top of page
Writer's pictureFakhruddin Babar

Correction - Common mistakes in writing-1

Updated: Nov 27

Correct the following sentences based on common writing mistakes-

  1. Studying abroad is a great experience, it teaches students independence.

  2. Many people are aware of the benefits of exercise they still don’t work out regularly.

  3. Even though the government introduced new policies.

  4. The new phone is designed for students with a large screen and lightweight.

  5. The effects of globalization has reached every corner of the world.

  6. The police catched the suspect yesterday.

  7. While I was working at the company, I learn many new skills.

  8. The tourist spots were visited by many people last summer.

  9. Every students’ backpack was inspected before the exam.

  10. It’s important to take care of your mental health as much as your physical one’s.

  11. The city’s pollution problem is major and significant.

  12. The criminals were very cleverly disguised.

  13. People are spending more time on the internet instead in spending it outdoors.

  14. Me and my colleague prepared the report.

  15. Globalization has spread like wildfire in the modern world.

  16. She is an university professor.

  17. After I finished my workout I felt more energetic.

  18. I don’t know nothing about the incident.

  19. I like to travel, reading books, and to play video games.

  20. I literally died of laughter when I heard the joke.

  21. When someone works hard, you should appreciate it.

  22. There are many reasons why people prefer online shopping.

  23. Who did you invite to the party?

  24. I wanted to try the new restaurant, and you should visit it.

  25. The book which I bought was really interesting.

  26. Last summer, we visited london and paris.

  27. The childs are playing outside.

  28. I was thinking about going to the park...

  29. I have less friends than I used to.

  30. The weather (which was really hot) made it difficult to stay outside.

  31. She sings like she is a professional.

  32. I like to eat fruits; and vegetables.

  33. I may go to the party if I finish my homework, but I might be too tired.

  34. He bought a well maintained car.

  35. She could of passed the exam if she had studied harder.

  36. He won’t be attending the meeting because he’s not feeling well.

  37. Because the traffic was bad.

  38. We need to re-start the project from scratch.

  39. The main causes of pollution are: deforestation, industrial waste, and plastic use.

  40. I recieved your letter yesterday.


Answer with Explanation


  1. Incorrect: Studying abroad is a great experience, it teaches students independence.


    Corrected: Studying abroad is a great experience; it teaches students independence.


    Explanation: A semicolon or period was needed to separate the two independent clauses.

  2. Incorrect: Many people are aware of the benefits of exercise they still don’t work out regularly.


    Corrected: Many people are aware of the benefits of exercise, but they still don’t work out regularly.


    Explanation: A conjunction ("but") was needed to connect the two independent clauses.

  3. Incorrect: Even though the government introduced new policies.


    Corrected: Even though the government introduced new policies, they have not been fully implemented.


    Explanation: The original sentence was a fragment and lacked a complete thought.

  4. Incorrect: The new phone is designed for students with a large screen and lightweight.


    Corrected: The new phone is designed for students, with a large screen and light weight.


    Explanation: The phrase "lightweight" was incorrectly used as a noun. It should be "light weight."

  5. Incorrect: The effects of globalization has reached every corner of the world.


    Corrected: The effects of globalization have reached every corner of the world.


    Explanation: The verb "have" should match the plural subject "effects."

  6. Incorrect: The police catched the suspect yesterday.


    Corrected: The police caught the suspect yesterday.


    Explanation: "Caught" is the correct past tense of "catch."

  7. Incorrect: While I was working at the company, I learn many new skills.


    Corrected: While I was working at the company, I learned many new skills.


    Explanation: The verb tense should be consistent. "Learned" aligns with "was working" (past tense).

  8. Incorrect: The tourist spots were visited by many people last summer.


    Corrected: Many people visited the tourist spots last summer.


    Explanation: The sentence is clearer in active voice.

  9. Incorrect: Every students’ backpack was inspected before the exam.


    Corrected: Every student’s backpack was inspected before the exam.


    Explanation: "Every" refers to a singular noun, so the possessive form "student’s" is correct.

  10. Incorrect: It’s important to take care of your mental health as much as your physical one’s.


    Corrected: It’s important to take care of your mental health as much as your physical ones.


    Explanation: "Ones" is plural to agree with "physical health."

  11. Incorrect: The city’s pollution problem is major and significant.


    Corrected: The city’s pollution problem is significant.


    Explanation: "Major" and "significant" are redundant, so only one is needed.

  12. Incorrect: The criminals were very cleverly disguised.


    Corrected: The criminals were cleverly disguised.


    Explanation: "Very" is unnecessary and weakens the sentence; "cleverly" suffices.

  13. Incorrect: People are spending more time on the internet instead in spending it outdoors.


    Corrected: People are spending more time on the internet instead of spending it outdoors.


    Explanation: "Instead of" is the correct preposition here.

  14. Incorrect: Me and my colleague prepared the report.


    Corrected: My colleague and I prepared the report.


    Explanation: The correct subject pronoun is "I," and it should be placed after "my colleague."

  15. Incorrect: Globalization has spread like wildfire in the modern world.


    Corrected: Globalization has spread rapidly in the modern world.


    Explanation: The cliché "spread like wildfire" should be replaced with more precise language.

  16. Incorrect: She is an university professor.


    Corrected: She is a university professor.


    Explanation: "A" is used before words starting with a consonant sound, like "university."

  17. Incorrect: After I finished my workout I felt more energetic.


    Corrected: After I finished my workout**,** I felt more energetic.


