There are a ton of really common grammar
mistakes that almost all of us make a few of every day. Here are fifteen of the most common ones explained so that you can avoid them in the future.
1. “Bring” vs. “Take"
“Bring” means move towards. “Take” means move away. You
bring your
kids to school in the morning, and you
take them
home in the afternoon.
2. "You’re" vs. “Your"
“You’re” is a contraction meaning “you are.” “Your” indicates possession.
You’re a nice person, but
your attitude wasn’t great today.
3. “Its" vs. “It's"
Another place where people make grammar mistakes by misusing contractions. “Its” is possessive, while “it’s” is short for “it is.” For example: See that
car?
It’s time to change
its oil.
4. "A lot" vs. “Allot” vs. “Alot"
You might spend
a lot of
money. You might
allot a certain amount of money to
eating out. “Alot” is not a word.
5. "Lay" vs. "Lie"
This is one of those grammar mistakes that has a specific
rule of thumb. If you can replace the word with either “put” or "place,” then “lay” is the correct word choice. Otherwise, use “lie.” You
lie down, or you
lay your body on the bed.
6. “Borrow" vs. “Lend"
You only borrow something from
someone. You only lend something to another person. For example, Barry
borrowed money from Lenny, who
lended him cash. If you get that ingrained in your head this becomes among the simplest grammar mistakes to avoid.
7. "Affect" vs. "Effect"
If you're influential, you
affect someone. In other
words, you have an
effect on them. “Affect” is a verb. “Effect” is a noun. It’s pretty much as simple as that, so this is one of those grammar mistakes that would be especially harmful to make in a spot where you need to look professional.
8. “Principle" vs. “Principal"
One of the grammar mistakes I’m most prone to. I have to continually remind myself that a “principle” is the word that means moral belief and that “principal” refers to rank. For example, my high school principal really values the principle of honesty.
9. "Which" vs. "That"
A lot of people think that these words are interchangeable; I did for a long time. On the contrary, though, they serve
different purposes. “Which” generally introduces something about what it’s referring to that's not essential. For example, “This is an apple,
which I bought at a grocery store. “That” is always referring to something essential to the sentence. For example, “An apple
that’s brown on the inside has gone spoiled."
10. “May" vs. “Might"
“May” suggests uncertainty, whereas “might” suggests that chances are slimmer. You
may make a lot of grammar mistakes in the future, but we don’t know for sure. You
might avoid them altogether if you heed this advice, but it’s doubtful.
11. "Farther" vs. "Further"
“Farther” is the word to describe actual distances. He ran
farther than five miles. “Further” describes lengths that are more abstract. Not drinking enough water during the race caused further problems than he expected.
12. “Disinterested" vs. “Uninterested"
“Disinterested” means impartial. Someone is
disinterested in the outcome of a trial they have no stake in. “Uninterested” signifies not caring at all. A bookworm is
uninterested in the winner of the
sports match.
13. “Irregardless" vs. The Dictionary
It’s impossible not to use the word “irregardless” wrong, because it’s not a word at all. This is among the easiest grammar mistakes to avoid; just stop saying/writing/typing it.
