Even native speakers of English, and for that matter most languages, struggle with particular aspects of grammar and many of the complex aspects of English grammar go ignored or unnoticed by a number of English native speakers, which can be misleading and confusing to learners of all levels.
This post highlights some of those grammatical errors that are frequently made not only by English learners but by native speakers, and provides examples of correct usage.
Subject-verb agreement
Mistakes in matching the subject of a sentence with the correct verb tense, such as using a singular verb with a plural subject or vice versa.
English native speakers sometimes make mistakes in subject-verb agreement due to the complexity of the grammar rules of the language and the influence of spoken language habits. One common error involves using a singular verb with plural subjects or vice versa:
- Incorrect = The team are winning
- Correct = The team is winning
The singular subject ‘team’ should be aligned with the singular verb ‘is’.
- Incorrect = Each student were enthusiastic
- Correct = Each student was enthusiastic
Always ensure proper agreement between the subject and the verb.
Dangling modifiers
Misplaced and dangling modifiers are errors in placing descriptive phrases close to the words they modify, leading to confusion or unintended meanings.
English native speakers often make mistakes with dangling modifiers due to their familiarity with the intended meaning, leading them to overlook potential ambiguities. Dangling modifiers occur when the descriptive phrase is not properly connected to the subject it is intended to modify. A common mistake involves starting a sentence with a descriptive phrase such as “Running late for the meeting” without immediately clarifying who is running late. The correct example should clearly identify the subject: “Running late for the meeting, Jane realised she had forgotten her notes.”
In another example, the sentence “Having finished my dinner, the telly was turned on” is incorrect because the introductory adverbial phrase “Having finished my dinner” is intended to modify the subject of the main clause. However, in this sentence, it appears to modify “the telly”, which creates a ‘dangling modifier’. If ones lloks closely, this sentence suggests that the telly finished eating dinner. It should be restructured thus, “Having finished my dinner, I turned on the telly”.
Double negatives
Using two negative words in a sentence, which can result in a positive meaning or make the sentence unclear.
English native speakers often make mistakes with double negatives due to regional dialects and informal speech patterns. In some dialects and informal contexts, double negatives are used for emphasis, but in standard English, they cancel each other out and create a positive meaning.
- Incorrect = I don’t know nothing
- Correct = I don’t know anything
This error can stem from linguistic influences, and largely also from the global media, and might not be immediately recognised as incorrect due to familiarity with non-standard speech. In formal settings a double negative is not acceptable.
Apostrophe errors
Incorrect usage of apostrophes for possessives and contractions, like using it’s instead of its.
Incorrect usage of apostrophes for possessives and contractions, like using one‘s instead of ones.
Please see the relevant article for more on correct apostrophe usage.
Improperly joined clauses and sentence fragments
Failing to properly separate independent clauses or creating incomplete thoughts.
English native speakers often make mistakes with ‘run-on’ sentences and sentence fragments due to their familiarity with spoken language patterns. They might combine multiple independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions, resulting in run-on sentences that lack clarity:
- Incorrect = I went to the supermarket, I bought some vegetables.
This sentence should be separated into two sentences with a full stop (period) or joined with a semicolon (;) or joined with a suitable conjuction:
- Correct = I went to the supermarket. I bought some vegetables.
- Also correct = I went to the supermarket; I bought some vegetables.
- Also correct = I went to the supermarket and I bought some vegetables.
Sentence fragments also sometimes occur when speakers omit necessary components like subjects or verbs, leading to incomplete thoughts. An example of a written fragment could be, “Although tired.” The correct version would be, “Although I was tired.” These errors arise from the informal nature of spoken communication being transferred to the page.
Misusing homonyms
Confusing words that sound the same but have different meanings, such as they’re, their and there.
Mixing up the use of verbs such as where ‘lie’ means to recline and ‘lay’ means to place something down.
Using ‘effect’ as a verb and ‘affect’ as a noun, or using them interchangeably.
For more on homonyms, words that look or sound alike, please see the relevant post.
Confusing ‘fewer’ and ‘less’
Using ‘fewer’ for countable items and ‘less’ for uncountable items incorrectly.
‘Fewer’ is used for countable nouns, indicating a smaller number, such as ‘fewer books’.
‘Less’ is used for uncountable items, suggesting a smaller amount, such as ‘less water’.
For more on ‘fewer’ and ‘less’, please see the relevant post.
Incorrect use of pronouns
Mixing up subject and object pronouns, or using the wrong gender pronoun.
Misusing ‘me’ and ‘I’: Using ‘I’ when ‘me’ is correct or vice versa in compound subjects or objects.
