And How to Avoid Common
Mistakes
Below are some basic writing
"rules," along with an example of the rule being broken. Learn how to
avoid these common mistakes.
1-be consistent
1. Be Consistent
&Sequence of
Tenses: After he
broke his arm, he is home for two weeks.
Shift of Pronoun: If one is
tense, they should try to relax.
Parallelism: She skis,
plays tennis, and flying hang gliders.
Noun Agreement: Eric and
James want to be a pilot.
Pronoun Reference: Several
people wanted the job, and he or she filled out the required applications.
Subject-Verb Agreement: There is
eight people on the shore.
2-express ideas logically
2. Express Ideas Logically
Coordination and Subordination :Jen has a
rash, and she is probably allergic to something.
Logical Comparison :Joey grew
more vegetables than his neighbor's garden.
Modification and Word Order: Barking
loudly, the tree had the dog's leash wrapped around it.
3- be clear and precise
3. Be Clear and Precise
Ambiguous and Vague Pronouns :In the
newspaper they say that few people voted.
Diction: He circumvented the globe on his
trip.
Wordiness :There are
many problems in the contemporary world in which we
live.
Improper Modification :If your car
is parked here while not eating in the restaurant, it will be towed away.
4-follow conventions
Pronoun Case: He sat
between you and I at the stadium.
Idiom:Jack had a different opinion
towards him.
Comparison of Modifiers: Of the
sixteen executives, Gretchen makes more money.
Sentence Fragment: Abby having
to go home early.
Double Negative: Andie has
scarcely no free time.
If you're not sure whether you're
following the rules of writing correctly, be sure to ask your professor or
contact the Writing Center at Saint Joseph’s College for help.
