We make
hundreds of mistakes when writing, but most writers end up making the same
mistakes over and over again often without even noticing. These repeated
stumbles leave our writing dull and lifeless, and it eventually cause the
readers to think the work always sounds the same.
Actually,
English is not too difficult, as long we understand the theory and the method
about English component, and it will help us to learn it easily. Although, the
main problem that we face when start our writing is due to minor things like
typos, grammar and spelling mistakes. As with the last time we explored grammatical errors, I feel compelled to mention that copy, writing and blogging should be
conversational and engaging, and breaking formal grammatical and spelling
conventions can often be a good thing. Every time I see a comment complaining
about something like, oh, I don’t know… the improper use of an ellipsis or
one-sentence paragraphs, I shake my head with sadness.
Suggestions to overcome this problem such as:
Ø Keep it simple. Stick to one
point per sentence.
Ø Format. Know the structure/style
of the format that is writing in.
Ø Audience. Keep them in mind
at all times.
Ø Avoid
missing commas. Commas are those little things that imply that there should
be a pause taken between words. They may seem insignificant, but they're
actually quite important.
Ø Remember
those pesky verb endings! Make sure to end all of the verbs properly. For
example, She drop the rock on my toe is
missing the ending for the verb 'drop'. The correct sentence is, She dropped the
rock on my toe.
Ø Remember to use the right
preposition at the right time.
Ø Avoid
comma splices. Comma splices occur when we try to connect two clauses that
could stand alone as a sentence. I hated the sweaters, my grandma bought them every year is an
example of a comma splice. Fix the sentence by adding a semicolon or period,
connecting the clauses with a word such as and or because, or re-writing the
sentence. For example, I hated the sweaters that my grandma bought every year. We took out the comma, replaced it with the word
"that", and removed the word "them".
Ø Be
careful when starting a sentence with a conjunction. When writing, it's best to avoid starting a
sentence with a conjunction (words like 'and', 'but', etc.). It is permissible,
but if we’re going to start a sentence with a conjunction, be sure that we’re
written a complete sentence.
Ø Make
sure that your pronoun references are clear. In the sentence, "The Lifeguard Station
posted warnings around the beach regarding jellyfish in the area. However, theywere not
heeded", they is the vague pronoun reference. The
correct sentence would be, "The Lifeguard Station posted warnings
around the beach regarding jellyfish in the area. However, those warnings were not heeded".
Ø Make
sure the verb tense is correct. Avoid using a verb that doesn't indicate when an
action is, was, or will be completed.
Ø Make
sure that there is a subject-verb
agreement. The verb has to agree with the subject in number and in
person. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular. If the subject
is plural, the verb should be plural.
Ø Avoid
run-on sentences. A run-on sentence is a sentence that is made of 2 sentences
that could stand alone. Add words or punctuation to separate run-on sentences
Ø Choose
the right words. Use a dictionary to make sure that our words convey the
intended meaning. Words that sound the same or are spelled similar do not
always mean the same thing, so be sure to check when we're picking out a word.