5 most-common-grammar-mistakes
Affect for Effect

Misused so often there is a site devoted to explaining how to avoid this mistake in simple terms.

Effect is the end result, Affect is a direct action.

Taking the medication may have an affect on you.

Once I took the pill, the effect was more than I expected.

See AffectvsEffect.org for a more detailed explanation

 

A for An

This is likely the most common error in writing since a or an appears so often.

A is used before words that begin with consonant sounds

An is used before words that begin with vowel sounds

I own a labrador retriever

I own an apple computer

That was simple enough right? The problem is with certain exceptions such as abbreviations and acronyms.

See AorAn.org for these exceptions

 

Loose for lose
This always seems to stump people when writing and it makes your writing look awfully bad.

Loose is an adjective describing something that isn’t tight (think of noose)

Lose is a verb meaning something that was lost (think lose/lost)

The noose on that cattle rope is pretty loose

When you go out if you lose your keys they will certainly be lost

 

It’s for its

This seems to get many people who actually know the difference. The visual placement of the apostrophe can be confusing when you’re writing sentences.

It’s with an apostrophe simply means it is

Its is the possessive form of it

Give the dog a bone it’s getting hungry again

You heard me. I said give the dog its bone

Whatever you do, please don’t place the apostrophe at the end and create Its’

 

They’re for their for there

This is another case where the apostrophe throws many people off. Having 3 words in the English language being so similar doesn’t help things.

They’re is short for they are

Their is a possessive word

There refers to location

They’re not comfortable in cold weather climate

In warm climate my friends are back in their comfort zone

It was too cold and they won’t go back there again

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