Although the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) has never officially published a list of common PSLE grammatical mistakes, we all know that such a list will definitely elevate the general standard of English. Every single year, students repeat the same mistakes, making it all too routine for PSLE examiners to spot them. This has been an unfortunate yearly occurrence that could have been easily avoided. Indeed, I always strive to give my best to my dearest students to empower them to win over the markers. For others who may require assistance in this area, I would like to share these useful tips through this article. Here, I use my extensive teaching and marking experience to compile a comprehensive list of PSLE English mistakes commonly committed.
Less/Fewer
Do you know the checkout aisle in NTUC Fairprice store that says “10 Items or Less”? That’s actually incorrect. It should be “10 Items or Fewer.”
Why? “Items” are quantifiable. You can count the items. Use “fewer” for things that are quantifiable, like “fewer dolls” or “fewer road trips”. Use “less” for things that aren’t quantifiable, like “less sweet” and “less traveling”.
Amount/Number
Again, it’s a question of whether you can count the thing you’re describing. Examples of how you might use each word:
“There is a really large number of books in that library”
“There’s a huge amount of water going over the dam right now.”
Incomplete Comparisons
This one drives me up a wall when I see it in the wild. Can you see what’s wrong with this sentence?
Our car model is faster, better, stronger.
Faster, better, stronger … than what? What are you comparing your car to? A horse? A competitor’s car? An older model?
When you’re asserting that something should be compared to something else, make sure you always clarify what that something else is. Otherwise, it’s impossible for your readers to discern what the comparison actually means.
Between/Among
Let’s clear this one up: The word “between” is used to refer to two (or sometimes more) things that are clearly separated, and the word “among” is used to refer to things that aren’t clearly separated because they’re part of a group or mass of objects.
So you choose between a red shirt and a black shirt, but you choose among all your shirts. You walk between Tampines Street and Jurong Street, but you walk among your friends.
Affect/Effect
Most people confuse them when they’re talking about something changing another thing.
When you’re talking about the change itself – the noun – you’ll use “effect.”
That movie had a great effect on me.
When you’re talking about the act of changing -the verb – you’ll use “affect.”
That movie affected me greatly.
Possessive Nouns
Most possessive nouns will have an apostrophe. But where you put that apostrophe can be confusing. Here are a few general rules to follow:
If the noun is plural, add the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dogs’ bones.
If the noun is singular and ends in s, you should also put the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dress’ blue color.
On the other hand, if the noun is singular and doesn’t end in an s, you’ll add the apostrophe before the s. For example: the lizard’s tail.
Me/I
Most people understand the difference between the two of these, until it comes time for them to use one in a sentence. They’ll say something like:
When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Jane and I?
But that’s wrong.
Try taking Jane out of that sentence. It sounds weird, right? You would never ask someone to send something to “I” when he or she is done. The reason it sounds weird is because “I” is the object of that sentence and “I” should not be used in objects. In that situation, you’d use “me.”
When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and me?
Much better.
He/Him
Especially in TV, I often hear people say something like, “Him and me went somewhere.” That’s incorrect. Instead you should say, “He and I went somewhere.”
Things get slightly more confusing from here. It’s incorrect to say, “He gave it to she and I.” Instead you should say, “He gave it to her and me.”
If you’re having trouble with this rule, take away the “and.” For example, you can probably tell that the sentence “He gave it to I” sounds weird, so you can figure out that “He gave it to she and I” is also incorrect.
Then/Than
What’s wrong with this sentence?
My dinner was better then yours.
*Shudder* In the sentence above, “then” should be “than.” Why? Because “than” is a conjunction used mainly to make comparisons, like saying one thing was better “than” another. “Then” is mainly an adverb used to situate actions in time:
We made dinner, and then we ate it.
Peek/Peak/Pique
This mistake is another one I often see people make, even if they know what they mean.
Peek is taking a quick look at something, like a sneak peek of a new film.
Peak is a sharp point, like the peak of a mountain.
