Mastering how to check grammar and avoid frequent errors does not have to be a daunting task. You can easily improve your sentence structure and syntax by correcting common mistakes in tenses and verbs, prepositions, and word choices.
Pro Tip: Using proper grammar is easy if you can identify and correct a few of the most common mistakes in English syntax and verb tenses.
How to Check Grammar Rules for Tenses and Verbs
Verb tenses often require specific time markers and structural rules to maintain correct syntax. Review these core examples when you check grammar in your writing.
What are the rules for past and present tenses?
- Incorrect: He went back after we arrived.
Correct: He went back after we had arrived.
Explanation: Subject + past perfect + before + subject + simple past tense. Subject + simple past tense + after + subject + past perfect tense. - Incorrect: Every morning I am going for a walk.
Correct: Every morning I go out for a walk.
Explanation: Use simple present tense with Usually, Always, Regularly, Everyday, Sometimes, Occasionally, Normally, often, Daily, Generally - Incorrect: He has arrived yesterday.
Correct: He arrived yesterday.
Explanation: Some adverbials like yesterday, ago, last night, last summer, it is time, it is high time are used only with past tenses.
- Incorrect: He visited the spot just now.
Correct: He has visited the spot just now.
Explanation: Use Present Perfect Tense with Just, Just now, Already, Yet, Ever, Never, Lately, Recently. - Incorrect: Had he worked hard, he would prosper in life.
Correct: Had he worked hard, he would have prospered in life.
Explanation:
# If + Present Tense + will + infinitive/present tense / imperative
# If + Past Tense + would + infinitive
# If + Past Perfect Tense + would have + past participle
# Had + Past Perfect Tense + would have + past participle - Incorrect: We will soon get used to live in the country.
Correct: We will soon get used to living in the country. - Incorrect: Would you mind to take a cup of tea?
Correct: Would you mind taking a cup tea?
Explanation: With a view to/ look forward to/ (get/be +used to)/ addicted to/ devoted to/ commit to/ object to/ Would you mind/ without/ can not help + verb + ing - Incorrect: Hardly had I closed my eyes when I had begun to imagine fantastic shapes.
Correct: Hardly had I closed my eyes when I began to imagine fantastic shapes.
Explanation:
# Hardly had + past participle + when + past Indefinite
# Scarcely had + past participle + before + past Indefinite
# No sooner had + past participle + than + past Indefinite - Incorrect: It sounded as though it were the aeroplane.
Correct: It sounds as though it were the aeroplane.
Explanation:
# Present Tense + as though/as if/since + Past Indefinite
# Past Indefinite as though/as if/since + Past perfect
How to Correct Common Vocabulary and Phrase Errors
Choosing the right words is critical when you check grammar mistakes in professional or academic writing.
Which word choices are frequently misused?
- Incorrect: He made a goal.
Correct: He scored a goal. - Incorrect: Open the knot.
Correct: Untie the knot. - Incorrect: I expect to succeed.
Correct: I hope to succeed. - Incorrect: To some extend, man is hapless.
Correct: To some extent, man is hapless.
Explanation: People often write "to a great extend" or "to a lesser extend." "Extend" is a verb only, and should not be used as a noun. It's "to a great extent," and "to a lesser extent." - Incorrect: Please give me a way.
Correct: Please make way for me. - Incorrect: He was murdered in the battle.
Correct: He was killed in the battle. - Incorrect: I have done a great mistake.
Correct: I have made a great mistake. - Incorrect: I suspect his honesty.
Correct: I doubt his honesty. - Incorrect: Cut this word.
Correct: Pen through this word. - Incorrect: He is devoted to gambling.
Correct: He is addicted to gambling. - Incorrect: He was laying upon bed.
Correct: He was lying in bed. - Incorrect: Run and fetch the doctor.
Correct: Run and call in the doctor. - Incorrect: Please give me percentage.
Correct: Please mark me present. - Incorrect: He is feeling unwell.
Correct: He feels unwell. - Incorrect: The son is resembling his father.
Correct: The son resembles his father.
Explanation: mind, feel, love, like, hate, resemble, see, hope, forget, cost, suffice, consist sound, smell, believe, know, wish, doubt, prefer, imagine, possess etc. normally do not take a Preposition.
