common mistakes in essay

The bibliography format for academic essays is usually the MLA style unless your professor specifically requests a different format. For a complete list of how to cite resources in MLA style, check out this site . Don't lose points over your bibliography. The hard part of your essay should be coming up with an original analysis of your topic. The bibliography is formulaic and easy to get right if you give it a little effort.

In the age of the Internet, it's easy to type in a keyword and find dozens of articles on it. But that doesn't mean all of those articles are credible. Make sure that the resources you use come from academic experts. For tips on how to find credible academic resources online, check out this site .

Avoiding these mistakes will improve your essay writing, so you can achieve higher quality and confidence in your academic writing. And it will make your professors happy, too.

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5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Essays

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Jordan Sanchez in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

Essay length, cohesive writing, reusing essays.

In this post, we discuss mistakes to avoid when writing your college essay . For more information, check out this post about how to write this year’s Common App essays . 

A common college essay mistake is writing an essay that’s too short. For example, the word limit for the Common App essay is 650 words, and you should try as hard as you can to reach that number. A 400-word essay is definitely too short. Make sure you’re using all the words available to you.

If you’re having difficulty meeting the word limit, your essay topic may be too specific. Also, you may not be including enough details or descriptive language. Conversely, if your essay is too long, you may have sections that could be simplified. Look for any areas where the writing may be repetitive or redundant. Consider whether your essay is too broad. Are you trying to cover multiple topics? It can be helpful to break down your essay paragraph by paragraph and ensure that everything you’ve written aligns with the goals of the essay.

Since supplemental essays tend to have low word limits, you can do more telling than showing when writing these. That said, while you don’t want to waste words, if there’s an opportunity to add a bit of personality to a supplemental essay, you should take it. 

Another common mistake is incohesive writing. Cohesive essays are easy and enjoyable to read. If an essay is jumping around and doesn’t have a clear narrative or connection between ideas, it can be distracting. The reader will be wondering what’s relevant and what they should be caring about, which takes attention away from the content and purpose of your essay.

Incohesive writing happens in two major ways. The first is when a writer doesn’t use effective transitions. These show the reader how different ideas are related, and without them, an essay can be disorganized and difficult to understand. Transitions can be as short as one or two sentences or as long as a whole paragraph.

Incohesive writing can also happen when the writer is inconsistent. Your essay should maintain the same tense, point of view, and writing style from beginning to end. Don’t use extremely complicated vocabulary in one paragraph and incredibly simple language in the next. Write in your natural style and voice, and you’ll never go wrong. 

To check the cohesion of your writing, go over your first or second draft and answer the following questions: “What is the main idea of this paragraph? Does it align with the central theme of the essay? How does this relate to the previous paragraph? Do I illustrate the connection here or later in the essay? What point of view is this written in? What about tense? Is it narrative or creative? Distant or close and engaging? Informative or persuasive?” Your answers should be the same or similar for each paragraph. 

It’s crucial to write your essay in the correct form. The Common App essay is similar to a narrative or memoir in that it’s a short personal story. Many students have little to no experience writing in this form, and if you’re one of them, that’s okay, you’re not alone.

Keep in mind that this is not a five-paragraph essay. You won’t have an introduction or conclusion in the traditional sense. Your introduction will be the hook of your essay, whether it comes in the form of dialogue, descriptive language, or imagery. The conclusion will be a short wrap-up, perhaps a few sentences in length. 

The essay isn’t a thought piece either. You shouldn’t be writing something speculative. You want to include specific personal details from your life. This will ground the essay so it doesn’t feel lofty, and it will help the reader get to know you better. 

Not sounding like yourself is a big issue in college essays. The admissions committee is not expecting the most beautiful prose or intelligent language. They want to read an essay by you and about you, so be sure to write your essay in your own voice.

Don’t include words in your essay that you don’t use regularly. You don’t need big, fancy words to impress admissions officers. Your character and your story will impress them for you. In the same vein, your essay should center around who you are today. It’s okay to write about something that happened in the distant past, but the bulk of your essay should be about events that occurred between 10th and 12th grade. Don’t talk too much about your past without connecting it back to who you are today. 

Throughout the college application process, you’ll write several essays, including personal statements and supplements. A few of these essays can be used in applications for several schools, but be careful not to reuse the wrong ones.

Admissions officers can tell when you’re reusing an essay that you shouldn’t. It shows carelessness and a lack of interest in the school and can lower your chances of admission. To avoid this mistake, before writing any of your supplemental essays, copy and paste all the prompts into a single document, and take inventory of how many you’ll actually have to write and how many you can reuse.

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Another Source

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a list of common writing errors.

Purdue is also a great resource for citation & formatting rules.

Purdue OWL: Proofreading

Common Mistakes: Presented by the University of Minnesota

Content by the University of Minnesota's  Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

This list includes brief examples and explanations for you to use as reminders while you are editing your papers. If you would like to learn more, take a short writing course, set up an individual appointment at Student Writing Support, or consult a handbook for complete explanations.

1. Sentence Fragments

Make sure each word group you have punctuated as a sentence contains a grammatically complete and independent thought that can stand alone as an acceptable sentence.

Incorrect (the second sentence is the fragment): Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example. the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

Revised: Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the cloth contains the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

Incorrect: Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption. Although caffeine does cause death in certain animals.

Revised: Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption, although caffeine does cause death in certain animals.

2. Sentence Sprawl

Too many equally weighted phrases and clauses produce tiresome sentences.

Incorrect (There are no grammatical errors here, but the sprawling sentence does not communicate clearly and concisely.): The hearing was planned for Mon., Dec. 2, but not all of the witnesses could be available, so it was rescheduled for the following Friday, and then all the witnesses could attend.

Revised: The hearing, which had been planned for Mon., Dec. 2, was rescheduled for the following Friday so that all witnesses would be able to attend.

3. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Place modifiers near the words they describe; be sure the modified words actually appear in the sentence.

Incorrect: When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research.

Revised: When writing a proposal, a scholar sets an original task for research.

Incorrect: Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Revised: Every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried.

4. Faulty Parallelism

Be sure you use grammatically equal sentence elements to express two or more matching ideas or items in a series.

Incorrect: The candidate's goals include winning the election, a national health program, and the educational system.

Revised: The candidate's goals include winning the election, enacting a national health program, and improving the educational system.

5. Unclear Pronoun Reference

All pronouns must clearly refer to definite referents (nouns). Use "it," "this," "that," "these," "those," and "which" carefully to prevent confusion.

Incorrect: Einstein was a brilliant mathematician. This is how he was able to explain the universe.

Revised: Einstein, who was a brilliant mathematician, used his ability with numbers to explain the universe.

Incorrect: Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, he sometimes neglects it.

Revised: Because of his interest in economic development, Senator Martin sometimes neglects the environment.

6. Incorrect Pronoun Case

Determine whether the pronoun is being used as a subject, an object, or a possessive in the sentence, and select the pronoun form to match.

Incorrect: Castro's communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between he and President Kennedy.

Revised: Castro's communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between him and President Kennedy.

Incorrect: Since strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than them to judicial reinterpretation.

Revised: Since strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than they [object] to judicial reinterpretation.

7. Omitted Commas

Use commas to signal nonrestrictive or nonessential material, to prevent confusion, and to indicate relationships among ideas and sentence parts.

Incorrect: When it comes to eating people differ in their tastes.--  (eww!)

Revised: When it comes to eating , people differ in their tastes.

Incorrect: The Huns who were Mongolian invaded Gaul in 451.

Revised: The Huns, who were Mongolian, invaded Gaul in 451.

8. Superfluous Commas

Unnecessary commas make sentences difficult to read.

Incorrect: Field trips are required, in several courses, such as, botany and geology.

Revised: Field trips are required in several courses, such as botany and geology.

Incorrect: The term "scientific illiteracy," has become almost a cliché in educational circles.

Revised: The term "scientific illiteracy" has become almost a cliché in educational circles.

9. Comma Splices

Do not link two independent clauses with a comma (unless you also use a coordinating conjunction: "and," "or," "but,"' "nor," "so," "yet"). Instead, use a period or semicolon, or rewrite the sentence.

Incorrect: In 1952, Japan's GNP was one third that of France, by the late 1970s, it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.

Revised: In 1952, Japan's GNP was one third that of France. By the late 1970s, it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.

Incorrect: Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed, however half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.

Revised: Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed; however, half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.

10. Apostrophe Errors

Apostrophes indicate possession for nouns ("Jim's hat," "several years' work") but not for personal pronouns ( "its," "your," "their," and "whose"). Apostrophes also indicate omissions in contractions ("it's" = "it is"). In general they are not used to indicate plurals.

Incorrect: In the current conflict its uncertain who's borders their contesting.

Revised: In the current conflict, it is [it's] uncertain whose borders they are [they're] contesting.

Incorrect: The Aztecs' ritual's of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.

Revised: The Aztecs' rituals of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.

11. Words Easily Confused

"Effect" is most often a noun (the effect), and "affect" is almost always a verb. Other pairs commonly confused: "lead"/ "led" and "accept"/ "except." Check a glossary of usage to find the right choice.

Incorrect: The recession had a negative affect on sales.

Revised: The recession had a negative effect on sales. (or) The recession affected sales negatively.

Incorrect: The laboratory instructor choose not to offer detailed advise.

Revised: The laboratory instructor chose not to offer detailed advice.

12. Misspellings

Spelling errors are usually perceived as a reflection of the writer's careless attitude toward the whole project. Do not allow your hard work to be marred in this way! In addition to comprehensive dictionaries, you may want to use electronic spell-checkers, spelling dictionaries, and lists of frequently misspelled words found in handbooks.

All Content by the University of Minnesota's  Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

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The 10 Most Common Grammar Mistakes

9-minute read

• 3rd February 2023

Whether you’re learning English online or in person, you’ve likely experienced trouble with grammar at some point. As a student, it can be frustrating when your teacher highlights grammatical errors in your writing (often without indicating why they’re errors).

In this post, we’ve compiled 10 common grammar errors in English with explanations and examples to help you avoid them in your writing. Believe it or not, even native English speakers unwittingly make these mistakes! By being aware of these errors, you’ll know what to watch out for, and your writing skills will improve.

