20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone

Makes
Ive edited a monthly magazine for more than si years! and its a "o# thats $ome %ith more fr&stration than re%ard' If theres one thing I am gratef&l for ( and it
s&re isnt the )ay ( its that my %ork has allo%ed endless time to hone my $raft to *o&is +kolni$k levels of grammar geekery'
As someone %ho slings red ink for a living! let me tell yo&, grammar is an &ltra-mi$ro $om)onent in the larger )i$t&re. it lies some%here in the final ste)s of the
editing trail. and as s&$h its an overrated /&asi-irrelevan$y in the $reative )ro$ess! )er)et&ated into im)ortan$e )rimarily #y #itter nerds %ho a$$&m&late t%eed
"a$kets and $ri))ling inferiority $om)lees' 0&t e)erien$e has also ta&ght me that readers! for #etter or %orse! %ill a))roa$h yo&r %ork %ith a "a&ndi$ed eye
and an it$h to "&dge' 1hile yo&r grammar sho&ldnt #e a refle$tion of yo&r $reative )o%ers or %riting a#ilities! lets fa$e it ( it &s&ally is'
0elo% are 20 $ommon grammar mistakes I see ro&tinely! not only in editorial /&eries and s&#missions! #&t in )rint, in 23 man&als! #logs! magazines!
ne%s)a)ers! trade "o&rnals! and even #est selling novels' If it makes yo& feel any #etter! Ive made ea$h of these mistakes a h&ndred times! and I kno% some of
the #est a&thors in history have lived to see these very toadstools a))ear in )rint' *et4s ho)e yo& $an learn from some of their more famo&s mistakes'
Who and Whom
This one o)ens a #ig $an of %orms' 51ho6 is a s&#"e$tive ( or nominative ( )rono&n! along %ith 7he!7 7she!7 7it!7 7%e!7 and 7they'7 Its &sed %hen the )rono&n
a$ts as the s&#"e$t of a $la&se' 51hom6 is an o#"e$tive )rono&n! along %ith 7him!7 7her!7 7it7! 7&s!7 and 7them'7 Its &sed %hen the )rono&n a$ts as the o#"e$t of a
$la&se' 8sing 5%ho6 or 5%hom6 de)ends on %hether yo&re referring to the s&#"e$t or o#"e$t of a senten$e' 1hen in do&#t! s&#stit&te 5%ho6 %ith the s&#"e$tive
)rono&ns 5he6 or 5she!6 e'g'! Who loves you? $f'! He loves me. +imilarly! yo& $an also s&#stit&te 5%hom6 %ith the o#"e$tive )rono&ns 5him6 or 5her'6 e'g', I
consulted an attorney whom I met in New York. $f'! I consulted him.
Which and That
This is one of the most $ommon mistakes o&t there! and &nderstanda#ly so' 5That6 is a restri$tive )rono&n' Its vital to the no&n to %hi$h its referring' e'g'! I
dont trust fruits and vegetales that arent organic. 2ere! Im referring to all non-organi$ fr&its or vegeta#les' In other %ords! I only tr&st fr&its and vegeta#les
that are organi$' 51hi$h6 introd&$es a relative $la&se' It allo%s /&alifiers that may not #e essential' e'g'! I recommend you eat only organic fruits and
vegetales, which are availale in area grocery stores. In this $ase! yo& dont have to go to a s)e$ifi$ gro$ery store to o#tain organi$ fr&its and vegeta#les'
51hi$h6 /&alifies! 5that6 restri$ts' 51hi$h6 is more am#ig&o&s ho%ever! and #y virt&e of its meaning is flei#le eno&gh to #e &sed in many restri$tive $la&ses'
e'g'! The house, which is urning, is mine. e'g'! The house that is urning is mine.
!ay and !ie
This is the $ro%n "e%el of all grammati$al errors' 5*ay6 is a transitive ver#' It re/&ires a dire$t s&#"e$t and one or more o#"e$ts' Its )resent tense is 5lay6 (e'g'! I
lay the "encil on the tale) and its )ast tense is 5laid6 (e'g'!Yesterday I laid the "encil on the tale)' 5*ie6 is an intransitive ver#' It needs no o#"e$t' Its )resent
tense is 5lie6 (e'g'! The #ndes mountains lie etween $hile and #rgentina) and its )ast tense is 5lay6 (e'g'! The man lay waiting for an amulance)' The most
$ommon mistake o$$&rs %hen the %riter &ses the )ast tense of the transitive 5lay6 (e'g', I laid on the ed) %hen he9she a$t&ally means the intransitive )ast tense
of 5lie7 (e'g'! I lay on the ed)'
%oot
Contrary to $ommon mis&se! 5moot6 doesnt im)ly something is s&)erfl&o&s' It means a s&#"e$t is dis)&ta#le or o)en to dis$&ssion' e'g'! The idea that
commercial &oning should e allowed in the residential neighorhood was a moot "oint for the council.
