We all know that English Language is not our mother tongue but that is not an excuse for us to keep committing the same error all the time. Let's check them out.

1. 'I'm','I am','Am'

This one is just too rampant. There is a clear difference between the three but most people tend to write 'I'm' down the way they pronounce it. 'I'm' is the shortened form of 'I am'.

Am fine -Wrong
I'm fine or I am fine -Correct

2. Its and It's

'Its' is a possessive pronoun used for objects and animals while 'It's' is the shortened form of 'It is'. They are not in any way related

Its raining -wrong
It is raining -correct
Its tail -correct

3. Your and You're

This is actually simple but I guess most people want to form Americana so they tend to use 'Your' often. 'Your is a pronoun' while 'You're simply means You are'

I want to know when your coming -wrong
I want to know when you are coming -correct

4. There and Their

I have seen this many times especially in writing but we can change it. 'There' is used to refer to a place. On the contrary,'their' is a possessive pronoun. So,what is the relationship?

Is it there own? -wrong
Is it their own? -correct

5. Lose and Loose

Some people count this as insignificant but it is.
'Lose' is used in an aspect of loss or damage while 'loose' is to be free.

Loose your belt so that you can have a breathing space -correct

These are just the few out of the numerous ones that we have but we have to go one step at a time. If we all improve on this then we have moved a step forward

Are you saying "Am i wrong" is not a correct sentence? You guys newly discovered I'm should be taught well.

I only notice (am) in kids, (its) can only be noticed when it's written bcus its and it's sound alike, the same goes with your and you're

the sentence people always get wrong without knowing is, clap for him/her instead of clap him/her

SergeyMavrodi:
Are you saying "Am i wrong" is not a correct sentence? You guys newly discovered I'm should be taught well.

'Am I wrong' is actually not correct until you include the '?' in written grammar.
But he is talking about declaration, not an interrogation.

The its and it's is quite a bother.

DesChyko:


'Am I wrong' is actually not correct until you include the '?' in written grammar.
But he is talking about declaration, not an interrogation.

The its and it's is quite a bother.

Yeah, that's true. But what i am trying to point out is that some people still use I'm when interrogating. For example "I'm I good to go?" It's not correct and that's what I'm trying to point out.

SergeyMavrodi:
Are you saying "Am i wrong" is not a correct sentence? You guys newly discovered I'm should be taught well.

Point of correction sir,it isn't 'newly discovered'
Besides,it was based on declaration and not interrogation.
"Am i wrong" is not a correct sentence
It should be "Am I wrong?",then when writing,the personal pronoun 'I' should be written in capital letter irrespective of the position in the sentence.

brandonobi:
I only notice (am) in kids, (its) can only be noticed when it's written bcus its and it's sound alike, the same goes with your and you're

That's probably why it is confusing

brandonobi:
the sentence people always get wrong without knowing is, clap for him/her instead of clap him/her

I've had this on my research list for some time now but I haven't got a satisfactory answer so for I think I'll stick with 'clap for him'

Azeequeen:

I've had this on my research list for some time now but I haven't got a satisfactory answer so for I think I'll stick with 'clap for him'

clap for him is similar to saying congratulate for him instd congratulate him or praise for God instd of praise God etc.

brandonobi:
clap for him is similar to saying congratulate for him instd congratulate him or praise for God instd of praise God etc.

But I think there should be an exception

Azeequeen:

But I think there should be an exception

There is always an exception in english language.

a0if:
There is always an exception in english language.

Smiles...It's like that

so true. there and their is really common here.

Azeequeen:

I've had this on my research list for some time now but I haven't got a satisfactory answer so for I think I'll stick with 'clap for him'

no textbook or English authority has ever use clap him, so it's still not acceptable.

skillful01:
so true. there and their is really common here.

You mean Nairaland?

BodePolScience:
no textbook or English authority has ever use clap him, so it's still not acceptable.

That's it

Azeequeen:
You mean Nairaland?

YES

Say no more folks. The grammarian of Nairaland is here.

brandonobi:
clap for him is similar to saying congratulate for him instd congratulate him or praise for God instd of praise God etc.

clap is different from congratulate/praise in that it is an action verb, you perform the 'clapping' through action, while you express congratulation/praise through speech/orally, thats why clap (and other verbs that takes this form) take for while congratulate doesn't.

