Common Grammar Mistakes (2nd Part)

(squeak chalk : make a horrible sound with chalk on the blackboard (Chirriar una tiza.))

Verb forms:

Inconsistent tenses:
‘Her stepfather often comes to see her. One day he asks her..’
Wrong use of the present continuous instead of the present simple:
‘The atmosphere is tense and the author intensifies it further with words like…’
Wrong use of the infinitive instead of the present participle:
‘This is a way to protect herself and to avoid showing what she really feels’
‘This shows that she is not used to going into her son’s room’
Wrong use of the present participle instead of the infinitive:
‘This scene explains her decision to get rid of Harry’s belongings’
Wrong use of a ‘that’ subclause instead of the infinitive:
‘He would like the old man to leave’
‘She wants them to know’
Wrong use of ‘can’ instead of ‘may’:
‘When we watch movies we may or may not identify with the characters’
Wrong use of the present tense instead of the present perfect:
‘Jim and Crystal Styan have lived/have been living in a log cabin by a river for five years’

Possessive forms:
Wrong use of ‘who’s’ instead of ‘whose’:
‘The story is about a woman whose son has died’
Wrong use of ‘it’s’ instead of ‘its’:
‘This is an intriguing story, its setting is significant’
Wrong use of the definite article in possessive forms:
‘The Spielberg film / Spielberg’s film’