Common grammatical errors II Part III II

2. • When you use a word that has a comparative aspect, you need to compare it to
something else. These common grammatical errors may appear in
advertisements or market slogans, but it does not work well in papers or other
writing. If the word requires a comparison, you should always provide it.
• For example:
• Incorrect: "My hair is smoother and softer."
• Correct: "My hair is smoother and softer than it was a month ago."

3. • Some of the most common grammar mistakes are pronoun errors. They occur
when pronouns do not agree in number with the nouns to which they refer. If the
noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular. If the noun is plural, the pronoun
must be plural as well.
• For example:
• Incorrect: "Every girl must bring their own lunch."
• Correct: "Every girl must bring her own lunch."
• Pronoun errors are common in modern English, as writers try to avoid awkward
phrasing. Although this is an admirable goal, it is still important to learn the
correct grammar and use it in more formal situations.

4. • A comma separates two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence
separated by a conjunction. The comma goes after the first clause and before the
coordinating conjunction that separates the clauses.
• Example 1:
• Incorrect: The man jumped into a black sedan and he drove away before being noticed.
• Correct: The man jumped into a black sedan, and he drove away before being noticed.
• Example 2:
• Incorrect: She was beautiful and she was happy and she was full of life.
• Correct: She was beautiful, and she was happy, and she was full of life.

5. • This one drives me up a wall when I see it in the wild. Can you see what's wrong with
this sentence?
• Our car model is faster, better, stronger.
• Faster, better, stronger ... than what? What are you comparing your car to? A horse?
A competitor's car? An older model?
• When you're asserting that something should be compared to something else, make
sure you always clarify what that something else is. Otherwise, it's impossible for
your readers to discern what the comparison actually means.

6. • Most possessive nouns will have an apostrophe -- but where you put that apostrophe can
be confusing. Here's an example of possessive nouns used incorrectly:
• All of the lizard's tails grew back.
• In this sentence, "all" implies there's more than one lizard, but the location of the
apostrophe suggests there really is just one.
• Here are a few general rules to follow:
• If the noun is plural, add the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dogs' bones.
• If the noun is singular and ends in s, you should also put the apostrophe after the s. For
example: the dress' blue color.
• On the other hand, if the noun is singular and doesn't end in an s, you'll add the
apostrophe before the s. For example: the lizard's tail.

7. • Most people understand the difference between the two of these, until it comes time
for them to use one in a sentence.
• When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and I?
• The sentence above is actually wrong, as proper as it sounds.
• Try taking Bill out of that sentence -- it sounds weird, right? You would never ask
someone to send something to "I" when he or she is done. The reason it sounds
weird is because "I" is the object of that sentence -- and "I" should not be used in
objects. In that situation, you'd use "me."
• When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and me?
• Much better.

8. • "To" is typically used before a noun or verb, and describes a destination, recipient,
or action. Take these examples:
• My friend drove me to my doctor's appointment. (Destination)
• I sent the files to my boss. (Recipient)
• I'm going to get a cup of coffee. (Action)
• "Too," on the other hand, is a word that's used as an alternative to "also" or "as
well." It's also used to describe an adjective in extremes. Have a look:
• She, too, is vegan.
• We both think it's too cold outside.
• You might have noticed that there's some interesting comma usage where the word
"too" is involved. We'll cover commas a bit more later, but when you're using the
word "too" to replace "also" or "as well," the general rule is to use a comma both
before and after. The only exception occurs when "too" is the last word in the
sentence -- then, follow it with a period.

9. • Many people use the terms
interchangeably when trying to
elaborate on a point, but each one
means something different: "i.e."
roughly means "that is" or "in other
words," while "e.g." means "example
given" or "for example." The former
is used to clarify something you've
said, while the latter adds color to a
story through an example.

10. • . "A business is not plural,". "Therefore, the business is not 'they.' It's 'it.'"
• So, what's the problem with this sentence?
• To keep up with their changing audience, Southwest Airlines rebranded in
2014.
• The confusion is understandable. In English, we don't identify a brand or an
entity as "he" or "she" -- so "they" seems to make more sense. A brand or an
entity is "it."
• To keep up with its changing audience, Southwest Airlines rebranded in
2014.
• It might seem a little strange at first, but once you start correctly referring to
a brand or entity as "it," the phrasing will sound much more natural than
"they."

11. • This mistake is another one I often see people
make, even if they know what they mean.
• Peek is taking a quick look at something -- like
a sneak peek of a new film.
• Peak is a sharp point -- like the peak of a
mountain.
• And pique means to provoke or instigate --
you know, like your interest.
• If you're going to use one in your writing, stop
and think for a second -- is that the right
"peek" you should be using?
Peek vs. Peak vs. Pique

12. • This one is tricky. These two words
can be used when you're describing
someone or something through a
phrase like, "Lindsay is a blogger who
likes ice cream." When you're
describing a person, be sure to use
"who."
• When you're describing an object, use
"that." For example, you should say,
"Her computer is the one that
overheats all the time." It's pretty
simple, but definitely something that
gets overlooked frequently.

13. • Let's clarify the "into" versus "in to" debate.
• They're often confused, but "into" indicates movement (Lindsay
walked into the office) while "in to" is used in lots of situations because the
individual words "to" and "in" are frequently used in other parts of a
sentence. For example, "to" is often used with infinitive verbs (e.g. "to
drive"). Or "in" can be used as part of a verb (e.g. "call in to a meeting").
• So if you're trying to decide which to use, first figure out if the words "in" or
"to" actually modify other words in the sentence. If they don't, ask yourself if
it's indicating some sort of movement -- if it does, you're good to use "into."
Into vs. In to

14. • All of these words have to do with "making an outcome sure," which is why
they're so often mixed up. However, they aren't interchangeable.
• "To assure" means to promise or say with confidence. For example, "I assure you
that he's good at his job."
• "To ensure" means to make certain. For example, "Ensure you're free when I visit
next weekend."
• Finally, "to insure" means to protect against risk by regularly paying an insurance
company. For example, "I insure my car because the law requires it."
Assure vs. Insure vs. Ensure

15. • You know the checkout aisle in the grocery store that says "10 Items or
Less"? That's actually incorrect. It should be "10 Items or Fewer."
• Why? Because "items" are quantifiable -- you can count out 10 items. Use
"fewer" for things that are quantifiable, like "fewer M&Ms" or "fewer road
trips." Use "less" for things that aren't quantifiable, like "less candy" and
"less traveling."
Less vs. Fewer