I have a friend who had worked hard for her English paper. She answered every question, wrote examples, and even finished on time. But when the results came out, she lost marks for things like its vs. it’s and tense errors. Frustrating, right? This happens to many students. Not because they don’t know grammar, but because mistakes creep in when writing fast under exam pressure.
Think about this: you sit in an exam, answer every question, write good points, even finish on time. Then the paper comes back and you’ve lost marks because of a silly grammar slip — a missing apostrophe, a wrong tense, or mixing up its and it’s. Feels unfair, right? This happens with everyone, ask your friends or even your parents. This is not because of simply not knowing the rules but silly mistakes often happen when we rush through the paper, trying to answer every question.
There is no need to worry as these mistakes aren’t too hard to fix. Let’s read about some of the common mistakes we make and how we can avoid them.
Every year, examiners highlight the same issues: subject-verb agreement, tense confusion, punctuation mistakes, and those tricky words that sound alike but mean different things. Here are a few classics you’ve probably seen:
Or this one:
See how tiny the difference is? Yet it changes everything. In exams, these small details separate an average answer from a polished one.
When students ask, “Why do I keep making grammar mistakes?” the answer is usually simple: speed. While writing a paper, we are in a race against time to finis h off the paper as English papers tend to be lengthy and time consuming. While in a rush to write the perfect essay, letter and comprehending unseen passages, we make tiny mistakes that cost us marks.
The good part? Once you know the errors to look for, you can train your brain to catch them.
Here are some practical grammar tips for students:
Think of this as your quick checklist during exams:
Even spending two minutes running through this can save marks.
Many students focus only on content: more points, better arguments, fancy words. But examiners notice grammar first because it affects clarity. An answer with solid grammar reads smoothly. An answer with repeated grammar mistakes, no matter how smart, feels careless. That’s why fixing grammar mistakes can actually improve your score faster than adding more content.
Grammar is like maths, with all the rules like mathematical formulas. To perfect a concept or a rule, practice as much as you can. Use help books, workbooks you own school books. Holy Faith has some brilliant English Grammar and Composition books. The books have clear explanations with examples and practice questions. If you get stuck or cannot figure out a rule, you will have to look no further. The goal is consistency not perfection. Over time, spotting subject-verb agreement slips or tense changes becomes automatic. By exam day, you won’t need to think twice about it.
Improving English grammar for exams is about practice and not memorising the rules. It is about being aware of the common grammar mistakes students make, practicing a little daily, and taking a few seconds to double-check in the exam hall.
So the next time you sit for a paper, remember: grammar may not be the star of your answer, but it’s the foundation. Fix the basics, and your writing will shine.
