Bad Grammar

Native speakers of English don’t always stick to all grammar rules in their speech or writing. There are common instances in which even natives tend to be sloppy. They frequently deviate from prescriptive grammar rules, often due to dialectal influences, informal speech patterns, or simply linguistic evolution. This variety in usage reflects the fluid nature of language, where norms evolve based on region, social group, and the passage of time.

The silver lining is this: As language is forgiving, language users don’t have to doubt their every choice with grammar. Perfection is NOT required and that should encourage everyone to just get their message across – One Way Or Another.

Here are some common bad grammar instances among native English speakers.

1. Adjective vs. Adverb Confusion

• Example: He sings good (instead of He sings well).
• Why? Many native speakers substitute good for well, especially in casual speech. This is likely due to analogy with adjectives used as complements (e.g., He is good).

2. Double Negatives

• Example: I don’t know nothing (instead of I don’t know anything).
• Why? In some dialects (e.g., African American Vernacular English, Southern English), double negatives are a standard grammatical feature that reinforce negation rather than cancel it out, as in standard English.

3. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

• Example: There’s two things I need to tell you (instead of There are two things).
• Why? Contractions like there’s (there is) tend to be used even when the subject is plural, likely because there’s is easier to say than there are.

4. Who vs. Whom Confusion

• Example: Who are you talking to? (instead of Whom are you talking to?).
• Why? Whom is disappearing from informal English, as who is now commonly used in both subject and object positions.

5. Overuse of “Me” Instead of “I” (or Vice Versa)

• Example: Me and him went to the store (instead of He and I went to the store).
• Why? In casual speech, me and him feels more natural due to word order preferences and a shift away from strict prescriptive grammar rules.

6. Lack of Past Tense in Conditional Statements

• Example: If I was you, I’d take the job (instead of If I were you…).
• Why? The subjunctive (were) is fading in everyday speech, and was is increasingly used instead.

7. Using “Ain’t” Instead of “Isn’t/Am Not/Are Not”

• Example: He ain’t coming today (instead of He isn’t coming today).
• Why? Ain’t is a longstanding dialectal form that persists in informal speech despite being considered nonstandard.

8. Preposition Stranding

• Example: Where are you at? (instead of Where are you?).
• Why? Some dialects naturally add prepositions like at or to even when unnecessary.

9. Double Comparatives and Superlatives

• Example: This is the most easiest way (instead of the easiest way).
• Why? In spoken English, redundancy sometimes reinforces emphasis.

10. Singular “They” with a Known Antecedent

• Example: Everyone brought their book (instead of Everyone brought his or her book).
• Why? They as a singular pronoun is now widely accepted, even in formal contexts, as a gender-neutral alternative.

11. Omission of “To Be” in Certain Constructions

• Example: This needs fixed (instead of This needs to be fixed).
• Why? Common in some American dialects (e.g., Appalachian and Pittsburgh English), this structure likely stems from older English forms where “needs” functioned differently.

12. Overuse of “Like” as a Filler

• Example: I was, like, so tired that I, like, couldn’t even keep my eyes open.
• Why? “Like” is often used to soften statements, add hesitation, or indicate reported speech in informal conversation.

13. Overgeneralization of “Done” in Place of “Did”

• Example: I done told you! (instead of I already told you!).
• Why? Found in Southern and rural American English, this pattern follows nonstandard past-tense forms.

14. Using “Them” Instead of “Those”

• Example: I like them shoes (instead of I like those shoes).
• Why? This structure is common in many English dialects and likely a result of speech simplification.

15. Confusing “Less” and “Fewer”

• Example: There are less people here than yesterday (instead of There are fewer people…).
• Why? “Less” is often used with countable nouns, even though traditional grammar dictates “fewer” for countables.

16. Dropping the “-ly” in Adverbs

• Example: She talks real slow (instead of really slowly).
• Why? In informal speech, adjectives are often used where adverbs should be.

17. Nonstandard Past Tense Forms

• Example: I seen him at the store (instead of I saw him at the store).
• Why? “Seen” as a simple past form is common in some dialects, especially in parts of the U.S. and the UK.