1.   Subject-verb Agreement

This is a common mistake associated with grammar tenses , in which the subject doesn’t agree with the corresponding verb. Let’s consider this example:

The mayor is an example of a third-person subject (e.g., he , she , it , they ). Since this is in the present simple tense, the verb must be conjugated as signs to agree with the subject.

Subject–verb agreement errors often occur with collective nouns (e.g., family , audience , group ) and infinitive nouns (e.g., anybody , everybody , none ). Because these nouns appear to be more than one person, the writer erroneously assumes the verb shouldn’t be conjugated as the third person. You can avoid this type of error by:

●  Knowing which subjects are singular and plural

●  Making the verb agree with the closer subject when or, nor, either/or , or neither/nor connects two subjects

●  Watching out for subject complements (don’t confuse the subject complement for the real subject of a sentence)

Additionally, make sure you’re looking at the correct subject. Look at this example:

The writing (noun) in those paragraphs (noun) is (verb) horrible.

Because paragraphs is the last noun before the verb, it can be tempting to assume it’s the subject. However, it’s actually the object of a preposition ( in ). Therefore, writing is the correct subject of this sentence.

2.   Pronoun-antecedent Agreement

This occurs when a pronoun doesn’t agree with the noun it’s referring to (the antecedent).

Students and writers often don’t know which pronoun to use with animals, so they erroneously use plural pronouns, such as their, like in the above example. The straightforward rule is that singular and plural nouns must go with their respective singular and plural pronouns. An example of this error would be:

Boy is singular, and they is plural. Therefore, the correct version would be:

You can avoid this error by knowing which pronouns are singular and plural. Indefinite pronouns ( everybody , nobody , somebody , etc.) are often mistaken as plural when they’re actually considered singular. When compound antecedents are joined by and , both nouns become plural (e.g., Jack and Jill ).

You should also be careful with compound antecedents that are joined by or, nor, either/or , or neither/nor . The pronoun should agree with the closer antecedent.

Example: Neither the nurse nor the doctors like when their patients are in pain.

3.   Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Run-on sentences and comma splices occur when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined. Either a comma is missing, or it needs to have a conjunction after it in a sentence. Let’s consider this example of a run-on sentence:

As you can see, the sentence is missing a comma and is difficult to read. We would add a comma and a conjunction to improve readability:

Here’s an example of a comma splice:

Again, this doesn’t read well. To correct it, you could change the comma to a semicolon or add and after it.

To avoid run-on sentences, see if two or more independent clauses communicate more than one idea. If there is more than one idea, you must add a comma. Similarly, you can solve comma splice errors by:

●  Adding a conjunction

●  Changing the comma to a semicolon

●  Making separate sentences if necessary

4.   Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers add spice to sentences and descriptive speech. You can use modifiers in the form of adjectives or adverbs. For example, you can modify the word lion by adding an adjective: the fearsome lion or the powerful lion.

Modifiers need to be placed very close to the word they’re modifying. Unfortunately, writers sometimes misplace the modifiers by placing them too far away from the words they’re meant to connect with, thus changing the sentence’s meaning. Let’s consider an example of a misplaced modifier:

It’s not clear which word is being modified. Did she crawl for the day? Did she walk slowly? Had she thought about walking for an entire day but decided against it? We don’t know. However, if we move the modifier, we can change the sentence to match the writer’s intended meaning:

Now, we get it! She did walk, and she walked for nearly an entire day.

Dangling modifiers occur when something modifies a word or phrase that hasn’t been identified. Let’s take this example:

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Was the sun looking into the distance? That’s unlikely, unless it was one of those smiling cartoon suns. So, who was looking into the distance? To clarify, we should add the word being modified.

Much better! Now we know who was looking into the distance.

To avoid misplaced modifiers, you need to know the word or phrase you’re trying to modify and place the modifier very close to the intended word. With dangling modifiers, you always need to clarify what’s being modified. You can also rephrase the sentence so that it’s clear.

5.   Homophone Trouble

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. They’re also often spelled similarly, which makes them easy to confuse in writing. Take your and you’re . The former is a possessive adjective, while the latter is a contraction of you are . However, it’s easy to get them mixed up. Here are a few examples of using your and you’re :

Another common homophone error is there , they’re , and their . Take these examples:

Homophone errors might not matter when speaking, but they do in writing! So, it’s vital to know the differences between the meaning of those mentioned above:

●  There describes a location (i.e., the opposite of here ).

●  They’re is the shortened version of they are .

●  Their is the possessive form of they .

When working with homophones, take a moment to think about which word is correct by going through the different meanings of each spelling. This can be tedious at first, but with practice, it’ll become second nature.

6.   Adjective and Adverb Confusion

Confusing adjectives and adverbs results in writing that comes off as very informal or uneducated. You’ll often notice this issue with words ending in “-ly.” Let’s look at these examples:

This is what the writer actually meant:

To avoid such errors, you should know which word the adjective or adverb in question modifies. If the word modified is a noun or pronoun, use an adjective. If it’s a verb, also use an adjective. And if it’s an adverb, use an adverb.

7.   Overusing Adverbs

Writers tend to overuse adverbs, especially fiction authors. Adverbs are often overused to describe actions and events. Here’s an example from a work of fiction:

Because of the overabundance of adverbs, there’s more telling than showing. We could rephrase the passage with fewer adverbs to provide more kick:

See the difference? The new words carry the same meaning, but there’s more show than tell (paramount for fiction writers).

You can avoid this error by using adverbs sparingly, especially when describing actions and events. Think of different verbs that will convey the same meaning.

8.   Misplaced Apostrophes

Apostrophes can indicate that something belongs to someone or something else. For example:

Writers sometimes misplace apostrophes with regular plural nouns when describing what or who they belong to. For example:

Another misplaced apostrophe error occurs with it’s and its . For example:

Remember that it’s is short for it is . So, there’s no apostrophe at the end of its when it’s being used as a possessive. You should also remember to place the apostrophe at the end of regular plural nouns.

9.   Incomplete Comparisons

Comparisons compare one noun to another by using comparatives. The error occurs when a comparison is left incomplete. Take this example:

The reader will respond, “It was much hotter than when?” We need to complete the comparison in this sentence. Here’s one way:

When using comparisons, be sure to complete them. We can’t have comparisons if we don’t know who or what they’re being compared to.

10.             Mixed Verb Tenses

This is a form of faulty parallelism in which there are mixed verbs within a sentence. Take this example:

This sentence is unclear because it contains a verb in the present and past. Therefore, both verbs need to be in the same tense for consistency.

To avoid this error, remember to have consistency in verb tense. Determine if your sentence is referring to the past, present, or future, and then make sure all your verbs match that.

These are just a few examples of common grammar mistakes, but there are many other mistakes that people make. Practicing writing, reading extensively, and using grammar-checking tools will help you identify and correct mistakes. With time, practice, and patience, you’ll be able to improve your grammar skills and become a more confident writer.

Common Grammar Error FAQs

1. how do i know if a sentence is grammatically incorrect.

The subject and verb must both be singular or plural to make a sentence grammatically correct. In other words, the subject and verb must agree. Check for this after writing sentences.

2. What are some common grammar mistakes in academic writing?

Comma splices as well as dangling and misplaced modifiers are common errors in academic writing . The academic world also tends to frown upon contractions in writing ( they’re , it’s , can’t , etc.), as they’re considered informal.

3. How do I fix common grammar mistakes in my writing?

After you’ve finished writing your paper, we recommend proofreading it to catch common errors. If you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, we suggest leaving it up to our team of experts! We’ll check your work for common grammar mistakes, ensure perfect spelling, and much more. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today!

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September 27, 2018

50 Common Errors

by Nicholas Walker , under Grammar

Here are 50 common errors that my college ESL students often make in their writing and speaking. Mistakes are shown in context, with incorrect sentences, corrections, and a rule to explain how to avoid the usual mistakes that students make in their writing. Search for an error using CTRL + F. If you see a mistake, gaff, slip up or blunder that you or your students make, be sure to eliminate it with the Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker .

In time, I will add links to online practice activities for each one. Until then, try the offline error correction card game below. Students enjoy it and learn a lot from playing this mildly competitive group activity.

If you love errors and want more, I can recommend Professor Paul Brians’ collection of errors in university writing . For a shorter, more focused list of common errors, try here . 

Sometimes, context plays a role in determining if a phrase is used correctly. It all depends on how you use it. If you want a good example of a contextual error, a phrase in a correct sentence and the same phrase an incorrect sentence, have a look at my blog post on “ Make no sense and have no sense .” You’ll see how challenging it is to detect common errors using a grammar checker .

Download all 50 errors and play the  error correction card game

Remembering how to correct errors.

Of course, it is one thing to read a list of errors and another thing to make them stick in your memory. If you really want to remember how to correct mistakes and when the pressure is on, you should consider using an oral practice strategy .

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a grammar course or an IELTS vocabulary course . Teachers have tricks to help learners avoid slip ups and mistakes.

But the best way of all is to use an online grammar checker to check your writing for errors while you are exchanging meaningful messages with other people or writing essays for your teacher.

1. Adjective agreement error

INCORRECT: We sell t-shirts and some others clothes.

CORRECT:   We sell t-shirts and some other clothes.

RULE: Adjectives and noun modifiers should not take a plural form when they modify plural nouns in English. There are, however, a few noun modifiers that end in an –s: operations, arms, sports, jobs, forensics, physics

2. Adjective form error

INCORRECT:  When I heard the news, I was very anger .

CORRECT:   When I heard the news, I was very angry .

RULE:   Use the adjective form not the noun form in this context.

3. Adverb error

INCORRECT:   I trust more my parents than my friends.

CORRECT:   I trust my parents more than my friends.

RULE:    The adverb is in the wrong place . Do not separate more from than .

4. Article and plural noun error

INCORRECT:  My sister has a children .

CORRECT:  My sister has a child .

RULE:     Don’t use indefinite articles with plural words.

5. Article and uncountable noun mistakes

INCORRECT:  I have a brown skin.

CORRECT:  I have brown skin .

RULE:     Don’t use an article with uncountable nouns like “skin”.

6. Aspect error

INCORRECT:  Every day, I am waking up late.

CORRECT:  Every day, I wake up late.

RULE:     Use the Present Simple, not the Present Progressive, for normal routines.

INCORRECT:  He is deserving to win the award.

