Common Errors in Writing

Tsae-Ling Tenney

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How to reduce the number of errors in your writing?

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Understand grammar rules.

Practice, practice and practice.

Self edit and revise iteratively.

Shift in Tense no logical reason -> idea unclear

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Early in your essay, establish a "base tense", and shift away from it only for a good reason.

Tense Shift Error: By the time contract negotiations began, many striking workers have shown pessimism about them.

Correct: By the time contract negotiations began, many striking workers had shown pessimism about them.

Subject/Verb Agreementboth singular or both plural

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In each clause, the subject and verb must agree in number.

Subject/Verb Agreement Error: Neither the union leader nor the city head negotiator are responsible for the strike.

Correct: Neither the union leader nor the city head negotiator is responsible for the strike.

Subject/Verb Agreementspecial forms

plural

as well as or along with and: The mayor as well as his brother was on a diet.

everyone, nobody, each, many, others, team, class, public, family, society, population, police: Everyone needs to work diligently to improve

writing skills. The company is planning to close 150 stores. The police work undercover to ticket distracted

drivers.

Interruption by words and phrases My neighbour down the road goes to Florida

for 4 months every winter.There is a woman in my neighbourhood who

works as a senior manager at a major bank.Many students in our class plan to continue

their education. An argument, which we discussed in class,

needs to have a clear thesis statement.

Subject/Verb Agreementwords or phrases between subject & verb

Here or There are not subjects: Here is a copy of the class list. There are more than 20 students in the

class.

Subject/Verb Agreementhere/there

Use Standard English in your writing Use standard verb forms Spoken English: He don’t got no money. Standard English: He dose not have any

money.Spoken English: dude; cool; stuff; lol

Standard Englishnot verbal writing

Please edit the following sentences: The police has two suspects in custody.Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, are

going to PEI for a month this summer.Everyone need to be treated with respect.Here are a list of 10 common grammar errors.A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, have

at least 5 paragraphs.

Subject/Verb AgreementEditing Exercise

marked sentences (sva):The police has two suspects in custody.Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, are

going to PEI for a moth this summer.Everyone need to be treated with respect.Here are a list of 10 common grammar errors.A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, have

at least 5 paragraphs.

Subject/Verb AgreementEditing Exercise (sva)

Subject/Verb AgreementEditing Exercise - corrected

The police have two suspects in custody.Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, is

going to PEI for a moth this summer.Everyone needs to be treated with respect.Here is a list of 10 common grammar errors.A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, has

at least 5 paragraphs.

Double Negativescould be confusing – be careful

SS (unclear)

Negative + Negative -> PositiveSubtle Negatives: Adverbs and quantifiers

implying negation (e.g. hardly, scarcely, barely, less, few and not much)

Double Negatives Error: Parents of young children never hardly have time for themselves.

Correct: Parents of young children hardly have time for themselves.

Verb Tense:indicating when an action occurred

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Present or Past

Past Participle - never used alone

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Progressive

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Present Tense: a fact, a scheduled event or a habitThe passing grade for this course is 60%.Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.The train to Union Station leaves every hour

on the hour.We almost always have dinner at 6:30.

Verb Tense Present or Past

SAT 60%

Past: an action which occurred at a specific time

I missed my train this morning, so I was late for my

meeting.

I took a grammar course last term and I loved it.

Last night, I studied until midnight.

We were in a computer lab last Saturday.

Verb Tense Present or Past

Grammar

A past participle is a verb form, not a verb tense.Never used alone – always used with a helping verb:

have, has, had, is, was or wereSmart phones have become popular in the recent

years. (present perfect tense)

My neighbour’s house was sold for more than $500,000. (passive)

Before moving to Canada, Lee had worked as a music teacher for 10 years. (past perfect tense)

Past Participles

indicating an action in progressPresent progressive, past progressive, future

progressiveAre you reading a grammar book?I was talking on the phone when the police officer

pulled me over.My grandma will be driving to Waterloo in the

morning rush hour tomorrow.

Progressive (be + verb-ing)

indicating an action in progresspresent perfect progressive, past perfect progressive

My brother-in-law has been cooking since 5 a.m.Lucy and Nicole have been playing with Lucy’s

dollhouse for hours.John had been driving dangerously when the

officer stopped him.

Progressive (be + verb-ing)