Common Mistakes in Writing

Common mistakes in writing

Their, There, They’re

Their is a possessive pronoun: Their dog, their house.

There is an adverb: We were there when he arrived.

They’re is a contraction meaning they are: They’re going to go to the movies tonight.

Have ≠ of

When spelling out the contractions should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, it should be spelled should have, would have, could have. Make sure you are using the correct word. Have and of do not mean the same thing.

Using the pronoun “you”

In informal English the pronoun “you” is often used to indicate an indefinite person, not necessarily the reader or listener. This can be mildly offensive. The usage of “you” often results in childish constructions that indicate personal involvement of the reader when it is unnecessary or inappropriate.

Use of commas

There are many rules for using commas correctly, but here are some simple rules that must be followed: (1) Use a comma after words considered introductory elements such as well, yes, no, and why; (2) Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for, yet when they join independent clauses; (3) And my personal favorite--when a sentence begins with if, when, since, or after, there will be a comma later in the sentence to show the result of the introductory clause. For example: “If you don’t do your homework (COMMA) you will likely fail this class.

Good vs. Well

Good is always an adjective. It should never be used to modify a verb. In other words, it cannot show how something was done. Instead of “the choir sang good at the concert,” it should read, “the choir sang well at the concert.” Well may be used as either an adjective or an adverb. As an adjective, it has three meanings; (1) to be in good health, (2) to appear well dressed or well groomed, (3) to be satisfactory. As an adverb, well means to perform an action capably.

Because vs. Cause

Because means for the reason that. Do not confuse the slang form “cause” or “cuz” to be acceptable for formal pieces of writing. Cause means something that produces an effect, result or consequence.

To, Too, Two

To means in a direction toward or it can be used before a verb to indicate the infinitive form of the verb. Too is an adverb meaning also or an excessive amount. Two is a number that comes after one.

Who vs. That

A person should not be referred to as a “that”, but rather a “who.”

All-Inclusive Language

Avoid saying things like always, forever, and every, that suggest that something is constant when it is not. Instead, use words like many times, sometimes, etc.

Punctuating Dialogue Within Quoted Material

--For quotations that are less than five lines long use double quotes around the entire section that is quoted from the book. Separate dialogue within the quoted material by using single quotes.

--Put in block form five or more typed lines of prose or four or more lines of poetry. Indent the quotation ten spaces from the left margin and double-space. Do not enclose the passage within quotation marks. Use a colon to introduce a block quotation, unless the context calls for another punctuation mark or none at all. When quoting a single paragraph or part of one, do not indent the first line more than the rest. In quoting two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional three spaces.

Sample of a short quotation consisting of two paragraphs

“She laughed. ‘George giving you orders about everything?’

Lennie looked down at the hay. ‘Says I can’t tend no rabbits if I talk to you or anything’” (Steinbeck, 86).

Internal Citations

If the material is quoted directly from the source, place the words in quotes and put the citation and the end mark after the quotation marks. Even if the material is summarized, the citation should be placed at the end of the sentence. Do not write “p”, “pg”, or “page”—simply place the page number in the parenthesis. If you are using several sources, you must also include the author’s last name (or if there is no author, a brief title) and then the number of the page where the information can be found.

“But Lennie was not to be drawn. ‘No, sir. I ain’t gonna talk to you or nothing’” (Steinbeck 86).

Dead Words

While it is not necessarily wrong to use these words in formal English, it does show a lack of creative word choice. Please avoid using the following words in a formal essay:

getveryyourgoodlotswell

sogreatgotniceyoujust

a lotfinefuneverythe endthat

stuffnow-a-days

Contractions

Do not use contractions in formal pieces of writing.

Tense

It is best to use present tense in literary analysis.