CORRECT:  He deserves to win the award.

RULE:     Use the simple aspect form of “deserving” in this context. When expressing a fact, these stative verbs tend not to use the progressive aspect: agree, appear, believe, belong, concern, consist, contain, deny, depend, deserve, disagree, dislike, doubt, fit, hat, hear, imagine, impress, include, involve, know, like, love, matter, mean, mind, need, own, pleas, prefer, promise, realize, recognize, remember, see, seem, smell, sound, suppose, surprise, taste, think, understand, want, wish.

7. Auxiliary error

INCORRECT: We don’t will have an exam next Tuesday.

CORRECT: We won’t have an exam next Tuesday.

RULE:     You cannot negate a modal auxiliary in this way. Use “won’t” instead.

8. Capitalization error

INCORRECT:    I work at Bordeaux jail as a prison guard.

CORRECT:   I work at Bordeaux Jail as a prison guard.

RULE:     Capitalize every lexical word in the name of an institution. Don’t capitalize prepositions and conjunctions.

9. Collocation error

INCORRECT:  I moved here to be closer from school.

CORRECT: I moved here to be closer to school.

RULE:     The usual collocation for closer is to not from .

INCORRECT:  Success depends of you.

CORRECT:  Success depends on you.

RULE:   The usual collocation for depend is on not of .

10. Comparative adjective error

INCORRECT:  If I learn a second language, finding a job will become more easy for me.

CORRECT:  If I learn a second language, finding a job will become easier for me.

RULE:     Remove the word “more” and simply write “easier.” English has two comparative adjective forms. Add -er to the end of one or two syllable adjectives. Use ‘more’ with longer adjectives. Here is a list of adjectives that usually take –er: big, black, bold, brave, bright, busy, clean, clear, clever, cold, cool, dark, dear, deep, dirty, dry, easy, fair, fast, fat, fine, funny, great, green, happy, hard, healthy, heavy, high, hot, kind, large, late, lazy, light, long, low, lucky, mad, merry, narrow, naughty, near, new, noisy, old, pale, poor, pretty, proud, quick, red, rich, sad, safe, shallow, sharp, short, slow, small, smooth, strong, sweet, tall, thick, thin, tiny, ugly, warm, wealthy, wet, white, wide, wild, wise, young, angry, little, short, blue, yellow, pink, orange, simple, shy.

INCORRECT:  So my job will be more easier for me if I am able to speak English as well as I can speak French.

CORRECT:  So my job will be easier for me if I am able to speak English as well as I can speak French.

RULE:     Do not use both – er and more . This is called a double comparative. Remove the word ‘more’ and simply write “easier.”

11. Contraction error

INCORRECT:    That’s who I’m .

CORRECT:     That’s who I am .

RULE:     Do not end a sentence with a pronoun + verb contraction.

INCORRECT:    I did’nt know the answer.

CORRECT:     I didn’t know the answer.

RULE:     The apostrophe points to what is missing. In this case, it is the “o” in “not.” Revise: didn’t

12. Conditional error

INCORRECT:    If I will get a better job, I will buy a car.

CORRECT:     If I get a better job, I will buy a car.

RULE:  Do not put “will” in “If” clauses. Use the Present Simple instead.

INCORRECT:  Wouldn’t it be great if there is a Google grammar checker?

CORRECT:    Wouldn’t it be great if there were a Google grammar checker?

RULE:  In a second conditional structure, we put a past form in the if-clause.

13. Double negative error

INCORRECT:    I made her cookies but she didn’t eat none .

CORRECT:     I made her cookies but she didn’t eat any .

RULE:     This is called a double-negative error since “didn’t” and “none” are both negative. Use “any” instead of “none.”

INCORRECT:    In my opinion, video games don’t hurt nobody .

CORRECT:     In my opinion, video games don’t hurt anybody .

RULE:     This is called a double-negative error since “didn’t” and “nobody” are both negative. Use “anybody” instead of “nobody.”

14. Double subject error

INCORRECT:    Me, I like to dance.

CORRECT:    I like to dance.

RULE:     Start your sentence with “I” not “me, I.”

INCORRECT:    What I’m sure about it’s that I was the first one to arrive.

CORRECT:    What I’m sure about is that I was the first one to arrive.

RULE:     The pronoun “it” in this sentence is unnecessary since you already have a subject, “What I’m sure about.”

15. Future tense error

INCORRECT:    In the future, we go on a trip to Africa.

CORRECT:    In the future, we will go on a trip to Africa.

RULE:     Don’t forget the auxiliary verb “will” for future events. You can, however, use the Simple Present for future scheduled events. Here is an example:  My train leaves at 10:20.

INCORRECT:    I gonna be rich one day.

CORRECT:    I am going to be rich one day.

RULE:     The word  gonna  is slang. Make sure you develop full command of  am/is/are going to for contexts where slang would be considered inappropriate.

INCORRECT:    When I will arrive, I will give you the money I owe you.

CORRECT:    When I arrive , I will give you the money I owe you.

RULE:     Do not use “ will ” in clauses that begin with  as soon as, the moment, before, after, once, if,  or  when . These time clauses already have a future meaning. Use the Present Simple instead.

16. Gerund error

INCORRECT:     We talked about to go , but in the end decided to stay home.

CORRECT:     We talked about going , but in the end decided to stay home.

RULE:     You cannot use an infinitive form after a preposition. Use a gerund instead.

INCORRECT:     The first thing I do when I arrive is going to my locker to hang up my coat.

CORRECT:     The first thing I do when I arrive is go to my locker to hang up my coat.

RULE:     Use a bare infinitive not a gerund in this context.

17. H epenthesis

INCORRECT:      He his my best friend.

CORRECT:      He is my best friend.

RULE:      An “h” was added to “is” by mistake. “His” is a possessive form. “Is” is a verb.

18. His or her instead of its

INCORRECT:      The New Democratic Party is increasing his popularity.

CORRECT:      The New Democratic Party is increasing its popularity.

RULE:       A political party is not a person. Use “ its ” for a non-person.

19. Idiomatic expression error

INCORRECT:       They jumped on the occasion.

CORRECT:       They jumped at the chance.

RULE:       This is a rather unnatural phrase in English. Try “jumped at the chance” instead.

INCORRECT:       This singer is very known.

CORRECT:       This singer is well -known.

RULE:       This is a rather unnatural phrase in English.

20. Infinitive error

INCORRECT:       I would like to thanks all my friends for their help.

CORRECT:       I would like to thank all my friends for their help.

RULE:       Use the base form of the verb with “to”.

INCORRECT:       We were supposed to went early, but we woke up late.

CORRECT:       We were supposed to go early, but we woke up late.

RULE:      Use the base form of the verb with “to”. See more conjugations of “to go” here .

INCORRECT:      While I was waiting for Courtney for shopping , I dropped coffee on my new yellow shirt.

CORRECT:     While I was waiting for Courtney to shop , I dropped coffee on my new yellow shirt.

RULE: Use an infinitive form after the verb “wait.”

21. Intensifier error

INCORRECT:       I very like ice cream.

CORRECT:       I really like ice cream.

RULE:        Use “ really ” to intensify a verb, not “ very .”

22. Irregular verb form error

INCORRECT:       We meeted at a restaurant.

CORRECT:       We met at a restaurant.

RULE:       Review irregular past tense verbs. You cannot add -ed to this verb.

23. Its or it is

INCORRECT:       Its hard to remember all these rules.

CORRECT:       It’s hard to remember all these rules.

RULE:         It’s is it plus the contracted form of the verb is , not a possessive form. Do not forget the apostrophe in the contraction.

INCORRECT:      Look at the dog chasing it’s tail.

CORRECT:      Look at the dog chasing its tail.

RULE:       Its is a possessive form, not a contraction. Do not use the apostrophe in the possessive form of pronouns.

LINK:   its-or-it’s

24. Missing article

INCORRECT:      I am accountant.

CORRECT:      I am an accountant.

RULE:       Use an indefinite article before the name of a job or profession.

25. Missing auxiliary

INCORRECT:      You making me crazy.

CORRECT:      You are making me crazy.

RULE:       You need an auxiliary (helping) verb to go with the –ing form.

INCORRECT:      I always be there for you.

CORRECT:      I will always be there for you.

RULE:       In a promise about the future, use the future modal auxiliary verb will with the infinitive form of your main verb.

26. Missing word

INCORRECT:      I decided to put my swimsuit and go for a swim.

CORRECT:      I decided to put my swimsuit on and go for a swim.

RULE:       You are missing the word on after swimsuit . The phrasal verb put on means “get dressed.” The verb put without on means “to place.”

27. Modal error

INCORRECT:      I will like to have a better job.

CORRECT:      I would like to have a better job.

RULE:       Use would not will to express a desire for a different present. Use will to express a prediction.

28. Negation error

INCORRECT:      I was not very enjoy telling the bad news.

INCORRECT:      I did not really enjoy telling the bad news.

RULE:       To negate a Past Simple tense verb use did not instead of was not . Use was/were not for adjectives and nouns instead.

INCORRECT:      We did not happy when she told us.

CORRECT:      We were not happy when she told us.

RULE:       Use was not or were not to negate adjectives and nouns.

INCORRECT:      I don’t have gone there before.

CORRECT:      I haven’t gone there before.

RULE:       Negate the Present Perfect by putting not or n’t after the auxiliary have or has.

INCORRECT:      Did you know that animals have not the same rights around the world?

CORRECT:      Did you know that animals do not have the same rights around the world?

RULE:       In North American English, negate the verb “have” by adding the auxiliary do and not or n’t .

29. Non-standard phrase

INCORRECT:      In life, you have to accept the goods and the bads.

CORRECT:      In life, you have to accept the ups and downs.

 RULE:      This is a non-standard phrase. The usual way to express this idea in English is to say ups and downs or pluses and minuses.

30. One word written as two

CORRECT:      My class is in the after noon.

INCORRECT:      My class is in the afternoon.

RULE:        This word sequence is usually spelled together as one word. Here is a short list of other combinations that should be written together: lookout, ourselves, overweight, straightjacket, workplace

31. Past tense error

INCORRECT:      I have been living here since I am born.

CORRECT:      I have been living here since I was born.

RULE:        The phrase “since I am” means “because I am”. However, “since I was born” means “from the day that I was born”.