    Explanation: A comma is needed after an introductory clause.

  18. Incorrect: I don’t know nothing about the incident.


    Corrected: I don’t know anything about the incident.


    Explanation: Double negatives should be avoided in formal writing.

  19. Incorrect: I like to travel, reading books, and to play video games.


    Corrected: I like traveling, reading books, and playing video games.


    Explanation: The verb forms should be parallel.

  20. Incorrect: I literally died of laughter when I heard the joke.


    Corrected: I laughed really hard when I heard the joke.


    Explanation: "Literally" is overused and incorrect here; use more appropriate phrasing.

  21. Incorrect: When someone works hard, you should appreciate it.


    Corrected: When someone works hard, they should be appreciated.


    Explanation: "Someone" should be followed by "they" for gender neutrality.

  22. Incorrect: There are many reasons why people prefer online shopping.


    Corrected: People prefer online shopping for many reasons.


    Explanation: The sentence can be made more direct and concise.

  23. Incorrect: Who did you invite to the party?


    Corrected: Whom did you invite to the party?


    Explanation: "Whom" is the correct object pronoun in this question.

  24. Incorrect: I wanted to try the new restaurant, and you should visit it.


    Corrected: I wanted to try the new restaurant, so you should visit it.


    Explanation: "So" correctly expresses the cause-effect relationship.

  25. Incorrect: The book which I bought was really interesting.


    Corrected: The book that I bought was really interesting.


    Explanation: "That" is the preferred relative pronoun in defining clauses.

  26. Incorrect: Last summer, we visited london and paris.


    Corrected: Last summer, we visited London and Paris.


    Explanation: Capitalize proper nouns, like city names.

  27. Incorrect: The childs are playing outside.


    Corrected: The children are playing outside.


    Explanation: "Children" is the correct plural form of "child."

  28. Incorrect: I was thinking about going to the park...


    Corrected: I was thinking about going to the park**.**


    Explanation: Ellipses are inappropriate here; use a period to complete the thought.

  29. Incorrect: I have less friends than I used to.


    Corrected: I have fewer friends than I used to.


    Explanation: "Fewer" is used for countable nouns like "friends."

  30. Incorrect: The weather (which was really hot) made it difficult to stay outside.


    Corrected: The hot weather made it difficult to stay outside.


    Explanation: The relative clause can be reduced to a simpler adjective phrase.

  31. Incorrect: She sings like she is a professional.


    Corrected: She sings as if she were a professional.


    Explanation: "As if" is the correct phrase to introduce a hypothetical situation.

  32. Incorrect: I like to eat fruits; and vegetables.


    Corrected: I like to eat fruits and vegetables.


    Explanation: The semicolon is incorrect here; a simple conjunction suffices.

  33. Incorrect: I may go to the party if I finish my homework, but I might be too tired.


    Corrected: I might go to the party if I finish my homework, but I might be too tired.


    Explanation: "Might" is better for expressing less certainty.

  34. Incorrect: He bought a well maintained car.


    Corrected: He bought a well-maintained car.


    Explanation: Compound adjectives before a noun should be hyphenated.

  35. Incorrect: She could of passed the exam if she had studied harder.


    Corrected: She could have passed the exam if she had studied harder.


    Explanation: "Could have" is the correct modal verb form.

  36. Incorrect: He won’t be attending the meeting because he’s not feeling well.


    Corrected: He will not be attending the meeting because he is not feeling well.


    Explanation: Avoid contractions in formal writing.

  37. Incorrect: Because the traffic was bad.


    Corrected: We were late because the traffic was bad.


    Explanation: This sentence was a fragment and needed a complete thought.

  38. Incorrect: We need to re-start the project from scratch.


    Corrected: We need to restart the project from scratch.


    Explanation: "Restart" is a single word.

  39. Incorrect: The main causes of pollution are: deforestation, industrial waste, and plastic use.


    Corrected: The main causes of pollution are deforestation, industrial waste, and plastic use.


    Explanation: A colon is unnecessary here.

  40. Incorrect: I recieved your letter yesterday.


    Corrected: I received your letter yesterday.


    Explanation: "Received" is the correct spelling.


40 Common Mistakes in writing


1. Comma Splice

  • Mistake: Joining two independent clauses with a comma.

  • Example: It’s raining, I forgot my umbrella.

  • Fix: Use a semicolon, conjunction, or period.

  • Tip: It’s raining; I forgot my umbrella. / It’s raining, and I forgot my umbrella.

2. Run-On Sentence

  • Mistake: Two or more sentences joined without proper punctuation.

  • Example: I love ice cream it’s my favorite dessert.

  • Fix: Separate them with a period or use a conjunction.

  • Tip: I love ice cream. It’s my favorite dessert.

3. Sentence Fragment

  • Mistake: Incomplete sentence lacking a subject or verb.

  • Example: While going to the store.

  • Fix: Complete the thought.

  • Tip: While going to the store, I saw my friend.

4. Misplaced Modifier

  • Mistake: Placing modifiers far from the word they modify.

  • Example: She almost drove her kids to school every day.

  • Fix: Place the modifier next to the word it modifies.

  • Tip: She drove her kids to school almost every day.

5. Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Mistake: The subject and verb don’t match in number.

  • Example: The dogs barks loudly.

  • Fix: Ensure singular subjects have singular verbs, and plural subjects have plural verbs.

  • Tip: The dogs bark loudly.

