Common Grammar Errors

The proper use of grammar is important for one very simple reason: so that someone reading your writing can interpret it the way you intended. Poor grammar results in a lack of clarity; if the reader isn't sure what you're saying, or they have to read it several times to understand it, then you will lose readers. Here are some common errors:

1. Just
This particular error is one of my pet peeves, and one that I hear, and see, mixed up on a regular basis. The problem is not the word itself; it is the placement of the word in relation to the sentence as a whole. Look at the two statements "He's just not a coach," and "He's not just a coach." A quick look at the meanings of these two statements shows that if you want to say he's not a coach at all, the first is the correct phrasing. However, if you want to say that he's more than a coach, the second is the proper way to say it. "Just" is a way of emphasizing something. A basic definition of the word "just" is "merely," or "nothing more." Use the word "merely" in place of "just" in those two sentences. "He's merely not a coach." "He's not merely a coach." The shift in meaning becomes apparent.

2. They're vs. Their
Pronouns have special rules for their possessive form. In general an apostrophe in a pronoun indicates a contraction. "They're" means "they are," and "it's" means "it is." A lack of apostrophe indicates the possessive form, meaning that something belong to it. For example "its petals" or "their money." Certain pronouns drastically shift form, such as "he" to "his" and "she" to "hers." The word "they" is one of those examples. The possesive form is "their." There is no plural form of "they," because it is already indicating a plurality. Common forms are:

3. "I" before "E".....
Do you remember this rhyme?

"I" before "E"
Except after "C"
And when sounding like "A"
As in neighbor and weigh.

If you don't remember it from grade school, commit it to memory now. It will make spelling words like "friend" and "ceiling" much easier.

4. 1990s vs. 1990's
Are you talking about something that belonged to 1990? For instance "1990's Greatest Songs?" Then use the apostrophe, as this indicates the possessive form indicating something that belong to a specific year. But what if you are talking about the decade in general? For example "In the 1990s..." Omit the apostrophe; this is a plural indicating a group of years.

5. However,... Therefore,... So,... etc.
It is perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with "However," or with "Therefore." It's also perfectly acceptable to use them in the middle of a sentence; however, they should always be followed by a comma.

6. The semicolon ( ; )
It's a very handy thing for avoiding run-on sentences. (I had a college composition professor who was a stickler on this particular one!) Use it instead of "and" when you have what could otherwise be two complete sentences. "Jane went to the store, and she was not happy." This could easily be broken into two distinct sentences: "Jane went to the store." "She was not happy." However, breaking it into two sentences seems to chop up the meaning. The semicolon solves the problem of using "and," the problem of knowing where to put the comma (tricky devils that they are), as well as preserving the connection between the two sentences: "Jane went to the store; she was not happy."

If you internalize these minor rules, learning them so that you can recite them from memory, your writing will flow and you can minimize misunderstandings.