INCORRECT:      She has arrived yesterday.

CORRECT:      She arrived yesterday.

RULE:        You cannot use the Present Perfect with a specific time in the past. Use the Past Simple instead.

32. Perfect infinitive error

INCORRECT:     I often wonder how many opportunities I would had had if I had finished university.

CORRECT:     I often wonder how many opportunities I would have had if I had finished university.

RULE:        There is a problem here with the perfect infinitive in this sentence. You cannot follow a modal with a past form. The correct form is modal + have + past participle.

33. Plural-Singular error

INCORRECT:      It hurt my feeling .

CORRECT:      It hurt my feelings .

RULE:       When we talk about emotional pain, we use the word feeling with an -s on the end. It is never singular. However, if we want to talk about a sensation, we can can use feeling without an -s. For example, we say I have a strange feeling in my stomach .

INCORRECT:       I am wearing a short and a t-shirt.

CORRECT:       I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

RULE:       Some nouns are always plural. Here is a short list: shorts, jeans, pajamas, scissors, pliers, news, politics, sports.

34. Possessive form error

INCORRECT:       The accident was no one fault.

CORRECT:       The accident was no one’s fault.

RULE:        When the fault belongs to no one, then a possessive form is needed.

INCORRECT:       My keys are in my coat’s pocket.

CORRECT:       My keys are in my coat pocket. OR My keys are in the pocket of my coat.

RULE:        You do not need a possessive form here. Use “coat” as a noun modifier instead. To talk about parts of non-living things, use the noun + noun structure or the of structure, like this:  in the left pocket of my blue  coat .

35. Preposition error

INCORRECT:       I live at Montreal.

CORRECT:       I live in Montreal.

RULE:        Use in for cities and towns. Use on for streets. Use at for a street address.

LINK:   See the visual guide to prepositions and try preposition practice activities   here .

36. Present Perfect error

INCORRECT:        It’s been 5 years that I work here.

CORRECT:        I have worked here for 5 years.

RULE:        Use the Present Perfect for past events that include the present.

INCORRECT:        I am living here since 2012.

CORRECT:        I have lived here since 2012.

37. Pronoun antecedent error

INCORRECT:        This article is about how people learn words and remember it.

CORRECT:        This article is about how people learn words and remember them.

RULE:        In this sentence, the singular pronoun it incorrectly refers to the plural antecedent words . Your pronoun should agree in number with its antecedent. Use them with a plural antecedent.

38. Punctuation error

INCORRECT:        Education should be free .

CORRECT:        Education should be free.

RULE:        Do not put a space before a punctuation mark. Put the space after it.

39. Quantifier error

INCORRECT:        How much people were there at the party?

CORRECT:        How many people were there at the party?

RULE:        Use much with singular or uncountable nouns and many with plural nouns.

40. Question form error

INCORRECT:        Are you work here?

CORRECT:        Do you work here?

RULE:        Use a form of the auxiliary do with simple aspect verbs in questions. Use are for adjectives and nouns.

INCORRECT:        Did you are tired after work?

CORRECT:        Were you tired after work?

RULE:        Use a form of the auxiliary do with simple aspect verbs in questions. Use a form of be for adjectives and nouns.

41. Quoted and reported speech

INCORRECT:        I said, « The test is on Tuesday. »

CORRECT:        I said, “The test is on Tuesday.”

RULE:        In English, we do not use « » for quoted speech . We use “ “ instead. (Hint: you can find the double quote symbol on the French keyboard above the number 2 key.)

INCORRECT:        She said, that I was wrong.

CORRECT:        She said that I was wrong.

RULE:        Do not put a comma before reported speech (also known as an indirect quotation).

42. Redundant phrase and wordiness error

INCORRECT:        I think practicing English with classmates is equally as effective.

CORRECT:        I think practicing English with classmates is as effective.

RULE:        Do not say equally as . Use either equally or as on its own.

INCORRECT:        The college has sent everyone an invite to the event.

CORRECT:        The college has sent everyone an invitation to the event.

RULE:        The word invite used as a noun is slang. Avoid slang in formal writing. Here is a list of slang words that should be avoided in the formal register: anyways, gonna, kinda, sorta, wanna, ain’t

44. (Common) Spelling Errors

INCORRECT:        Come whit me.

CORRECT:        Come with me.

INCORRECT:        Wich one do you want?

CORRECT:        Which one do you want?

INCORRECT:        I tought you liked that.

CORRECT:        I thought you liked that.

INCORRECT:        I like my program even tough it is difficult.

CORRECT:        I like my program even though it is difficult.

INCORRECT:        I live in Montréal, Québec .

CORRECT:        I live in Montreal, Quebec .

RULE:        Avoid using diacritics in English. They can appear (cliché, fiancé, resumé) but are never compulsory.

INCORRECT:        This is begining to make sense.

CORRECT:        This is beginning to make sense.

RULE:        Double a final single consonant before an – ing or – ed suffix when both of these conditions apply: (a) one vowel precedes the consonant; and (b1) it is a one-syllable word or (b2) a stressed syllable.

INCORRECT:        flys, ladys, citys, enemys, puppys, armys, supplys, skys, partys, librarys, relys, marrys, theorys, studys

CORRECT:        flies, ladies, cities, enemies, puppies, armies, supplies, skies, parties, libraries, relies, marries, theories, studies

RULE:        Change the y to -ie before adding –s when preceded by a consonant.

45. Verb agreement error

INCORRECT:   One of my friends are driving.

CORRECT:        One of my friends is driving.

RULE:        Make sure your verb agrees with its subject. The noun phrase one of my friends is singular and therefore requires the singular form is not are .

46. Tense shift

INCORRECT:        At lunch, Jane pointed straight at me, and she says , “You are a liar!”

CORRECT:        At lunch, Jane pointed straight at me, and she said , “You are a liar!”

RULE:        Do not shift from a past tense verb to a present tense arbitrarily in the same sentence.

INCORRECT:        I stayed with her for a while to be sure that she will be okay.

CORRECT:        I stayed with her for a while to be sure that she would be okay.

RULE:        Use would not will in a sentence describing past events.

Practice finding tense shift errors . 

Practice correcting tense shift errors . 

47. Word choice error

INCORRECT:        There are less people applying to Liberal Arts programs these days.

CORRECT:        There are fewer people applying to Liberal Arts programs these days.

RULE:         Less is the comparative form of the adjective little . Use less with uncountable nouns like salt or time . Fewer is the comparative form of few . Use fewer with countable nouns like people and cars.

48. Word form error

INCORRECT:        I was boring , so I thought it would be fun to go on a trip and visit the island.

CORRECT:        I was bored, so I thought it would be fun to go on a trip and visit the island.

RULE:        “Boring” is the wrong form of the verb “to bore” for this context. An easy way to remember the difference between “boring” and “bored” is anything that is “boring” is the cause of the boredom and anyone who is “bored” is affected by boredom. In this case you were affected by boredom.

49. Word order error

INCORRECT:        My girlfriend has blonde straight long hair.

CORRECT:        My girlfriend has long straight blonde hair.

RULE:        Adjectives appear in a particular order:   → size  → shape  → colour  → NOUN

INCORRECT:        I am not enough good , and there is not time enough to practice.

CORRECT:        I am not good enough , and there is not enough time to practice.

RULE:        Put the word enough after adjectives but before nouns.

50. Your or you’re

INCORRECT:        Everybody knows your crazy.

CORRECT:        Everybody knows you’re crazy.

RULE:  Your is a possessive word. You’re is the contracted form of you + are. When you want to link a pronoun to an adjective like crazy , use you’re not your.

INCORRECT:        Is that you’re coat?

CORRECT:        Is that your coat?

RULE:        When you want to indicate possession, use your. You’re is the contracted form of you + are.

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• Citation Styles

Common essay writing mistakes and how to avoid them

Whether you’re writing a research paper , an argumentative essay , or an exploratory essay , there are some key mistakes that you want to avoid. In this post, we discuss common essay writing mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to stay on topic

One common mistake when writing essays is failing to stay on topic. It's important to stay focused on the main idea and avoid introducing tangential information that does not contribute to the overall argument.

The best way to counteract this is by revising your work throughout the writing process. If you revise your work systematically, you will catch those places in your paper where you might be going off topic.

2. Not properly citing sources

Another common mistake is not properly citing your sources. It's important to give credit to the authors of any sources that you use in your essay, whether you’re quoting directly from a source or simply paraphrasing it.

Not citing your sources can lead to plagiarism , which can have serious consequences. To help avoid plagiarism, use an accurate citation generator like BibGuru . A citation app like BibGuru will also save you time.

3. Poor structure and organization

Because academic essays are often written in multiple steps, papers can become disorganized and disconnected. It's essential to have a clear introduction , body, and conclusion in your paper, and to make sure that each paragraph is focused on a specific point that supports your overall argument.

To combat poor structure or organization, try creating an outline and reading your drafts aloud. These methods will help you construct a more organized paper.

4. Quoting too much

Another mistake to avoid is relying too heavily on quotes, without providing your own analysis or interpretation. While it's necessary to support your arguments with evidence, it's also important to demonstrate your own understanding and critical thinking skills.

Choose quotes wisely and be sure to provide adequate analysis. A basic rule of thumb is that your analysis should be at least as long as the quote that you’re analyzing.

5. Not supporting claims with evidence

Whenever you make a claim in your essay, you need to support it with proper evidence and analysis. Many writers make the mistake of making claims that are not backed up by research. To avoid this, make a clear outline that connects each claim with accompanying evidence from your sources.

You should always strive to avoid making generalizations that cannot be properly proved. Also, choose the best possible evidence from your research, not simply the first few results from Google or an academic database .

6 . Not proofreading

One of the biggest mistakes that academic writers make is not planning enough time to properly proofread their papers. Make time for proofreading your work before you turn it in.

Watch out for spelling or grammar mistakes and make note of places in your essay that may be confusing or overwritten. Aim for a tone that is appropriate for the audience and purpose of your essay.

7 . Procrastination

Finally, avoid procrastination. Writing an essay can be a time-consuming process and waiting until the last minute can lead to rushed and poorly written work. Make a plan and set aside dedicated time for researching, outlining, and writing your essay.