18. Double “Is” in Sentences

• Example: The problem is is that we don’t have enough time.
• Why? Likely a result of spoken redundancy, this often happens when a clause starts with “The thing is…”

19. Using “Because” as a Preposition

• Example: I stayed home because weather (instead of because of the weather).
• Why? An internet-born trend (because X), this structure is now widely recognized in informal and meme culture.

20. Using “Might Could” for Possibility

• Example: I might could help you later (instead of I might be able to help you later).
• Why? Found in Southern U.S. English, “might could” expresses a nuanced level of possibility.

21. Unusual Use of “Of”

• Example: I should of called you (instead of I should have called you).
• Why? This comes from the mishearing of “should’ve” as “should of” in speech.

22. Overuse of “Literally”

• Example: I literally died when I saw that.
• Why? “Literally” is often used for exaggeration rather than its literal meaning.

23. Dropping “Have” in Past Perfect Structures

• Example: I wish I went to the party (instead of I wish I had gone…).
• Why? The past perfect (had gone) is often replaced with the simple past in casual speech.

24. Using “A Whole Nother”

• Example: That’s a whole nother issue.
• Why? “Nother” is a split form of “another,” influenced by the way people insert “whole” for emphasis.

25. Subject Pronoun Instead of Object Pronoun After “Than”

• Example: She’s taller than me (instead of She’s taller than I [am]).
• Why? The “correct” form (than I am) feels overly formal in speech, so most speakers opt for than me.

26. Singular “Was” in Plural Contexts

• Example: We was just leaving.
• Why? Common in various dialects, especially in nonstandard English varieties.

27. Overuse of “Y’all” or “You Guys”

• Example: Y’all is crazy! (instead of Y’all are crazy!).
• Why? “Y’all” (Southern U.S.) and “you guys” (North American English) function as second-person plural pronouns, but some speakers use them even in singular contexts.

28. Overuse of “Gonna” and “Wanna”

• Example: I’m gonna go now (instead of I’m going to go now).
• Why? Contractions like gonna and wanna are so common in spoken English that many people forget they are informal.

29. Replacing “Went” with “Gone”

• Example: He gone to the store (instead of He went to the store).
• Why? Found in some dialects, this may be due to influence from past participle structures.

30. The “Try and” Construction

• Example: I’ll try and call you later (instead of I’ll try to call you later).
• Why? “Try and” is idiomatic and often sounds more natural in spoken English than “try to.”

31. Misuse of “Who” and “That”

• Example: She’s the girl that won the contest (instead of She’s the girl who won the contest).
• Why? While “who” is traditionally used for people and “that” for objects, many native speakers use “that” interchangeably.

32. Redundant “Of” in Constructions

• Example: Where did you get it off of? (instead of Where did you get it from?).
• Why? Many speakers add an unnecessary “of” in phrases like off of instead of just off.

33. Using “These Ones” Instead of “These”

• Example: I like these ones best (instead of I like these best).
• Why? The word “ones” is redundant, but many native speakers still use it.

34. Using “Would Of” Instead of “Would Have”

• Example: I would of gone if I knew (instead of I would have gone…).
• Why? This comes from the misinterpretation of would’ve in speech.

35. Using “Anyways” Instead of “Anyway”

• Example: Anyways, let’s get started.
• Why? “Anyways” is considered nonstandard, but it persists in casual speech.

36. Using “This Here” and “That There”

• Example: This here book is mine (instead of This book is mine).
• Why? This double demonstrative is common in informal speech, particularly in regional dialects.

37. Using “Hisself” and “Theirselves”

• Example: He did it all by hisself (instead of by himself).
• Why? These forms are considered nonstandard but are still used in certain dialects.

38. The Use of “Gots” Instead of “Has” or “Have”

• Example: He gots no idea what he’s doing (instead of He has no idea…).
• Why? Found in informal or dialectal English, “gots” is a variant of “got.”

