1. Common Errors in Writingvt
Tsae-Ling Tenney
SS (frag)
sva

2. How to reduce the number of errors in your writing?
Understand grammar rules.
Practice, practice and practice.
Self edit and revise iteratively. vt vt vt

3. Shift in Tense no logical reason -> idea unclear
Early in your essay, establish a "base tense", and shift away from it only for a good reason.
Tense Shift Error: By the time contract negotiations began, many striking workers have shown pessimism about them.
Correct: By the time contract negotiations began, many striking workers had shown pessimism about them. vt

4. Subject/Verb Agreement both singular or both plural
In each clause, the subject and verb must agree in number.
Subject/Verb Agreement Error: Neither the union leader nor the city head negotiator are responsible for the strike.
Correct: Neither the union leader nor the city head negotiator is responsible for the strike.
sva

5. Subject/Verb Agreement special forms
as well as or along with and:
The mayor as well as his brother was on a diet.
everyone, nobody, each, many, others, team, class, public, family, society, population, police:
Everyone needs to work diligently to improve writing skills.
The company is planning to close 150 stores.
The police work undercover to ticket distracted drivers.
plural

6. Subject/Verb Agreement words or phrases between subject & verb
Interruption by words and phrases
My neighbour down the road goes to Florida for 4 months every winter.
There is a woman in my neighbourhood who works as a senior manager at a major bank.
Many students in our class plan to continue their education.
An argument, which we discussed in class, needs to have a clear thesis statement.

7. Subject/Verb Agreement here/there
Here or There are not subjects:
Here is a copy of the class list.
There are more than 20 students in the class.

8. Standard English not verbal writing
Use Standard English in your writing
Use standard verb forms
Spoken English: He don’t got no money.
Standard English: He dose not have any money.
Spoken English: dude; cool; stuff; lol

9. Subject/Verb Agreement Editing Exercise
Please edit the following sentences:
The police has two suspects in custody.
Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, are going to PEI for a month this summer.
Everyone need to be treated with respect.
Here are a list of 10 common grammar errors.
A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, have at least 5 paragraphs.

10. Subject/Verb Agreement Editing Exercise (sva)
marked sentences (sva):
The police has two suspects in custody.
Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, are going to PEI for a moth this summer.
Everyone need to be treated with respect.
Here are a list of 10 common grammar errors.
A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, have at least 5 paragraphs.

11. Subject/Verb Agreement Editing Exercise - corrected
The police have two suspects in custody.
Mary who is the oldest of my six sisters, is going to PEI for a moth this summer.
Everyone needs to be treated with respect.
Here is a list of 10 common grammar errors.
A basic essay, which we discussed earlier, has at least 5 paragraphs.

12. Double Negatives could be confusing – be careful
Negative + Negative -> Positive
Subtle Negatives: Adverbs and quantifiers implying negation (e.g. hardly, scarcely, barely, less, few and not much)
Double Negatives Error: Parents of young children never hardly have time for themselves.
Correct: Parents of young children hardly have time for themselves.
SS (unclear)

13. Verb Tense: indicating when an action occurred
Present or Past vt vt
Past Participle -
never used alone vt
Progressive

14. Verb Tense Present or Past
SAT 60%
Present Tense: a fact, a scheduled event or a habit
The passing grade for this course is 60%.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
The train to Union Station leaves every hour on the hour.
We almost always have dinner at 6:30.

15. Verb Tense Present or Past
Grammar
Past: an action which occurred at a specific time
I missed my train this morning, so I was late for my meeting.
I took a grammar course last term and I loved it.
Last night, I studied until midnight.
We were in a computer lab last Saturday.

16. Past Participles A past participle is a verb form, not a verb tense.
Never used alone – always used with a helping verb: have, has, had, is, was or were
Smart phones have become popular in the recent years. (present perfect tense)
My neighbour’s house was sold for more than $500,000. (passive)
Before moving to Canada, Lee had worked as a music teacher for 10 years. (past perfect tense)

17. Progressive (be + verb-ing)
indicating an action in progress
Present progressive, past progressive, future progressive
Are you reading a grammar book?
I was talking on the phone when the police officer pulled me over.
My grandma will be driving to Waterloo in the morning rush hour tomorrow.

18. Progressive (be + verb-ing)
indicating an action in progress
present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive
My brother-in-law has been cooking since 5 a.m.
Lucy and Nicole have been playing with Lucy’s dollhouse for hours.
John had been driving dangerously when the officer stopped him.

19. Common Errors in Sentence Structure
SS(cs)
Comma Splices
SS (frag)
Sentence Fragments
SS(run-on)
Run-ons