6. Incorrect Verb Tense

  • Mistake: Using the wrong verb tense.

  • Example: He run to the store yesterday.

  • Fix: Match the tense to the time.

  • Tip: He ran to the store yesterday.

7. Shifting Tenses

  • Mistake: Changing tense unnecessarily within a sentence.

  • Example: She walked into the room and sees the mess.

  • Fix: Maintain a consistent tense.

  • Tip: She walked into the room and saw the mess.

8. Passive Voice Overuse

  • Mistake: Using passive voice when active voice is clearer.

  • Example: The cake was eaten by the children.

  • Fix: Use active voice where possible.

  • Tip: The children ate the cake.

9. Apostrophe Misuse

  • Mistake: Incorrect use in possessives or contractions.

  • Example: The dogs bone is missing.

  • Fix: Use apostrophes correctly for possession and contractions.

  • Tip: The dog’s bone is missing. / It’s (it is) a sunny day.

10. Confusing Homophones

  • Mistake: Using the wrong word due to similar sound.

  • Example: Their going to the park.

  • Fix: Use the correct homophone.

  • Tip: They’re going to the park.

11. Redundancy

  • Mistake: Repeating ideas unnecessarily.

  • Example: I woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning.

  • Fix: Eliminate repetition.

  • Tip: I woke up at 5 a.m.

12. Overusing Adverbs

  • Mistake: Using too many adverbs, especially "very" or "really."

  • Example: She was very tired after a really long day.

  • Fix: Use stronger verbs and adjectives.

  • Tip: She was exhausted after a long day.

13. Incorrect Prepositions

  • Mistake: Using the wrong preposition.

  • Example: She is good in soccer.

  • Fix: Choose the correct preposition.

  • Tip: She is good at soccer.

14. Using "Me" instead of "I"

  • Mistake: Incorrectly using "me" as the subject.

  • Example: Me and my friend went to the park.

  • Fix: Use "I" when it’s the subject of the sentence.

  • Tip: My friend and I went to the park.

15. Overuse of Clichés

  • Mistake: Using overused phrases.

  • Example: It was a piece of cake.

  • Fix: Be original in expression.

  • Tip: It was really easy.

16. Incorrect Article Use

  • Mistake: Misusing "a," "an," or "the."

  • Example: She is a university student.

  • Fix: Use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds.

  • Tip: She is a university student. / She is an artist.

17. Comma Misuse in Complex Sentences

  • Mistake: Omitting a comma after an introductory clause.

  • Example: Before leaving I grabbed my coat.

  • Fix: Add a comma after introductory elements.

  • Tip: Before leaving, I grabbed my coat.

18. Double Negatives

  • Mistake: Using two negatives in one sentence.

  • Example: I don’t know nothing.

  • Fix: Use only one negative.

  • Tip: I don’t know anything.

19. Faulty Parallelism

  • Mistake: Inconsistent structure in a series or list.

  • Example: I like to swim, running, and to bike.

  • Fix: Keep items in a series grammatically consistent.

  • Tip: I like swimming, running, and biking.

20. Misusing "Literally"

  • Mistake: Using "literally" for emphasis when it’s not literal.

  • Example: I’m literally dying of laughter.

  • Fix: Use "literally" only when it’s true.

  • Tip: I’m laughing so hard.

21. Inconsistent Pronoun Usage

  • Mistake: Switching pronouns unnecessarily.

  • Example: When someone goes to college, you should study hard.

  • Fix: Use consistent pronouns.

  • Tip: When someone goes to college, they should study hard.

22. Overuse of "There is/There are"

  • Mistake: Using these phrases too often as sentence starters.

  • Example: There are many people who enjoy reading.

  • Fix: Start with the subject.

  • Tip: Many people enjoy reading.

23. Confusing "Who" and "Whom"

  • Mistake: Using "who" when "whom" is correct.

  • Example: Who did you give the book to?

  • Fix: Use "whom" as the object.

  • Tip: Whom did you give the book to?

24. Inconsistent Point of View

  • Mistake: Switching from first to third person unexpectedly.

  • Example: I walked to the store, and you should’ve seen it.

  • Fix: Stick to one point of view.

  • Tip: I walked to the store, and I saw it.

25. Incorrect Use of "Which" and "That"

  • Mistake: Mixing up "which" for non-restrictive clauses and "that" for restrictive ones.

  • Example: The book which I read was fascinating.

  • Fix: Use "that" for essential clauses and "which" for non-essential.

  • Tip: The book that I read was fascinating.

26. Capitalization Errors

  • Mistake: Not capitalizing proper nouns or overcapitalizing common nouns.

  • Example: I visited paris in june.

  • Fix: Capitalize names of people, places, and months.

  • Tip: I visited Paris in June.

27. Incorrect Plurals

  • Mistake: Forming plurals incorrectly, especially for irregular nouns.

  • Example: The childs are playing.

  • Fix: Use the correct plural form.

  • Tip: The children are playing.

28. Misuse of Ellipsis

  • Mistake: Overusing or incorrectly using ellipses.

  • Example: I’m not sure what to do...

  • Fix: Use ellipses sparingly and correctly.

  • Tip: I’m not sure what to do.

29. Confusing "Fewer" and "Less"

  • Mistake: Using "less" for countable items.

  • Example: I have less friends now.

  • Fix: Use "fewer" for countable nouns.

  • Tip: I have fewer friends now.