39. Using “Axe” Instead of “Ask”

• Example: Let me axe you something (instead of Let me ask you something).
• Why? This pronunciation has historical roots in Old English and persists in some dialects.

40. Overuse of “Then” Instead of “Than”

• Example: She’s taller then me (instead of She’s taller than me).
• Why? Likely due to phonetic similarity, many people mistakenly write “then” instead of “than.”

41. Omitting the Article in Front of Certain Nouns

• Example: I’m going to hospital (instead of I’m going to the hospital).
• Why? This is standard in British English but sounds unnatural to many American speakers.

42. Using “Be” Instead of “Is” or “Are” in Some Dialects

• Example: She be working late every night (instead of She is working late…).
• Why? In African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and some other dialects, “be” is used to indicate habitual action.

43. Using “Yous” as a Plural for “You”

• Example: Are yous guys coming to the party?
• Why? Since “you” is both singular and plural, some speakers add “yous” (or “youse”) to clarify plurality.

44. Saying “I Could Care Less” Instead of “I Couldn’t Care Less”

• Example: I could care less about that (instead of I couldn’t care less…).
• Why? This phrase has become idiomatic, even though it logically suggests the opposite of what’s intended.

45. Using “So Fun” Instead of “Such Fun”

• Example: That was so fun! (instead of That was such fun!).
• Why? Traditional grammar prefers “such fun,” but “so fun” has become widely accepted.

46. Using “Double Is” for Emphasis

• Example: The thing is, is that we’re late (instead of The thing is that we’re late).
• Why? Likely a speech habit that helps speakers organize their thoughts.

47. Using “Ain’t Got No” for Double Negation

• Example: I ain’t got no money (instead of I don’t have any money).
• Why? Common in nonstandard English, especially in song lyrics and casual speech.

48. Using “Of” Instead of “Have” in Comparisons

• Example: He’s more of a leader than I of a follower (instead of …than I am a follower).
• Why? Likely influenced by the structure of certain possessive phrases.

49. Saying “On Accident” Instead of “By Accident”

• Example: I did it on accident (instead of I did it by accident).
• Why? “By accident” is the traditional form, but “on accident” is becoming more common.

50. Using “More Better” Instead of “Better”

• Example: This way is more better (instead of This way is better).
• Why? Some speakers add “more” for extra emphasis, even though “better” is already a comparative.

51. Replacing “So” with “That”

• Example: I didn’t know it was that hard (instead of I didn’t know it was so hard).
• Why? “That” is often used for emphasis in speech.

52. Using “Way” Instead of “Far” or “Much”

• Example: That’s way too expensive (instead of That’s far too expensive).
• Why? “Way” has become a common intensifier.

53. Saying “A Couple” Instead of “A Couple Of”

• Example: I need a couple minutes (instead of I need a couple of minutes).
• Why? “Of” is often dropped in speech for efficiency.

54. Using “Hella” as an Intensifier

• Example: That’s hella cool!
• Why? A slang intensifier originating from California, now widespread in informal speech.

55. Using “Could Of Sworn” Instead of “Could Have Sworn”

• Example: I could of sworn I left my keys here (instead of I could have sworn…).
• Why? Another case of mishearing contractions.

56. Saying “Supposably” Instead of “Supposedly”

• Example: He was supposably there (instead of supposedly).
• Why? Some speakers mishear “supposedly” and adopt the incorrect pronunciation.

57. Using “For Free” Instead of “Free”

• Example: I got it for free! (instead of I got it free!).
• Why? “For free” is more natural in speech, even though “free” alone is grammatically correct.

58. Using “Most Every” Instead of “Almost Every”

• Example: I see her most every day (instead of almost every day).
• Why? “Most every” is a regional variation found in some English dialects.

59. Overuse of “Literally” When Meaning “Figuratively”

• Example: I was literally dying of laughter (instead of I was figuratively…).
• Why? “Literally” is often used for emphasis rather than its actual meaning.

