Common Grammatical Mistakes: 18 Errors You Must Avoid in English
September 9, 2025
Everyone makes grammar mistakes. Even native speakers slip up sometimes in their daily conversations and writing.
But understanding Common Grammatical Mistakes helps you communicate more clearly. These errors can confuse your message and hurt your credibility.
Grammar rules exist for good reasons. They make communication clearer and more professional. Learning to avoid these mistakes will boost your confidence in English.
Today, we’ll explore the most frequent grammar errors people make. You’ll learn why these mistakes happen and how to fix them permanently.
Most grammatical mistakes happen because of confusion between similar words. People mix up adjectives with adverbs, or singular with plural forms.
Some errors come from direct translation from other languages. Others happen because of informal speaking habits that don’t work in writing.
The good news is that these common grammatical errors follow patterns. Once you understand the rules, you can avoid them easily.
Let’s examine specific mistakes and their corrections.
Mistake: “I want to go to home” Correct: “I want to go home”
The word “home” acts as an adverb here. It doesn’t need the preposition “to” before it.
Mistake: “I’m good in math” Correct: “I’m good at math”
Use “at” to show proficiency in subjects or skills. “In” doesn’t work in this context.
Mistake: “They are waiting me” Correct: “They are waiting for me”
The verb “waiting” always requires the preposition “for” when referring to people.
Mistake: “They are going to cinema” Correct: “They are going to the cinema”
Specific places like “cinema” need the definite article “the” before them.
This represents one of the english grammar common mistake categories.
Mistake: “He cooks good” Correct: “He cooks well”
“Good” is an adjective. Use the adverb “well” to describe how someone performs an action.
Mistake: “I am agree with you” Correct: “I agree with you”
Verbs like “agree” don’t need helping verbs like “am” in simple present tense.
Mistake: “Thanks God” Correct: “Thank God”
“Thank” is the verb form needed here, not the noun “thanks.”
Mistake: “She don’t like chocolate” Correct: “She doesn’t like chocolate”
Singular subjects like “she” require “doesn’t,” not “don’t.”
Mistake: “There is many people at the event” Correct: “There are many people at the event”
“People” is plural, so use “are” instead of “is.”
Mistake: “The team are playing well” Correct: “The team is playing well”
Collective nouns like “team” are treated as singular in American English.
Mistake: “The childs are playing in the yard” Correct: “The children are playing in the yard”
“Child” has an irregular plural form: “children.” Not all plurals add “-s.”
Mistake: “I need one advice” Correct: “I need some advice”
“Advice” is uncountable. You can’t use “one” before uncountable nouns.
Mistake: “I don’t have much friends” Correct: “I don’t have many friends”
Use “many” with countable nouns like “friends.” “Much” works with uncountable nouns.
Mistake: “I have less books than you” Correct: “I have fewer books than you”
“Fewer” is for countable nouns. “Less” is for uncountable nouns.
Mistake: “What is the different?” Correct: “What is the difference?”
“Different” is an adjective. “Difference” is the noun you need here.
Mistake: “I lost the bus” Correct: “I missed the bus”
“Lost” implies ownership. “Missed” means failing to catch something on time.
Mistake: “I met Ahmed three months before” Correct: “I met Ahmed three months ago”
Use “ago” when specifying a past time point. “Before” works without specific time references.
Mistake: Using contractions in formal writing Better: Write out full forms like “it is” instead of “it’s”
Formal writing typically avoids contractions for clarity and professionalism.
Practice these corrections daily. Read them aloud to build muscle memory.
Keep a list of common grammar mistakes handy. Review it regularly until these rules become automatic.
Pay attention to countable versus uncountable nouns. This knowledge prevents many errors.
Double-check subject-verb agreement in your sentences. Make sure singular subjects get singular verbs.
These Common Grammatical Mistakes appear frequently in everyday English. But now you know how to identify and fix them.
Start by focusing on the errors you make most often. Practice the corrections until they feel natural.
Remember that grammar errors or grammatical errors are learning opportunities. Everyone makes mistakes while improving their English skills.
Keep this guide handy as you write and speak. With consistent practice, these common mistakes will become a thing of the past.
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