5 Grammar Mistakes Every Student Should Avoid

Every student has been there—you pour your heart into an essay, only to get it back covered in red ink. Often, it's not your ideas that need work, but simple grammar mistakes that are easily fixable once you know what to look for.

Mistake #1: Its vs. It's Confusion

This is perhaps the most common mistake in student writing. Remember: 'It's' always means 'it is' or 'it has.' If you can't substitute 'it is' in your sentence, use 'its' instead. Example: 'The dog wagged its tail' (not it's tail) because you wouldn't say 'The dog wagged it is tail.'

Mistake #2: Your vs. You're Mix-Up

'You're' is a contraction meaning 'you are.' 'Your' shows possession. Quick test: If you can replace the word with 'you are,' use 'you're.' Otherwise, use 'your.' Example: 'You're going to love your new book' works because 'You are going to love your new book' makes sense.

Mistake #3: There, Their, They're Troubles

• There - refers to a place or introduces a sentence ('There are many books')
• Their - shows possession ('Their homework is complete')
• They're - contraction for 'they are' ('They're studying for the test')

Mistake #4: Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Singular subjects need singular verbs, and plural subjects need plural verbs. The tricky part comes with phrases between the subject and verb. Example: 'The box of cookies is empty' (not 'are empty') because 'box' is singular, even though 'cookies' is plural.

Mistake #5: Comma Splices

A comma splice happens when you join two complete sentences with just a comma. Fix it by using a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction. Wrong: 'I studied hard, I got an A.' Right: 'I studied hard, and I got an A' or 'I studied hard; I got an A.'

These five mistakes account for nearly 80% of grammar errors in student writing. Master these rules, and watch your writing scores improve dramatically. Remember, good grammar isn't about being perfect—it's about clear communication.