The bottom line

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can improve the quality of your essays and achieve better grades. Remember to give yourself enough time to plan, research, and write your essay, and to seek feedback from others to help improve your writing skills.

Frequently Asked Questions about common essay writing mistakes

Firstly, you should avoid procrastinating when you’re writing an essay. Other things to avoid include plagiarism, poor organization, and not proofreading.

A bad essay is poorly organized, full of grammar and spelling mistakes, wordy and digressive, and/or plagiarized.

Common essay writing mistakes include: failing to stay on topic, not properly citing sources, poor organization, quoting too much, not providing enough evidence and analysis, not proofreading, and procrastination.

The best essays have a well-written introduction, a clearly identifiable thesis, strong signposts, a state of the field or literature review, solid body paragraphs that present evidence and analysis, a clear conclusion, and an accurate bibliography.

Different types of essays may be harder to write than others. However, many writers struggle to come up with a clear and defendable thesis statement. Students also struggle with creating accurate citations and bibliographies.

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5 Common Essay Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Athina hansen.

• Writing Tips

Content Writer at Gradehacker

Updated January, 2023

How frustrating is it to hand in an essay you thought was good only to receive a low grade and a heap of corrections? That’s because you need to learn how to avoid essay common mistakes most students make!

Here at Gradehacker, we have years of experience helping students like you with custom-made essays for college students. We have come across many students who feel defeated as they keep receiving the same feedback on different essays. This can leave you feeling like you’re unable to fix the weaknesses in your writing to increase your grades and have a successful essay.  

Many of those corrections you might find spread throughout your essay are common mistakes in essay writing ! Though you may feel alone in repeating the same mistakes, this is not the case.

Excellent essay writing is a skill you need to complete college successfully . In this article, we share the five most common essay mistakes we have observed in essays and how to avoid them. 

This way, you can solve these essay mistakes and get that A+ essay you desire!

5 Common Essay Mistakes

Mistake #1: thesis statement problems.

A thesis statement is a sentence located at the end of your introduction paragraph that lays out the argument you will be making in your essay and the points that you will include to back this up.

Writing a Vague Thesis Statement

What makes a thesis statement vague and prevents you from making a meaningful essay is leaving out the points that will support why your argument is valid .

Let’s take a look at an example of a vague thesis statemen t:

Children should eat vegetables.

Does this thesis statement make the reader confident that children should eat their vegetables?

This thesis statement isn’t convincing because it presents an argument without any justification . It does not include why children should eat their vegetables.

How do I Make a Strong Thesis Statement?

When crafting a thesis statement, you have to remember to include the why aspect .

When you have an argument, ask yourself, “why is this so?” The answer to this question will be the points that will support your argument and must be included in the thesis statement.

Taking this into account, let’s tweak the previous thesis statement:

“Children should eat vegetables because they provide the necessary nutrients for growth, protect against diseases, and are an excellent fiber source.”

Compare the previous thesis statement to this one. This one sounds a lot more convincing, doesn’t it? This thesis statement was improved by simply including points that back up the claim.

We asked ourselves, why should children eat vegetables? And added on to the thesis statement by putting our answer after a ‘because.’

Thesis statements don’t always address a “why is this so?”. Sometimes, they address a “how did (any event) happen?”

That means that if asking yourself, “Why?” does not fit your thesis statement, ask yourself, “How?” When answering either a why or how, always include your answer as the supporting points.

Ensure you do not just include an empty statement, but you also make a complete sentence to justify your statement.

Choosing a Non-Justifiable Thesis Statement

Another mistake is choosing a thesis statement that you are not able to justify extensively . If you find that you chose a thesis statement but are struggling to find points that will support it, you are making this mistake!

You can end up with a non-justifiable thesis statement for two reasons:

• There aren't many facts out there to support the point you make in your thesis statement
• You chose a thesis statement before researching thoroughly and only based on your personal opinion

If you have a non-justifiable thesis statement, it will affect your entire essay! Your body paragraphs, which elaborate on the supporting points, will suffer as you end up justifying more with opinions instead of facts and information.

How do I Ensure my Thesis Statement Can be Justified?

Simply put, stick to the facts! And avoid:

• Choosing a thesis statement before researching a topic
• Picking an argument that has little evidence out there

Do not be afraid to change your thesis statement! Because you will end up losing more time and points on your grade if you stay put with a thesis statement that isn’t easy to justify.

Here’s a visual template you can follow to know if your thesis statement is appropriate for your paper o not. 

Don’t Forget About the Thesis Statement Throughout the Entire Essay

So, we pointed out that having a good thesis statement is a must-have , but is that it? No! 

A big mistake is including a thesis statement but not connecting back to it throughout your essay.

This common mistake occurs when we lose sight of it in the writing process. We may follow our essay plan and include the points we planned but forget to relate these back to the essay’s stance.

This error involves leaving the thesis statement in the introduction and forgetting about it in the rest of your essay.

How do Address The Thesis Statement Throughout The Entire Essay?

To avoid this, you must understand that each body paragraph(s) explores a separate point supporting your thesis statement.

Have your thesis statement in sight while writing , so you can always be reminded of your essay’s general argument. When you include evidence or facts within a body paragraph, always explain how this backs up your general thesis statement points.

Think of your thesis statement as a string to which each body paragraph is connected and ties back to.

 If you want to learn how to come up with an outstanding thesis statement in a few minutes, check out our video!

Mistake #2: Including Hard-to-Read Sentences

Have you ever had someone else read your essay and ask, what are you trying to say? 

Hard-to-read sentences are common errors found in essays. Many include fancy words and long sentences, thinking it will make them sound “academic.”

These sentences, you think, sound academic but will just be confusing to the reader if they are not concise and have superfluous words.

While academic writing does involve formal words and academic language, simple sentences that show clarity is one of the most important things!

How do I Make my Sentences Readable?

Nowadays you can use many online readers and grammar editors that will help you make your sentences easier to read and more accurate. 

Usually, online editors look like this:

Getting someone else to read your essay is a great way to avoid having hard-to-read sentences. Having another pair of eyes look over your essay will allow them to catch which sentences are difficult to understand.

You can also highlight lengthy sentences in your essay , review them, and ask yourself:

• Is this sentence difficult to read?
• Will this sentence be clearer if I shorten it?
• Will this sentence be more exact if I change the words?

Hemingway Editor is also a great online tool that points out confusing sentences that are hard to read and lengthy. You can learn more about it in our in-depth review .

Mistake #3 Disorganized Essay Structure

Sometimes, even though the ideas you brainstormed for your essay and the evidence you found are excellent, your essay’s structure is not great .

Having a clear and organized structure is what makes or breaks an essay. It facilitates getting your point across.

However, many students don’t pay much attention to the structure and end up with an essay with no apparent organization.

When you don’t have a good essay structure, your paragraphs will seem like they come from a different essay topic that does not relate to one another or flow effortlessly.

How do I Better Structure my Essay?

The only way to avoid this is to structure your essay before writing! This involves planning out each part of your essay, your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion .

You can make a bullet point list of what you will write in each section and remember each section is supposed to work together to illustrate a point. This point that each body paragraph needs to work together to present is the argument in your thesis statement.

When planning out what to write in each section, don’t forget to list out:

• The thesis statement in the introduction
• The evidence you will use in your body paragraphs to prove each point
• How each point relates to and backs up your thesis statement
• The significance of your argument in the conclusion

This is an example of a good essay structure you can follow so your writing can flow flawlessly. 

Make sure to limit each body paragraph to one idea so the structure isn’t confusing. Also, don’t forget to include transition words between paragraphs so that your essay flows nicely.

Always tie everything back to the thesis statement; this will make sure your paragraphs connect to one another.

Mistake #4: Rewording the Introduction for the Conclusion

There is a widespread misconception that all you need to do in a conclusion is reword the introduction. Yes, you cannot forget to revisit the points you make throughout the essay, but a conclusion is not the same as an introduction !

This is why students make the common mistake of not including the bigger picture of their academic essay.

Another mistake is beginning your conclusion with a generic term that marks finality, such as “in conclusion.”

How do I Make my Conclusion Better?

You should check whether your conclusion does these things:

• Revisit the points you made and how this supports the thesis statement
• Reflect on the argument you made and the "bigger picture"
• Mention any further implications of your argument

Try not to begin your conclusion with a generic phrase like ‘in conclusion,’ as these sound amateur. Also, a conclusion should be able to be identified without these introductory phrases .

If you want more tips on how to improve your essay conclusion , take a look at our quick video!

Mistake #5 Not Editing Your Essay Thoroughly

The biggest mistake you can make is not editing your essay thoroughly before handing it in .

By not rereading your essay, your silly mistakes will distract from what you are trying to say . Any mistakes, such as typos or punctuation mistakes, will make your essay harder to read for your professor and disrupt the point you are trying to make.

Skipping this final step in the essay-writing process will rid you of the chance of perfecting your essay and fixing any mistakes . This simple step has a significant impact on getting you from a C or B to an A!

How do I Revise my Essay Better?

Proofread your essay and pay attention to any:

• Grammatical mistakes
• Spelling mistakes
• Punctuation mistakes
• Not relating back to the overall message (thesis statement)
• Disorganized structure/flow

Asking someone other than yourself to read your essay is very helpful in the revision process. As they are in the reader’s position, they can see which areas are necessary to correct and give you suggestions.

Grammarly is an online tool you can use in the revision process to pick up any grammar and punctuation mistakes you did not catch. If you want more information about it, you can read our honest review to see its benefits, features, and costs!

Learning From Common Essay Mistakes

The best way to avoid making essay mistakes is to identify them in your work and learn from them. Keep these five common errors in essay writing in mind in the essay writing process . You will definitely see an improvement in your essay writing quality.

It is essential to complete each step of essay writing ( research, writing, editing ) precisely. Skipping one of these steps or completing one of these steps half-heartedly will impact your essay’s grade.

We know from personal experience and through our clients, that college essays are not a piece of cake! They involve skill not only in terms of content, but in terms of citing properly and finishing them in a timely manner.

But if you are in a rush or maybe you continue struggling with one essay or even a whole class , we can help you! Here at Gradehacker we have years of experience in the essay writing industry, and offer a variety of services to assist students like you achieve the grades they deserve!

If you need more tips on how to improve your essay writing skills, check out some of our related articles!

