10 Common English Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even proficient English speakers make mistakes. Here are 10 common errors and how to fix them:

1. Your vs. You’re: Your book (possession) vs. You’re late (you are).
2. Its vs. It’s: Its color (possession) vs. It’s raining (it is).
3. Their, There, and They’re: Their house (possession), There is a cat (location), They’re coming (they are).
4. Affect vs. Effect: This affects me (verb) vs. The effect was surprising (noun).
5. Then vs. Than: I will eat first, then go (sequence) vs. She is taller than me (comparison).
6. To, Too, and Two: Going to the store (preposition), That’s too much (excess), Two apples (number).
7. Who vs. Whom: Who is calling? (subject) vs. Whom did you call? (object).
8. Loose vs. Lose: My shoes are loose (not tight) vs. I don’t want to lose (misplace or fail).
9. Me vs. I: She and I went (subject) vs. He called me and her (object).
10. Fewer vs. Less: Fewer apples (countable) vs. Less sugar (uncountable).

Being aware of these common mistakes will improve both your writing and speaking skills.