Common Grammar Mistakes

Who vs. Whom Refers to the subject Refers to the object Examples: Who are you? Grace is the one who wants to go. Who is the best player? Refers to the object Examples: Whom do you see? Whom did you give it to? With whom am I speaking?

Practice: Who vs. Whom ___________ is going? ___________ is this story about? This is ____________ warned me. With ____________ are you going? ___________ did they tell?

Its vs. It’s Possessive pronoun Example: *The mother carried its kitten in its mouth. A contraction for “it is” or “it has” Examples: *I think it’s going to rain today. *It’s been a very long day.

Practice: Its vs. It’s ____________ time to go. The stove has ____________ own timer. The bird lost some of ___________ feathers. Do you think _____________ ready? I read your essay. ____________ very good.

Then vs. Than Refers to time; lists something in sequential order First, then, next Example: *First you add the flour, and then you add the eggs. Used with comparisons Example: *Corey is taller than me.

Practice: Then vs. Than This is more important ___________ you might think. Tom is faster ______________ Bill. I’ll call you _____________ . Do your homework, and ___________ go to bed. I wasn’t ready ____________. Now I am.

Your vs. You’re Contraction for “you are” Examples: You’re going to be late. If you’re ready, we can go. Possessive (Describes something as belonging to you) Examples: Is this your pen? Your book is on the table.

Practice: Your vs. You’re What is __________ name? When ___________ my age, you will understand. What happened to __________ dog? Is that what ______________ wearing? This is ______________ book.

Effect vs. Affect A noun Definitions: A verb 1) a result Definitions: 2) something that gives the impression of something else 3) personal belongings Examples: What was the effect of her decision? The special effects were great. A verb Definitions: 1) to have an influence on 2) to touch or move Examples: What you do affects us all. I was affected by the movie.

Effect vs. Affect

Practice: Effect vs. Affect Side ______________ include nausea and fatigue. You can clearly see the cause and the _________ . This decision will _______________ the outcome of the election. He was not ________________ by her tears. The law will go into ______________ tomorrow.

Loose vs. Lose An adjective Definition: the opposite of tight or restrained Examples: His shoelaces were loose. I have a loose tooth. A verb Definition: to suffer the loss of, to miss Examples: I win! You lose! Don’t lose your keys.

Loose vs. Lose

Practice: Loose vs. Lose There is a dog running _____________ in the street. I never _____________ bets. He needed to tighten his _____________ tie. Don’t ____________ your syllabus. You will ______________ points on your assignment if you do not write your name.

Who’s vs. Whose A contraction for “who is” or “who has” Example: *Who’s coming to visit tomorrow? Possessive; means “belonging to whom or which” Example: *Whose backpack is this?

Who’s vs. Whose

Practice: Who’s vs. Whose __________ watching TV? __________ book is this? Do you know _____________ going to speak? __________ side are you on? __________ in the kitchen?

There/Their/They’re THERE Refers to location Example: I put the paper right there. THEIR Is possessive Example: Their dog jumped the fence. THEY’RE A contraction for “they are” Example: They’re going to the movies.

There/Their/They’re

Practice: There/Their/They’re Where is ______________ car? Stop right _______________ . _____________ going to be late. From _______________ , we drove to Ocala. What happened to ____________ dog?

To/Too/Two TO TOO TWO A preposition or infinitive Example: *We went to a baseball game. *The kids want to play. TOO Means “excessively” or “also” Example: *It is too cold. *I want to go, too. TWO a number Example: *I have two dogs.

To/Too/Two

Practice: To/Too/Two He went ________ Italy. I need _________ study. She ate ________ pieces of pie. I’m ________ tired. Can I go _________ ?