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Whether you’re writing as a student or a teacher, one thing is for sure: you will make grammar mistakes. But why do these mistakes occur? And how do we avoid them?
In this article, we will go over five grammar mistakes that people commonly make, their examples, and how to avoid them in writing.
What are Grammatical Errors?
Grammatical mistakes or errors refer to the breaking of grammar rules in the formation of words, phrases, or sentences, resulting in awkward and confusing writing. In other words, grammatical errors are incorrect words, phrases, or sentences that occur when they don't follow grammatical conventions — rules that govern how we form these words, phrases, and sentences.
Grammatical errors are not to be confused with style choices, (i.e., passive voice, active voice) or semantic errors, like saying “I eat iron for breakfast,” which is semantically strange but grammatically correct.
True grammatical errors break the standard structure or syntax of English. These can include incorrectly spelled words, misplaced modifiers, or mismatches between subjects and verbs. While grammar mistakes are common regardless of the type of writing, academic writing follows writing standards strictly. Making these common mistakes can not only confuse readers but also undermine your credibility, that’s why recognizing and avoiding them is very important.
1. Subject–Verb Agreement Errors
One of the most common types of errors in English grammar is wrong subject-verb agreements. We know that every English sentence requires a subject and a verb. The subject refers to the person or thing doing something, whereas the verb is the action they perform. However, both the subject and the verb can be singular/plural in a sentence. But when a sentence has a plural subject, the verb that you assign to it should also be plural, and if the subject is singular, the verb assigned to it should also be singular. This is called the subject-verb agreement.
For examples:
Incorrect: The cat are crossing the road. ❌
Correct: The cats are crossing the road. ✔️
Incorrect: The list of references are appended at the end of the paper. ❌
Correct: The list of references is appended at the end of the paper. ✔️ (the main verb “is” is assigned to the subject “list,” which is singular, and the true subject in the sentence.)
How to Avoid:
A simple way to avoid subject-verb disagreements is identifying your true subject, and not something that comes between subject and verb. Once identified, see whether the subject is singular or plural. If it’s singular, use a singular verb; if plural, use a plural verb. Simple.
Example:
Incorrect: The data, along with the chart, are inconsistent. ❌
Correct: The data, along with the chart, is inconsistent. ✔️
2. Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers
A modifier is a word or phrase that describes another word. But what are misplaced and dangling modifiers?
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies a word placed too far away from it. It feels like the modifier is modifying the wrong word, due to the misplacement.
A dangling modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies a word not stated in the sentence, or modifies the wrong word instead. It occurs when the subject of the modifier is missing from the sentence. It feels like the modifier is dangling in the wrong place with nothing to attach to, hence the name “dangling.”
Misplaced and dangling modifiers are both a type of grammatical errors, and can lead to confusion and unintentionally funny meanings.
For examples:
Incorrect (misplaced): After analyzing the survey results, the findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal. ❌ (Here it sounds like the “findings” did the analyzing.)
Correct: After analyzing the survey results, the researchers published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. ✔️
Incorrect (dangling): To confirm the public opinion, a series of surveys was conducted. ❌ (This makes it seem like “a series of experiments” tested the hypothesis, rather than the team.)
Correct: To confirm the public opinion, the team conducted a series of surveys. ✔️
How to Avoid:
To avoid misplaced modifiers, always place your modifier right before or after the word it describes. To avoid dangling modifiers, make sure the sentence’s true subject is present and clearly identifiable. If in doubt, rewrite the paragraph or sentence so that the subject performing the action comes right before the modifier.
Example:
Incorrect (misplaced): The cat chased the boy with small whiskers. ❌ (The modifier “with small whiskers” placed after “the boy” incorrectly suggests that the boy had small whiskers.)
Correct: The cat with small whiskers chased the dog. ✔️
Incorrect (dangling): After enjoying a long trip, the car was returned. ❌ (The modifier “after enjoying a long trip” is missing a clear subject, making it feel like the car enjoyed the trip.)
Correct: After enjoying a long trip, the driver returned the car. ✔️
3. Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement Errors
Pronouns are words (i.e., he, she, it, they, we, you, etc.) used in place of nouns to refer to the people or things the noun introduced elsewhere in the text. And, the noun replaced by the pronoun is called its antecedent.
When a pronoun is used to refer back to its antecedent noun, it must agree with the noun in number (i.e., whether both are either singular or plural), gender (i.e., whether both match the same gender), and person type (i.e., whether both match the person type: first person, second person, or third person).
So, a pronoun–antecedent error can occur due to three disagreements, the examples of which are given below:
1. Disagreement in Number:
Agreement error, or disagreement in number occurs when the pronoun's number does not match the number of the noun (antecedent) it refers to.
For examples:
Incorrect: Each researcher submitted their methodology section on time. ❌ (The antecedent is “each researcher”, where each implies singularity. But the pronoun “their” is plural, so the antecedent and pronoun don’t agree in number.)
Correct: Each researcher submitted his or her methodology section on time. ✔️
Incorrect: The students passed his exams. ❌ (The antecedent is “students”, which is plural. But the pronoun “his” is singular, so they don’t agree.)
Correct: The student passed his exams. ✔️
How to Fix:
Identify the number of your antecedent before choosing its pronouns to avoid making the mistake. If you do make a mistake, you can fix it depending on what is wrong — either the pronoun is misnumbered or the noun, you can fix it. Simply, examine both the noun and pronoun and rewrite whichever is wrong using the correct number.
2. Disagreement in Gender:
Disagreement in gender occurs when the pronoun's gender does not match the gender of the noun it refers to.