How to Master Prepositions in Sentence Correction
Prepositional errors are among the most common issues caught by any reliable grammar checker. Knowing which preposition pairs with a specific verb or noun is essential.
What are the correct prepositions to use?
- Incorrect: Nelson Mandela was deprived from his freedom.
Correct: Nelson Mandela was deprived of his freedom. - Incorrect: Many people have died from Malaria.
Correct: Many people have died of Malaria.
Explanation: People die of illness, of hunger, of thirst, of or from wounds; from overwork, by violence, by the sword, by pestilence, in battle, for their country, for a cause, through neglect, on the scaffold, at the stake. - Incorrect: My book is really different than yours.
Correct: My book is really different from yours. - Incorrect: Phillipa was disappointed from the low mark she got in test.
Correct: Phillipa was disappointed by/about/at the low marks she got in the test.
Explanation: Before a person we use with or in, before a thing we use at, about or by and before a gerund we use at: Keith is very disappointed at not winning the prize. - Incorrect: I divided the cake in four parts.
Correct: I divided the cake into four parts.
Explanation: A thing can be divided in half or in two: Paul divided the apple in half (or in two). - Incorrect: I've no doubt for his ability.
Correct: I've no doubt of/about his ability. - Incorrect: This is an exception of rules.
Correct: This is an exception to rules.
Explanation: We say with the exception of: She like all her subjects with the exception of physics. - Incorrect: I tried to interrupt into their conversation but was told on.
Correct: I tried to interrupt their conversation but was told off. - Incorrect: It is important to take pride of whatever we do on life.
Correct: It is important to take pride in whatever we do in life. - Incorrect: I left home at Sunday morning to catch a flight for England.
Correct: I left home on Sunday morning to catch a flight to England. - Incorrect: He loves with me.
Correct: He loves me. - Incorrect: We discussed about the matter.
Correct: We discussed the matter. - Incorrect: We reached at the airport at 9 pm.
Correct: We reached the airport at 9 pm. - Incorrect: I have ordered for his dismissal.
Correct: I have ordered his dismissal. - Incorrect: He married with his friend's sister.
Correct: He married his friend's sister. - Incorrect: She entered into the room.
Correct: She entered the room. - Incorrect: The child resembles to its mother.
Correct: The child resembles its mother. - Incorrect: He is intelligence, but he lacks of experience.
Correct: He has intelligence but he lacks experience.
Explanation: Verbs such as enter, resemble, lack, discuss, marry, reach, order and approach are normally followed by direct objects without prepositions. - Incorrect: What is the time in your watch?
Correct: What is the time by your watch? - Incorrect: We traveled in train.
Correct: We traveled by train.
Explanation: We write by train/car/bike/boat/plane/land/sea/air etc. But note that by is not used if there is an article. For example, we write in the car, on a bus, and not by the car or by a bus. - Incorrect: He is angry upon me.
Correct: He is angry with me. - Incorrect: I am pleased at you.
Correct: I am pleased with you. - Incorrect: He was trembling in rage.
Correct: He was trembling with rage.
Explanation: We use with in a number of expressions which say how people express their feelings and sensations. Common examples are: white with fear/rage, red with anger/embarrassment, green with envy, blue with cold etc. - Incorrect: Who is in the phone? It is John.
Correct: Who is on the phone? It is John. - Incorrect: There was an interesting show at TV.
Correct: There was an interesting show on TV.
Explanation: The correct expressions are on the radio, on TV, on the phone etc. - Incorrect: She washed her face in water.
Correct: She washed her face with water. - Incorrect: The snake was killed by a stone.
Correct: The snake was killed with a stone.
Explanation: We use with to talk about instruments with which something is done. - Incorrect: I go to school by foot.
Correct: I go to school on foot. - Incorrect: I congratulated her for her success.
Correct: I congratulated her on her success.
How to Identify Wrong Words and Confusing Terms
Certain words look or sound alike but have distinct semantic meanings. Careful sentence correction ensures these pairs are never mixed up.
How do you distinguish between similar words?