Using ‘whom’ when ‘who’ is correct or vice versa, especially in complex sentences.
For instructions on how to use these pronouns correctly, please see the relevant article.
Incorrect comparatives and superlatives
Making mistakes when forming comparisons and superlatives, like using ‘good’ instead of ‘well’.
Comparatives and superlatives are adjectives (words that describe nouns) and adverbs (words that describe verbs) that are modified to express degrees of comparison. These forms allow us to compare the degree or intensity of a characteristic possessed by different objects, individuals or actions.
It is not uncommon to hear a person say “more beautifuller” or “less smaller”.
For clarification on why these are incorrect, please see this post on comparatives and superlatives.
Using ‘like’ instead of ‘as’ or ‘as if’
Confusing the use of ‘like’ as a preposition and ‘as’ or ‘as if’ as conjunctions.
The incorrect use of ‘like’ as a preposition and ‘as’ or ‘as if’ as conjunctions is a common grammatical mistake that can lead to confusion in sentence structure. When ‘like’ is used as a preposition, it is used to show similarity or comparison between two things. However, ‘as’ or ‘as if’ function as conjunctions that establish a relationship of manner or condition between clauses.
- Incorrect = She talks like she knows everything.
- Correct = She talks as if she knows everything.
In the above example, ‘like’ should be replaced with ‘as if’ to properly indicate the manner in which ‘she’ talks.
Improper use of prepositions
Misplacing or omitting prepositions, leading to unclear or incorrect sentence structures.
Improper use of prepositions in English results in sentences that are unclear. For example, saying “I took a picture from Tom,” instead of “I took a picture of Tom” demonstrates the significance of using the correct preposition to convey accurate meaning.
There are many such confusions because prepositions have intricate nuances of meaning. For a more in depth look at this, please see the relevant post.
Misusing ‘between’ and ‘among’
Using ‘between’ for more than two items or ‘among’ for two items.
‘Between’ is used for relationships involving two distinct items, while ‘among’ is used for relationships involving three or more items within a group. The confusion often arises due to vagueness or misconstrued context.
To clarify, if comparing or relating two things, use ‘between’:
- There is little difference between this coat and that one.
- The competition was fierce between the two athletes.
If involving more than two items or groups, use ‘among’:
- What is a little money among friends.
- She was the brightest student among a class of more than thirty.
Incorrect capitalisation
Capitalising words that don’t need to be capitalised, such as common nouns.
Incorrect proper nouns: Capitalising words that should not be capitalised, such as common nouns.
- Incorrect = an Ancient Oak Tree
- Correct = an ancient oak tree
Incorrect titles of works: Capitalising the first letter of every word in a title. Determiners, conjunctions and prepositions need not be capitalised regardless of the length of the word. An exception is made forthe first word of the title.
- Incorrect = The Lord Of The Rings
- Correct = The Lord of the Rings
Incorrect titles of people: not capitalising names of titles when they should be and vice versa:
- Incorrect = This country has a King and no President.
- Correct = This country has a king and no president.
- Incorrect = president Biden came to visit king Charles
- Correct = President Biden came to visit King Charles
Sentence fragments: Capitalising the first letter of a word (within a sentence) that is not a proper noun, and turning it into a sentence fragment such as “She Enjoyed Reading. A Lot.”
Incorrect pronouns: Capitalising pronouns that do not require capitalisation such as ‘He’ or ‘She’ in the middle of a sentence.
Capitalisation is used for proper nouns, the first word of a sentence, and main words in titles (nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and pronouns), but not for common nouns or random words within a sentence. In other languages, capitalisation practices vary: In German, common nouns are habitually capitalised; in Spanish,certain titles of people such as (Mr and Mrs) are not capitalised; and in Dutch and French, dates such as the months (July) or days of the week (Monday) or nationalities (I am French) are not written with capital letters.
Not using the subjunctive mood
Mistakes are often made by not using the subjunctive mood in English, which is used to express hypothetical or unreal situations.
- Incorrect = If I was rich
- Correct = If I were rich
The subjunctive mood is used when referring to an unlikely scenario.
- Incorrect = I wish I was taller
- Correct = I wish I were taller
Additionally, errors are frequently made in conditional sentences:
- Incorrect = If he would have studied harder
- Correct = If he had studied harder
By using the subjunctive mood correctly, writers and speakers of English can convey hypothetical ideas and wishes accurately as such.
Conclusion
So, take comfort if you are a foreign learner of English and you struggle with some of its complexities and idiosyncrasies. It’s fair to say that natives make just as many grammatical errors as advanced English language learners. Nevertheless, in academic and formal English, correct usage of the language is essential.
If you have any comments or questions, please do enter them below.
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