60. Using “Don’t” Instead of “Doesn’t”

• Example: He don’t know what he’s talking about (instead of He doesn’t know…).
• Why? Common in informal and dialectal English, especially in certain U.S. regions and African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

61. Using “Me” Instead of “I” in Compound Subjects

• Example: Me and him went to the store (instead of He and I went to the store).
• Why? Many speakers find “me and him” more natural in speech, even though it’s technically incorrect in standard English.

62. Saying “Where You At?” Instead of “Where Are You?”

• Example: Hey, where you at? (instead of Where are you?).
• Why? The unnecessary “at” is a common feature of informal spoken English.

63. Using “Went” Instead of “Gone” in the Present Perfect

• Example: I should have went (instead of I should have gone).
• Why? “Went” is mistakenly used as a past participle instead of “gone” in many dialects.

64. Using “Double Modals” for Extra Politeness or Uncertainty

• Example: I might could help you with that (instead of I might be able to help…).
• Why? Found in Southern American English, double modals like might could or might should soften statements.

65. Using “Ain’t” Instead of “Isn’t” or “Haven’t”

• Example: He ain’t here yet (instead of He isn’t here yet).
• Why? “Ain’t” is a long-standing informal contraction that’s still widely used in many dialects.

66. Using “Much” Instead of “Many” in Countable Contexts

• Example: I don’t have much friends (instead of I don’t have many friends).
• Why? “Much” is technically for uncountable nouns, but many speakers ignore this rule.

67. Using “Would” in the If-Clause of Conditional Sentences

• Example: If I would have known, I wouldn’t have gone (instead of If I had known…).
• Why? The correct past perfect form (had known) is often replaced by would have.

68. Overusing “Gotta” and “Gonna” in Speech

• Example: I gotta go now (instead of I have to go now).
• Why? These contractions are so common that many people forget they are informal.

69. Using “Done” as a Simple Past Verb

• Example: I done told you that! (instead of I already told you that!).
• Why? This nonstandard usage is common in Southern U.S. and Appalachian English.

70. Using “Try And” Instead of “Try To”

• Example: I’ll try and call you later (instead of I’ll try to call you later).
• Why? “Try and” is idiomatic but technically incorrect in formal writing.

71. Omitting “Are” in Questions

• Example: You coming with us? (instead of Are you coming with us?).
• Why? Spoken English often drops auxiliary verbs for efficiency.

72. Using “Alls” Instead of “All”

• Example: Alls I know is that he left early (instead of All I know is that he left early).
• Why? The extra “s” has no grammatical function but appears in certain dialects.

73. Saying “Real” Instead of “Really”

• Example: That was real good (instead of That was really good).
• Why? The adverbial “-ly” ending is often dropped in casual speech.

74. Using “Busted” Instead of “Broke”

• Example: I busted my phone screen (instead of I broke my phone screen).
• Why? “Busted” is a more dramatic, informal synonym for “broke.”

75. Saying “No Nothing” for Emphasis

• Example: I ain’t got no nothing to say (instead of I haven’t got anything to say).
• Why? A case of double negation, often found in nonstandard English varieties.

76. Using “Need” Without “To” in Some Dialects

• Example: That car needs washed (instead of That car needs to be washed).
• Why? This is common in some U.S. regional dialects, especially in Pittsburgh English.

77. Using “Them” Instead of “Those”

• Example: I want them shoes (instead of I want those shoes).
• Why? “Them” is commonly used as a demonstrative in spoken English.

78. Using “Y’all” for Singular Reference

• Example: Y’all gonna help me? (talking to one person).
• Why? Even though “y’all” is supposed to be plural, some speakers use it in singular contexts.

79. Saying “Used To Could” for Past Ability

• Example: I used to could run a mile in five minutes (instead of I used to be able to…).
• Why? Found in some Southern U.S. English dialects, this structure combines “used to” with “could.”

80. Using “To Where” Instead of “So That” or “Until”

• Example: Turn the volume down to where I can hear you talk (instead of Turn the volume down so that I can hear you talk).
• Why? “To where” is a colloquial way of expressing result.

