When you write a paper, dissertation, essay or even your own book, one of the things that require great attention is grammar. It can be tricky, especially if English is not your first language. The same problem is encountered by international students who must complete a coursework or write an academic report in English. Below is a list of top mistakes that even English speaking writers can make.
Common Grammar Mistakes and Explanation
Mistake
Explanation
i.e. or e.g
i.e. = "in other words"; e.g. = "for example"
affect or effect
affect is a verb; effect is a noun
into or in
into implies movement; in does not
fewer or less
fewer = countable; less = uncountable
between or among
between implies separation; among implies a group
evidences
evidence is uncountable and always without "s"
compliment or complement
compliment = praise; complement = make something complete
insure or ensure
insure = protect against some risk; ensure = make sure
then or than
then implies time; than implies comparison
loose or lose
loose = not tight; lose = fail
peak or peek
peak = top; peek = glance
breath or breathe
breath = noun; breathe = verb
lead or led
lead = present; led = past; lead = noun (metal)
during or within
during implies duration; within implies a deadline
research or researches
research is uncountable
able or capable
able implies possibility; capable implies internal ability or skills
allow or enable
allow implies permission or allocation; enable implies giving power or means to do something
advice or advise
advice is a noun; advise is a verb
criteria or criterion
criteria is plural; criterion is singular
phenomena or phenomenon
phenomena is plural; phenomenon is singular
lie or lay
to lie = to place yourself; to lay = to place something
accept or except
to accept = to receive; except = to exclude
which or that
which = non-restrictive relative clause; that = restrictive relative clause
beside or besides
beside = next to; besides = in addition to (also)
bold or bald
bold = courageous; bald = without hair
capital or capitol
Capital = city; Capitol = building
by or until
by implies a deadline; until implies a state or period (completion is not required)
accessary or accessory
Accessary = accomplice (partner); Accessory = decoration
carrier or career
carrier = someone who carries something; career is the job progress
council or counsel
counsel = advise; council = group of people
any one or anyone
any one = any of a particular group; anyone = any person at all
any or some
any = negative association; some = positive association
reduce or decrease
reduce something (object); something decreases
rise or raise
to rise = to get up; to raise something (object is required)
discreet or discrete
discreet = careful; discrete = individual (separate)
decent or descent
decent = respectable; descent = process of going down
drought or draught
drought = dryness; draught = draft
enquire or inquire
to enquire = to ask; to inquire = to make a formal investigation
expand or expend
to expand = to widen; to expend = to spend
make or do
do implies actions, obligations, repetition; make implies creation of something (focus on results)
hard or hardly
hard = difficult; hardly = unlikely
later or latter
later = sometime in the future; latter = previous (the last one of a sequence)
message or massage
message = letter (email, text); massage = physical procedure
moral or morale
moral = "lesson learned" or ethical; morale = mental state
employer or employee
employer = the one who gives a job; employee = the one who takes a job
personal or personnel
personal = individual; personnel = staff
principle or principal
principle = rule; principal = main;
proceed or precede
to proceed = to continue; to precede = to come before something
some time or sometime
some time = a certain moment; sometime = indefinite time
wander or wonder
to wander = to roam (stray); wonder = miracle or to be interested in something
cite or site
to cite = to quote; site = place
loathe or loath
to loathe = to hate; loath = unwilling
waive or wave
to waive = to surrender something to someone; to wave = to make a hand motion
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