Common Mistakes in English: A

Guide to Avoiding Errors

Master the art of English by learning to avoid common mistakes. This comprehensive guide will help
you navigate subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, tense usage, word order, commonly confused
words, and provide tips for error-free communication.

By Mr. Mohamed Elsammad

Subject-Verb Agreement

1 Singular Subjects 2 Plural Subjects 3 Collective Nouns

A singular subject Plural subjects require Collective nouns used as

requires a singular verb. plural verbs. For a unit take a singular
For example, "The cat is instance, "The cats are verb. For example, "The
sleeping." sleeping." team is playing well."
Pronoun Usage

1 Subject Pronouns 2 Object Pronouns 3 Possessive

Subject pronouns (I,
you, he, she, it, we, they)
replace the subject in a
sentence. For instance,
"She runs every
morning."
Object pronouns (me,
you, him, her, it, us,
them) replace the object
in a sentence. For
example, "I invited her to
the party."
Pronouns
Possessive pronouns
(mine, yours, his, hers,
its, ours, theirs) indicate
ownership. For instance,
"This pen is mine."
Tense Usage

1 Present Simple 2 Past Simple 3 Present Perfect

The present simple The past simple tense is The present perfect
tense is used for used for completed tense is used for actions
habitual actions. For actions in the past. For that started in the past
example, "She reads instance, "I went to the and continue in the
every night." store yesterday." present. For example,
"He has lived in this city
for five years."
Word Order

"In English, word order matters," is a fundamental understanding. Incorrect word order can lead
to confusion or ambiguity. For instance, "She saw in the park a dog" should be "She saw a dog in
the park."
Commonly Confused Words
Affect vs Effect
Ensure you choose the right
word to express the intended
meaning. For example, "The
rain affected my mood" and
"The medication had an effect
on her."
Their vs They're vs There
Understanding the subtle
differences helps avoid
confusion. Use "their" to
indicate possession, "they're"
as a contraction of "they are,"
and "there" to indicate
location or existence.
Your vs You're
To differentiate between
possession and a contraction,
use "your" to indicate
possession and "you're" as a
contraction of "you are."
Tips for Avoiding Mistakes

Proofread Practice

Take the time to proofread your work to The more you practice, the better you'll
catch any errors. become at avoiding common mistakes.

Seek Feedback Read

Ask for feedback from peers, instructors, or Reading extensively exposes you to correct
language experts to identify areas for grammar and helps you internalize language
improvement. patterns.