And pique means to provoke or instigate, you know, like your interest.
If you’re going to use one in your writing, stop and think for a second. Is that the right “peek” you should be using?
Into/In to
Let’s clarify the “into” versus “in to” debate.
They’re often confused, but “into” indicates movement (John walked into the office) while “in to” is used in lots of situations because the individual words “to” and “in” are frequently used in other parts of a sentence. For example, “to” is often used with infinitive verbs (e.g. “to drive”). Or “in” can be used as part of a verb (e.g. “call in to a meeting”).
So if you’re trying to decide which to use, first figure out if the words “in” or “to” actually modify other words in the sentence. If they don’t, ask yourself if it’s indicating some sort of movement. If it does, you’re good to use “into.”
Your/You’re
The difference between these two is owning something versus actually being something:
You made it around the track in under a minute – you’re fast!
How’s your fast going? Are you hungry?
See the difference? “Your” is possessive and “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” Again, if you’re having trouble keeping them straight, try doing another grammar check after every essay you’ve written.
Its/It’s
This one tends to confuse even the best of writers. “Its” is possessive and “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.” Lots of people get tripped up because “it’s” has an ‘s after it, which normally means something is possessive. But in this case, it’s actually a contraction.
They’re/Their/There
One’s a contraction for “they are” (they’re), one refers to something owned by a group (their), and one refers to a place (there). You know the difference among the three – just make sure you triple check that you’re using the right ones in the right places at the right times.
Correct Usage: They’re going to love going there. I heard their food is the best!
Who/That
These two words can be used when you’re describing someone or something through a phrase like, “Harry is a blogger who likes ice cream.” When you’re describing a person, be sure to use “who.”
When you’re describing an object, use “that.” For example, you should say, “His computer is the one that overheats all the time.” It’s pretty simple, but definitely something that gets overlooked frequently.
Who/Whom/Whose/Who’s
“Who” is used to identify a living pronoun. If you asked, “Who ate all of the cookies?” the answer could be a person, like myself (“I did”), or another living being (“the dog did”).
Both are realistic scenarios.
“Whom” is a little trickier. It’s usually used to describe someone who’s receiving something, like a letter – “To whom will it be addressed?” But it can also be used to describe someone on the receiving end of an action, like in this sentence:
Whom did we hire to join the Singapore team?
“Whose” is used to assign ownership to someone. See if you can spot the error in this question:
Who’s sweater is that?
Because the sweater belongs to someone, it should actually be written this way:
Whose sweater is that?
“Who’s,” on the other hand, is used to identify a living being. It’s a contraction for “who is”. Here’s an example of how we might use it in a sentence here:
Who’s running for the Singapore tonight?
See the difference? “Whose” is used to figure out who something belongs to, whereas “who’s” is used to identify someone who’s doing something.
“Alot”/A lot/Allot
I hate to break it to all of you “alot” fans out there, but “alot” is not a word. If you’re trying to say that someone has a vast number of things, you’d say they have “a lot” of things. And if you’re trying to say that you want to set aside a certain amount of money to buy something, you’d say you’ll “allot” $20 to spend on clothes.
Lose/Loose
When people mix up “lose” and “loose,” it’s usually just because they’re spelled so similarly. They know their definitions are completely different.
According to Merriam-Webster, “lose” is a verb that means “to be unable to find (something or someone), to fail to win (a game, contest, etc.), or to fail to keep or hold (something wanted or valued).” It’s like losing your keys or losing a football match.
“Loose” is an adjective that means “not tightly fastened, attached, or held,” like loose clothing or a loose tooth.
Compliment/Complement
These two words are pronounced exactly the same, making them easy to mix up. But they’re actually quite different.
If something “complements” something else, that means it completes it, enhances it, or makes it perfect. For example, a wine selection can complement a meal, and two colors can complement each other.
The word “compliment” though, refers to an expression of praise (as a noun), or to praise or express admiration for someone (as a verb). You can compliment your friend’s new haircut, or pay someone a compliment on his or her haircut.
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