$ontinual and $ontinuous
Theyre similar! #&t theres a differen$e' 5Contin&al6 means something that4s al%ays o$$&rring! %ith o#vio&s la)ses in time' 5Contin&o&s6 means something
$ontin&es %itho&t any sto)s or ga)s in #et%een' e'g'! The continual music ne't door made it the worst night of studying ever. e'g', Her continuous talking
"revented him from concentrating.
(nvy and )ealousy
The %ord 5envy6 im)lies a longing for someone elses good fort&nes' 5:ealo&sy6 is far more nefario&s' Its a fear of rivalry! often )resent in se&al sit&ations'
5Envy6 is %hen yo& $ovet yo&r friends good looks' 5:ealo&sy6 is %hat ha))ens %hen yo&r signifi$ant other s%oons over yo&r good-looking friend'
Nor
5;or6 e)resses a negative $ondition' It literally means 7and not'7 <o&re o#ligated to &se the 5nor6 form if yo&r senten$e e)resses a negative and follo%s it %ith
another negative $ondition' 5;either the men nor the %omen %ere dr&nk6 is a $orre$t senten$e #e$a&se 5nor6 e)resses that the %omen held the same negative
$ondition as the men' The old r&le is that 5nor6 ty)i$ally follo%s 5neither!6 and 5or6 follo%s 5either'6 2o%ever! if neither 5either6 nor 5neither6 is &sed in a senten$e!
yo& sho&ld &se 5nor6 to e)ress a se$ond negative! as long as the se$ond negative is a ver#' If the se$ond negative is a no&n! ad"e$tive! or adver#! yo& %o&ld
&se 5or!6 #e$a&se the initial negative transfers to all $onditions' e'g'! He wont eat roccoli or as"aragus. The negative $ondition e)ressing the first no&n
(#ro$$oli) is also &sed for the se$ond (as)arag&s)'
%ay and %ight
5May6 im)lies a )ossi#ility' 5Might6 im)lies far more &n$ertainty' 5<o& may get dr&nk if yo& have t%o shots in ten min&tes6 im)lies a real )ossi#ility of
dr&nkenness' 5<o& might get a ti$ket if yo& o)erate a t&g #oat %hile dr&nk6 im)lies a )ossi#ility that is far more remote' +omeone %ho says 5I may have more
%ine6 $o&ld mean he9she doesn4t %ant more %ine right no%! or that he9she 5might6 not %ant any at all' Given the s)eakers inde$ision on the matter! 5might6
%o&ld #e $orre$t'
Whether and If
Many %riters seem to ass&me that 5%hether6 is inter$hangea#le %ith 5if'7 It isnt' 51hether6 e)resses a $ondition %here there are t%o or more alternatives' 5If6
e)resses a $ondition %here there are no alternatives' e'g'! I dont know whether Ill get drunk tonight. e'g', I can get drunk tonight if I have money for oo&e.
*ewer and !ess
5*ess6 is reserved for hy)otheti$al /&antities' 5=e%6 and 5fe%er6 are for things yo& $an /&antify' e'g'! The firm has fewer than ten em"loyees. e'g'! The firm is
less successful now that we have only ten em"loyees.
*arther and *urther
The %ord 5farther6 im)lies a meas&ra#le distan$e' 5=&rther6 sho&ld #e reserved for a#stra$t lengths yo& $an4t al%ays meas&re' e'g'! I threw the all ten feet
farther than +ill. e'g'! The financial crisis caused further im"lications.
,ince and +ecause
5+in$e6 refers to time' 50e$a&se6 refers to $a&sation' e'g'! ,ince I -uit drinking Ive married and had two children. e'g'! +ecause I -uit drinking I no longer wake
u" in my own vomit.
