1. Essay Improvements

2. Sentence Problems
Sentence Fragments, Comma Splices and Run-On sentences.

3. Fragments

4. Improvements from your final exams - Fragments
Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause.
Info. provided by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab

5. Improvements from your final exams – Run-on Sentences
Run-on sentences are very common errors for today's students. A run-on sentence is one in which two or more independent clauses (clauses that can stand alone as sentences) are placed together without the proper use of punctuation or conjunctions.

6. Improvements
Homophones – sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. To determine which spelling to use, use the meaning of the word and visual memory.

7. Improvements
Homophones

8. Improvements
There
Their
They’re

9. Improvements - homophones
'Their' indicates possession.
Their books are heavy.
I am going to see their play.

10. Improvements - homophones
'There' refers to a place.
I would rather go there.
Driving there takes a long time.

11. Improvements - homophones
'They're' is a contraction of the two words they are, so this word is used to replace 'they are.‘
They’re going to the store.

12. Improvements - homophones
Two, to, and too.
Simply enough, two is a number and is used for nothing else.

13. Improvements - homophones
Two, to, and too.
'To' is a preposition and indicates directionality.
I go to the store.
I try to improve.

14. Improvements - homophones
Two, to, and too.
'Too' means in addition or also.
I love that too.
There are too many grammar mistakes.

15. Improvements Your and you're.
'Your' indicates possession. This is your book. Your tie is ugly.
'You're' is a contraction of the two words you and are. You're funny. You’re silly.

16. Improvements Through and threw.
'Threw' is a verb, and is used when referring to something projected away.
'Through' indicates where something goes. He threw the ball through the window. People do not go threw a crisis, they go through it.

17. Most Common Grammar Mistakes

18. Grammar mistake Grammar mistake number one:
If you are an American writer then the rule is periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks with only a couple of exceptions. (This rule does not apply to any other punctuation marks.)

19. Grammar mistake Wrong: I rode in his "truck".
Correct: I rode in his "truck."

20. Grammar mistake
Wrong: We named the dog "Ralph", but he doesn't respond to it.
Correct: We named the dog "Ralph," but he doesn't respond to it.

21. Grammar mistake number two
Grammar mistake number two: Me and my boyfriend went to the beach, is incorrect. You wouldn't say, Me went to the beach, so why say, Me and my boyfriend....

22. Grammar mistake
There is no such word as alot. This may come about in the future since a lot of people use it, but right now, you won't find it in the dictionary.

23. Grammar mistake
Never place a comma or period after an explanation point or question mark.
For example:

24. Grammar mistake
Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?". Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?." Wrong: "Can I go, too?", he asked. Correct: He asked, "Can I go, too?" Correct: "Can I go, too?" he asked. Wrong: "I want to go!", he exclaimed. Wrong: He exclaimed, "I want to go!". Correct: "I want to go!" he exclaimed. Correct: He exclaimed, "I want to go!"

25. Improvements Use academic language. Don’t use slang: Sucks Cool Stuff
It was like awesome.

26. Improvements
Proofread. Read the paper out loud to yourself. Look for missing words or jumbled up words.

27. Improvements Don’t say, “In my essay I’m going to talk about …”
Just say what you want to say.

28. Improvements Numbers:
Write out 1-9 as words and 10 and up as numerals.
Big numbers can be a combination
(17 million)

29. Improvements
Organize – Plan what you want to say. Don’t ramble. Ok for planning, but not your final draft.

30. Improvements Maintain past or present tense.
It helped me when I think about it.
past present

31. Improvements Maintain past or present tense.
It helps me when I think about it.
present present

32. Improvements Maintain past or present tense.
It helped me when I thought about it.
past past

33. Improvements Add an “s” to make something plural Dog Dogs
Add “’s” for contraction
He is he’s

34. Improvements Avoid Double Negatives I didn't see nothing.
It wasn't uninteresting.
She is not unattractive.

35. Improvements
Don’t repeat words right near each other.

36. Improvements
Capitalize all the main words in your title.