Grammar

Sometimes writers forget to include a word that’s expected in a sentence. Here are a few examples. I prepare myself and do my daily reports to know how much food I prepare. (in order to know) The men frustrated. (were) I would really appreciate if you are able to test and provide your sign off

What are articles? Articles are one of three types of determiner (articles, possessives, demonstratives) that come at the beginning of noun phrases. They help us to say whether things are known or unknown to the reader (the man outside vs. a man outside) and whether we are speaking about particular examples of something (a car caught

It is sometimes difficult to know what exactly is meant by phrases such as, according to my memory, he proposed to me, a car that is a gift, my big parent’s house, and it hurt my heart.

The Present Perfect tense is a challenge for many learners. If your first language doesn’t have a tense analogous to it, perfect tenses can seem mysterious and unnecessary. Nevertheless, there is a logic to the Present Perfect that is easy to understand. Look at the following common errors, their corrections, and the explanation that follows.

Some low-frequency words are easy to confuse, especially if they sound similar. Here are some examples of words people mix up, with definitions to help you keep distinctions clear.  Alternate vs. Alternative INCORRECT:  The low-carb pizza is a healthier alternate.CORRECT:  The low-carb pizza is a healthier alternative. Explanation:  Alternate means “to occur in turn repeatedly.”

Rule: Use a singular subject with a singular verb and a plural subject with a plural verb. Here are some examples of common errors.

Why so confusing? Using “its” when you really meant “it’s” is a very common punctuation error, and it is easy to understand why it happens. The two forms sound identical. Not to worry, it is easy to eliminate this error from your writing if you ask yourself one simple question: Do I mean it is or

Rule: Don’t use indefinite articles with plural words.Incorrect: He has a muscular arms. Correct: He has muscular arms. Rule: Use a partitive structure with words that are never singular.Incorrect: She wore a blue jeans. (Other examples: shorts, pants, jeans, leggings) Correct: She wore a pair of blue jeans. Exception: Words like “series” and “species” look plural, but they are also singular and can be used with an article.Correct: I

Learn the rules and see examples for quoted and reported speech. Practice finding and correcting errors with online exercises.

Question forms in English can be tricky.Most questions require the inversion of the subject and the auxiliary. There are a number of auxiliaries to choose from, and auxiliaries must agree with their subject. This handy guide will help you eliminate common errors and ask correctly formed questions.   The Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker can catch

Meaning We use “had better” for strong advice, urgent advice (for others and yourself), and threats.  You had better do the dishes before your mom comes home. [Strong advice] You had better run! Your train is coming. [Urgent advice] I‘d better put the turkey in the oven now or it won’t be ready in time. 

Below is a list of word choice errors the Virtual Writing Tutor can detect and correct. The list is not exhaustive. Instead, it will give you a sense of the kinds of errors that I consider a word choice error and I have been working to correct. Transfer errors Word choice errors are often due

INCORRECT:  Recent studies have risen a number of key questions regarding the impact of CCTV on crime. CORRECT:    Recent studies have raised a number of key questions regarding the impact of CCTV on crime. RULE:   The verb  have risen is intransitive, and therefore it cannot have an object like a number of key questions.     INCORRECT:  

Here are 50 common errors that my college ESL students often make in their writing and speaking. Mistakes are shown in context, with incorrect sentences, corrections, and a rule to explain how to avoid the usual mistakes that students make in their writing. Search for an error using CTRL + F. If you see a

Some words should be removed from sentences. They are either implied (and therefore redundant)  or express a meaning that can be said in fewer words.  Here are a few examples: I have had this problem since when I was young. I like to play ski. After leaving school, he joined a music band. He said

VERB FORM: go/goes RULE: For events that always repeat, use the Simple Present. To go (Present Simple) PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL 1st person I go We go 2nd person You go You go 3rd person He goes, she goes, it goes They go VERB FORM: am/is/are going RULE: To talk about an event in progress, use

Do you have difficulty with English prepositions? Prepositions can be difficult to learn, especially when they are used differently in your first language. For example, the preposition “at” works and sounds like the preposition “à” in French sentences like this: Je suis à l’école. In English, we would say, “I am at school.” But in other

Download a lesson on the past perfect for Business English. You are free to photocopy it for classroom purposes. When we talk about a past event that happened before another past event, we use the Past Perfect Simple. Use the Past Perfect Simple when you name a later event before an earlier event. Key phrases:

RULE:  “Many” is used with countable plural nouns like “children” and “students.” “Much,” on the other hand, can only be used with uncountable nouns like “money” or “homework.” “A lot” can be used with both.          Many RULE: Use “many” with plurals. INCORRECT: There were much people waiting in line. CORRECT: There were many

A fun way to  learn English is by listening to and singing songs. Pop songs deal with personal and dramatic themes that people are drawn to. They also employ advanced grammar and vocabulary.  Check out this selection of music videos on the Virtual Writing Tutor. Listen to the song and fill in the blanks or

Here’s a clever way to remember the difference between “there” and “their.

To understand the difference, we have to ask what the target is and what the cause of the attraction? Here is an example. John was attracted TO teaching. He was attracted BY the promise of a long summer vacation. Teaching is the target of the attraction. A long summer vacation is the cause of the

When can I say have no sense and make no sense? Is have no sense ever correct? One of my students wrote this sentence in a narrative writing assignment: I tried to explain to him that this situation just have no sense. Can you see what the problem is? In fact, he has made two errors in one. The first is a