.isinterested and /ninterested
Contrary to )o)&lar &sage! these %ords arent synonymo&s' A 5disinterested6 )erson is someone %hos im)artial' =or eam)le! a hedge f&nd manager might
take interest in a headline regarding the )erforman$e of a )o)&lar sto$k! even if he4s never invested in it' 2es 5disinterested!6 i'e'! he doesnt seek to gain
finan$ially from the transa$tion hes %itnessed' :&dges and referees are s&))osed to #e 7disinterested'7 If the senten$e yo&re &sing im)lies someone %ho
$o&ldn4t $are less! $han$es are yo&ll %ant to &se 5&ninterested'6
#n'ious
8nless yo&re frightened of them! yo& sho&ldnt say yo&re 5anio&s to see yo&r friends'6 <o&re a$t&ally 5eager!6 or 7e$ited'7 To #e 5anio&s6 im)lies a looming
fear! dread or aniety' It doesnt mean yo&re looking for%ard to something'
.ifferent Than and .ifferent *rom
This is a to&gh one' 1ords like 5rather6 and 5faster6 are $om)arative ad"e$tives! and are &sed to sho% $om)arison %ith the )re)osition 5than!6 (e'g'! greater
than! less than! faster than! rather than)' The ad"e$tive 5different6 is &sed to dra% distin$tion' +o! %hen 5different6 is follo%ed #y a )re)osition! it sho&ld #e
5from!6 similar to 5se)arate from!6 5distin$t from!6 or 5a%ay from'6 e'g'! %y living situation in New York was different from home. There are rare $ases %here
5different than6 is a))ro)riate! if 5than6 o)erates as a $on"&n$tion' e'g'!.evelo"ment is different in New York than in !os #ngeles. 1hen in do&#t! &se 5different
from'6
+ring and Take
In order to em)loy )ro)er &sage of 5#ring6 or 5take!6 the %riter m&st kno% %hether the o#"e$t is #eing moved to%ard or a%ay from the s&#"e$t' If it is to%ard! &se
5#ring'6 If it is a%ay! &se 5take'6 <o&r s)o&se may tell yo& to 5take yo&r $lothes to the $leaners'6 The o%ner of the dry $leaners %o&ld say 5#ring yo&r $lothes to
the $leaners'6
Im"actful
It isn4t a %ord' 7Im)a$t7 $an #e &sed as a no&n (e'g'! The im"act of the crash was severe) or a transitive ver# (e'g'! The crash im"acted my aility to walk or hold
a 0o)' 7Im)a$tf&l7 is a made-&) #&zz%ord! $olligated #y the modern marketing ind&stry in their endless attem)ts to de$ode the inn&mera#le n&an$es of h&man
#ehavior into a string of mindless metri$s' +erio&sly! sto) saying this'
#ffect and (ffect
2eres a tri$k to hel) yo& remem#er, 5Affe$t6 is almost al%ays a ver# (e'g'! *aceook affects "eo"les attention s"ans)! and 5effe$t6 is almost al%ays a no&n
(e'g'! *aceook1s effects can also e "ositive2' 5Affe$t6 means to infl&en$e or )rod&$e an im)ression ( to $a&se hen$e! an effe$t' 5Effe$t6 is the thing )rod&$ed
#y the affe$ting agent. it des$ri#es the res&lt or o&t$ome' There are some e$e)tions' 5Effe$t6 may #e &sed as a transitive ver#! %hi$h means to #ring a#o&t or
make ha))en' e'g'! %y new com"uter effected a much3needed transition from maga&ines to We "orn. There are similarly rare eam)les %here 5affe$t6 $an #e
a no&n' e'g'! His lack of affect made him seem like a shallow "erson.
Irony and $oincidence
Too many )eo)le $laim something is the former %hen they a$t&ally mean the latter' =or eam)le! its not 5ironi$6 that 50ar#ara moved from California to ;e%
<ork! %here she ended &) meeting and falling in love %ith a fello% Californian'6 The fa$t that theyre #oth from California is a 7$oin$iden$e'7 7Irony7 is the
in$ongr&ity in a series of events #et%een the e)e$ted res&lts and the a$t&al res&lts' 7Coin$iden$e7 is a series of events that a))ear )lanned %hen theyre
a$t&ally a$$idental' +o! it %o&ld #e 7ironi$7 if 50ar#ara moved from California to ;e% <ork to es$a)e California men! #&t the first man she ended &) meeting and
falling in love %ith %as a fello% Californian'6
Nauseous
8ndo&#tedly the most $ommon mistake I en$o&nter' Contrary to almost &#i/&ito&s mis&se! to #e 5na&seo&s6 doesnt mean yo&ve #een si$kened, it a$t&ally
means yo& )ossess the a#ility to )rod&$e na&sea in others' e'g'! That week3old hot dog is nauseous. 1hen yo& find yo&rself disg&sted or made ill #y a
na&seating agent! yo& are a$t&ally 5na&seated'6 e'g'! I was nauseated after falling into that dum"ster ehind the 4lanned 4arenthood. +to) em#arrassing
yo&rself'
If yo&re looking for a )ra$ti$al! /&i$k g&ide to )ro)er grammar! I s&ggest the tried-and-tr&e $lassi$ The (lements of ,tyle! #y 1illiam +tr&nk! :r' and E' 0' 1hite'
A fe% of these eam)les are listed in the #ook! and there are )lenty more' Good l&$k>