Common Mistakes in Writing

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Common Mistakes in Writing
1. Subject-verb agreement- must agree in number
2. Misplaced Modifier- is a word or phrase that is improperly separated from the word it describes
3. Unclear or vague pronouns-when a pronoun is confusing and could refer to more things.
4. Cliches or euphemisms- overused expressions or harmless ones that could be suggestive.
5. Troublesome word-pairs
  1. Affect v. effect- affect is a verb, effect is a noun
  2. bad v. badly- bad is an adjective, badly is an adverb
  3. can/could v might/may- Can/could is for ability, permission, requests past or present. May is formal permission, May and might suggest the possibility
  4. Fewer v. less- fewer is only to be used when discussing countable things, less is used for singular mass nouns
  5. Farther v. further- farther for physical distance and further is for metaphorical distance
  6. Good v. well- Good is an adjective and well is an adverb
  7. Which v. that- If the sentence doesn’t need the clause that the word in question is connecting, use which, if it does use that.
  8. Who v. whom- If a question can be answered with him, the pronoun whom is correct- remember both words end in -m.

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Welcome today to our lesson on common mistakes in writing.

So we are going to look at 5 common mistakes in writing, subject-verb agreement, misplaced modifiers, unclear pronouns, cliches or euphemisms and known word pairs that can give writers trouble.

Subject and verbs must either both be singular or both plural as demonstrated here. Dad and is singular and sisters and are plural.

While misplaced modifiers can be entertaining, oftentimes our writing does not call for such. Careful that you don’t misplace modifiers in your sentences and say something you did not intend.

Pronouns that don’t directly follow a noun or follow multiple nouns can be confusing and could easily cause a reader to get lost.

Cliches are overused expressions and euphemisms can have suggestive or underlying meanings, It is important to be able to recognize these so that your word choice clearly conveys what you want tosay and doesn’t get misrepresented or weakened.

Some word choices are easier to come by than others. One of the most common mistaken pair of words is when to use affect vs effect. Affect is always used as a verb and effect is a noun. Bad is always an adjective and badly is an adverb. Can and could is for ability or permission whereas might and may are formal and suggest a possibility. Fewer refers to counts of something whereas less is for singular mass nouns.

Farther is physical distance, further is metaphorical distance. Good is an adjective whereas well is an adverb. Which is disposable (like the clause it is in) If the sentence makes sense without the clause use which, if it is necessary us That. Who works if you can replace the word with he or she, whom works if you can replace it with her or him.

So as a review, when writing always make sure your subject and verb tenses match, misplaced modifiers cause confusion and make sentences illogical. Always watch the use of pronouns, make sure the reader knows what or who your pronoun is referring to. Be mindful of using passing cliches or euphemisms that could unintentionally offend in suggestion. And double check the use of certain words that are often used in the wrong manner.

Common Mistakes in Writing

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