Learning To Overcome Average Mistakes In English Grammar
When you slip up on your grammar, you will look like you are uneducated. If you are in a position such as a job interview, you could easily sacrifice your hard work in getting the interview because of a lack of training in grammar. Luckily, English grammar is easy to get down.
Contractions are hard to get down for some. Perhaps one of the most common mistakes is the use of “your” and “you’re.” When you see the contraction “you’re” you should be able to replace it with “you are” and the sentence should make sense still. “Your” is instead used to show ownership of an item. An example could be “She said you’re welcome to have a cookie, so make your decision.” As we can see, the sentence makes sense when using “you are” in place of contractions.
Now we come to a predicament; the English language has three like-sounding constructive words with “their,” they’re,” and “there.” The contraction is easy: just replace it with “they are” and check to see if it makes sense. “Their” is used to show ownership. “There” is used to point out a location in proper context.
This one is a bit more tricky to use: “effect” and “affect.” The word “affect” is used as a verb in just about every situation, while “effect” is a noun. A good example of “affect” would be “The clouds affect the amount of sunlight the ground receives,” while a good example of “effect” would be “Since the rain was gone, there was no effect on driving conditions.” Just remember that “affect” does the action in this case.
When those who are foreign to the English language start to make their efforts in learning it, the biggest stumbling block is when to use “a” and when to use “an.” The word “an” is used before a word that sounds like a vowel- which seems easy enough to see at first. The problem is that some words such as “hour” don’t appear to require the word “an” until it is pronounced. It takes a lot of practice, but practice does make perfect.
Last but not least, we have the debate of using “good” and using “well.” Good is an adjective, but is incorrectly used as an adverb much of the time when saying something like “I am feeling good.” This is incorrect, and should instead be “I am feeling well.” Note that the word “well” can also be an adjective in some cases.
In Conclusion
Keep your nose to the grindstone, so to speak, and your attempt at grasping the English language will lead to success. If you decide you need help, there are many sources over the Internet and tutors you can find in your locale to learn further.
Learn more on Online English Tests and English Grammar Learning.