Okay! be honest.
How many times have you written “their going to the park” and felt completely fine about it until your teacher circled it in red and handed the paper back with that look?
Yeah! We’ve all been there.
Here’s the thing making grammar mistakes in school doesn’t mean you’re bad at English. It just means nobody broke it down for you in a way that actually stuck. So that’s exactly what we’re doing today. No boring rules. No lectures. Just the top 20 common English grammar mistakes students make are explained in plain, human language.
Let’s go
This one sneaks into everyday speech so often that it starts to sound right.
Wrong one: She don’t know the answer.
Right one: She doesn’t know the answer.
The rule: singular subjects need singular verbs. She, he, it always does/doesn’t, never do/don’t. A classic subject verb agreement mistake hiding in plain sight.
These three are the villains of English grammar. They sound identical. They mean completely different things.
Wrong one: Their going to love it.
Right one: They’re going to love it.
We’ve written a whole blog just on these Confusing English Words Students Often Misuse. Trust us, it’s worth the read.
You started your essay in past tense. Three lines later, you’re in present tense. Then somehow you’re in future tense. The reader is lost. So are you.
Wrong one: Yesterday, she goes to the market and buys apples.
Right one: Yesterday, she went to the market and bought apples.
Common tense mistakes in English are almost always about consistency not confusion. Pick a tense. Commit to it.
Wrong one: Your going to fail the test.
Right one: You’re going to fail the test. (You are)
Trick: expand it. If “you are” makes sense in the sentence, use you’re. If not, use your. Takes two seconds. Saves you every time.
This one feels natural in conversation but looks terrible in writing.
Wrong one: Me and Priya went to the library.
Right one: Priya and I went to the library.
Quick test: remove the other person. “Me went to the library” sounds ridiculous, right? So it’s I, not me. And always put yourself last it’s just polite.
Wrong one: I don’t have no idea.
Right one: I don’t have any idea.
Two negatives cancel each other out. So “I don’t have no idea” technically means you do have an idea. One negative. That’s all you need.
Apostrophes do two jobs: show possession and make contractions. That’s it. They are NOT used for plurals. Ever.
Wrone one: The student’s are waiting outside.
Right one: The students are waiting outside.
The student’s bag is missing. < This one is correct (possession).
One of the most common punctuation mistakes students make and one of the easiest to fix.
Usually apostrophes show possession Riya’s book, the dog’s tail. But with it, the rules flip.
Wrong one: The school celebrated it’s annual day.
Right one: The school celebrated its annual day.
Wrong one: I studied all night I was really tired I still couldn’t remember anything it was awful.
That is one sentence. That should not be one sentence.
Right one: I studied all night. I was exhausted, and I still couldn’t remember anything. It was awful.
Full stops exist for a reason. Use them. Your reader and your teacher will thank you.
Wrong one: Because I forgot my homework.
Right one: I got detention because I forgot my homework.
A sentence needs a subject AND a verb. A fragment is just a thought that got cut off. Finish it.
Article mistakes in English are super common, especially if your first language doesn’t use them.
Wrong one: She won prize in competition.
Right one: She won a prize in the competition.
Wrong one: He ate a apple.
Right one: He ate an apple.
An goes before vowel sounds. A before consonant sounds. The for something specific or already mentioned.
Wrong one: I’m good in cricket.
Right one: I’m good at cricket.
Wrong one: She arrived to school late.
Right one: She arrived at school late.
Prepositions don’t always follow logic they follow convention. The best way to get them right? Read more. Seriously.
Wrong one: The noise effected my concentration.
Right one: The noise affected my concentration.
Here’s the hack: Affect is the Action (verb). Effect is the End result (noun). Tattooed in your brain now? Good.
Wrong one: She’s smarter then me.
Right one: She’s smarter than me. (comparison)
Wrong one: We finished class, than went to lunch.
Right one: We finished class, then went to lunch. (time)
Than compares. Then tells time. Different words. Different jobs.
Wrong one: The homework was not done by me.
Right one: I didn’t do the homework.
Active voice is direct, confident, and clear. Passive voice makes you sound like you’re trying to avoid blame which, in an essay, just looks weak.
Wrong one: my favourite subjects are english and science.
Right one: My favourite subjects are English and Science.
Languages, names, places are always capitalised. And yes, start every sentence with a capital. Always.
Wrong one: I went to the market, and bought vegetables.
Right one: I went to the market and bought vegetables.
Wrong one: I need eggs milk and butter.
Right one: I need eggs, milk, and butter.
In a list? Use commas. In a simple two part sentence? You probably don’t need one.
Wrong one: There are less errors in this draft.
Right one: There are fewer errors in this draft.
Can you count it? Use fewer. Can’t count it? Use less. Fewer mistakes. Less stress. See?
Wrong one: Running to catch the bus, the bag fell off my shoulder.
So… the bag was running? That’s what this sentence says.
Right one: Running to catch the bus, I felt my bag fall off my shoulder.
Your opening phrase must describe the subject of the sentence. Not a random object.
Wrong one: Who did you give the notes to?
Right one: Whom did you give the notes to?
Swap test: answer the question. “I gave the notes to him” ends in m, so use whom. “He gave me the notes” no m, so use who. Works every time.
These common grammar mistakes in English are not things to be embarrassed about they’re things to be curious about. Every mistake is just a gap waiting to be filled. And once you fill it, it stays filled.
Want to keep going? Here’s your reading list:
At Universal Wisdom School Balewadi, Pune, we believe the best learning happens when students are genuinely engaged not just memorising rules. Our IB PYP and Cambridge programmes are built around curiosity, real world application, and a love for communication.
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