Common Errors

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Common Errors

• Things to think about when writing/editing

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Paragraphs

• Why do we need paragraphs?
• Each paragraph should center around ONE main idea
• Include a topic sentence
• Have DETAILS/EXAMPLES that support the main idea
• Makes it easier for the reader to follow your
  thoughts

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Tenses

• Present tense
• Timmy plays baseball during his off-hour. He
  finds that it is a relaxing, yet competitive, way
  to spend his free time.
• Past tense
• Timmy played baseball at lunch. He pitched a
  no-hitter, and scored over 15 points.
• Future tense
• Timmy is going to join a professional baseball
  league upon graduation. He will be the starting
  pitcher for wherever he ends up.

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Tense

• What is wrong here?
• Timmy plays baseball at lunch. He hit the ball
  across the cafeteria, and the lunch lady yells at
  him when she got hit in the head.
• How do you decide which tense to use?
• PICK A TENSE AND STICK WITH IT!

5
Diction Choice and use of words in speech or
writing

• What is wrong with the following story?
• Their once was a beautiful princess who fell in
  love with Spencer.
• Spencer, who loved all beautiful women, fell in
  love with her to.
• They got married, witch was her greatest wish.
  She wanted to live happily ever after with him
  and there future children.
• After being married for too years, the princess
  realized that Spencer was kind of lazyhe never
  helped around the house, and he expected her to
  always make there meals.
• She got on her hoarse, and rode away to find her
  real true loveSol.

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• BUT I USED
• SPELL CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!

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Complete Sentences

• A complete sentence, or an independent clause, is
  able to stand alone.
• It has a subject and a verb
• Examples
• Greg plays basketball everyday.
• Aldo and Michael went to Big City Burrito.
• The surfers arm was ripped from her body by the
  gigantic shark.

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Sentence Fragments

• This can also be called a Dependent Clause
• A sentence fragment, or dependent clause cannot
  stand on its own. Its an incomplete thought.
• EXAMPLES
• Although Greg plays basketball
• Since Aldo and Michael
• Ripped her arm from her body

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Commas

• What does the independent clause (IC) and
  dependent clause (DC) have to do with COMMAS??
• You can connect an IC with a DC by using a comma
  (if the DC is FIRST)
• Although Greg plays basketball everyday, he
  always finishes his homework on time.
• Since Aldo and Michael loved World Lit and Comp,
  they never missed a day of class.

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Commas

• BUT. If you connect an IC with another IC using
  a comma. YOU GET A COMMA SPLICE!!!
• Example
• Greg plays basketball, he always finishes his
  homework on time.

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How to correct a comma splice

• Divide into two separate sentences.
• Greg plays basketball. He always finishes his
  homework on time.
• Use a semi-colon () (This is a super powered
  comma)
• Greg plays basketball he always finishes his
  homework on time.
• ORUSE A FANBOY!!!!

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FANBOYS!

• FANBOYS For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
• You can connect two independent clauses using a
  FANBOY and a comma.
• Example
• Greg plays basketball, but he always finishes his
  homework on time.
• Greg plays basketball, and he always finishes his
  homework on time.
• YOU MUST HAVE BOTH THE FANBOY AND THE COMMA!

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Run-on Sentences

• The easiest way to identify a run-on sentence is
  to read it out loud! A run-on sentence goes on
  and on and on and on and on and on
• Example
• Greg plays basketball everyday after school
  because thats when practice is and thats when
  the coach wants him to be there and he never
  wants to miss because he knows that if he is not
  there the coach wont let him play in the next
  game but he really wants to play every game.

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To fix a run-on sentence

• Break into separate sentences!
• Use FANBOYS in some areas.
• Use semi-colons in some areas.
• Re-read it out loud to see if it sounds better! ?

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Plural vs. Possessive

• Make sure that you only use the apostrophe when
  it is POSESSIVE.
• Joels backpack.
• Kailas book.
• Teens problems.
• NOT the dogs ran in the park.

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You

• In a formal paperAVOID USING YOU
• Do not talk directly to your reader.
• Find a way to remove all instances of you
• Example
• Instead of you should not use drugs.
• TEENS should not use drugs or PEOPLE should not
  use drugs.

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Writing for your Audience

• Please remember who you are writing for the way
  you write should change based on your AUDIENCE.
• Would you write a formal paper the same as you
  would write a quick note to your best friend??
• Think about the WORDS you use! Avoid slang, text
  message shorthand, and bad language.

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Other tips!

• It is a good idea to read your work out loud to
  yourself or a friend. This way you can HEAR
  errors you might have made that you otherwise
  would miss.
• Think about these types of errors as you
  writeavoid making them in the first place!