Good grammar rules! by Professor Noonan

sherryhnoonan1 — 2025-06-03 02:02:57 UTC

I would credit my source if I could find it - but I think these "rules" are important!

Always proofread

cblair66 — 2025-06-10 16:24:17 UTC

Typos make you look careless, even if you're smart. One small mistake can ruin a first impression. Always proofread—it shows you respect your reader and your own work.

Homophone confusion

avkerman — 2025-06-13 03:53:27 UTC

One grammar error I find especially annoying is homophone confusion—when people use the wrong word that sounds the same but has a different meaning. For example, saying "there going to the store" instead of "they're going to the store" can make a sentence confusing and seem careless.

There, they're, or their?

morgananks — 2025-06-16 14:35:38 UTC

A grammar error that a lot of people struggle with that is the use of there, they're, and their. While this is a very simple idea, many people struggle with the use of these. This can come across as one of the most careless mistakes and look very unprofessional if the wrong one is used.

Your and you're

elbay1 — 2025-06-17 22:04:33 UTC

Many times, I see people mix up "your" and "you're" in their writing. For example, someone might write a comment such as, "I like you're shirt." It's a simple error, but I see it all the time, and it can be annoying.

Its and It's

laurygrant — 2025-06-17 22:48:20 UTC

One grammar error I find a lot of people do is confusing the words "its" and "it's." A lot of times I see people use the word "it's" where "its" should be used which causes me to read the sentence like it has the words "it is" in it. Sometimes this makes writing more confusing and more difficult to understand, although I do see it often so it is a pretty common mistake people make.

Affect vs. Effect

miatran_ — 2025-06-18 01:19:06 UTC

I often see people confuse “effect” and “affect.” These two words sound alike, but they have different meanings. For example, “affect” is usually a verb, and means to influence or to change something, like “The rain will affect tomorrow’s plans.” On the other hand, “effect” is typically a noun, referring to the result or outcome of a change, like “The effect of the rain was flooding.”

"Of" instead of "have"

angeliecoffyn — 2025-06-18 04:08:14 UTC

I see a lot of people write "should of" instead of "should have" or "would of" instead of "would have." this mistake seems to happen when people write in the same way that they talk. Its a small mistake that's easily overlooked but it irks me.

Commas

kycrowder — 2025-06-18 13:40:17 UTC

Comma grammar errors can be annoying because they often disrupt the flow and clarity of a sentence. A misplaced or missing comma also changes the meaning of a sentence or makes it confusing. For example, "I love cooking my family and my dog." This can sound right when speaking, but when reading, it sounds like the individual wants to cook their family and dog instead of listing what all they love. The correct version would be, "I love cooking, my family, and my dog."

To vs. Too

averybays — 2025-06-19 04:03:15 UTC

One grammar error I find annoying is when people mix up too and to. Even though they sound the same, they mean different things, and it can make writing confusing when they’re used incorrectly. For example, someone might write, “I want to go the store, too,” but accidentally type “I want to go the store, to.” The second sentence sounds awkward and looks like a mistake. Too means also or excessively, while to is used for directions or actions. It’s a small difference, but it really matters!

You're and your

nguyenlong1774 — 2025-06-19 18:02:55 UTC

The most common grammar error I notice is the incorrect usage of the homophones "your" and "you're." "Your" is a possessive pronoun, while "you're" is a contraction of "you are." Many people confuse the two, which can be distracting to readers. I also often see the use of "ur" on social media, which is arguably the worst offender, since it isn’t even a real word.

Who vs Whom

hensingh — 2025-06-21 14:25:15 UTC

Sometimes, especially when scrolling on TikTok or on other social media apps, I'll see people misuse "who" and "whom."

Suppose you are saying who, referring to a verb's subject.

"Who gave you that book?"

If you were to replace "who" with "he/she," the sentence would make sense.

"He gave you that book."

Let's say you are using "whom," referring to a verb's object.

"You gave that book to whom?"

Try replacing "whom" with him/her.

"You gave that book to her"

“Should Of” vs. “Should Have”

clphan — 2025-06-21 17:08:46 UTC

The grammar mistake I see often that irks me the most is when people say “should of” instead of “should have”. People often make this mistake because the two phrases sound similar, but saying “should of” makes no sense. This mistake bothers me, especially in a professional setting, because it shows that people do not care to reread their writing to make sure that it makes sense.

They're vs. there vs. their

kaherbst — 2025-06-21 18:23:40 UTC

The grammar mistake that bothers me the most is using there instead of they're or their. It is a small error, but easy to avoid. When people submit writing with thks error, it makes me think that they didn't look over their work before sending it. The difference is often taught in grade school so most of the time the error is careless.

Who vs whom

isabellsaenz — 2025-06-21 20:46:15 UTC

One day, my dad was teaching me and my brother some grammar rules and how some are becoming outdated. Nowadays, we never hear someone say 'whom.' The way I was taught, 'whom' should be used if the response is him/her/them.

For example, if you'd ask from whom did you receive that gift then you'd answer to him.

Misplaced apostrophes

adrianaleman09 — 2025-06-22 00:00:57 UTC

This mistake is not as common but I do find it a bit annoying when I see it. Apostrophes are used incorrectly in plurals or possessives, which confuses readers. For example, writing "apple's for sale" instead of "apples" disrupts clarity and distracts from the intended message.

Grammar Errors

laurbrowning — 2025-06-22 15:28:03 UTC

Lowercase "i" instead of capital "I"

Using lowercase "i" instead of capital "I" that affects the professional tone of your writing.

Incorrect:

i think there is chicken in the fridge.
There were no appointments scheduled when i looked at the calendar

Correct

I think there is chicken in the fridge
There were no appointments scheduled when I looked at the calendar

"I" is always capitalized because its a proper pronoun. It bothers me that "I" isn't capitalized because it's just like someone's name. It deserves the same respect.

Using lowercase "'i" makes the writing informal and not professional.

Fixing To vs About To

heidiahutchinson — 2025-06-22 19:31:34 UTC

Something I've noticed that people use is the phrase "fixing to" instead of "about to." For example, someone may write "I am fixing to go to the grocery store" when the grammatically correct way to say it is "I am about to go to the grocery store." I have often wondered if this is more of a local phrase in the South or if other parts of the US use it as well.

Their vs There vs They're.

petmorello — 2025-06-22 20:09:24 UTC

This is annoying. When I text or write in any capacity, I type out my thoughts and that usually means I type their every single time. Then I have to go back and edit my text or paper or report to the correct spelling. This just bothers me and I wish the words were different for the different meanings. But alas, such is life.

Its and it's

haisauceda — 2025-06-23 00:31:40 UTC

One grammar mistake that really annoys me is when people mix up its and it's, especially on social media. Like when someone says "Its giving summer vibes" instead of "It's giving summer vibes." Or "The brand changed it's logo" when it should be "its logo." I see it all the time in captions and comments, and even though it is a small thing, it still stands out.