55+ Common Grammar Mistakes in English Language with Simple Explanatory Notes

In this article, you will access and learn a helpful list of over 55 common grammar mistakes in the English language you might be unknowingly making with explanatory notes in order to start correcting yourself.

It’s advisable that you patiently read through all the examples highlighted in this post and make sure you understand the explanatory notes for correction purposes.

Examples of over 55 common grammatical errors or grammar mistakes in English language speaking with simple explanatory notes on how to correct those mistakes are as follows:

[01]

Wrong: Adeolu, stop insulting me. I am not your age. 

Right: Adeolu, stop insulting me. We are not agemates. 

Note: One can’t be the “age” of another person.

[02]

Wrong: As I entered the bedroom, I saw my child sitting on the ground. 

Right: As I entered the bedroom, I saw my child sitting on the floor. 

Note: “Floor” means the lower surface of the room, while “ground” means the solid surface of the earth.

[03]

Wrong: Caroline took in and dropped out of school. 

Right: Caroline became pregnant and dropped out of school. 

Note: “To take in” conveys the meaning of “absorb” or “admit.”

[04]

Wrong: Chief Bamigboye rose up from his seat to welcome his guests. 

Right: Chief Bamigboye rose from his seat to welcome his guests.

Note: “To rise” and “to get up” are synonyms. Therefore, “up” in the first sentence is not needed.

[05]

Wrong: Could you repeat what you have just said again? 

Right: Could you repeat what you have just said? 

Right: Could you say that again? 

Note: “To repeat” means “to say or do something again.” Therefore, it is tautological to find “repeat” and “again” in the same sentence.

[06]

Wrong: Deborah was operated last week. 

Right: Deborah was operated on last week.  

Note: Machines are operated, but human beings are operated on a surgical proceeding to which the human body is subjected.

[07]

Wrong: Do you have any money with you? 

Right: Do you have any money on you? 

Note: “With” is used when bigger objects are referred to, especially things that can be seen by the public. For example, “I will travel with my bag.”

[08]

Wrong: Don’t forget to off the television before you go out. 

Right: Don’t forget to switch off the television before you go out. 

Note: "Off" is a preposition and cannot be used as a verb.

[09]

Wrong: Driver, please horn before you overtake. 

Right: Driver, please press the horn before you overtake. 

Right: Driver, please hoot before you overtake. 

Note: "Horn" is a noun and cannot be used as a verb. The correct verb for “horn” is “hoot.”

[10]

Wrong: He can be able to speak French. 

Right: He can speak French. 

Right: He is able to speak French. 

Note: “Can” means “be able to.” It is tautological to find both in a sentence.

[11]

Wrong: I must have to be in Abuja tomorrow. 

Right: I must be in Abuja tomorrow. 

Right: I have to be in Abuja tomorrow. 

Note: “Must” and “have to” convey the same meaning.

[12]

Wrong: I saw the masquerade with my two eyes. 

Right: I saw the masquerade, I am sure. 

Note: One can only see with one’s eyes and with nothing else.

[13]

Wrong: I seek for excellence in my career. 

Right: I seek excellence in my career. 

Note: “To seek” means “to look for.” “For” in “seek for” is unnecessary and erroneous.

[14]

Wrong: I will come if I’m chanced. 

Right: I will come if I’m not busy. 

Note: “Chance” is antiquated.

[15]

Wrong: I wrote my uncle last week. 

Right: I wrote to my uncle last week. 

Note: The first sentence is wrong because your uncle is neither an examination nor a paper.

[16]

Wrong: Iyinoluwa travelled to Lagos to seek an employment. 

Right: Iyinoluwa travelled to Lagos to seek employment. 

Note: The word “employment” is an uncountable noun and hence has no plural form. It is therefore erroneous to say “an employment” or “employments.”

[17]

Wrong: Luggages are at owners’ risk. 

Right: Luggage are at owners’ risk.

Right: Luggage is at owner’s risk.

Note: "Luggage" is an uncountable noun. It doesn’t need the letter “s” to pluralise it.

[18]

Wrong: Magic Johnson vowed to beat his rival up in the race. 

Right: Magic Johnson vowed to beat his rival in the race. 

Note: “To beat up” has to do with fights and quarrels. It does not apply to peaceful competition.