30. Overusing Parentheses

  • Mistake: Using parentheses too frequently, breaking the flow of writing.

  • Example: The movie (which was really long) was boring.

  • Fix: Use them sparingly or rewrite the sentence.

  • Tip: The movie, which was really long, was boring.

31. Using "Like" Instead of "As"

  • Mistake: Using "like" to introduce a clause.

  • Example: She sings like she is a professional.

  • Fix: Use "as" to introduce clauses.

  • Tip: She sings as if she is a professional.

32. Incorrect Use of Semicolons

  • Mistake: Using semicolons where commas or periods are appropriate.

  • Example: I like apples; and oranges.

  • Fix: Use semicolons between independent clauses or in lists with internal commas.

  • Tip: I like apples; I also like oranges.

33. Confusing "May" and "Might"

  • Mistake: Mixing up "may" for possibility and "might" for uncertainty.

  • Example: I may go to the party if I have time.

  • Fix: Use "might" for less certain situations.

  • Tip: I might go to the party if I have time.

34. Missing Hyphens in Compound Modifiers

  • Mistake: Not hyphenating compound adjectives before a noun.

  • Example: A well written book.

  • Fix: Hyphenate compound modifiers.

  • Tip: A well-written book.

35. Using "Could of" Instead of "Could have"

  • Mistake: Writing "could of" instead of "could have."

  • Example: She could of won the race.

  • Fix: Use "could have."

  • Tip: She could have won the race.

36. Overuse of Contractions in Formal Writing

  • Mistake: Using contractions in formal writing.

  • Example: She doesn’t like the idea.

  • Fix: Avoid contractions in formal contexts.

  • Tip: She does not like the idea.

37. Incorrect Use of "Because"

  • Mistake: Using "because" to start a fragment.

  • Example: Because he was tired.

  • Fix: Ensure a complete sentence follows "because."

  • Tip: He left early because he was tired.

38. Incorrect Use of Hyphen in Prefixes

  • Mistake: Adding a hyphen where it's unnecessary.

  • Example: Re-act quickly.

  • Fix: Most prefixes don’t need a hyphen.

  • Tip: React quickly.

39. Incorrect Use of Colon

  • Mistake: Using a colon improperly in sentences.

  • Example: The answer is: 42.

  • Fix: Use a colon only when the clause before it is complete.

  • Tip: The answer is 42.

40. Spelling Mistakes

  • Mistake: Common spelling errors.

  • Example: I recieved the letter yesterday.

  • Fix: Use spell check and proofread carefully.

  • Tip: I received the letter yesterday.


More Details

1. Comma Splice

  • Explanation: A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (complete thoughts) are incorrectly joined with a comma. Each independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, so they need proper punctuation between them.

  • Incorrect: I finished my work, I went for a walk.Correct: I finished my work; I went for a walk.

  • Incorrect: She loves reading, she has many books.Correct: She loves reading, and she has many books.

  • Incorrect: The sun set, the sky turned dark.Correct: The sun set, and the sky turned dark.

  • Incorrect: It was cold, we decided to stay inside.Correct: It was cold, so we decided to stay inside.

  • Incorrect: I called my friend, she didn’t answer.Correct: I called my friend, but she didn’t answer.

2. Run-On Sentence

  • Explanation: A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without any punctuation or conjunction. It makes the sentence unclear and hard to follow.

  • Incorrect: He ran to the store he bought milk.Correct: He ran to the store. He bought milk.

  • Incorrect: I’m tired I need to sleep.Correct: I’m tired, so I need to sleep.

  • Incorrect: We wanted pizza we went to the restaurant.Correct: We wanted pizza, so we went to the restaurant.

  • Incorrect: The phone rang I didn’t answer.Correct: The phone rang, but I didn’t answer.

  • Incorrect: She studied all night she passed the test.Correct: She studied all night, and she passed the test.

3. Sentence Fragment

  • Explanation: A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that lacks either a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.

  • Incorrect: After the meeting.Correct: After the meeting, we went for dinner.

  • Incorrect: While walking down the street.Correct: While walking down the street, I saw a cat.

  • Incorrect: Because I was late.Correct: Because I was late, I missed the bus.

  • Incorrect: Without saying goodbye.Correct: She left without saying goodbye.

  • Incorrect: In the middle of the night.Correct: The noise woke me up in the middle of the night.

4. Misplaced Modifier

  • Explanation: A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase that is not correctly placed near the word it describes, leading to confusion.

  • Incorrect: The man sat on the chair with a hat.Correct: The man with a hat sat on the chair.

  • Incorrect: She almost walked every day to the park.Correct: She walked to the park almost every day.

  • Incorrect: The girl found a silver bracelet walking down the street.Correct: Walking down the street, the girl found a silver bracelet.

  • Incorrect: He served a meal to the guests on plastic plates.Correct: He served the guests a meal on plastic plates.

  • Incorrect: She only eats vegetables at restaurants.Correct: She eats only vegetables at restaurants.

5. Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Explanation: Subject-verb agreement refers to ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence match in number (singular or plural).

  • Incorrect: The students is excited for the trip.Correct: The students are excited for the trip.

  • Incorrect: The dog bark loudly at night.Correct: The dog barks loudly at night.

  • Incorrect: The team have won the match.Correct: The team has won the match.

  • Incorrect: Each of the girls were given a prize.Correct: Each of the girls was given a prize.

  • Incorrect: The books on the table is old.Correct: The books on the table are old.


