THE COMMON

ErROrS
WORKSHOP
 conjunctions

• NO ‘BUT’ with although. Choose one

 AND, BUT, BECAUSE, SO

Don’t start sentences with these.

WHAT CAN you USE INSTEAD? e.g.
but: however, nonetheless, yet
AND: in addition, furthermore, moreover
So: therefore, hence, as a result, subsequently
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Golden Rule
• Singular
Subject –
Singular Verb
• Plural Subject –
Plural Verb
 PUNCTUATION
• Use Capital letters with Title
Case & Proper Nouns (names
of ppl, places).
e.g. Titles:
The Sun and Moon
A Man, an Orange and the Cow
The Role of Women in Society
 ;
The semi-colon is used when 2
sentences are INTIMATELY linked.
e.g. Oil prices soared (complete sentence); all other
commodity prices followed suit plunging many national
economies into recession (complete sentence).

Golden rule: Both sides of the semi-

colon must be complete sentences and
can stand alone.
If you aren’t sure how to use it, DON’T. You
can do without. Use a full-stop.
Don’t use Commas
with conjunctions
(and, but, or, so,
because)
 Run-on sentences
• The grammar crime: Run-on sentences
join two or more complete sentences with
no punctuation.
Michaela loves to draw horses she is a talented artist.

The airport is about to shut down because of the snow

and if the plane doesn't land soon it will have to go
on to Boston.

Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is

something he could always depend on.
 Run-ons
• 1. We can separate the two clauses
into two sentences.
• Outlaw: Miranda was the lead vocalist
in her band it was a punk rock band.
• Rehabilitated: Miranda was the lead
vocalist in her band. It was a punk rock
band.
 Run-ons
• 2. We can replace the comma with a
semi-colon.
• Outlaw: Gordon laughed at Sandy's
joke it was lewd.
• Rehabilitated: Gordon laughed at
Sandy's joke; it was lewd.
 Run-ons
• 3. We can replace the comma with a
co-ordinating conjunction (and, but, or,
for, yet, nor, or so).
• Outlaw: The night was cold we forgot
to bring our coats.
• Rehabilitated:The night was cold, and
we forgot to bring out coats.
 Run-ons
• 4. We can replace the comma with a
subordinating conjunction (e.g., after,
although, before, unless, as, because,
even though, if, since, until, when, while).
• Outlaw: Maria and John like skiing Karen
does not.
• Rehabilitated: Although Maria and John
like skiing, Karen does not.
 Run-ons
• 5. We can replace the comma with a semi-colon
and transitional word (e.g., however, moreover, on
the other hand, nevertheless, instead, also,
therefore, consequently, otherwise, as a result).
• Outlaw: I expected to pay ten dollars for the bus
ride to Halifax I was wrong.
• Rehabilitated: I expected to pay ten dollars for the
bus ride to Halifax; however, I was wrong.
 WANNA, GONNA,
guys.
cool!
Colloquialisms/SLANG are not for formal writing no matter how
cool they sound
 TO BUY / FOR BUYING
These boots are made for walking. (to
state the function only).
Use the infinitive ‘to buy’ in all other
cases e.g. I took money with me to
buy those very fashionable boots.
 speling

‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’

With the /i/ sound
Conceive concieve
Receive receive
perceive percieve
believe believe
WHEN PRONUNCIATION DOESN’T
MATCH spelling

Comparative Comperative
Sincerly sincerely sinciearly
Separate Seperate
Wednesday Wensday
Weird wierd
Friend freind
 When it does
• puting (like puking) putting
• Swiming (like sun shining) swimming
• Studing (like pudding) studying
• Writting (like hitting) writing
• Suprise (like supper) surprise
• Thier (like cashier) their
• Responsability responsibility
• Than (taller than me) then (next)
 DOUBLING UP
• possession
• Mississippi
• Commitment - YES, THAT’S CORRECT
• Committee
• TRY THIS: EMBARASSMENT?
EMBARRASSMENT?
 confused words
• Accept, Except
• Affect, Effect
• Advise, Advice
• Conscious, Conscience
• Idea, Ideal
• Its, It's
• Lead, Led
• Than, Then
• There, They're
• To, Too, Two
• We're, Where, Were
• Your, You're
• All ready/already
• All right/alright
• All together/altogether
Anyone/any one
• Anyway/any way
• Awhile/a while
Maybe/may be
 MIXING PARTS OF SPEECH
John is kindness(n. – should be an adj.), so
many people want to chat with him.

