Most Confusing and Common mistakes in English Grammar
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Word(s)
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Rule
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Examples
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Who/Whom
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“Who” is subjective and is used when the pronoun acts
as the object of a clause.
Usage depends on whether you are referring to the
subject or object of a sentence.
To test, substitute “he” or “she” for
“who,” and substitute “him” or “her” for whom.
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Who loves you?
(She loves me.)
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Which/That
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“That” is a restrictive pronoun, which means the
phrase following it is needed to understand the preceding statement.
“Which” introduces a relative clause and is used
when there are qualifiers that may not be essential.
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I don’t like buying clothes that aren’t
made in the USA.
You should only buy clothes made locally, which are
usually sold at smaller local businesses.
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Lay/Lie
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“Lay” requires a direct object (past tense: “laid”).
“Lie” doesn’t need an object (past tense: “lay”).
Common mistake: People use the past tense of “lay”
when they mean to use the past tense of “lie.”
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I lay my head upon the pillow.
Last night, I laid my head upon the
pillow.
The stones lie near the river.
The stones lay near the river, waiting
to be washed.
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Nor/Or
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“Nor” means “and not.”
Rule of thumb: Use “nor” with “neither”
and “or” with “either”.
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I bet neither Mike nor Jessie
will like the movie.
I bet either Mike or Jessie
will not like the movie.
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Affect/Effect
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“Affect” is a verb that means “to influence or
produce an impression.”
“Effect” is a noun that means “the result of.”
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That movie affected me like no other movie has.
I felt no effect from the movie, I wish it affected me,
but I thought it was boring.
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Since/Because
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“Since” refers to time.
“Because” refers to causation.
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Since I saw you last, I’ve gotten a new job.
Because I saw you, I looked into that new job you
recommended.
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Fewer/Less
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“Few” and “fewer” are for things you can count.
“Less” is for hypothetical quantities.
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I ate fewer calories today than I did
yesterday.
I need to eat less food so I can lose
weight.
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Whether/If
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“Whether” expresses a condition where there are
two or more alternatives.
“If” expresses a condition where there are no
alternatives.
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I don’t know whether I will meet up
with you later.
I will meet up with you tonight if I
finish my homework.
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May/Might
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Both suggest there is a possibility of something
happening, but use “may” when there’s a greater likelihood and “might” when
there’s little to no chance.
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I may see you later if I can finish my
essay.
I might go to Europe this summer—if I
can get over my fear of flying.
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That/Who
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Whenever you write about people, use “who” to
refer to them.
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Jane is the girl who lives above me.
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Than/Then
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“Than” is used when comparing things.
“Then” is used when referring to time.
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She is much taller than me.
I will see you first and then go to
the store.
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It’s/Its
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“It’s” is a contraction of “it is.”
“Its” is a possessive pronoun or adjective.
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It’s going to rain tomorrow.
The dog licked its paw.
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There/Their
/They’re
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“Their” is used when referring to ownership or
possession.
“They’re” is a contraction of “they are.”
“There” is used when referring to location.
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Their dog was barking so loudly, I couldn’t sleep.
They’re going to go the movies later.
There is that sock I was looking for.
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Complement/ Compliment
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“Complement” refers to something that adds to or
completes something else.
“Compliment” is something nice said about you.
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The fresh herbs really complement the
chicken.
She complimented me and said she liked
my shoes.
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Loose/Lose
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“Loose” refers to when something is coming
undone.
“Lose” is the opposite of “win” or “gain.”
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My pants are so loose, I need a belt to
keep them up.
If I lose more weight, I’ll need a
belt to keep my pants up.
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Exercise on above rules
Use “who” or “whom” where appropriate:
1. Do
you know ______ did this?
2. With
______ are you going with to the dance?
3. ______
made dinner?
4. ______
did you end up hiring?
Lay versus lie:
5. Which
is the correct form eo[phf the sentence?
(a) The cat lay in the mud yesterday.
(b) The cat lied in the mud.
6. Which
is the correct form of the sentence?
(a) Steve laid down on the floor.
(b) Steve lay down on the floor.
7. Which
is the correct form of the sentence?
(a) Yesterday, I laid the towel out in the
sun.
(b) Yesterday, i lied the towel out in the
sun.
Nor versus or:
8. Which sentence
is incorrect?
(a) I don’t want that or that.
(b) Neither Alex nor Leslie came to my party.
(c) I want neither pizza or pasta.
9. Which sentence
is incorrect?
(a) I can’t feel any side effects from the
medicine.
(b) He effects you in a negative way.
(c) The dog makes me happy; he affects my
mood in a good way.
10. Which sentence is incorrect?
(a) Since you left, I have found a new
roommate.
(b) Since you left, i needed to find a new
roommate.
(c) Because I like you, I’m going to buy you
flowers.
Common usage:
11. Which sentence is correct?
(a) There is less water in the lake this
year.
(b) There is fewer water in the lake this
year.
(c ) The water is fewer this year.
12. Which
sentence is correct?
(a) I will go to the party with you whether I
can finish my homework.
(b) I will only go to the party with you if I
can finish my homework.
(c) If I go to the party depends on if I
finish my homework.
Fill in the blank with the correct
word:
13. ______ will be no time to rest
before going to the movies.
(a)
They’re
(b) There (c) Their
14. The bird flapped ______ wings.
(a) its
(b) it’s
15. I love rap way more ______ I love
country music.
(a) than
(b) then
16. I think you and Billy are a good
couple. You really ______ each other.
(a) complement
(b) compliment
17. Jeff is the boy ______ walked me
home the other day.
(a) that
(b) who
18. That screw is ______. You should
hold on to it so you don’t ______ it.
(a) loose/lose
(b) lose/loose
19. Yes, you ______ see me later. I
should be able to get my work done in time.
(a)
might
(b ) may
20. Make sure to read the second
book, ______ is the best one in the series.
(a)
which
(b) that
ANSWERS :
1. who
2. whom
3. who
4. whom
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. c
9. b
10. b
11. a
12. b
13. b
14. a
15. a
16. a
17. b
18. a
19. b
20. a
