Grammar
Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
Learning English grammar can be tricky, especially for beginners. Even small mistakes can change the meaning of your sentence. But don’t worry — once you know the most common grammar mistakes, you can easily avoid them and sound more confident in English!
Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
1. Using “a” and “an” incorrectly
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I have an dog. | I have a dog. | Use “a” before consonant sounds and “an” before vowel sounds. |
| She is a engineer. | She is an engineer. | “Engineer” starts with a vowel sound (e). |
🟢 Tip: Focus on the sound, not just the letter. For example, we say “an hour” (because the “h” is silent).
2. Confusing “your” and “you’re”
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Your welcome. | You’re welcome. | “You’re” = “you are”. “Your” shows possession. |
Example:
- Your bag is on the chair. (possession)
- You’re amazing! (you are)
3. Missing “s” in third person singular verbs
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| He walk to school. | He walks to school. | Always add -s to verbs with he/she/it. |
Example:
- She plays the piano every day.
- It rains a lot in winter.
4. Mixing up “much” and “many”
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I have much books. | I have many books. | Use many with countable nouns, much with uncountable nouns. |
Example:
- Many people like coffee.
- I don’t have much time.
5. Forgetting prepositions after verbs
Some verbs need prepositions — skipping them is a common beginner mistake.
| Verb | Common Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Listen | to | Listen to music. |
| Depend | on | It depends on the weather. |
| Wait | for | I’m waiting for my friend. |
6. Using double negatives
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I don’t need no help. | I don’t need any help. | In English, use only one negative. |
Example:
- I don’t know anything. (✅)
- I don’t know nothing. (❌)
7. Mixing up “in”, “on”, and “at”
| Preposition | Used For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| In | months, years, countries | I was born in 2000. |
| On | days, dates, surfaces | See you on Monday. |
| At | time, exact place | Let’s meet at 6 p.m. |
✅ Final Tips to Improve Your Grammar
- Read English books or short stories daily.
- Listen to native speakers and repeat what they say.
- Keep a “grammar notebook” and write your own examples.
- Use free grammar apps or online quizzes to practice every day.
💡 Conclusion
Mistakes are part of learning! Don’t feel bad — even native speakers make grammar errors sometimes. What matters most is practice. Review these common grammar mistakes often, and soon your English will become clear, natural, and correct.