[19]

Wrong: Michael wore a nice pair of short knickers. 

Right: Michael wore a nice pair of shorts. 

Note: It is wrong to use "short" and "knickers" side by side since "shorts" mean trouser with short legs.

[20]

Wrong: Mr. Chukwudi sold his car auction. 

Right: Mr. Chukwudi sold his car by auction. 

Right: Mr. Chukwudi auctioned his car. 

Note: The use of “auction” as a noun must be preceded by the preposition “by.”

[21]

Wrong: Mr. Daniel voiced out the feelings of the factory workers. 

Right: Mr. Daniel voiced the feelings of the factory workers. 

Note: “To voice” conveys the meaning of “speaking out.” So, “out” in the first sentence is not necessary.

[22]

Wrong: My mother’s car is a new chassis. 

Right: My mother’s car is new. 

Note: "A chassis" means the framework of a motor car or carriage.

[23]

Wrong: Our company needs trained personnel to operate on the machine. 

Right: Our company needs trained personnel to operate the machine. 

Note: “To operate” means “to cause to work.” So, a machine is operated while human beings are operated on.

[24]

Wrong: Please escort me to the market to buy some food items. 

Right: Please accompany me to the market to buy some food items. 

Note: "Escort" is used for bodyguards or security officers. 

[25]

Wrong: Practice makes perfect. 

Right: Practice makes perfection. 

Note: "Perfect" cannot be used as a noun; it is used as a verb or adjective.

[26]

Wrong: Professor Soyinka has plenty books to donate to schools. 

Right: Professor Soyinka has plenty of books to donate to schools. 

Note: "Plenty" is never an adjective and so cannot qualify “books.” It is a noun.

[27]

Wrong: Shakespeare is a play writer. 

Right: Shakespeare is a playwright. 

Note: "A playwright" is a writer and creator of theatrical plays.

[28]

Wrong: She advocated for the adjournment of the case. 

Right: She advocated the adjournment of the case. 

Note: “To advocate” conveys the meaning of “pleading for” and so does not need “for.” But it takes the preposition “of” when it is used as a noun, e.g., “She is the advocate of the disabled.”

[29]

Wrong: She wanted to know what we discussed about. 

Right: She wanted to know what we discussed. 

Note: “To discuss” means “to talk about or chat about.” So, the “about” after “discussed” is not needed.

[30]

Wrong: Simi’s uncle adviced her to be a good wife. 

Right: Simi’s uncle advised her to be a good wife. 

Note: “Advice” is a noun, while “advise” is a verb.

[31]

Wrong: Sister Bimbo is selling office stationeries at Ikeja. 

Right: Sister Bimbo is selling office stationery at Ikeja. 

Note: "Stationery" is an uncountable noun. Therefore, it can’t be in plural form.

[32]

Wrong: Sulaimon said he would leave Lagos to Abuja tomorrow. 

Right: Sulaimon said he would leave Lagos for Abuja tomorrow.

Note: You “leave for” a place but “travel to” that place.

[33]

Wrong: Teachers at Lagos are on strike. 

Right: Teachers in Lagos are on strike. 

Note: It is wrong to use “at” as the antecedent preposition in the first sentence since “Lagos” is a relatively large area.

[34]

Wrong: The books were written with ink. 

Right: The books were written in ink. 

Note: "Ink" is a medium, just as Igbo is in this sentence: “She addressed the crowd in Igbo.”

[35]

Wrong: The committee comprises of men of widely different views. 

Right: The committee comprises men of widely different views. 

Note: “Comprise” means “compose of.” Hence, the first sentence does not require “of.”

[36]

Wrong: The governor visited the cite of the stadium complex. 

Right: The governor visited the site of the stadium complex. 

Note: “Cite” is to be mentioned as an example, while “site” is a place to build something or a house.

[37]

Wrong: The hunter shot the pig, but it did not die. 

Right: The hunter shot at the pig, but it did not die. 

Note: “To shoot at” means “to shoot in the direction of something,” but “to shoot” means “to kill or hit the object.”

[38]

Wrong: The mobile policemen accompanied the president to the office. 

Right: The mobile policemen escorted the president to the office. 

Note: "Escort" implies security for protection.

[39]

Wrong: The NFA chairman has appealed to Nigerians to accept the outcome of the match between Nigeria and Cameroon with good faith. 