6. Incorrect Verb Tense

  • Explanation: Incorrect verb tense happens when the verb does not match the time indicated by the sentence, creating confusion about when the action took place.

  • Incorrect: She run to the store yesterday.Correct: She ran to the store yesterday.

  • Incorrect: I am watching the movie last night.Correct: I watched the movie last night.

  • Incorrect: He will goes to school tomorrow.Correct: He will go to school tomorrow.

  • Incorrect: They was playing outside.Correct: They were playing outside.

  • Incorrect: I have eat breakfast already.Correct: I have eaten breakfast already.

7. Shifting Tenses

  • Explanation: Shifting tenses occurs when a sentence changes from one tense to another without a logical reason, leading to confusion about the timing of actions.

  • Incorrect: He walked to the park and sees a dog.Correct: He walked to the park and saw a dog.

  • Incorrect: She was cooking when the phone rings.Correct: She was cooking when the phone rang.

  • Incorrect: They went to the store and buy groceries.Correct: They went to the store and bought groceries.

  • Incorrect: I am studying when my friend called me.Correct: I was studying when my friend called me.

  • Incorrect: The movie started, and she is already seated.Correct: The movie started, and she was already seated.

8. Passive Voice Overuse

  • Explanation: Passive voice overuse occurs when the action is performed on the subject, which can make writing weak or unclear. Active voice is usually preferred for clarity.

  • Incorrect: The letter was written by John.Correct: John wrote the letter.

  • Incorrect: The ball was kicked by the boy.Correct: The boy kicked the ball.

  • Incorrect: The cake was eaten by the children.Correct: The children ate the cake.

  • Incorrect: The homework was finished by the student.Correct: The student finished the homework.

  • Incorrect: The book was read by her in one day.Correct: She read the book in one day.

9. Apostrophe Misuse

  • Explanation: Apostrophe misuse occurs when apostrophes are used incorrectly in possessives or contractions. Apostrophes show possession or mark missing letters in contractions.

  • Incorrect: The dogs bone is missing.Correct: The dog’s bone is missing.

  • Incorrect: Its a beautiful day.Correct: It’s a beautiful day.

  • Incorrect: The childrens toys are everywhere.Correct: The children’s toys are everywhere.

  • Incorrect: She can’t find her friends book.Correct: She can’t find her friend’s book.

  • Incorrect: That’s Johns car.Correct: That’s John’s car.

10. Confusing Homophones

  • Explanation: Confusing homophones occurs when words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings are used incorrectly.

  • Incorrect: Their going to the movies.Correct: They’re going to the movies.

  • Incorrect: I hope you no the answer.Correct: I hope you know the answer.

  • Incorrect: I left my book over their.Correct: I left my book over there.

  • Incorrect: She made two many mistakes.Correct: She made too many mistakes.

  • Incorrect: It’s time for you’re break.Correct: It’s time for your break.


11. Redundancy

  • Explanation: Redundancy occurs when unnecessary repetition or extra words are used, making the sentence longer without adding meaning.

  • Incorrect: I woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning.Correct: I woke up at 6 a.m.

  • Incorrect: She repeated the same thing again.Correct: She repeated the same thing.

  • Incorrect: He made a final conclusion at the end.Correct: He made a final conclusion.

  • Incorrect: The two twins looked identical.Correct: The twins looked identical.

  • Incorrect: In my personal opinion, I think it’s true.Correct: In my opinion, it’s true.

12. Overusing Adverbs

  • Explanation: Overusing adverbs, especially words like “very” or “really,” can weaken writing. Stronger verbs or adjectives are more effective.

  • Incorrect: She was really very tired after the long day.Correct: She was exhausted after the long day.

  • Incorrect: He ran really fast to catch the bus.Correct: He sprinted to catch the bus.

  • Incorrect: The book was very interesting.Correct: The book was fascinating.

  • Incorrect: She was very happy with the results.Correct: She was thrilled with the results.

  • Incorrect: The movie was really good.Correct: The movie was excellent.

13. Incorrect Prepositions

  • Explanation: Using the wrong preposition changes the meaning of the sentence. Prepositions like “in,” “at,” “on,” “to,” and “for” are often misused.

  • Incorrect: She is good in mathematics.Correct: She is good at mathematics.

  • Incorrect: He is interested for learning French.Correct: He is interested in learning French.

  • Incorrect: We will meet on next Tuesday.Correct: We will meet next Tuesday.

  • Incorrect: She arrived to the party late.Correct: She arrived at the party late.

  • Incorrect: I depend from him.Correct: I depend on him.

14. Using "Me" Instead of "I"

  • Explanation: Using "me" instead of "I" happens when the subject pronoun “I” is incorrectly replaced with the object pronoun “me.” "I" is used as the subject of a sentence.

  • Incorrect: Me and my friend are going to the concert.Correct: My friend and I are going to the concert.

  • Incorrect: Me and John finished the project.Correct: John and I finished the project.

  • Incorrect: Me and my parents traveled to Europe.Correct: My parents and I traveled to Europe.

  • Incorrect: Me and her are best friends.Correct: She and I are best friends.

  • Incorrect: Me and my sister baked cookies.Correct: My sister and I baked cookies.

15. Overuse of Clichés

  • Explanation: Clichés are overused expressions that can make writing seem unoriginal. It's better to use fresh, specific language.

  • Incorrect: He was as cool as a cucumber during the interview.Correct: He remained calm during the interview.