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Punctuation in Academic Writing: Common Errors | Examples

Published on April 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 19, 2023.

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These pages outline some of the most important punctuation rules and common mistakes. Punctuation misuse often causes or is caused by other kinds of mistakes, usually on the level of sentence structure.

• Quotation marks (“”)
• Apostrophes (‘)
• Semicolons (;)
• Dashes (– and —)
• Parentheses ( )
• Question marks (?)

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bryson, S. (2023, July 19). Punctuation in Academic Writing: Common Errors | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/language-rules/punctuation-mistakes/

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Last Updated: October 11, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 7,709 times.

No matter what field you're in, you will need to write an essay at some point in your life. Essays can be written in a variety of fields of study, styles, and genres. The amount of time dedicated to constructing an essay varies greatly from one assignment to the next. However, one of the ways that you can cut down on the amount of time spent writing an essay is to avoid common essay mistakes by learning how to compose an essay properly.

Pre-Writing

• For example, you do not want to compare all of Africa to all of Asia because that topic would be too broad or too general. Instead, you might write an essay that compares the Great Wall of China and the Great Pyramids of Giza, which is focused and specific topic, and which would provide you with enough information to craft an essay that is an appropriate length.

• Reading books on your selected topic.
• Browsing scholarly peer-reviewed articles on your topic. These articles can be found through your school’s library online databases and through search engines like Google Scholar.
• Reading magazine and news articles on your topic.
• Listening to radio interviews or podcasts about your topic.

• Wikipedia [4] X Research source
• Personal Blogs
• Vlogs or video blogs
• Satirical websites
• If you do read an article from a site like Wikipedia, check out the citations provided at the end of the article. Use those sources, rather than the Wikipedia article, in your essay.

• An introduction
• A thesis (your main argument or the main point of your essay)
• Supporting examples
• A conclusion

• An example of an arguable thesis would be: The government should decriminalize all drug use and rather than implementing punishment for people caught using drugs, a drug rehabilitation program should be put into place.

• Avoid ambiguous words, or words that shift in meaning depending on context. [11] X Trustworthy Source US Department of Health and Human Services Federal department responsible for improving the health and well-being of Americans Go to source
• Use words that have force or urgency by using active voice and avoiding passive voice. [12] X Research source
• Avoid professional jargon, highly technical terminology, or overly specialized terms, unless the audience has background knowledge on the subject. If you end up using a technical term or jargon for an article intended to be understood by anyone, be sure to define and explain it in simple terms.
• Utilize words that are understandable to a wide range of readers to avoid creating a document with an exclusionary readership, which will alienate all other readers.
• Avoid clichés. [13] X Research source You might like the idea of a cliché because it is easy to use, but clichés are frowned upon in essays. Clichés are old and overused turns of phrase. [14] X Research source Rather than using a cliché, you should be inventive and consider a new way to say what you might have otherwise communicated as a cliché. Consider avoiding the following:

• For example, if you are writing an essay on why the sky is blue, your essay would read very differently depending upon whether you are writing it for a college professor or for a class of elementary school children. Despite the fact that the reason for the sky being blue remains the same, your writing style and the included content (technical information, citations, explanation, and examples) should differ between the two audiences.

• Do I follow the appropriate structure?
• Do I have a strong thesis statement/main argument at the end of my introduction paragraph?
• Does everything that follows my thesis statement work to support it?
• Have I used enough outside sources?
• Have I properly incorporated my sources into my work?
• Have I properly cited my sources?
• Is my essay specific in its argumentation and logic?
• Is my writing clear and concise enough for a reader to follow without issue?

Editing and Proofreading

Expert Q&A

• Avoid clichés. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid generalizations. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Procrastination will result in stress and frustration when you have a looming deadline. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure that you understand the assignment before you begin working on it to avoid confusion. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be a great essay writer immediately. Success comes with practice. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Never hand in your first draft as a completed essay. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ http://canuwrite.com/essay_topic.php
• ↑ http://young.scot/information/learning/how-to-do-research-for-an-essay/
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2010/march/The-Top-10-Reasons-Students-Cannot-Cite-or-Rely-on-Wikipedia.html
• ↑ http://www.jessicatiffin.org/common-student-essay-errors/
• ↑ https://www.sterling.edu/documents/academics/ThesisStatement.pdf
• ↑ http://www.jessicatiffin.org/common-student-essay-errors/#2
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
• ↑ http://www.hhs.gov/web/building-and-managing-websites/web-requests/write-in-plain-language/index.html
• ↑ http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CCS_activevoice.html
• ↑ http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/10-tips-to-bypass-cliche-and-melodrama
• ↑ http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-to-avoid-clichés
• ↑ http://www.gbcnv.edu/documents/ASC/docs/00000057.pdf
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/vocabulary/

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What's up, everyone? I'm starting to work on my college essays and I want to avoid common pitfalls that could make my essay look bad. Does anyone have examples of what NOT to do when writing a college essay? Any advice would be really helpful! Thanks!

Hey there! It's great that you're being proactive about avoiding common mistakes in your college essays. I'm happy to provide you with some examples and advice on what NOT to do when writing your essay:

1. Overused Topics: Avoid cliché topics like sports injuries, coming-of-age experiences, and sob stories about overcoming challenges. Those types of essays tend to be less engaging and fail to stand out among applicants. Instead, try to focus on personal, unique stories that showcase your personality and perspective.

2. Generic Writing: Stay away from generic statements or platitudes that don't actually say anything insightful about you. For instance, starting your essay with something like "I've always been passionate about..." is too vague and won't hook the reader. Begin your essay with an engaging anecdote or a creative hook that showcases your personality right from the start.

3. Not Being Authentic: Don't try to write what you think the admissions officers want to hear. Instead, be genuine and honest about your experiences, opinions, and goals. Your authenticity will shine through, and it's what will make your essay stand out.

4. Overusing Thesaurus: Using big, fancy words just for the sake of it often leads to awkward sentences and a fake, impersonal tone. Stick to your natural voice and use language that you're comfortable and familiar with.

5. Lack of Focus: Stay on topic and keep your essay focused on a central theme or idea. Avoid rambling or trying to include too many unrelated points. The reader should have a clear understanding of the message you're trying to convey.

6. Poor Grammar: It seems obvious, but it's crucial to proofread your essay for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. These minor mistakes can make your essay look unpolished and reflect poorly on you. Having someone else look over your essay can also help catch errors you might have missed.

7. Not Following Instructions: Make sure you're answering the specific essay prompt and adhering to the word count. Failing to do so could give the impression that you're not detail-oriented or didn't take the process seriously.

8. Negativity: While it's okay to discuss challenges and setbacks, avoid focusing solely on the negative aspects. Show how you've grown from those experiences and frame them in a positive light.

In short, the key to writing a successful college essay is to be authentic, focused, and engaging. Choose a unique topic and stay true to your voice, while avoiding overused themes and clichés. Best of luck with your college essays!

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Eight Common College Essay Mistakes

How to avoid the common mistakes.

Staring at a blank screen wondering what the heck to say in your college essay? We feel you. Personal essays can be among the most challenging communications to craft. Sometimes it’s almost easier to start with what not to write, so we’ve put together some of the most common mistakes we see students make when drafting college essays. Use this list as a starting point (and head in the opposite direction!).

College Essay Don’ts:

• Don’t: Use overly formal language and structure.  College essays are more informal in tone and style than what you’d write for school, and voice is a critical component of the essay: this essay should sound like you! Not your mom, your English teacher, or your family friend who is a professional writer. (Trust us, admissions officers can tell.)
• Don’t: List everything you’ve ever done. There’s no need to cram your life into one 650-word essay. Save all those extracurriculars for the application’s Activities section.
• Don’t: Be vague. Specific details help your essay pop and take it from good to great.
• Don’t: Tell instead of show. If you find yourself listing your positive attributes instead of sharing a story that illustrates those qualities, it’s time to reevaluate.
• Don’t: Write about overcoming an obstacle if you haven’t overcome one. Some students think they have to write about failures, challenges, or difficulties they’ve faced.  Not everyone has experienced life-altering obstacles yet – and that’s okay! You have other stories to tell.
• Don’t: Focus on someone else. There may be a really influential person in your life, and you may be able to write a great essay about that relationship, but don’t spend 650 words talking about how awesome that person is. You’re the one applying to college!
• Don’t: Share your essay with too many people. If you ask for feedback from 47 people, you will get 47 different responses, which can get confusing. Pick just a couple people you really trust to read your essay when you’re ready for feedback.
• Don’t: Wait until the last minute. The essay process can be exciting, empowering, and, dare we say it, fun – but not if you’re rushed. Get started early and you’ll stress less while giving that essay room to grow and breathe! After all, writing is a process, and it requires time and attention.

For more college essay guidance, check out these recordings of our recent college essay webinars. If you need more tips or support on structuring your college essay, contact us today.

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99 most common grammar mistakes

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Does proper grammar seem daunting to you? Not sure if you should use the word “irregardless” or “regardless” in a sentence? Or how to use an infinitive verb?

The English language is finicky enough that a single missing comma can radically change the meaning of, well, everything you were trying to say:

Let’s eat friends!  is more than a little creepy, while

Let’s eat, friends!  sounds warm and inviting.

It’s our hope that this guide helps you avoid such blunders.

99 most common grammar mistakes in writing

One of the questions our subscribers ask most, whether they’re  proofreading  pros or full-time students, is how they can avoid the most common grammar mistakes. In this list, we outline some of the most common grammatical errors we’re seeing, based on millions of data points from  Writer  subscribers.

1. Let’s vs. Lets

Let’s not get carried away here — this one is pretty simple:

Let’s = let us. As in, let us not get carried away here…

Lets = to make something possible. This checklist lets you write better.

2. Its vs. It’s

It’s simple:

It’s = it is. As in, it’s so dang cold outside.

Its = associated with something recently mentioned. As in, the weather has a mind of its own.

3. Your vs. You’re

Your is a possessive pronoun that describes ownership of an item: your jacket is sweet!

You’re is the contraction of you are: you’re probably glad you have that jacket.

4. May vs. Might

May indicates a possibility; might indicates a hypothetical probability. I may quit my job — even though I’m good at it.

Then again, I might get fired.

5. Lay vs. Lie

Lay describes the action of placing something flat: lay down, Fido!