Right: The NFA chairman has appealed to Nigerians to accept the outcome of the match between Nigeria and Cameroon in good faith. 

Note: “To accept something in good faith” means to accept it with good intentions.

[40]

Wrong: The police are duty-bound to spot out frauds in society. 

Right: The police are duty-bound to spot frauds in society. 

Note: “To spot” means to “pick out.” So, “out” in the first sentence is not needed and wrong.

[41]

Wrong: The policeman beat the fraudster mercilessly. 

Right: The policeman beat up the fraudster mercilessly. 

Note: “To beat” is associated with peaceful competition, while “to beat up” has to do with fights.

[42]

Wrong: The seminar will hold at Kogi State. 

Right: The seminar will hold in Kogi State. 

Note: “In” is used when large geographical areas such as Countries, Cities and States are referred to, while “at” is appropriate for smaller areas such as a university campus.

[43]

Wrong: The students have entered into the classroom for their lecture. 

Right: The students have entered the classroom for their lecture. 

Note: “To enter” and “to go into” are synonyms. So, the “into” after “enter” is erroneous. So, it’s correct to say, “Kalu entered politics at the age of 13.

[44]

Wrong: The symposium is scheduled to last for four hours. 

Right: The symposium is scheduled to last four hours. 

Note: “To last” means “to continue for.” Therefore, the “for” after “last” is erroneous.

[45]

Wrong: The vendor always supplies us newspapers. 

Right: The vendor always supplies us with newspapers. 

Note: "Supply" goes with a preposition when used as a verb.

[46]

Wrong: The widow’s friends sympathised with her at the funeral. 

Right: The widow’s friends condoled with her at the funeral. 

Note: “Condolence” is associated with a big loss, such as death. On the other hand, “sympathy” is associated with troubles, sufferings, or losses not as big as death.

[47]

Wrong: The young boy picked up the money along the road. 

Right: The young boy picked up the money on the road. 

Note: “Along” has to do with a stretch of space. In this case, the money was picked up from a spot.

[48]

Wrong: There are many seasoned lecturers in the University of Lagos. 

Right: There are many seasoned lecturers at the University of Lagos. 

Note: A university campus is smaller than a city and will therefore take “at” as the antecedent preposition.

[49]

Wrong: There is nothing I like pass reading novels. 

Right: There is nothing I like more than reading novels. 

Note: The word “pass” as used in the first sentence is pidgin, and it is incorrect.

[50]

Wrong: They waited the rain to stop. 

Right: They waited for the rain to stop. 

Note: "Wait" is unavoidably preceded by a preposition. One waits “for,” “in,” “at,” etc.; however, one can await “result,” “outcome,” etc.

[51]

Wrong: Timothy bent down and picked his hat. 

Right: Timothy bent down and picked up his hat. 

Note: “To pick” means “to select,” while “to pick up” conveys the meaning of “taking hold of and lifting from the ground.”

[52]

Wrong: Tosin was sent to abroad by his people. 

Right: Tosin was sent abroad by his people. 

Note: “No preposition goes before “abroad” when it is used as a noun.

[53]

Wrong: Wait for me; let me escort my friend. 

Right: Wait for me; let me see off my friend. 

Note: "Escort" is used for bodyguards or security officers. 

[54]

Wrong: We bought N200,000 worth of beef meat for the party. 

Right: We bought N200,000 worth of beef for the party. 

Note: "Beef" is meat from cows or oxen.

[55]

Wrong: We watched the aircraft ascend up the horizon. 

Right: We watched the aircraft ascend the horizon. 

Note: “To ascend” means “to go up.” So, there is no need to use “up” as the precedent preposition.

[56]

Wrong: Who did you give the book? 

Right: Who did you give the book to? 

Note: The preposition “to” is needed in order to indicate a relationship between the person and the book, which is one of the functions of a preposition.

[57]

Wrong: Wike fight like a wounded lion. 

Right: Wike fights like a wounded lion. 

Note: When the subject is singular, the verb must also be in singular form.

Kindly note that there are still many more common errors in English grammar exercises apart from all the ones listed above, but as time goes on, the study of English concord rules will limit the level of making such grammar mistakes in speech and in writing.

We continue learning every day.

Thanks for reading and sharing.