Common English Language Errors

Even after years of alliance with the language, mistakes tend to creep up into the English language – both in writing and speech. Though they may be miniscule and inconspicuous at times, but the perfect piece of writing or speech cannot be created comprising such errors. Some commonly committed blunders have been pointed out here which with careful proofreading and alertness can be done away with.

1. The most common mistake is in the use of first and second person. For example, you may begin with I which may change to We or You. One changes to You. You need to remember that there should be a continuity in the use of ‘person’. That is, if you start with second person, continue with it, first person, then continue with the first. Whichever you choose, that has to be maintained throughout.
2. Prepositions are very commonly wrongly used. It is quite confusing, but with repeated attempts and study, which preposition has to be used where, can be visualized. 
3. It is always advisable to write in the active and avoid passive. Unless it is a piece of creative work, active voice is preferred. Passive voice tends to make the content bleak and not to-the-point.
4. Also, it follows, that statements should be affirmative and assertive, rather than being negative. A clear cut sentence is better than one that sounds like a question. Minimize the use of negative words like No, Not, Never, etc. 
5. The spelling of the same word changes when it is used as a noun or a verb. For example, Practice is noun, and Practise is verb. 
6. A Noun does not require an Article before it. It stands alone. However, in specific cases, where you are pointing directly at the subject (noun), then you have to use an article. For example, “The book on Mahatma Gandhi”. 
7. The Article to be used is determined by the voice of the word proceeding it. If the sound of the first letter is of a Vowel, you use An, and if consonant, you use A. So, it is An MBA, as M sounds like ’em’, and it is A Master of Business Administration.
8. Certain words may mean the same thing, but we cannot replace one for the other in a sentence at times. for example, “I am waiting for the event to happen”, can be made better by stating “I am waiting for the event to take place”.
9. And, what you write or speak is also dependent on your intuitive powers. Continuous reading and writing improves your English language skills. Some changes can thus be made just to appear better and not because of being incorrect.