Why It Matters:
Clear grammar and word choice make you sound smarter, more confident, and more professional. Whether you’re writing a text, filling out a job application, or emailing a professor, getting the basics right leaves a good impression.
Commonly Confused Words
- Your vs. You’re
- Your = possession → Is that your backpack?
- You’re = you are → You’re my best friend.
- There / Their / They’re
- There = place → We went over there.
- Their = possession → That’s their house.
- They’re = they are → They’re on the way.
- To / Too / Two
- To = direction/action → I’m going to class.
- Too = also/excess → I want some too. / That’s too much.
- Two = number → We have two options.
Common Grammar Mistakes
- “Me and my friend went…” → ❌ Wrong
✅ Correct: “My friend and I went…” - “I seen it yesterday.” → ❌ Wrong
✅ Correct: “I saw it yesterday.” - “He don’t like it.” → ❌ Wrong
✅ Correct: “He doesn’t like it.” - “Could of / should of” → ❌ Wrong
✅ Correct: “Could have / should have”
Quick Fix Tips
- Reread everything: Small errors are easy to catch before hitting send.
- Flip the sentence: Unsure about me vs. I? Remove the other person’s name.
- Ex: Me went? I went? → Clearly, I went.
- Test contractions: If you can swap it with “you are,” then use you’re.
- Keep it simple: Short, clear sentences are almost always better.
Believe it or not, those who have the power in life notice these differences, and ‘judge’ you when you use the wrong words.
These are a good start. See if you can notice some others that your friends are getting wrong.
