1. Their vs. There vs. They're
This is perhaps the most common mistake in English. Here's the difference:
- Their - Possessive pronoun: "Their house is beautiful."
- There - Location or existence: "The book is over there."
- They're - Contraction of "they are": "They're coming to the party."
2. Your vs. You're
Another common confusion between possessive and contraction:
- Your - Possessive: "Is this your book?"
- You're - Contraction of "you are": "You're doing great!"
3. Its vs. It's
This one trips up even native speakers:
- Its - Possessive: "The cat licked its paw."
- It's - Contraction of "it is" or "it has": "It's raining outside."
4. Affect vs. Effect
A classic vocabulary confusion:
- Affect - Verb: "The weather affects my mood."
- Effect - Noun: "The effect of the medicine was immediate."
Tip: Affect is the Action (verb), Effect is the End result (noun).
5. Subject-Verb Agreement
Make sure your subject and verb agree in number:
- ❌ "The group of students are waiting."
- ✅ "The group of students is waiting."
- ❌ "Everyone have their own opinion."
- ✅ "Everyone has their own opinion."