10 Common English Mistakes
Photo by Ivan Shilov on Unsplash
Whether you’ve been speaking English your whole life, or you’re just learning the language, here are some common mistakes you can avoid.
Have you ever made them, without realizing they’re actually incorrect usage of the English language?
Here are a few common english mistakes you can watch out for the next time you’re speaking or writing an essay!
I vs. Me
Have you ever questioned whether you should use "I" or "me" in a sentence? This is one of the most common mistakes people make, especially when choosing between “... and I” or “... and me.”
Use “I” (a first person pronoun) when you are the subject of the sentence.
Use “me” (an objective personal pronoun) when you are the object (the receiver) of the sentence.
These statements are also true when multiple subjects (I) or objects (me) are linked together using the conjunction “and.”
✔️:
"Do you want to go to the museum with Michael and me?"
"Michael and I are going to the museum."
❌:
Jessica and me are going to buy ice cream together.
Do you want to buy ice cream with Jessica and I?
💡 Tip: Try getting rid of the linked object or subject to determine whether you should use "... and me" or "... and I." By doing so, you would be faced with a more familiar sentence structure.
Example:
"Do you want to go to the museum with Michael and me?" → "Do you want to go to the museum with me?"
Using "I" here would not make sense: "Do you want to go to the museum with I?"
"Michael and I are going to the museum." → "I am going to the museum."
As the subject of the sentence, "I" should be used here instead of "me." ("Me am going to the museum.")
They're vs. Their vs. There
Although all three of these words sound the same, they each play a different role in a sentence:
They're = a contraction for "they are"
Their = a possessive pronoun
There = an adverb that denotes a place
✔️: They're over there playing with their new puppy.
💡 Tip: Every time you see “they’re,” try splitting the word into “they are.” This can help you construct your sentence without confusing it with “their.”
Your vs. You're
Again, these words may sound the same, but they have very different purposes:
You're = a contraction for "you are"
Your = a possessive pronoun
✔️: You're not going to get rid of your books, are you?
❌: Your right about you're incorrect usage of these words.
Its vs. It's
Its = a possessive pronoun
It's = a contraction for "it is"
✔️: It's so strange that my phone is not responding when I touch it; I think its touch screen feature is broken.
Here, “it’s” stands for “it is,” and "its" is a possessive pronoun that replaces the noun "phone.”
💡 Tip: Every time you see “it’s,” try splitting the word into “it is.” This can help you construct your sentence without confusing it with the possessive pronoun, “its.”
Who vs. Whom
Who = refers to the subject of a sentence
Whom = refers to the object of a verb or a preposition
👉🏻 Common Prepositions
✔️:
Who is serving lunch today?
For whom is lunch served today?
💡 Tip: If the word can be replaced with “he” or “she,” use who. If you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use whom.
Example:
Who is serving lunch today? → He/ She is serving lunch today.
For whom is lunch served today? → Lunch is served for him/her.
That vs. Which
These are two words that people also often misuse without realizing.
That = used for restrictive clauses (which provide essential information about the preceding noun)
Which = used for nonrestrictive clauses (which have nonessential information). "Which" should always be preceded with a comma.
✔️:
The diamond necklace**,** which was previously her mom's, is missing.
The diamond necklace that is missing was previously her mom's.
❌: The diamond necklace which is missing was previously her mom's.
Everyone vs. Every One
Everyone = a pronoun used to refer to all the people in a particular group
Every one = written as two words, it refers to each individual person who makes up a group
✔️:
Everyone is going to the zoo tomorrow to see the chimpanzees.
Every one of the students who went to see the chimpanzees at the zoo were amazed.
Affect vs. Effect
These two words can easily trip people up because there is only a one-letter difference between the two. But they couldn’t be anymore different. For one is a verb, and the other is a noun.
Affect = (verb.) "to influence"
Effect = (noun). the opposite of "cause"
✔️:
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns affected the country's tourism industry.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can be most evidently seen in the country's failing tourism industry.
Losing my father to cancer has so affected me that it's beginning to have an effect on my quality of sleep.
Lay vs. Lie
Lay = (transitive verb) to put or set down. Must be followed by a direct object.
Tenses: lay (present), laying (present participle), laid (past)
✔️:
I laid the book down on my desk before I went out to go on a run.
She lay the cat down gently on the bed.
The chef is carefully laying each piece of cake down on the plate.
Lie = (intransitive verb) to recline. Never followed by a direct object
Lie can also mean “to tell an untruth,” but that is not the “lie” we are talking about for this purpose.
Tenses: lie (present), lying (present participle), lay (past), lain (past participle)
✔️:
When I cannot sleep, I like to lie on my bed while listening to music.
The cat is lying on its bed, enjoying the sun.
Last night, I saw the dog lay on the couch.
💡 Still confused? Ask yourself: Is there an object being acted upon? If yes, use “lay” If no, use “lie”
Good vs. Well
Good = as an adjective, it modifies a noun (person, place, or thing)
Something can be or seem good
Well = as an adverb, it modifies a verb (an action)
An action can be done well
✔️:
Did you do well on the test?
This is good cake!
Tessa was sick last week, but she is well now.
The show was so good!
❌:
I did good on the test!
This is well cake!
Tessa was sick last week, but she is good now.
The show was so well!
💡 Still confused which to use? Ask yourself what is being described or modified? Is it a noun or a verb?
If a noun, use “good”
If a verb, use “well”
