1) Subject–Verb Agreement Errors

When the verb does not match the subject in number.
Wrong = She go to work every day.
Right = She goes to work every day.

Wrong = The list of items are on the desk.
Right = The list of items is on the desk.

2) Confusing There / Their / They’re
Wrong = Their going to the cinema.
Right = They’re going to the cinema.

Wrong = The students forgot there books.
Right = The students forgot their books.

3) Apostrophe Mistakes (Its / It’s)
Wrong = The dog wagged it’s tail.
Right = The dog wagged its tail.

Wrong = Its raining today.
Right = It’s raining today.

4) Incorrect Tense Use
Wrong = Yesterday I go to London.
Right = Yesterday I went to London.

Wrong = She has finished her work last night.
Right = She finished her work last night.

5) Double Negatives
Wrong = I don’t need no help.
Right = I don’t need any help.

6) Run-On Sentences
Wrong = I was tired I went to bed early.
Right = I was tired, so I went to bed early.

7) Sentence Fragments
Wrong = Because I was late.
Right = I missed the bus because I was late.

8) Misplaced Modifiers
Wrong = Running down the street, the rain started to fall.
(Implies the rain was running.)
Right = As I was running down the street, the rain started to fall.

9) Confusing Affect / Effect
Wrong = The weather had a big affect on me.
Right = The weather had a big effect on me.

10) Incorrect Prepositions
Wrong = She is married with a doctor.
Right = She is married to a doctor.

---

Vocabulary Notes

Agreement
Meaning: When two or more parts of a sentence match correctly in number or form, especially the subject and the verb.
Example from the list: “Subject–Verb Agreement Errors” (She goes to work every day.)
Similar words: consistency, correspondence, harmony
Extra example: There is good agreement between the subject and verb in the sentence “The children are playing outside.”

Fragment
Meaning: An incomplete sentence that is missing a subject, a verb, or a complete idea.
Example from the list: “Because I was late.”
Similar words: incomplete sentence, partial sentence, broken clause
Extra example: After the meeting. is a fragment because it does not express a full idea.

Modifier
Meaning: A word or phrase that describes or gives more information about another word in a sentence.
Example from the list: “Misplaced Modifiers” (Running down the street, the rain started to fall.)
Similar words: qualifier, descriptor, describing word/phrase
Extra example: In the sentence “She wore a red dress,” the word red is a modifier because it describes the dress.

Tense
Meaning: The form of a verb that shows the time of an action (past, present, or future).
Example from the list: “Yesterday I go to London.” (incorrect past tense)
Similar words: verb form, time form
Extra example: In the sentence “She will travel tomorrow,” the verb is in the future tense.

Preposition
Meaning: A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence, often showing place, time, or direction.
Example from the list: “She is married with a doctor.” (incorrect preposition)
Similar words: linking word, relational word
Extra example: In the sentence “The keys are on the table,” the word on is a preposition showing location.

Story written by ChatGPT.

Image created by ChatGPT.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

short stories, English short stories with subtitles, short bedtime stories read aloud, English short story, short bedtime stories for toddlers, British English story, short story, short English story, English story British accent, short stories, English stories, English stories for kids, British, British studying, stories, British lifestyle, moral stories, moral stories in English, British English, British phrases, stories for teenagers, British English lesson, British English at home