Top Twelve Most Common Grammatical Errors

According to Katie Rojas

#12: Hyphenated WordsUse only when combining two words to

make an adjective or when using multiple words to express one idea:Correct: Taylor’s happy-go-lucky personality

kept her upbeat even when disaster occurred.Correct : Even though my brother tried to beat

me at chess, the game was one-sided in my favor.

#11: The Oxford CommaNot including the comma preceding the

final item in a series.Incorrect: Kittens, pandas and monkeys are my

favorite animals.Correct: Kittens, pandas, and monkeys are my

favorite animals.*Not a true grammatical rule.

However, MLA and APA documentation styles require the usage of the oxford comma, meaning that most (if not all) academic writing should include that comma.

#10: Using Colons ProperlyDo not use a colon immediately after

“are”:Incorrect: The items that I need to bring to the

party are: paper plates, knives, and cupcakes. Correct: I brought the following items to the

party: paper plates, knives, and cupcakes.

#9: Incorrectly Formatting Titles

Quotation MarksUsually short

written works (or parts of a whole)Articles (from

Newspaper or Database)

Short stories or poems

Book chapters or specific web site pages

Essays

Italics/UnderliningUsually long,

complete worksBooksMoviesPlaysNewspapersDatabases

#8: Misplaced ModifiersDo not modify the wrong subject and

cause confusion:Incorrect: The girl, arranging the tablecloth

neatly, covered the surface.Correct: The girl neatly arranged the

tablecloth and made it cover the entire surface.

#7: SemicolonsUse only to separate two independent

clauses that can stand alone as complete sentences:Incorrect: She turned the light on; causing a

bright light.Correct: She turned the light on; the beam lit

up the dark attic.Incorrect: He wanted to play many sports;

soccer, basketball, ice hockey, and baseball.Correct: He wanted to play many sports; he

especially desired to play soccer, basketball, ice hockey, and baseball.

#6: Periods with Quotation Marks and ParenthesesPeriods and Quotation Marks:

Periods always go inside.Incorrect: Stephanie said, “Life is good”.Correct: Stephanie said, “Life is good.”

Periods and Parentheses (when citing):Periods go outside.Incorrect: “Research is crucial for mankind.”

(Wade, 2012, p. 56)Correct: “Research is crucial for mankind”

(Wade, 2012, p. 56).

#5: Indicating PossessionForgetting to use an apostrophe:

Incorrect: The monkeys bananas.Correct: The monkey’s bananas.

OR – The monkeys’ bananas. Usage depends on the number of monkeys.

#4: Parallel StructureNot being consistent with parts of speech all

throughout a sentenceIncorrect: Stacy walked the dog, fed the cat,

and milks the cow.Correct: Stacy walked the dog, fed the cat, and

milked the cow.Incorrect: Ben had three goals that day: to

exercise at the gym, to win the lottery, and ace his test.

Correct: Ben had three goals that day: to exercise at the gym, to win the lottery, and to ace his test.

#3: Subject-Verb AgreementUsing the incorrect tense of a verb with the

subject:Incorrect: Ninety dollars were too much to pay for

the air conditioner.Correct: Ninety dollars was too much to pay for

the air conditioner.Incorrect: The procedure involving three stages

require the patient to receive medical counseling from the doctor beforehand.

Correct: The procedure involving three stages requires the patient to receive medical counseling from the doctor beforehand.

#2: Noun/Pronoun AgreementUsing a pronoun that does not agree with

the noun in number:Incorrect: Everyone took their notebooks out

and studied for the test.Correct: Everyone took out his or her notebook

out and studied for the test.Incorrect: The crowd screamed as the musician

walked out on stage and turned toward them.Correct: The fans in the crowd screamed as the

musician walked out on stage and turned toward them.

#1: Comma UsageComma Splice/Run-on Sentences:

Incorrect: I went to the store, I bought milk. Correct: I went to the store; I bought milk.

Not using a comma following the dependent clause in a complex sentence:Incorrect: When she wrote a chapter of her book she felt a sense

of accomplishment.Correct: When she wrote a chapter of her book, she felt a sense of

accomplishment.Using a comma before necessary clauses:

Incorrect: Maria received a discount on her purchase at Barnes and Noble, which was expected because she works for the bookstore.

Correct: Maria received a discount on her purchase at Barnes and Noble which was expected because she works for the bookstore