Ten common grammar mistakes a grammar checker finds
Its vs it's, then vs than, a vs an, and more. See 10 common grammar mistakes a checker spots, with examples and fixes to improve your text. Read now.
Online-Spellcheck Blog
Grammar
English grammar explained with examples: verbs and tenses, pronouns, clauses, agreement, and the rules people get wrong most often.
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What is reported speech? Rules and examples
Reported speech tells what someone said without quoting them. Learn how pronouns, tenses, and time words change in statements, questions, and requests.
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Different than or different from: which is correct?
Different from and different than both compare two things. Learn when each is correct, why different from is the safe choice, and where different to fits.
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Whoever or whomever: which one is correct?
Whoever is a subject, whomever an object. Learn the simple he or him test for whoever and whomever, with examples, and how to rewrite a sentence to avoid both.
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Me, myself, and I: when to use each pronoun
Me, myself, or I? Learn when to use each of these pronouns, with examples, and a simple test that shows which one is right when you mention two people.
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Like vs. as: learn the difference
Like and as can both compare things, but they are not interchangeable. Learn when to use like, when to use as, and a simple test that tells them apart.
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Understanding possessive adjectives and pronouns
Possessive adjectives (my, your, their) come before a noun, possessive pronouns (mine, yours, theirs) stand on their own. Learn both with a table and examples.
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Pronoun agreement: person, gender, and number explained
A pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces in person, gender, and number. Learn the rules with examples, including singular they and words like everyone.
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5 common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them
5 common grammar mistakes, with examples: a missing comma after an introduction, its and it's, vague pronouns, confused words, and split infinitives.
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The difference between pronouns and adjectives, with examples
A pronoun replaces a noun, an adjective describes one. Learn the difference between pronouns and adjectives, and why words like my, that, and which confuse.
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All you need to know about writing dates and times
How do you write a date in a sentence, and is it 5 pm or 5 p.m.? Learn the rules for dates and times: ordinal numbers, a.m. and p.m., decades, and commas.
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First, second, and third person point of view, with examples
Learn the difference between first, second, and third person point of view, which pronouns each one uses, when to use it, and examples of all three.
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Lie vs. lie and lay: how to use the past tense
Lie means to tell an untruth or to rest flat, and each has its own past tense: lied or lay. Learn the forms of lie and lay, with a table and examples.
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All about conjunctions in English grammar
Learn what conjunctions are, the 3 types (coordinating, subordinating, and correlative), what they do in a sentence, and a list of common English conjunctions.
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All about adverbs in English grammar
Adverbs in English grammar explained: what they modify, the questions each type answers, how they are formed and compared, and the order to put them in.
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Interjections in English: what they are, with a list of examples
An interjection is a short word such as wow or oops that shows a feeling. Learn how to use and punctuate interjections, with a list of examples from A to Z.
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All about verbs in English grammar
What verbs are in English grammar: transitive and intransitive, main and auxiliary, and regular and irregular verbs, plus how a verb agrees with its subject.
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Articles in English grammar: a, an, and the explained
English has 3 articles: a, an, and the. Learn when to use the definite or an indefinite article, how to choose between a and an, and how other languages differ.
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All about adjectives in English grammar
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. Learn the types of adjectives, how to use them before a noun or after a verb, and how to form compounds and comparisons.
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What you need to know about pronouns: types and examples
Learn what pronouns are, how they replace nouns, and the 9 types of pronouns, from personal and possessive to reflexive and relative, with examples.
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All about nouns in English grammar
What is a noun? Learn what nouns name, how count and non-count nouns differ, what nominalization is, and four simple tests that tell a noun from other words.
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The differences between clauses and phrases
A clause has a subject and a verb; a phrase does not. Learn the differences between clauses and phrases, the main types of each, and how to tell them apart.
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English word classes: an overview of the parts of speech
English has 8 or 9 word classes, also called parts of speech. Learn what nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and the others do, with examples for each one.
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Who or whom: grammar rules and a simple test
Who or whom? Use who for the subject and whom for the object of a verb or a preposition. Learn the he or him test, with examples of both words.
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6 important grammar rules you need to know
Learn 6 grammar rules you need to know, with examples: the semicolon, the -ed past tense, the subjunctive, there or their, the comma, and which or that.
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How to use conjunctive adverbs, with examples
Conjunctive adverbs such as however and therefore link two clauses. Learn how to use conjunctive adverbs, how to punctuate them, and the most common ones.
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Irregular verbs in English: 5 groups that make them easier
Irregular verbs in English fall into 5 groups: same form, vowel change, different ending, completely different forms, and two forms. Tables with examples.
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Irregular verbs: the past tense of catch, bring, and buy
Caught, brought, bought: 10 irregular verbs share one pattern. Learn the simple vowel rule that tells you whether the past tense is spelled with ou or with au.
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Positive about appositives? What they are and how to use them
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames the noun next to it. Learn how to spot an appositive, where it can go, and when it needs commas.
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In- or un-: which prefix should you use?
In- and un- both turn a word into its opposite. Learn which words take which prefix, the Latin and Germanic roots behind the rule, and the pairs that break it.
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2 common grammar errors that might not be errors
Using like as a conjunction and ending a sentence with a preposition are called grammar errors. Learn when they are really wrong and when they are fine to use.
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Rules for writing numbers: when to use words and when to use digits
Twelve days or 12 days? Learn the rules for writing numbers: when to spell them out, when to use digits, and where the AP and Chicago style guides differ.