For examples:
Incorrect: My sister was interviewed but she made a mistake during his test. ❌ (The antecedent “sister” is feminine. But the pronoun “his” is masculine.)
Correct: My sister was interviewed but she made a mistake during her test. ✔️
Incorrect: The policeman blew the whistle, and on blowing the whistle, she stopped the traffic. ❌ (The antecedent “policeman” is masculine. But the pronoun “she” is feminine.)
Correct: The policeman blew the whistle, and on blowing the whistle, she stopped the traffic. ✔️
How to Avoid:
Identify the gender of your antecedent before choosing its pronouns to avoid mixing the genders. But if you do make a mistake, you can fix it depending on what is wrong — either the pronoun is misgendered or the noun. Examine both the noun and pronoun and rewrite whichever is wrong with the correct gender.
3. Disagreement in Person:
Disagreement in person error happens when the subject illogically shifts between the person type (1st, 2nd, 3rd) of the pronoun and its antecedent. The most common type of shift is shifting from 3rd person perspective (he, she, it, a person, a student etc.) to the 2nd person perspective (you).
For examples:
Incorrect: When someone reaches their goal, you can feel a sense of satisfaction. ❌ (The antecedent is “someone,” which is in 3rd person. But the pronoun that follows “you” is in 2nd person. It creates an illogical shift in perspective.)
Incorrect: When someone reaches their goal, they can feel a sense of satisfaction. ✔️
Incorrect: "A person should always do their best, because if you don't, you will regret it." ❌ (The sentence starts in the 3rd person with “a person” and then improperly shifts to the 2nd person using “you.”)
Correct: "A person should always do their best, because if they don't, they will regret it."
These shifts in person are incorrect unless the author or speaker does it intentionally — starts addressing a different person in the next sentence or clause.
How to Avoid:
Identify whether your antecedent is singular or plural; male or female; and whether it's in first person, second, or third, before choosing its pronoun. Rephrase the sentence if you make a mistake to make the subject and pronoun agree with each other.
4. Comma Splices and Run‑On Sentences
A comma splice is a simple error but it can be tricky to find. It occurs when two independent clauses (both of which can stand on their own) are incorrectly joined using a comma. We join two clauses using commas when only one is independent and the other one dependent, but not when both are independent.
Run-on sentences are similar to comma splice errors. A run-on sentence happens when independent clauses are written together without proper punctuation or conjunctions (words that connect sentences like “and,” “but,” and “so,” etc.).
Both errors make your writing hard to follow, because readers can’t easily tell where one idea ends and the next begins.
For examples:
Incorrect (comma splice): The survey produced some unexpected results, we revised our methodology accordingly. ❌ (Both clauses in the sentence are independent and can stand alone, but they’re joined together using only the comma.)
Correct: The survey produced some unexpected results. We revised our methodology accordingly. ✔️
Correct (using the conjunction “so”): The survey produced some unexpected results, so we revised our methodology accordingly. ✔️
Incorrect: Amber lived in America for five years she was very young back then. ❌ (Here, two independent clauses are mashed together without any punctuation or conjunction.)
Correct: Amber lived in America for five years. She was very young back then. ✔️
Also correct (using the conjunction “and”): Amber lived in America for five years, and she was very young back then. ✔️
How to Avoid:
If you see comma splices or run-on sentences, separate the independent clauses using proper punctuation: a comma, semicolon, period, or a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so — also called the FANBOYS conjunctions). Choose the method that best reflects the relationship between your ideas. Just remember that using coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses requires a comma.
5. Confusing Adjectives with Adverbs
Mixing adjectives and adverbs is yet another very common grammatical error.
Adjectives are words that modify (or describe the meaning of) nouns or pronouns (people, place, things), while adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Mixing these two types of modifiers can weaken your academic writing and can even make statements read unprofessionally.
For examples:
Incorrect: Her speech was clearly during the presentation. ❌ (“clearly” is an adverb trying to modify the noun “speech,” which is incorrect, as a noun is modified by an adjective, not an adverb.)
Correct: Her speech was clear during the presentation. ✔️
Incorrect: He works amazing. ❌ (the word “amazing” is an adjective trying to modify the verb “worked,” which instead is the job of an adverb.)
Correct (correcting the modifier): He works amazingly. ✔️
Correct (correcting the sentence): His work is amazing. ✔️
How to Avoid:
If you want to avoid mixing adjectives with adverbs, you need to learn and understand the difference between the things an adjective describes, which is a noun; and the things that an adverb describes — verbs, adjectives, and adverbs — and be able to tell them apart. Additionally, you need to learn more about adjectives and adverbs and be able to differentiate between them as well.
Learning these differences will help you establish the grammatical base you need to avoid mixing adjectives with adverbs and vice versa. But here’s a rule of thumb:
Whenever you describe how something is done (verb) in a sentence, use an adverb (words that often end in “-ly” like “clearly”). But when you describe a quality of the subject (person or thing) performing the action (i.e., whether the person/thing is short, fast, or pretty), use an adjective.
Examples:
Her singing is beautifully. ❌
Her singing is beautiful. ✔️
She sings beautiful. ❌
She sings beautifully. ✔️
Conclusion
Grammatical mistakes or errors refer to words, phrases, or sentences that break grammatical conventions, resulting in awkward and confusing writing. While these errors are always inevitable no matter how good of a writer you are, letting them linger in your academic writing can make it confusing, make the writing look unprofessional, and even undermine your credibility. The article highlights five common grammatical errors, including: subject-verb disagreements, misplaced and dangling modifiers, pronoun-antecedent disagreements in number, gender, or person; comma splices and run-on errors, and confusing adjectives with adverbs.
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