
With time, your writing will become clearer, more natural, and professional.