  • Incorrect: It was a piece of cake to solve the problem.Correct: The problem was easy to solve.

  • Incorrect: She worked hard and gave it her all.Correct: She worked hard and did her best.

  • Incorrect: The meeting went off without a hitch.Correct: The meeting went smoothly.

  • Incorrect: We’re in the same boat with this issue.Correct: We’re facing the same issue.


16. Incorrect Article Use

  • Explanation: Articles "a," "an," and "the" are often misused. "A" is used before consonant sounds, "an" before vowel sounds, and "the" for specific nouns.

  • Incorrect: She is a artist.Correct: She is an artist.

  • Incorrect: I saw a Eiffel Tower on my trip.Correct: I saw the Eiffel Tower on my trip.

  • Incorrect: He is the university student.Correct: He is a university student.

  • Incorrect: She bought an car yesterday.Correct: She bought a car yesterday.

  • Incorrect: The dog is a best friend of humans.Correct: The dog is the best friend of humans.

17. Comma Misuse in Complex Sentences

  • Explanation: A comma is often needed after introductory clauses, phrases, or words in complex sentences.

  • Incorrect: Before starting my homework I ate dinner.Correct: Before starting my homework, I ate dinner.

  • Incorrect: After the movie we went to dinner.Correct: After the movie, we went to dinner.

  • Incorrect: Since it was raining we stayed inside.Correct: Since it was raining, we stayed inside.

  • Incorrect: Although he was tired he finished his homework.Correct: Although he was tired, he finished his homework.

  • Incorrect: If you’re ready let’s go.Correct: If you’re ready, let’s go.

18. Double Negatives

  • Explanation: Double negatives occur when two negative words are used in the same sentence, which can confuse meaning. Only one negative should be used.

  • Incorrect: I don’t need no help.Correct: I don’t need any help.

  • Incorrect: She didn’t see nobody at the party.Correct: She didn’t see anybody at the party.

  • Incorrect: We can’t find nothing to eat.Correct: We can’t find anything to eat.

  • Incorrect: He didn’t never tell the truth.Correct: He never told the truth.

  • Incorrect: There isn’t no way to fix it.Correct: There isn’t any way to fix it.

19. Faulty Parallelism

  • Explanation: Faulty parallelism happens when items in a list or series are not grammatically consistent. All parts of the sentence should follow the same structure.

  • Incorrect: She likes dancing, to swim, and biking.Correct: She likes dancing, swimming, and biking.

  • Incorrect: I want to cook, cleaning, and to paint.Correct: I want to cook, clean, and paint.

  • Incorrect: He enjoys reading, to write, and playing guitar.Correct: He enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar.

  • Incorrect: The teacher told us to study, be on time, and that we should pay attention.Correct: The teacher told us to study, be on time, and pay attention.

  • Incorrect: She is responsible for organizing the event, planning the schedule, and to contact vendors.Correct: She is responsible for organizing the event, planning the schedule, and contacting vendors.

20. Misusing "Literally"

  • Explanation: The word "literally" should only be used when something is true in a literal sense. It's often misused for emphasis when it’s not literal.

  • Incorrect: I’m literally starving to death.Correct: I’m really hungry.

  • Incorrect: He literally jumped out of his skin when he saw the spider.Correct: He was really startled when he saw the spider.

  • Incorrect: The speech was so boring I was literally falling asleep.Correct: The speech was so boring I was almost falling asleep.

  • Incorrect: She literally flew through the exam.Correct: She did really well on the exam.

  • Incorrect: I literally died laughing at his joke.Correct: I laughed really hard at his joke.


21. Inconsistent Pronoun Usage

  • Explanation: Inconsistent pronoun usage occurs when pronouns shift unnecessarily within a sentence, confusing the reader about who or what is being referred to.

  • Incorrect: When someone goes to college, you should study hard.Correct: When someone goes to college, they should study hard.

  • Incorrect: If a student works hard, they will succeed.Correct: If a student works hard, he or she will succeed.

  • Incorrect: The teacher gave their students advice about how to prepare.Correct: The teacher gave his or her students advice about how to prepare.

  • Incorrect: If anyone wants to join us, they can let me know.Correct: If anyone wants to join us, he or she can let me know.

  • Incorrect: People should take care of his or her health.Correct: People should take care of their health.

22. Overuse of "There is/There are"

  • Explanation: Overusing "there is" or "there are" as sentence starters can lead to dull writing. It's better to start with the subject.

  • Incorrect: There are many options available.Correct: Many options are available.

  • Incorrect: There is a chance of rain tomorrow.Correct: A chance of rain exists tomorrow.

  • Incorrect: There are several reasons why this is important.Correct: Several reasons explain why this is important.

  • Incorrect: There is a problem with the printer.Correct: The printer has a problem.

  • Incorrect: There are lots of things to do in the city.Correct: The city offers many activities.

23. Confusing "Who" and "Whom"

  • Explanation: "Who" is used as the subject of a verb, while "whom" is used as the object. Mixing them up can lead to grammatical errors.

  • Incorrect: Who did you give the book to?Correct: Whom did you give the book to?

  • Incorrect: I wonder who you spoke to yesterday.Correct: I wonder whom you spoke to yesterday.

  • Incorrect: She is the one who I saw at the store.Correct: She is the one whom I saw at the store.

  • Incorrect: Who are you going to invite to the party?Correct: Whom are you going to invite to the party?

