How to Fix the Most Common Grammar Mistakes in English

English speakers in the USA, Canada, Australia, and other countries often make the same grammar mistakes. These errors can confuse readers, weaken your writing, and make you sound less professional. The good news? You can fix them once you know the rules and practice with real examples.

1. Their / There / They’re

Rule:

• Their shows possession. (It belongs to them.)

• There points to a place or introduces a sentence.

• They’re means they are.

Examples:

• Correct: Their dog runs fast. ✅

• Correct: Let’s meet there at 5 p.m. ✅

• Correct: They’re going to the park. ✅

• Wrong: There going to the store. ❌ → They’re going to the store. ✅

Quick Tip: Say they are in your head. If it works, use they’re.

2. Your / You’re

Rule:

• Your = shows ownership.

• You’re = you are.

Examples:

• Correct: Is this your phone? ✅

• Correct: You’re my best friend. ✅

• Wrong: Is this you’re phone? ❌

3. Its / It’s

Rule:

• Its shows possession. (It owns something.)

• It’s = it is or it has.

Examples:

• Correct: The cat licked its paw. ✅

• Correct: It’s raining outside. ✅

• Wrong: The tree lost it’s leaves. ❌

Quick Tip: If you can replace it with “it is,” use it’s.

4. Then / Than

Rule:

• Then = time or sequence.

• Than = comparison.

Examples:

• Correct: First we eat, then we work. ✅

• Correct: She is taller than her brother. ✅

• Wrong: He is smarter then her. ❌

5. Less vs. Fewer

Rule:

• Fewer for things you can count.

• Less for things you cannot count.

Examples:

• Correct: I drank less water today. ✅ (water = uncountable)

• Correct: I ate fewer apples than yesterday. ✅ (apples = countable)

• Wrong: Less people came to the party. ❌ → Fewer people came. ✅

6. Apostrophes

Rule:

• Use an apostrophe for possession. (John’s book)

• Use an apostrophe in contractions. (don’t, can’t)

• Do not use an apostrophe for plurals.

Examples:

• Correct: That is Sarah’s car. ✅

• Correct: We can’t go today. ✅

• Wrong: I bought three apple’s. ❌

7. Subject–Verb Agreement

Rule:
A singular subject needs a singular verb. A plural subject needs a plural verb.

Examples:

• Correct: She runs fast. ✅

• Correct: They run every morning. ✅

• Wrong: She run fast. ❌

8. Dangling Modifiers

Rule:
Place descriptive phrases next to the word they describe.

Examples:

• Wrong: Running down the street, the backpack bounced on my shoulder. ❌ (The backpack is not running!)

• Correct: Running down the street, I felt my backpack bounce on my shoulder. ✅

Final Tips for Error-Free Writing

1. Read your writing out loud. Mistakes jump out when you hear them.

2. Double-check homophones. If two words sound the same but mean different things, look them up.

3. Learn one rule at a time. Don’t try to fix everything in one day.

4. Write often. The more you write, the more natural correct grammar feels.

Bottom line:
You can avoid the most common grammar mistakes by learning clear rules, practicing with examples, and checking your work. Strong grammar helps you sound confident and professional in every email, essay, or conversation.