The 2 Most Common Grammar Mistakes
Gone are the days when students learn grammar rules in school. Is
this a good thing? Those of us who were tortured with hours of parsing
sentences will most likely say it is a good thing…those who lament the
atrocious grammar skills of today will probably say it has resulted in a
corruption of the English language.
Whatever your opinion, there are a few facts that do hold true. Those
who speak correct English are viewed as more intelligent (perception is
everything??) and they tend to hold higher paying jobs.
While there are many grammar rules which are so obscure and
irrelevant they are not worth considering, there are a few grammar gems
we should all strive to obey:
1. GOOD & WELL
Listen to most conversations and you will hear this glaring error several times.
‘Hi. How are you?’
‘Hi. I’m doing good.’
‘How is you wife?’
‘She’s good.’
Doing good means you are doing good deeds….doing good things. It does not mean you are healthy, happy etc…
The correct response is: ‘I’m doing well.’
May & Can
This error is committed so many times, most people consider it the correct usage:
‘Can I use the washroom?’
The use of ‘can’ in this context means are you able to do something.
In this case one would hope the person knows how to use a washroom!
The correct way to ask permission is to use ‘may’.
If you are interested in seeing more errors that most of us commit, please refer to this
blog post by Jon Gingerich,
20 Common Grammar Mistakes.
If you are wanting to improve your spoken or written English,
Lernit Tutoring Services can provide you with an experienced, qualified, caring English tutor who will help you to realize your learning goals.
