Grammar mistake number one: If you are an American writer or
want to be published in an American magazine, then the rule is periods
and commas always go inside the quotation marks with only a couple of
exceptions. (This rule does not apply to any other punctuation marks.)
Wrong: I rode in his "truck".
Correct: I rode in his "truck."
Wrong: We named the dog "Ralph", but he doesn't respond to it.
Correct: We named the dog "Ralph," but he doesn't respond to it.
The exceptions:
In certain scholarly and science disciplines this rule does not apply. The British do not follow this rule, either.
For letters and numbers, periods and commas go outside the quotation marks:
Go to gate "5". However: Go to gate "five."
He can't pronounce "w".
He went to gate "5", but no one was there.
We ought to teach him how to pronounce "w", but it's unknown how.
Grammar mistake number two: Me and my boyfriend went to the beach, is incorrect. You wouldn't say, Me went to the beach, so why say, Me and my boyfriend.... A way to correct this is to put the person you did whatever with first. It becomes harder to say, My boyfriend and me went to the beach, because when you say, ...me went to the beach, it won't sound right and you will automatically think, I went to the beach. Then you will say it correctly. My boyfriend and I went to the beach. (Me and (whoever)... is gaining more and more acceptance and may someday be considered proper grammar.)
Grammar mistake number three: There is no such word as alot. This may come about in the future since a lot of people use it, but right now, you won't find it in the dictionary. Nor will you find its'. Its is the possessive form of it. It's is the contraction of it is or it has and any other use is wrong.
Grammar mistake number four: Never place a comma or period after an explanation point or question mark.
Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?".
Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?."
Wrong: "Can I go, too?", he asked.
Correct: He asked, "Can I go, too?"
Correct: "Can I go, too?" he asked.
Wrong: "I want to go!", he exclaimed.
Wrong: He exclaimed, "I want to go!".
Correct: "I want to go!" he exclaimed.
Correct: He exclaimed, "I want to go!"
Grammar mistake number five: Lie, lay, lain, laid or lied? This one confuses many people. Here's how it breaks down.
lay--laid--laid; to place or to put
I lay my books on my bed today.
I laid my books on my bed yesterday.
I have laid my books on my bed in the past.
lie--lay--lain; to recline or to rest
I lie on my bed today.
I lay on my bed yesterday.
I have lain on my bed in the past.
lie--lied--lied; falsehood
I lie a lot.
I lied a lot yesterday.
I have lied a lot in the past.
Now you can say, "I lied when I said I lay on my bed next to the book I laid on my bed." (Translation: I told a falsehood when I said I crawled on my bed and stretched out next to the book I put on my bed.)
Wrong: I rode in his "truck".
Correct: I rode in his "truck."
Wrong: We named the dog "Ralph", but he doesn't respond to it.
Correct: We named the dog "Ralph," but he doesn't respond to it.
The exceptions:
In certain scholarly and science disciplines this rule does not apply. The British do not follow this rule, either.
For letters and numbers, periods and commas go outside the quotation marks:
Go to gate "5". However: Go to gate "five."
He can't pronounce "w".
He went to gate "5", but no one was there.
We ought to teach him how to pronounce "w", but it's unknown how.
Grammar mistake number two: Me and my boyfriend went to the beach, is incorrect. You wouldn't say, Me went to the beach, so why say, Me and my boyfriend.... A way to correct this is to put the person you did whatever with first. It becomes harder to say, My boyfriend and me went to the beach, because when you say, ...me went to the beach, it won't sound right and you will automatically think, I went to the beach. Then you will say it correctly. My boyfriend and I went to the beach. (Me and (whoever)... is gaining more and more acceptance and may someday be considered proper grammar.)
Grammar mistake number three: There is no such word as alot. This may come about in the future since a lot of people use it, but right now, you won't find it in the dictionary. Nor will you find its'. Its is the possessive form of it. It's is the contraction of it is or it has and any other use is wrong.
Grammar mistake number four: Never place a comma or period after an explanation point or question mark.
Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?".
Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?."
Wrong: "Can I go, too?", he asked.
Correct: He asked, "Can I go, too?"
Correct: "Can I go, too?" he asked.
Wrong: "I want to go!", he exclaimed.
Wrong: He exclaimed, "I want to go!".
Correct: "I want to go!" he exclaimed.
Correct: He exclaimed, "I want to go!"
Grammar mistake number five: Lie, lay, lain, laid or lied? This one confuses many people. Here's how it breaks down.
lay--laid--laid; to place or to put
I lay my books on my bed today.
I laid my books on my bed yesterday.
I have laid my books on my bed in the past.
lie--lay--lain; to recline or to rest
I lie on my bed today.
I lay on my bed yesterday.
I have lain on my bed in the past.
lie--lied--lied; falsehood
I lie a lot.
I lied a lot yesterday.
I have lied a lot in the past.
Now you can say, "I lied when I said I lay on my bed next to the book I laid on my bed." (Translation: I told a falsehood when I said I crawled on my bed and stretched out next to the book I put on my bed.)
