Grammar mistakes can spoil and question the quality of your essays’ quality. Be it a student, professional or occasional writer or an MBA applicant, grasp common grammatical mistakes to enhance clear communication. Here is an essay grammar errors guide and how to rectify them.
The Significance of Grammar in Essays
There are several reasons why good grammar is necessary in writing essays:
Clarity: Well-written essays should have no ambiguity as every idea must be expressed clearly.
Credibility: Your attention to detail and competence in using the language become evident through well-written articles.
Professionalism: Proper English reflects professionalism and courtesy towards your readership.
Common Grammar Mistakes in Essay Writing
Examples of common grammatical errors include:
Subject-Verb Agreement in Essay Writing
Mistake: Failing to match the subject with the correct verb form.
Example: "The team are winning."
Correction: "The team is winning."
Tip: In a sentence, ensure that the verb agrees with its subject either singularly or plurally.
Run-On Sentences in Essays
Mistake: Joining two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation.
Example: "She loves reading she goes to the library often."
Correction: "She loves reading, and she goes to the library often."
Tip: Independent clauses are separated by commas when accompanied by conjunctions like ‘and’, semicolon or period..
Sentence Fragments in Essay Writing
A mistake follows where one writes incomplete sentences without either a subject or verb included therein; an example is given below:
Example sentence fragment 1 “Because I was tired.”
Corrected sentence fragment 1 “I went to bed early because I was tired.”
Tips for Avoiding Sentence Fragment Errors Every sentence should have a subject, a verb, and express a complete thought.
Misplaced Modifiers
Mistake occurs when modifiers are placed far from the words they describe, leading to confusion; look at the example below:
Example 1 “She almost drove her kids to school every day.”
Corrected sentence 1 “She drove her kids to school almost every day.”
Tips on How to Avoid Misplacing Modifiers Place modifiers as close as possible to the words they modify.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement in Essay Writing
Mistake happens where pronouns disagree in number with antecedents; here is an example:
Example: "Everyone must bring their own lunch."
Correction: "Everyone must bring his or her own lunch."
Tip: A pronoun must be consistent in both number and gender with its antecedent.
Comma Splices
This occurs when a comma joins two independent clauses without adding a conjunction; read this example:
Example 1 “It was raining, I took an umbrella.”
Corrected sentence 1 “It was raining, so I took an umbrella.”
Tip: A comma always precedes a coordinating conjunction that separates two independent clauses or use semicolon and period instead of comma..
Incorrect Use of Apostrophes
One typical mistake involves a misplacement of apostrophe in contractions and possessive sentences as illustrated below:
Example: "Its a beautiful day."
Correction: "It's a beautiful day."
Tip: Contractions will always be marked by apostrophes (it’s = it is) while possession is demonstrated by the apostrophe s (the dog’s bone).
Confusing homophones in Essays
Mistakes: Confusing words that sound the same but differ in meaning.
Example: “Their going to the park.”
Correction: “They’re going to the park.”
Tip: Ensure you check your homophones to make sure you are using the right one.
Dangling Modifiers in Essay Writing
Mistake: Starting a sentence with a modifier that does not logically modify the subject.
Example: “Running to catch the bus, my book fell out of my bag.”
Correction: “Running to catch the bus, I dropped my book.”
Tip: Determine if what is described by the modifier matches with who or what is doing something else in the main clause.
Inconsistent Tense in Essays
Mistake: Shifting between different tenses within a sentence or paragraph.
Example: “She was walking to the store and buys some bread.”
Correction: “She was walking to the store and bought some bread.”
Tip: Use consistent verb tenses for clarity and coherence purposes.
Improper Use of Semicolons
Mistake. Using semicolons incorrectly between clauses or items.
Example. I have a big test tomorrow; I can’t go out tonight.
Correction. I have a big test tomorrow so I can’t go out tonight.
Tip. Use semicolons for closely related independent clauses or items in complex lists.
FAQs
What is the importance of peer review in grammar improvement for essays?
Permitting a new point of view, peer review of essays can help identify errors that you might not have noticed which makes peer review very important.
Why must I learn grammar rules for essays?
Correctly using and spotting errors in grammar results from understanding grammar rules so as to make your writing clear, expressive and effective.
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