Lie describes the status of something resting flat: Fido likes lying (lie-ing) down.

6. Affect vs. Effect

Affect implies action: “I want to affect the world in a positive way,” said Jane. Effect describes its result. “The effects of your intention should be good,” replied her friend. Find out more about Affect vs. Effect here.

7. Too obvious?

Is this one too obvious, or not? Based on what must be billions of text-message bloopers it’s probably worth mentioning! Too refers to, well, too much of something / too many of something: “I have too much money to live in such a small house.”

It can also be used as a form of agreement: “yeah, I feel that way too.”

8. To vs. two

Two is a number (you know, this one: 2). ‘To’ is a word meant to be used in all sorts of different ways.

9. There vs. their

There refers to a location; their refers to a designation:

“See that restaurant over there?” – “Yep, that’s their favorite one!”

10. Their vs. they’re

They’re = they are:

‘They’re going to love that restaurant!’ – “Yeah, like I said it’s their fav.”

11. Loose vs. lose

Loose refers to something that’s been let out of control. While lose-ing is the opposite of winning! “Don’t be afraid to let loose. After all, what do you have to lose?”

12. Peek vs. peak

Peek means to look at something; peak refers to the top of something.

“Can I take a peek of the scenery?” – “Sure, but I heard the view’s better from the peak”

13. Peak vs. pique

We already mentioned what peak means. Just in case you were wondering, though, don’t confuse it with pique, which means ‘to stir up’ — “my interest was piqued.”

14. Compliment vs. complement

While both of these words refer to nice things, their meanings are quite different. A compliment is something nice you tell someone; complement refers to things that go well together.

Here’s a brain-bending compliment: “Your shoes complement your outfit so well!”

15. Piece of mind vs. Peace of mind

A piece of mind refers to one’s perspective or opinion: “My neighbor’s truck is so loud, it’s about time I gave him a piece of my mind!”

Whereas peace of mind refers to a mental framework: “Yeah…all that noise is really hurting my peace of mind.”

16. Literally

If you use the word literally, be sure to use it, well, literally! Watered-down words are no good for anyone.

17. To comma or not to comma

Commas are tricky little beasts. Sometimes skipping an oxford comma or two (even if using one would be grammatically correct) is actually a good call, so trust your instinct.

“Once upon a time, there was this really good writer…”

“Yeah I heard she didn’t always use commas.”

18. Semicolons

Semicolons are actually more like periods than commas. They usher in a new train of thought.

Semicolons are actually more like periods than commas; they usher in a new train of thought.

19. Semicolons + commas

Sometimes, though, semicolons are best followed up by a comma; in cases such as these, it’s totally okay to use them both!

20. Semicolons vs. commas

Many times commas work just fine by themselves, so don’t use semicolons if you don’t need to.

Many times commas work just fine by themselves; so don’t use semicolons if you don’t need to. (Doesn’t that look awkward?)

21. Parentheses and periods

Normally periods and other punctuation marks go after parentheses (normally).

22. Periods inside parentheses

The exception is if you’re writing an entire sentence within parentheses — like the example in mistake #20 above.

23. Quotation placement

“Periods, commas, question marks, exclamation points, quotations within quotations, etc. should always be placed inside quotation marks,” he explained.

24. Unless you’re outside the United States

That’s right: in most other countries, punctuation marks actually go outside quotations. Go figure.

25. Plural or singular!

It really don’t sound good if you doesn’t stay consistent with plural and singular forms…

26. Hyphens vs. dashes

A hyphen, like the one to the right, connects two or more inter-related words — a dash, like the one just to the left, connects two or more related thoughts.

27. En dash or Em dash?

An en dash is about the width of the letter “N,” and it’s meant to show a range, like 1-10.

An em dash is longer — it’s meant to facilitate those fun connections we mentioned earlier.

28. Inappropriate hyphens

In general, don’t use hyphens to connect two parts of one word. The way we spelled ‘inter-related’ up there? Yeah…that’s incorrect. Unless you’re trying to prove a point.

29. Missing dashes

On the other hand, don’t rule out the use of hyphens entirely. They can be insanely-awesomely-silly-ly useful!

30. Don’t be too negative

Actually, forget that — be positive. After all, why negate a negative when you can present a positive instead?

31. The other kind of double negative…

Ever feel like you can’t do nothing right? Maybe like you can’t spell nothing correct at all? Please, don’t ever write like this. Unless you’re authoring a Southern-twanged novel or something.

32. Dot-dot-dot

Some people like doing dots like this…

Others like this method . . .

But feel free to use whatever resonates most with you.

33. Dash spacing

And some people don’t like having spaces around their em dashes—they can get pretty particular about it. Best-selling author Tim Ferris leaves spaces around his, though — so apparently it doesn’t matter too much.

34. 50 cent(s)

This is like the mathematical version of the double-negatives we mentioned earlier. If you’re trying to denote a certain number of cents, either write out the full decimal, or list the number of cents:

50 cents, or $0.50

Don’t do both: $0.50 cents

…unless, of course, you really are talking about half of one cent…

35. The issue of marriage

In this case, marriage is only an issue if the term is used incorrectly:

“She was married with a football player.”

Saying “she was married to a football player” just sounds way better.

36. Each and every student

The term “every” almost always goes with a singular noun:

“Every student passed the test” is correct, while “every students passed the test” is not.

37. Although/but

The words although and but don’t often work well together. Try to use one of them or the other, not both!

Although it was raining, we still went outside.

It was raining, but we still went outside.

38. You and I

“Pam and me went to get some groceries” is incorrect;

“Pam and I went to get some groceries” is spot on.

39. Amount vs. number

‘Amount’ should be used for something uncountable: “a large amount of dirt.”

‘Number’ should be used for things you can quantify: “a large number of people.”

40. Fewer vs. less

‘Less’ should be used for something uncountable: “less dirt.”

‘Fewer’ should be used for things you can quantify: “fewer people.”

41. Shared possessions

If you’re sharing something, then it’s enough to use one apostrophe: This is Tim and Andy’s house.

42. That’s all well & good…

“I slept well” is correct; “I slept good” makes it sound like you need a little more sleep.

43. Or is it good & well?

If you’re describing the quality of something, however, ‘good’ can be a very good fit.

44. The police is coming!

Actually, the police are coming. Unless this is also part of that slang-infused novel you’re writing.

45. A vs. an

Do you have an idea of whether or not this sentence is grammatically correct? Hint: it is!

46. Amicable/amiable

‘Amicable’ should be used to describe pleasant meetings and such; ‘amiable’ should be used as a synonym for ‘kind.’

47. Write vs. right

This article is meant to help you write…the right way.

48. Beside/besides

“Want to sit beside me?” is more correct than “want to sit besides me?”

49. Farther/further

“Want to bike a little farther?” is more correct than “want to bike further?”

50. Can vs. may

‘Can’ implies an ability; ‘may’ implies a possibility.

51. Since/for

I’ve been in Europe for 3 weeks. I’ve been in Europe since the first. If you try swapping ‘since’ and ‘for’ in the above sentences, it just doesn’t work.

52. No one vs. anyone

“He didn’t know nobody” is incorrect; “he didn’t know anyone” is much better.

53. More smart, or smarter?

If you want to sound smarter, try to avoid talking about being “more smart” than others!

54. A lot/alot

Did you know that ‘alot’ isn’t a word? Use ‘a lot’ instead

55. Alot/Allot

Unless, of course, what you’re really trying to say is ‘allot,’ a word which means “to give or assign.”

56. Wreck vs. wreak

The wreck wreaked havoc on several of the cars involved.

57. Pore vs. pour

A pore is a small opening; a pour is what’s done to a drink!

58. Ran vs. run

“I ran fast” and “I run fast” are both correct, but they do have slightly different meanings. If you’re still pretty quick, use the ‘run’ version.

59. Suppose so?

You’re supposed to use ‘suppose’ in the above type of situation.

60. Collocations

Some words just go better together. “Due to the fact that” is one prime example. If you use collocations like these, don’t try to divide them up!

61. Got know-how?

“I know how to write.” “I’ve got business writing know-how.” While both of these sentences are grammatically correct, one is much less awkward than the other.

62. Keep tense consistent!

“I went to the grocery store and buy some eggs.” → See how improper that sounds? Make sure you keep your tense consistent, whether it’s past or present or future tense you’re talking about.

63. Unless you’re talking about something universal…

If you’re talking about a timeless truth, though, you can switch your tense up a little:

“‘The earth revolves around the sun,’ his parents explained.”

64. Seniority

“He’s senior to me” works, and so does “he’s older than me”…but don’t try to flip these around: “he’s senior than me” and “he’s older to me” are both wrong.

65. Neither/nor

‘Neither’ and ‘nor’ go great together: “She was neither stronger nor faster, but she was still a great athlete.”

66. Cardinal vs. ordinal

Cardinal numbers deal in absolutes; this is grammar mistake #66. Ordinal numbers deal with positions; this is the 66th grammar mistake listed.

67. Spell it out

Typically numbers under 10 should be spelled out, though there may be one or two valid exceptions to this rule.

68. Missing articles

Don’t forget to put the word ‘the’ before appropriate items: the book, the blog , the article, and so on.

69. One should stay consistent

If you’re speaking about another person, use consistent pronouns: “One should stay consistent when they are writing” sounds much better than “one should stay consistent when he is writing.”

70. Hard vs. hardly

“Writing is hard.” → Correct

“Writing is hardly hard when you use  Writer .” → Also correct!

71. Hardly vs. hardy

“Carrots are very hardly vegetables.” → ??

“Carrots are very hardy vegetables.” → Correct.

72. First come, first served?

Though most people (i.e., restaurants) will say “first come, first serve,” what makes much more sense is “first come, first served.”

73. Shoulda woulda coulda

‘Should of,’ ‘would of,’ and ‘could of’ are actually all incorrect, though they might sound decent enough.

The proper usage, of course, is ‘should’ve,’ ‘would’ve,’ and ‘could’ve.’ These are contractions for “should have,” “would have,” and “could have.”

74. Wait, so you could or couldn’t care less?

Many people use the phrase I could care less’ to describe something they don’t really care about. If you think about it, though, what they’re trying to say is that they  couldn’t  care less.

