3 Common Grammatical Errors

Whether writing an article, poem, "how-to" guide, or a blog, basic grammar skills are a must. Otherwise, readers will lose faith in your writing ability, or will read your work to further their editing skills! To maintain professionalism and integrity, make sure to proofread anything being published.

Below are three common grammatical errors:

• There - Describing where something is. Here are some examples of how "there" is used in a sentence:

1. "I placed my wrench over there."
2. "There are birds on the bench."

• They're - Easily put: they're is THEY ARE put together to form one word. Examples:

1. "They're going really fast!"
2. "I wonder if they're aware of the situation."

• Their - The possessive form of "they"; normally used prior to a noun. Examples:

1. "My dogs love their toys."
2. "Their house is huge!"

• To - Used to express a point in time, motion, direction, contact, etc. "To" is a preposition, meaning that it is a part of a phrase/sequence of words (like, it's a predecessor word). Here are a few examples of using "to" in a sentence:

1. "Do you know where to put the art?"
2. "Remind me to buy toilet paper today."

• Two - A number that represents a pair, double, etc. Examples:

1. "Do I need two eggs or one?"
2. "We have a meeting with two other departments, at two today."

• Too - "Too" is an adverb; is used to help show the extent of a verb (a substitute for "very"), or to contradict a negative statement. Here are some examples of how "too" is used in a sentence:

1. "The soup is too hot!"
2. "I used too much sugar in the recipe."
3. "I am excited, too!"

• Your - The possessive form of "you". Meaning, that "your" will almost always be followed by a noun. Simply put, "your" is used when saying that something belongs to you/someone else! Examples:

1. "I like your hat!"
2. "Please place your baggage directly inside the door."
3. "Mark is heading towards your house now, and should arrive shortly."

• You're - Just as with "they're", "you're" is a contraction. Meaning that you take 2 words, and shorten them into 1 word! "You're" is just YOU and ARE put together. Examples:

1. "You're beautiful."
2. "Let me know when you're done with your chores."

Just as there are millions of writers worldwide, there are millions of writing tools that are easily accessible.

Here are links to a few sites that I found just by searching Google and Hubpages. None are time consuming, and all are reader-friendly (for writers of all levels):

• Grammarly
• Writing Tips
• Online dictionary
• Direction/formation assistance - a hub
• Instant grammar checker
• Complete index for grammar help

The library is a great place to start, if you're one whom prefers books vs. the internet.

Grammatical errors can - once again - be a thing of the past!