81. Saying “Supposably” Instead of “Supposedly”

• Example: He was supposably there (instead of supposedly).
• Why? Some speakers mishear “supposedly” and adopt the incorrect pronunciation.

82. Using “More Better” Instead of “Better”

• Example: This way is more better (instead of This way is better).
• Why? Some speakers add “more” for extra emphasis, even though “better” is already a comparative.

83. Using “I Was Like” for Reporting Speech

• Example: I was like, ‘I don’t know!’ (instead of I said, ‘I don’t know!’).
• Why? Common in casual speech, especially in storytelling and informal conversation.

84. Saying “At” Instead of “In” with Certain Locations

• Example: I’ll meet you at the hospital (instead of in the hospital when inside the facility).
• Why? “At” is often used colloquially to refer to places, even if inside a location.

85. Using “None” as a Singular Verb

• Example: None of the students was late (instead of None of the students were late).
• Why? “None” is technically plural but is often treated as singular in informal speech.

86. Using “I Seen” Instead of “I Saw”

• Example: I seen her yesterday (instead of I saw her yesterday).
• Why? The past participle seen is used incorrectly in place of the simple past saw.

87. Saying “Can I Have?” Instead of “May I Have?”

• Example: Can I have some more cake? (instead of May I have some more cake?).
• Why? Can is technically about ability, but many use it for permission in casual speech.

88. Using “Between You and I” Instead of “Between You and Me”

• Example: Between you and I, this is a secret (instead of Between you and me).
• Why? “I” is mistakenly used after a preposition instead of the object form “me.”

89. Saying “Could of” Instead of “Could Have”

• Example: I could of done better (instead of I could have done better).
• Why? This error comes from mishearing or mistaking could’ve as could of.

90. Saying “Less” Instead of “Fewer” for Countable Nouns

• Example: There are less people here today (instead of There are fewer people).
• Why? “Less” is often used for both countable and uncountable nouns, despite “fewer” being the correct form for countables.

91. Using “Neither” with a Plural Subject

• Example: Neither of the kids were at school (instead of Neither of the kids was at school).
• Why? “Neither” is singular, but people often use it with plural subjects, which is grammatically incorrect.

92. Saying “I’m Good” Instead of “I’m Well”

• Example: I’m good, thanks (instead of I’m well, thanks).
• Why? “Good” is an adjective, and “well” is an adverb, but “I’m good” is widely accepted in conversational English.

93. Saying “I Could Care Less” Instead of “I Couldn’t Care Less”

• Example: I could care less about that (instead of I couldn’t care less).
• Why? This makes no logical sense, but it’s widely used as an idiomatic expression.

94. Using “Have Got” Instead of “Have”

• Example: I have got a car (instead of I have a car).
• Why? The phrase have got is often used in informal speech to mean have, especially in British English.

95. Saying “Could of” Instead of “Could Have” in Questions

• Example: Could of you helped me? (instead of Could you have helped me?).
• Why? This is another form of mishearing could’ve as could of.

96. Using “Should of” Instead of “Should Have”

• Example: I should of gone earlier (instead of I should have gone earlier).
• Why? This error is a result of the contraction should’ve being mistaken for should of.

97. Using “I Would Rather You Didn’t” Instead of “I Would Rather You Not”

• Example: I would rather you didn’t go to the party (instead of I would rather you not go).
• Why? The phrase “rather you didn’t” is nonstandard but widely used in conversational speech.

98. Saying “A Whole ‘Nother” Instead of “Another”

• Example: I need a whole ‘nother one (instead of I need another one).
• Why? “Whole ‘nother” is a blend of “whole” and “another,” which has become commonly accepted in informal speech.

99. Using “Every” with Uncountable Nouns

• Example: Every information is valuable (instead of All information is valuable).
• Why? “Every” is used for countable nouns, but it’s often incorrectly used with uncountable nouns.

100. Saying “He Don’t” Instead of “He Doesn’t”

• Example: He don’t like broccoli (instead of He doesn’t like broccoli).
• Why? “Don’t” is used for plural subjects, but many speakers use it for singular ones as well.