Informative,but i expect something new

cooncudee:
clap is different from congratulate/praise in that it is an action verb, you perform the 'clapping' through action, while you express congratulation/praise through speech/orally, thats why clap (and other verbs that takes this form) take for while congratulate doesn't.

still doesn't mean that clap for him is right, u can also Google it.

brandonobi:
still doesn't mean that clap for him is right, u can also Google it.

give reasons that'll convince me and i'll believe you. I'll rather trust my brain than google

cooncudee:
give reasons that'll convince me and i'll believe you. I'll rather trust my brain than google

from the dictionary u would notice that clap can be used as a noun and a verb, in (clap for him/clap him) it is clearly used as a verb, so clap playing a role of a verb similar to carry drop follow etc. clap also can be used in place of applaud.
when your friend wins a lottery you....
a- you applaud for him.
b- you applaud him.
other examples of words used as verbs include. thank him, praise him, respect him. in the ones the words are pointed at the person in question. now when u say something like, pray for him or speak for him also right for him, ure doing it on behalf of the person( he can't do it, so do it FOR him). adding for to clap means clapping on behalf...which means he cannot congratulate someone so use ur hands and clap on behalf of him, which makes no sense.
by clapping ure not doing something for someone but at someone so u clap them not clap for them as if ure helping them with clapping.
PLUS- Nigerians didn't invent English language, so when the people who did say it is like this then that is how it is, it is hard to change from something I've used all ur life, but it doesn't change the fact that we r wrong!!!

Tazmode:
"Revise" and "cut your hand"

It is very wrong. The correct usage should be

"Reverse your car" not "revise your car" or "cut your hand to that side"

Thanks for this info sir

cooncudee:
clap is different from congratulate/praise in that it is an action verb, you perform the 'clapping' through action, while you express congratulation/praise through speech/orally, thats why clap (and other verbs that takes this form) take for while congratulate doesn't.

Exactly

@Mr Bradonobi Thanks for that wonderful piece

snowden9:
Say no more folks. The grammarian of Nairaland is here.

Bring it on,bro

brandonobi:
from the dictionary u would notice that clap can be used as a noun and a verb, in (clap for him/clap him) it is clearly used as a verb, so clap playing a role of a verb similar to carry drop follow etc. clap also can be used in place of applaud.
when your friend wins a lottery you....
a- you applaud for him.
b- you applaud him.
other examples of words used as verbs include. thank him, praise him, respect him. in the ones the words are pointed at the person in question. now when u say something like, pray for him or speak for him also right for him, ure doing it on behalf of the person( he can't do it, so do it FOR him). adding for to clap means clapping on behalf...which means he cannot congratulate someone so use ur hands and clap on behalf of him, which makes no sense.
by clapping ure not doing something for someone but at someone so u clap them not clap for them as if ure helping them with clapping.
PLUS- Nigerians didn't invent English language, so when the people who did say it is like this then that is how it is, it is hard to change from something I've used all ur life, but it doesn't change the fact that we r wrong!!!

i don't agree with that. 'for' in the statement 'clap for him' indicates who is recieving the action. Replace 'clap' with 'put your hands together' in that statement. One the other hand, I think 'clap him' is a PHRASE, which begs the question 'where?'

And you're not clapping at someone, the same way u aren't dancing at someone.

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The users of a language define it. Not its inventors. That's why Americans have their own english. There will also, always be revision to languages. Meanings and uses of words change periodically. So, if Nigerians adopt it and it's used by the majority, it ceases to be wrong regardless of what the englishman thinks of it.

cooncudee:
i don't agree with that. 'for' in the statement 'clap for him' indicates who is recieving the action. Replace 'clap' with 'put your hands together' in that statement. One the other hand, I think 'clap him' is a PHRASE, which begs the question 'where?'

And you're not clapping at someone, the same way u aren't dancing at someone.

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The users of a language define it. Not its inventors. That's why Americans have their own english. There will also, always be revision to languages. Meanings and uses of words change periodically. So, if Nigerians adopt it and it's used by the majority, it ceases to be wrong regardless of what the englishman thinks of it.

ur second makes sense in a way, if everyone adobts it then its right, similarly if everyone adopted mans in place of men then it is correct.
for ur first point, dance for someone, (so the person can watch u dance, or dance in a show in place of u) is what it seems like, u have to understand the role 'for' plays in the sentence, does it signify owning something or helping out with something eg. the gift is for me, and do this for me, try to understand clapping ur hands in regards to both examples of for'