Top 10 Student Writing Mistakes

1. Spelling mistakes
Many spelling mistakes occur when incorrect homophones (words with the same pronunciation, such as “right,” “rite,” and “write”) are used in a sentence.

Incorrect: Watch you’re words! Spell-check may not sea words that are miss used because they are spelled rite!

Correct:Watch your words! Spell check may not see words that are misused because they are spelled right!

2. Run-on sentences (no comma before a coordinating conjunction)
A coordinating conjunction connects two clauses that could be sentences on their own. You can use the acronym FANBOYS to remember the most common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Unless the clauses are very short and closely related, you need a comma before the conjunction. If you forget to put a comma before the conjunction, it becomes a run-on sentence.

Incorrect:My dog barks at the mailman but she’s too lazy to chase him.

Solution: Check to see if the clauses before and after the conjunction could be sentences on their own. If so, insert a comma before the conjunction.

Correct:My dog barks at the mailman, but she’s too lazy to chase him.

3. Sentence fragments
A sentence fragment is a sentence that’s missing a subject (the thing doing the action) or a verb (the action).

Incorrect:An epic all-nighter!

Solution: Add a subject or verb to the fragment, as needed.

Correct:I pulled an epic all-nighter!

4. No comma after an introductory phrase
An introductory phrase provides some background information and is usually followed by a comma. The comma is optional when the phrase is very short.

Incorrect:While a Thanksgiving commercial played on the TV she was at the library trying to study for her final exams.

Correct:While a Thanksgiving commercial played on the TV, she was at the library trying to study for her final exams.

Correct:At long last I made it home. OR: At long last, I made it home.

5. Wordiness
A sentence is wordy if it uses more words than necessary to convey meaning. Wordiness often makes writing unclear.

Incorrect:Jessica ended up having to walk all the way home due to the fact that she missed the last train leaving Central Station.

Solution: Identify long phrases that can be replaced with a single word. Eliminate words that have the same meaning. Eliminate weak words, such as “basically” and “sort of.” Eliminate nonessential information.

Correct:Jessica walked home because she missed the last train.

6. Comma splicing
A comma splice occurs when you use a comma to connect two clauses that could be sentences on their own.

Incorrect:He bought back-to-school clothes, his mom bought a scarf.

Solution: Add a coordinating conjunction (remember: FANBOYS) after the comma, or change the comma to a period, semicolon, or colon.

Correct:He bought back-to-school clothes, and his mom bought a scarf. OR: He bought back-to-school clothes. His mom bought a scarf.

7. Comma misuse (inside a compound subject)
A compound subject uses a conjunction to connect more than one noun phrase.

Incorrect:My roommate, and his brother, went to see a movie.

Correct:My roommate and his brother went to see a movie.

8. No commas around interrupters
Interrupters are phrases that break the flow of a sentence to provide additional detail. Put commas around interrupters.

Incorrect:It was unfortunately the end of winter vacation.

Correct:It was, unfortunately, the end of winter vacation.

9. Squinting modifiers
A squinting modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that could modify the word before it or the word after it.

Incorrect:Students who study rarely get bad grades.

Solution: Put the modifier next to the word it should modify.

Correct:Students who rarely study get bad grades. OR: Students who study get bad grades rarely.

10. Subject-verb agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

Incorrect:Michael study at the library every day.

Correct:Michael studies at the library every day.

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