  • Incorrect: I know who he wants to talk to.Correct: I know whom he wants to talk to.

24. Inconsistent Point of View

  • Explanation: Inconsistent point of view occurs when a sentence shifts unexpectedly from one point of view (first, second, or third person) to another, confusing the reader.

  • Incorrect: I walked to the store, and you should’ve seen it.Correct: I walked to the store, and I should’ve seen it.

  • Incorrect: When you arrive at the party, they will greet you.Correct: When you arrive at the party, you will be greeted.

  • Incorrect: The student should study hard if they want good grades.Correct: The student should study hard if he or she wants good grades.

  • Incorrect: If I go to the gym, you will feel better.Correct: If I go to the gym, I will feel better.

  • Incorrect: We will finish our project, and then you can review it.Correct: We will finish our project, and then we can review it.

25. Incorrect Use of "Which" and "That"

  • Explanation: "Which" is used for non-restrictive clauses (additional information) and "that" for restrictive clauses (essential information). Mixing them up can lead to confusion about the information's importance.

  • Incorrect: The book which I read was fascinating.Correct: The book that I read was fascinating.

  • Incorrect: The car, which is red, is mine.Correct: The car that is red is mine.

  • Incorrect: She has a dog which barks all night.Correct: She has a dog that barks all night.

  • Incorrect: The cake, which she baked yesterday, was delicious.Correct: The cake that she baked yesterday was delicious.

  • Incorrect: I visited the museum which is near my house.Correct: I visited the museum that is near my house.

26. Capitalization Errors

  • Explanation: Capitalization errors occur when proper nouns or the first word of a sentence are not capitalized, or when common nouns are incorrectly capitalized.

  • Incorrect: I visited paris in june.Correct: I visited Paris in June.

  • Incorrect: She lives in the united states.Correct: She lives in the United States.

  • Incorrect: My favorite book is pride and prejudice.Correct: My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice.

  • Incorrect: We went to the beach last summer in california.Correct: We went to the beach last summer in California.

  • Incorrect: He works at google.Correct: He works at Google.

27. Incorrect Plurals

  • Explanation: Incorrect plurals happen when the plural form of a noun is not used correctly, especially with irregular nouns.

  • Incorrect: The childs are playing outside.Correct: The children are playing outside.

  • Incorrect: I saw three mouses in the house.Correct: I saw three mice in the house.

  • Incorrect: There are many deers in the forest.Correct: There are many deer in the forest.

  • Incorrect: The tooths are very painful.Correct: The teeth are very painful.

  • Incorrect: She has two foots.Correct: She has two feet.

28. Misuse of Ellipsis

  • Explanation: Ellipses should be used sparingly and correctly to indicate omitted text or a pause in thought. Overusing them can lead to unclear writing.

  • Incorrect: I’m not sure what to do... I guess I’ll wait.Correct: I’m not sure what to do. I guess I’ll wait.

  • Incorrect: She said she would... be here soon.Correct: She said she would be here soon.

  • Incorrect: It was a long day... but worth it.Correct: It was a long day, but worth it.

  • Incorrect: I think... maybe we should go.Correct: I think maybe we should go.

  • Incorrect: I don’t know... if I can do it.Correct: I don’t know if I can do it.

29. Confusing "Fewer" and "Less"

  • Explanation: "Fewer" is used for countable items, while "less" is used for uncountable items. Mixing them up can lead to grammatical errors.

  • Incorrect: I have less friends now.Correct: I have fewer friends now.

  • Incorrect: There are less cars on the road today.Correct: There are fewer cars on the road today.

  • Incorrect: I need to spend less time on social media.Correct: I need to spend less time on social media. (Note: “time” is uncountable, so “less” is correct here.)

  • Incorrect: She has less apples than before.Correct: She has fewer apples than before.

  • Incorrect: You should use less sugar in your recipe.Correct: You should use less sugar in your recipe. (Again, “sugar” is uncountable.)

30. Overusing Parentheses

  • Explanation: Parentheses should be used sparingly, as excessive use can break the flow of writing and make sentences harder to read.

  • Incorrect: The movie (which was really long) was boring.Correct: The movie, which was really long, was boring.

  • Incorrect: I went to the store (to buy some groceries) and came home.Correct: I went to the store to buy some groceries and came home.

  • Incorrect: She loves her cat (a fluffy Persian) and dog (a Labrador).Correct: She loves her cat, a fluffy Persian, and her dog, a Labrador.


31. Incorrect Word Order in Questions

  • Explanation: Word order in questions should follow subject-auxiliary inversion. This means the auxiliary verb should come before the subject.

  • Incorrect: You are going to the party?Correct: Are you going to the party?

  • Incorrect: He can come with us?Correct: Can he come with us?

  • Incorrect: You will help me with this?Correct: Will you help me with this?

  • Incorrect: She is your sister?Correct: Is she your sister?

  • Incorrect: They are leaving soon?Correct: Are they leaving soon?

32. Misplacing Modifiers

  • Explanation: Misplacing modifiers occurs when descriptive words or phrases are not placed next to the words they are meant to describe. This can lead to confusion.

  • Incorrect: Running quickly, the finish line seemed far away.Correct: Running quickly, I felt the finish line seemed far away.

  • Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful.Correct: Walking down the street, I saw that the trees looked beautiful.

  • Incorrect: After finishing dinner, the dessert tasted amazing.Correct: After finishing dinner, we thought the dessert tasted amazing.

