How to Avoid Common Grammatical Errors

Using correct grammar will make a difference between appearing professional and educated or uneducated and ignorant. Many people make common grammatical errors when they write and when they speak. Use these steps to avoid the most common errors and sound intelligent and well informed.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure that verb tenses match. If the subject is present tense, then the verb must be as well. The same principle applies to past tense subjects and verbs.

2. Think about whether the subject is single or plural. Words like don't, aren't, were, are and were belong with plural subjects. For example, "It don't work," is incorrect. Instead, write or say, "they don't work."

3. Take out the extra words before I or me when deciding which to use. For example, in the phrase, "Robert went with Sheila and me," it helps to say the phrase to yourself. Then repeat it without the words directly before the word me, to determine if it sounds correct; "Robert went with me." The same rule applies to the words, him and he, or her and she.

4. Avoid using fragments. A sentence must have a subject and a verb.

5. Do not use double negatives. "I am not listening to nobody in this class," is incorrect. "I am not listening to anyone," is correct.

6. Use went and gone correctly. "I should have went to bed earlier," is incorrect. The correct grammar is, "I should have gone to bed earlier."

7. Use the words, well and good, correctly. Well is used when describing how something is done. For example, "She did well on that test." Good is used when the sentence is describing something. For example, "That is good pie," or, "He is a good pitcher."

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.