- Incorrect: The boat drowned in the Padma.
Correct: The boat sank in the Padma. - Incorrect: He admitted his guilt.
Correct: He confessed his guilt. - Incorrect: The convict will be hung tomorrow.
Correct: The convict will be hanged tomorrow.
Explanation: Originally these words were pretty much interchangeable, but "hanged" eventually came to be used pretty exclusively to mean "executed by hanging." Does nervousness about the existence of an indelicate adjectival form of the word prompt people to avoid the correct word in such sentences as "Bulbul saw to it that her ancestors' portraits were properly hung"? Nevertheless, "hung" is correct except when capital punishment is being imposed or someone commits suicide. - Incorrect: Her tear Illicit great sympathy from her audience.
Correct: Her tear elicited great sympathy from her audience.
Explanation: The lawyer tries to elicit a description of the attacker from the witness. "Elicit" is always a verb. "Illicit," in contrast, is always an adjective describing something illegal or naughty. - Incorrect: Dickens was an imminent novelist.
Correct: Dickens was an eminent novelist. - Incorrect: He gave false witness.
Correct: He gave false evidence. - Incorrect: The police is on petrol duty.
Correct: The police is on patrol duty. - Incorrect: He has a good incite into the problem.
Correct: He has a good incite insight the problem. - Incorrect: The man lost his eyesite.
Correct: The man lost his eyesight. - Incorrect: I am fond in fruits.
Correct: I am fond of fruits.
Miscellaneous Grammar Rules and Sentence Correction Tips
Miscellaneous grammatical rules cover pronoun consistency, transitive verbs, and redundant clauses during sentence correction practice.
What are important miscellaneous grammar rules?
- Incorrect: One should not waste his time.
Correct: One should not waste one's time.
Correct: A man / boy / girl / woman should not waste his / her time.
Explanation: The indefinite pronoun one when used in a sentence should be used throughout. - Incorrect: 'Have you a pen?' 'I haven't got.'
Correct: 'Have you a pen?' I haven't one.'
Explanation: Got is a transitive verb. It must have an expressed object. - Incorrect: He enjoyed during the holidays.
Correct: He enjoyed himself during the holidays.
Explanation: Enjoy is a transitive verb. It should be followed by an expressed object. - Incorrect: I asked for his book, but he did not lend me.
Correct: I asked for his book, but he did not lend it to me.
Explanation: Some transitive verbs (e.g. give, lend etc.) should have two expressed objects. - Incorrect: The boy who does best he will get a prize.
Correct: The boy who does best will get a prize. - Incorrect: Whoever works hard he will win.
Correct: Whoever works hard will win. - Incorrect: The girl who answered the phone she was polite.
Correct: The girl who answered the phone was polite. - Incorrect: I shall see whether the brakes work well.
Correct: I shall see whether the brakes work well. - Incorrect: He has got a new girlfriend who she works in a bar.
Correct: He has got a new girlfriend who works in a bar.
Explanation: One subject or object in a clause is enough. We don't have to use a pronoun when the noun itself is present in the clause.
Key Takeaways
- Always match verb tenses correctly with appropriate time markers and adverbials like yesterday or everyday.
- Use precise prepositions depending on whether you are referring to a person, an instrument, or a state of feeling.
- Avoid redundant pronouns in clauses where the noun or subject is already clearly stated.
- Distinguish between easily confused words like hanged and hung, or illicit and elicit.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding of sentence correction by answering these questions in the comments below:
- Correct this sentence: "He has arrived yesterday."
- Correct this sentence: "We discussed about the matter."
Frequently Asked Questions About Check Grammar
What is the best way to check grammar in English sentences?
The best way to check grammar is to review fundamental sentence structures, apply correct verb tenses based on time markers, select appropriate prepositions, and eliminate redundant pronouns.
How do I know when to use "hanged" versus "hung"?
Use "hanged" when referring to execution by hanging or suicide involving a noose. Use "hung" for all other standard objects, pictures, or items.
Why shouldn't prepositions follow certain verbs like enter or discuss?
Verbs such as enter, resemble, lack, discuss, marry, reach, order, and approach are transitive verbs normally followed by direct objects without prepositions.