75. “I” shouldn’t come last

“At the restaurant, it was just her and I” just doesn’t sound as good as “At the restaurant, it was just me and her.”

76. But “me” shouldn’t come first

The above  writing mistake  also has an inverse:

“Me and her went to the restaurant” just doesn’t sound as good as “her and I went to the restaurant” — but that’s not right, either. Why? Because if you take away “I,” the sentence would read “her went to the restaurant.“ The correct usage is “She and I went to the restaurant.”

77. Apostrophe calamity

The Johnson’s. The 70’s. The Jones’s…life is simpler without all these apostrophe’s!

For plurals, try the Johnsons, the 70s, and (if you’re trying to keep up with them) the Joneses instead. But if the Joneses own something, it’s the Joneses’ (see number 93).

78. Mmm, expresso

While ‘expresso’ might sound correct to some, it’s actually spelled ‘espresso.’ Just FYI.

79. A sleight of hand

That’s right: a ‘slight of hand’ is actually incorrect!

80. Forte, niche, and other mispronunciations

Forte’s pronunciation =  fort .

Niche’s pronunciation =  neesh .

Just don’t spell either of them that way…

81. Exact revenge!

If you must have your revenge, don’t extract it, exact it!

82. Soggy appetites

“That really wet my appetite.” → Incorrect

“That really whet my appetite.” → Correct

83. Do your due diligence

See what we did there? It’s ‘due diligence,’ not ‘do diligence.’

84. Per say

‘Per se’ is a Latin phrase meaning ‘in itself’… per say  is how you pronounce it.

85. Worse comes to worst

While we’ve all heard the phrase “if worse comes to worse,” it doesn’t really make sense unless “worse” goes all the way to “worst.”

86. Chalk it up…

…don’t “chock it up.”

87. Free rein

To give “free rein” to something means to let go of control.

To give “free reign” implies kingship without effort.

88. Nip it where?

In the bud, not in the butt! For those unfamiliar, this phrase’s literal meaning refers to nipping flowers in the bud.

89. Disinterested vs. uninterested

These two terms aren’t actually synonyms. Being  disinterested  implies that you couldn’t care less; being  uninterested  means you care enough to turn your interest away.

90. Nauseous vs. nauseated

Don’t worry: almost everyone gets this one wrong. “Nauseous” technically means to be capable of making others nauseated; “nauseated” means not feeling well.

91. The impact of impactful

Is impactful a word? Contrary to what you may have heard, it is — so don’t let people tell you otherwise.

92. However vs. nevertheless

Fans of classic grammar will insist that sentences shouldn’t be started with “however,” at least not when they can be started with “nevertheless” instead. We’d say use whichever sounds better to you.

93. Too many s’s

When in doubt, drop the extra s. Arkansas’ is usually preferred over Arkansas’s, for example.

94. Run on sentences

Contrary to popular belief run-on sentences aren’t necessarily long they simply occur when commas and/or other types of punctuation are missing like this.

95. Too many commas

Using too many commas, on the other hand, isn’t good either, because it can reduce the casual flow, from word to word, that you should strive for.

96. A break from parallel

“He was studying math, science, and digital photos” might not sound that bad, but why not say, “he was studying math, science, and digital photography” instead?

97. Sentence splice

I wanted to cook a great dinner, however I was just too tired.

I wanted to cook a great dinner; however, I was just too tired.

I wanted to cook a great dinner. However, I was just too tired.

The first of these three sentences is incorrect. Why? Because it’s spliced together without the appropriate punctuation.

98. Misplaced semicolons

On the other hand; using semicolons where they’re not needed (say, in place of commas) isn’t good either.

99. Incorrect capitalization

You probably know to capitalize proper nouns and the first word of each sentence. But sometimes you also need to capitalize after a semicolon or the first word of a quote.

Christine explained, “Community is key to building a successful online business.”

7 major types of grammatical errors

Bad grammar can make a poor first impression, whether you’re writing a business email or  messaging a potential date . People tend to make assumptions about your abilities based on how you communicate. If you’ve made it this far and want to learn how to write better , let’s look at some examples of bad grammar.

• Verb tense errors

One of the most common grammar mistakes is using the wrong verb tense. The verb tense tells your reader when the action takes place: in the past, present, or future. When writing anything, you want to be consistent on verb tense unless there is a good reason to switch tenses.

The mistake:  I drive to the store and I bought shoes.

Why it’s wrong:  A verb tense shift happens when the writer changes tense in a sentence or paragraph. In this case,  drive  is present tense and  bought  is past tense.

The correction:  You should change  drive  to  drove , or change  bought  to  buy  to make the sentence correct. Be mindful of shifting tenses within a paragraph.

Subject-verb agreement

The subject of the sentence (the person or thing doing the action) and verb (the action) in a sentence must agree with each other. If the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb must be singular. If it’s plural, the verb must be plural also.

The mistake:  Michael and Sue is going to the beach.

Why it’s wrong:  “Michael and Sue” are plural. The auxiliary verb “is” is singular, which is a lack of agreement.

The correction:  The sentence should read, “Michael and Sue are going to the beach.”

Comma splice

A common punctuation mistake is the comma splice. A comma splice happens when two separate sentences take place rather than using a period or semicolon.

The mistake:  I went to Steve’s house, and ate lunch.

Why it’s wrong:  Writers often use a comma splice when they connect two independent clauses with a comma rather than a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

The correction:  Use commas to separate two independent clauses when they are joined by coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, for, so, yet. In the compound sentence above, “and ate lunch” doesn’t have a subject, so you don’t need to add a comma before “and”.

Small punctuation errors like this seem like a small thing, but punctuation helps guide readers through your text smoothly. You can use a punctuation checker to double check your work and correct these grammar errors in minutes.

Misplaced or dangling modifiers

A  misplaced modifier  is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from the word it modifies or describes. A dangling modifier is a grammatical error where the modifying word is too far away from the subject of the sentence, or there is no subject.

Sentences with these mistakes often sound awkward or confusing. But don’t worry, misplaced and dangling modifiers are common writing mistakes and even trouble the experts in English grammar.

The mistake:  Disappointed, the story took me forever to write.

Why it’s wrong:  The modifier should be as close as possible to the thing it modifies. Since the subject of the sentence is disappointed (not the story), the sentence should have the speaker and modifier closer.

The correction:  The sentence should read, “I was disappointed by how long the story took me to write.”

• Overuse of adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes a verb—they often end in -ly. Writers use adverbs to give more information about the verb and make it more descriptive. Using adverbs every so often isn’t bad grammar, but too many can mean poor verb choices.

The mistake: The wedding went really bad.

Why it’s wrong:  The adverb “really bad” modifies the verb “went”. While “really bad” gets the point across, does it really paint a picture for the reader?

The correction:  Use a more descriptive sentence like “the wedding was a disaster” instead.

Passive voice

English grammar experts and teachers consider passive voice a bad writing habit. With the passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. It’s recommended to turn passive constructions into active voice, where the subject does the action of the verb in a sentence. Active voice can make your writing stronger and more direct.

The mistake:  The car was driven by Chris.

Why it’s wrong:  The last words in the sentence “by Chris” make up a preposition that tells the reader who is performing the action. Even though Chris is performing the action, he is not the subject of the sentence. You could remove him from the sentence entirely using passive voice.

The correction:  The active voice construction would be “Chris drove the car”.

Sentence errors

Sentence structure mistakes are one of the most common grammatical errors. You can break down sentence errors into three categories: sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and overloaded sentences.

• Sentence fragments

Sentence fragments are clauses that miss one of the following elements: a subject, a verb, a complete thought. You often miss fragments because they are no big deal in  spoken grammar , aka conversation, but can make a big impact on your writing’s clarity.

The mistake:  He still loved his parents. Despite everything that had happened.

Why it’s wrong:  The second sentence “despite everything that had happened” has no subject or verb. You depend on the first sentence to give the second one meaning.

The correction:  The complete sentence for this clause is “Despite everything that happened, he still loved his parents.”

• Run-on sentences

Run-on sentences, also known as fused sentences, happen when two complete sentences are brought together without any punctuation or conjunction, such as a semicolon or period. Run-on sentences don’t have to be long to be considered grammatically incorrect.

The mistake:  Yesterday was the best day ever my family and I began our ski vacation.

Why it’s wrong:  There is more than one idea communicated by two independent clauses.

The correction:  Yesterday was the best day ever! My family and I began our ski vacation.

• Overloaded sentences

An overloaded sentence is one that squashes too much information together and, as a result, becomes hard to understand for readers.

The mistake:  Youth league coaches need to understand that the education of a child is a big undertaking and should be done with care and consistency so that the child can gain maximum benefit from each training in order to set a solid foundation for any follow-up teaching.

Why it’s wrong:  A good sentence focuses on one idea. The example above wanders around and takes too much mental effort before understanding the point.

The correction:  Youth league coaches need to understand that the education of a child is a big undertaking. It should be done with care and consistency. That way, children can get the most from each training and set a solid foundation for any future teaching.

Related reading:  An Introduction to AI Writing Software

Lowering the number of grammar mistakes in your writing

They say rules are meant to be broken — and we’d agree, as long as one is talking about the core grammar rules. Sometimes a missing comma or random sentence splice can make good writing great! So don’t be afraid to follow your intuition. If you’re having fun, chances are your reader will be, too.

(For the words that matter most, take no chances! Make sure you’re using  Writer .)

Common grammar mistakes FAQ

What is a grammatical error.

A grammatical error refers to an occurrence of faulty, unconventional or controversial usage, such as a dangling modifier or possessive noun errors. Grammar errors are also called usage errors.

What are examples of grammatical errors?

• Faulty sentence structures
• Punctuation mistakes
• Passive voice misuse
• Dangling participles

How do you identify grammatical errors?

You can identify grammatical errors by using a grammar checker to find and fix errors, improve word usage, verb tense, and punctuation for English text.

What are the 10 most common grammar mistakes?

Using millions of data points from Writer subscribers, we identified 10 common grammar mistakes:

• Let’s vs. lets
• Its vs. it’s
• Your vs. You’re
• May vs. Might
• Lay vs. Lie
• Affect vs. Effect
• There vs. their vs. they’re
• Loose vs lose
• Peek vs. peak

What are three most common sentence errors?

--> “A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.” -->

May Habib CEO, Writer.com

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