The Common Errors in English Grammar

English Grammar, or for that matter grammar of any language, seems very easy if look at it from front but is as difficult one you delve into the details of it. The minute errors that are made by students cost them their grades and thus student face trouble with the subject.

While working alone on their homework answers, students are bound to commit mistakes even after knowing the concepts of grammar, reason being, their lack of practice. Study help me is one such platform which can provide you more information regarding this topic.

Practice brings perfection and these errors in grammar are so minute that if you try working on the concepts just by reading and not practicing, you are bound to commit errors, thereby going for help in homework to do the work correctly. Therefore let us discuss a few errors in English Grammar and ways to avoid them:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: This is the area that contains the most number of errors made by students as well as by other people while they are speaking English normally. The verb that you use in the sentence should be in agreement with the subject. The following should be kept in mind to avoid errors in subject verb agreement:
2. Phrases separated by and are plural while those separated by or are singular:

The book and copy were kept on the table.

Was there a book or a copy on the table.

With and we have used plural form of the verb and singular form of the verb has been used with or.

• Collective nouns are used as singular when they act as one group and plural when they act as individuals:

A bouquet of flowers was kept on the table.

The jury were not in agreement with each other.

• A singular subject separated by comma remains singular:

The teacher, along with his students, was in the room.

• In case of neither nor and either or, the subject that is closest to nor and or is the one in accordance to which the verb is used.

Neither Ram nor his friends were in the park.

Ram or his friends were to go there.

• In case you are working vice versa, use the subject in accordance with the verb

There were many children on the stage.

• Modifiers:
• Use of adjectives and adverbs: Adjectives are used to modify nouns while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs:

She is a really good dancer because real is not an adverb and here an adverb is required to modify the adjective good.

She is a really good dancer is the correct sentence.

For adjectives keep in mind the answer to the questions of how, what, when, where and you will get the desired adjective to modify the verb.

She is a good swimmer. (What kind of a swimmer is she?)

• Pronoun:
• The pronoun you use in a sentence, should be consistent throughout.

              He invited me and she for the party. (the sentence is wrong                        because me and she do not agree with each other)

               He invited me and her for the party.

• In the same manner, your verb should agree with the pronoun used:

              Everyone have to come to the meeting is wrong and can be written as Everyone has to come to the meeting.

• The possessive pronouns should agree in number.

If anyone is interested, write their details. (wrong)

If anyone is interested, write his details. (right)

• Indefinite pronouns should be consistent throughout:

One should do their duty. (Wrong)

One should do one’s duty. (Right)

• Grammatical structure and forms:
• Not only…but also…

Not only did he dance but also sing.

• Hardly did…than…

Hardly did he reach the gate than the bell rang.

Hardly had he done the work when the lights went out.

• Either…or… and neither…nor…- In case of these two forms the phrases between them must agree in their form.

He either could drive or hold the bag. (Wrong)

He could either drive or hold the bag. (Right)

In the second sentence both, after either and or the verbs used are in the same form.

• Though/although…yet/,

Though he was ill yet he aced the exams.

Although he could not reach in time, he wrote the exam on time.

• Despite/ In spite of

Despite dancing well, the team could not qualify for the competition.

In spite of him not going to the party, he could not do the work.

• Until and unless are followed by the negative turn of the sentence

Until you do the work, you will not go for play. (till the time he does not do his work he will not be allowed to play)

You will not be given the ice cream unless you are well. (he will be given the ice cream once he is well).

• Neither and nor, and either and or, are followed by the same tense and number of the verb

He neither spoke nor danced.

He could either drink or eat.

• Punctuation errors: Again one of the most common areas of the mistake being committed. Punctuations should be used in accordance with the demand of the sentence. Full stop is used when the sentence ends, comma to give a brief pause to the sentence, question mark to indicate a question being asked, quotation marks to quote someone’s words in direct speech, exclamation marks to denote an expression of a strong emotion, and the like.

These as well as many other errors trouble students with their homework answers thus forcing them to go for help in homework. But if we understand each and every grammatical function correctly and do our work accordingly, we will be prone to committing less errors. Moreover practice is also required to do the same and ace any topic in grammar. Knowledge, understanding and practice would bring perfection in your work.