Top 8 Common Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid to Get the Best Grade
What is the first thing to pop up in any essay writing prompt or grading rubric? Yes, you guessed it right - grammar. Luckily for students who speak English, it should not be a big deal, as English, along with Spanish and Italian, are considered some of the easiest languages in the world. However, each of them still has its rules and exceptions. Spelling & punctuation are two other critical factors to be taken into account. Another problem is that there are different types of the English language and the student should understand whether the paper has to be written in the US, UK, or Australian English.
The common grammar mistakes prevent many students from earning the highest grades and ending up in their teacher's good books. No matter how hard they try, it is difficult to exclude all types of serious errors or typos from the academic essay. This article discusses the writing mistakes to avoid, as well as possible solutions that will help you get the best score on any type of academic writing.
Even if you are not composing an academic paper for your studies but rather for your own entertainment, keep in mind that any writing should be mistake-free. This makes it pleasant to read. Writing is a challenging craft, but there are some pitfalls the students should be aware of.
Common Grammar Mistakes in Writing: Watch Out!
If you download and install any grammar checker, it will highlight the mistakes listed below. Be warned that you cannot completely rely on such a piece of software. Only a professional academic proofreader or editor will detect all the mistakes and make the necessary changes. Rest assured that our online writers will not leave you high and dry, fixing all the mistakes in your draft! Please, see below for typical pitfalls one should avoid:
- Sentence fragments.
Those are incomplete sentences, meaning they lack at least one part of speech. Keep in mind that each of the independent clauses (a subject & a full verb) should be present in the sentence unless you are adding a list or a table. - Subject-verb agreement.
The missing subject-verb agreement is one of the common grammar mistakes in writing. These parts of speech should not contradict each other in number, irrespective of whether they are singular or plural. It means that the singular verb should match the singular subject and have the 's' ending, while there is no need to add the 's' at the end of plural verbs. - Misuse of the apostrophe.
Very often, the students forget to add an apostrophe to the word 'it's' because they confuse it with 'its'; the former denotes belonging, while the latter is an adjective. - Misplaced/dangling modifier.
Many students do not get this point. Such type of modifier in English refers to the word or phrase that is incorrectly divided from the term it modifies or interprets. The result is an awkward or meaningless sentence structure. - Run-on sentence.
One should be careful with different types of punctuation, as these issues are one of the most common grammatical mistakes. A perfect example is a run-on sentence, i.e., one with a missing comma between two basic clauses. - The absence of commas in compound sentences.
While we are on the subject of punctuation problems, it is worth mentioning the critically important comma in a compound sentence separated by a conjunction. Make sure to insert this punctuation sign after the clause and before the conjunction. - Vagueness.
This scary word, aka. 'a vague pronoun reference,' makes the reading audience confused about the subject the writer is talking about because of the missed "bridge," such as "that" or "which" (a pronoun replacing a noun). However, it is critical to specify the person, place, or subject to which it corresponds. - Inappropriate word.
Another type of the common comma mistakes is one associated with the word usage. Some words and specific phrases sound similar but mean different things, making young writers confuse such words. A typical example is "form" and "from" that mean two different things, which leaves the reader confused and wondering what the author is talking about.
How to Avoid Common Comma Errors and Other Grammar Mistakes?
We are almost done discussing the common comma errors, but how about getting some helping tools to avoid getting bad grades? The most popular solution is the grammar checkers which are typically available for free. However, their paid versions offer more tips and tricks for improving the overall readability of the entire piece and boosting its SEO effectiveness. Most grammar checking tools scan texts for plagiarism, so keep in mind that your content should be at least 95% unique to qualify for a good grade.
You should check the text for wordiness, readability index, passive voice, wateriness, and some other factors, as many modern teachers are rather tech-savvy and can detect even such pitfalls. Some of the most popular tools include Grammarly, Hemingway, Copyscape, etc. However, not all of them are 100% correct, and they may sometimes offer incorrect solutions. If you really want the highest score, you should contact one of the online writing services that offer custom writing for students and writers. This way you will most certainly avoid any mistakes!
