Common Grammar Mistakes

What is the purpose of a semicolon?

• To connect closely related independent clauses or to separate items in a complex list.

• To indicate a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period.

• To introduce a list of items or examples.

• To separate two complete sentences without a conjunction.

What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

• 'Its' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has', while 'it's' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it'.

• 'Its' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it', while 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has'.

• Both 'its' and 'it's' are interchangeable and mean the same thing.

• 'Its' is used for plural nouns, while 'it's' is used for singular nouns.

How do you identify subject-verb agreement?

• Ensure that the verb matches the subject in number (singular or plural).

• The subject should always be plural regardless of the verb.

• The verb should always be in the past tense.

• The subject and verb can be different in number.

What is the difference between 'you're' and 'your'?

• 'You're' is a contraction of 'you are', while 'your' is a possessive adjective used to indicate ownership.

• 'You're' is a possessive adjective, while 'your' is a contraction of 'you are'.

• Both 'you're' and 'your' are interchangeable and mean the same thing.

• 'You're' is used in formal writing, while 'your' is used in informal writing.

When do we use 'are' vs 'is'?

• 'Are' is used with singular subjects, while 'is' is used with plural subjects.

• 'Are' is used with plural subjects, while 'is' is used with singular subjects.

• 'Are' is used with both singular and plural subjects interchangeably.

• 'Is' is used only in questions, while 'are' is used in statements.

What is a run-on sentence?

• A sentence that contains only one independent clause.

• A sentence that is too long and needs to be shortened.

• A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunction.

• A sentence that uses too many conjunctions.

What is the difference between 'then' and 'than'?

• 'Then' refers to a time or sequence, while 'than' is used for comparisons.

• 'Than' refers to a time or sequence, while 'then' is used for comparisons.

• Both 'then' and 'than' can be used interchangeably in sentences.

• 'Then' is used for comparisons, while 'than' refers to a time or sequence.

What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?

• 'Affect' is a noun meaning the result of a change, while 'effect' is a verb meaning to influence something.

• 'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence something, while 'effect' is a noun meaning the result of a change.

• Both 'affect' and 'effect' are verbs meaning to influence something.

• Both 'affect' and 'effect' are nouns meaning the result of a change.

What is a contraction?

• A type of punctuation used in writing.

• A shortened form of a word or group of words, created by omitting certain letters or sounds, such as 'don't' for 'do not'.

• A grammatical error in sentence structure.

• A method of combining two sentences into one.

What does 'unexpected' mean?

• Something that was not anticipated or foreseen.

• A planned event or occurrence.

• A common and predictable situation.

• An event that is always expected.