The Most Common Grammatical Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

In writing, it is easy to blend common verbal communication into your work, however, most forms of verbal communication that you may see on paper are not actually grammatically correct. Here are a few of the most common grammatical errors in writing and how to avoid them.

Towards Is Not A Word

Truthfully, this mistake is one that I have fallen victim to many times. The phrase, "moving towards his goal," is actually grammatically incorrect, as there is no plural form of the word "toward." Towards, according to the AP Stylebook, is an informal spelling of the word and should not be used in any reference. However, it is very easy to avoid the word "towards," as the words are technically interchangeable, giving the new phrase, "moving toward his goal," the same exact meaning with the preferred grammar style.

The Difference Between Its and It's

Another common grammar mistake in writing is the improper use of 'its' and 'it's'.

Simply, 'its' is a possessive word used to show belonging to someone or something, for example, "the dog wagged its tail." On the other hand, 'it's' is a contraction to shorten the words 'it is.' The proper use of this contraction would be "it's raining cats and dogs outside."

Affect vs. Effect

Once again, the difference between these two words and determining the correct way to use them has been the bane of my existence in my writing career so far, let us break it down.

• Affect

  • 'Affect' is most commonly used as a verb in writing, defined as "to act on or to change somebody or something."

  • An example of 'Affect' being used as a verb would be, "the accident will affect traffic on the highway," or, "the bad grade will affect his overall score."

• Effect

  • 'Effect' is most commonly used as a noun in writing, defined as "a change that occurs when something is done or happens."

  • An example of 'Effect' being used as a noun would be, "the rule change will go into effect next season," or, "the eruption had a negative effect on the surrounding city."

Using Numbers In Writing

When you include numbers in your writing, it can be easy to type '1,2,3' as they are more commonly seen in that format, when in reality, numbers under 10 should be written out, 'one, two, three.' When you include a number 10 or higher in your writing, you would use the numeric for, '10, 22. 35.'

Then vs. Than

In another case of this or that, 'then' and 'than' are similar words with very different meanings, let me show you how these words should be used:

• Then

  • 'Then' is typically used in phrases involved with the timing or order of events, think 'if-then' statements

  • A proper use of the word 'Then' would be, "I packed up by book bag then walked to class," or, "If it is raining, then I will bring an umbrella."

• Than

  • 'Than' is typically used in phrases when you comparing a multitude of people or things

  • A proper use of the word 'Than' would be, "Your ice cream is better than mine," or "She was more energetic than a puppy."

Possessive Plural Nouns

A possessive plural noun occurs when a noun, such as a name, already is plural or already ends with the letter 's', this makes making plural nouns a bit tricky. For example, if you were referring to your friend James, you would not say, "Jameses plate was full," or, "Jame's bag was broken," rather, you would add the apostrophe to the end of the plural noun, making it possessive, for example, "James' dog ran up the hill."

What's Next?

There are many more common grammatical mistakes to stray away from in the world of writing, however I outlined for you some of the most common mistakes that I have made myself as well as see in other peoples work. Being mindful of these small but costly mistakes can put you on your way to becoming a better writer.