  • Incorrect: Covered in mud, the dog was hard to clean.Correct: The dog, covered in mud, was hard to clean.

  • Incorrect: Waving goodbye, the train left the station.Correct: Waving goodbye, we watched the train leave the station.

33. Subject-Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns

  • Explanation: Collective nouns (e.g., team, group, family) can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether they are acting as a unit or as individuals.

  • Incorrect: The team are ready to play.Correct: The team is ready to play.

  • Incorrect: The group were arguing among themselves.Correct: The group was arguing among themselves.

  • Incorrect: The committee have decided to meet next week.Correct: The committee has decided to meet next week.

  • Incorrect: The family were eating dinner.Correct: The family was eating dinner.

  • Incorrect: The jury are still deliberating.Correct: The jury is still deliberating.

34. Incorrectly Using "Like" Instead of "As"

  • Explanation: "Like" is used to compare nouns, while "as" is used to compare clauses (with a verb). Using "like" to compare actions is a common mistake.

  • Incorrect: She sings like a professional does.Correct: She sings as a professional does.

  • Incorrect: He drives like he’s in a race.Correct: He drives as if he’s in a race.

  • Incorrect: They talked like they knew each other.Correct: They talked as if they knew each other.

  • Incorrect: The car moves like it’s new.Correct: The car moves as if it’s new.

  • Incorrect: Cook this like I do.Correct: Cook this as I do.

35. Incorrect Comparisons with "Than" and "As"

  • Explanation: When making comparisons, "than" and "as" should be followed by the correct pronoun or noun, including the implied part of the comparison.

  • Incorrect: He is taller than me.Correct: He is taller than I am.

  • Incorrect: She works as hard as him.Correct: She works as hard as he does.

  • Incorrect: I run faster than her.Correct: I run faster than she does.

  • Incorrect: We are stronger than them.Correct: We are stronger than they are.

  • Incorrect: The cake tastes better than mine.Correct: The cake tastes better than my cake.

36. Overusing Adverbs

  • Explanation: Overuse of adverbs, especially when they add little meaning to the sentence, can clutter writing.

  • Incorrect: She really quickly ran to the store.Correct: She quickly ran to the store.

  • Incorrect: He completely finished his homework early.Correct: He finished his homework early.

  • Incorrect: I totally agree with you.Correct: I agree with you.

  • Incorrect: She absolutely loves the movie.Correct: She loves the movie.

  • Incorrect: He carefully and very slowly opened the door.Correct: He slowly opened the door.

37. Misplacing Correlative Conjunctions

  • Explanation: Correlative conjunctions (either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also) should join parallel elements.

  • Incorrect: She is either going to the park or will stay home.Correct: She is either going to the park or staying home.

  • Incorrect: He not only likes to play football but also swimming.Correct: He not only likes to play football but also to swim.

  • Incorrect: I will neither go to the movies nor staying home.Correct: I will neither go to the movies nor stay home.

  • Incorrect: She is either very tired or has no energy.Correct: She is either very tired or lacking energy.

  • Incorrect: They not only eat pizza but also are watching a movie.Correct: They are not only eating pizza but also watching a movie.

38. Ambiguous Pronoun Reference

  • Explanation: Ambiguous pronoun reference occurs when it’s unclear which noun the pronoun refers to, leading to confusion.

  • Incorrect: John told his brother that he was leaving.Correct: John told his brother that John was leaving.

  • Incorrect: Sarah saw Lucy and told her that she was late.Correct: Sarah saw Lucy and told her that Lucy was late.

  • Incorrect: When Jake met Tom, he shook his hand.Correct: When Jake met Tom, Jake shook Tom's hand.

  • Incorrect: The teacher spoke to the student, and he listened carefully.Correct: The teacher spoke to the student, and the student listened carefully.

  • Incorrect: Maria gave Ana her book.Correct: Maria gave Ana Ana's book.

39. Incorrect Use of "Between" and "Among"

  • Explanation: "Between" is used for two items, while "among" is used for more than two.

  • Incorrect: She had to choose between three different schools.Correct: She had to choose among three different schools.

  • Incorrect: I’m sitting among my two best friends.Correct: I’m sitting between my two best friends.

  • Incorrect: The discussion was between all the students.Correct: The discussion was among all the students.

  • Incorrect: He divided the money among the two brothers.Correct: He divided the money between the two brothers.

  • Incorrect: The agreement was among the three of them.Correct: The agreement was between the three of them.

40. Misusing Reflexive Pronouns

  • Explanation: Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) are used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person or thing. They are often misused as a substitute for subject or object pronouns.

  • Incorrect: John and myself went to the store.Correct: John and I went to the store.

  • Incorrect: Please give it to myself.Correct: Please give it to me.

  • Incorrect: He completed the project by himself.Correct: He completed the project on his own. (Note: This is also correct in context, but the incorrect sentence is grammatically acceptable as well.)

  • Incorrect: You can contact myself if you have any questions.Correct: You can contact me if you have any questions.

  • Incorrect: They brought the pizza to ourselves.Correct: They brought the pizza to us.



6 views1 comment

Recent Posts

See All

1 Comment

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
Guest
Nov 08

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine EPS Block…

EPS Machine EPS Block…

EPS Machine EPS Block…

AEON MINING AEON MINING

AEON MINING AEON MINING

KSD Miner KSD Miner

KSD Miner KSD Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

Like
© Copyright

Blog Categories

© Copyright©©
bottom of page