John is so kind that many people want to

chat with him.
 tenses
• Randy, had you come to Korea ? NO
• Have you ever been to Korea, Randy ?
 questions
• Direct: Where do you live?
(WH- + aux verb + subject + base verb)
Who is his sister?
(WHO + verb-to-be + subject)

INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Can you tell me where the bank is? (not where is the
bank). Direct question: Where is the bank?
• I don’t know where he lives. (not where does he live –
this is for DIRECT questions)
 I am agree
‘VERB TO BE’ AND OTHER VERBS
‘PRESENT CONTINUOUS’ – this gives you 2
verbs directly next to each other which is
incorrect.

e.g. of 2 verbs next to each other - incorrect

I'm heard music.
I am listen to some music now. (‘am listening’ is 1
verb although it uses 2 words)
I have go to Flekke Shop. (‘have gone’ is 1 verb)
 Too cold VERSUS so cold

• NOT SO GOOD (slang)

How are you? Not so good.
• NOT VERY GOOD. The film was not
very good.
 Relative clauses
The research what she is currently working on is the
most important in the University.

• The research that she is currently working on is the

most important in the University.

The research she is currently working on is the most

important in the University, what is remarkable.
• The research she is currently working on is the most
important in the University, which is remarkable.
 passive
Many students is support by their parents.
• (subject-verb agreement + two verb error)
• Many students are supported by their
parents.
 ARTICLES
Go online and do exercises
till you crack this one.
 r ors i n
on er
C omm YS
Y ES SA
ER A R
LiT
 The Title
1. Use Title Case – see punctuating
titles in earlier slide
2. A title should not say ‘Comparative
Commentary’ or ‘Critical Essay’.
Name the THEME or ISSUE to be
discussed
 Introducing Texts
•AUTHOR
•TYPE OF TEXT (e.g. biography,
poem, play/dramatic
presentation, article)
•TITLE OF TEXT
 Punctuating Titles of
Texts
UNDERLINE full works , books, novels,
anthologies, plays
Somehow Tenderness Survives
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Use ‘inverted commas’ for short stories and
poems
‘A Rose for Emily’
‘Lady Lazarus’
 The Introduction
• Start w a few interesting, general
comments on the topic (2-3
sentences, don’t be long-winded)
• Lead in to the Thesis Statement (1
sentence only. Let it be concise)
• Starting an introduction with the
thesis is a harsh beginning.
• Let the thesis stmt be the last
sentence in the introduction.
 Write in Paragraphs
• Leave a line between paragraphs to
make it obvious that you are starting
a new one.
• Start each paragraph with a TOPIC
SENTENCE (a detailed, concise mini-
thesis for the paragraph).
• Discuss ONE idea per paragraph and
do it thoroughly so you won’t repeat
the same points later in other
paragraphs.
 REDUNDANT SENTENCES
• Would you lose anything if you took
out that sentence or phrase? If your
answer is ‘no’, take it out.
• Why say something if it doesn’t
mean much?
• Why point out something if you don’t
relate it to the theme or issue?
• Ah, a cup! (Great. So what?)
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT?
“This shows that there are different points of
view which sometimes overlap with one another
and at other times differ although they both
highlight the theme.” - pointless
This (what?) shows that there are different points
of view(what are they?) which sometimes
overlap with one another (how?) and at other
times differ (when?) although they both
highlight the theme(what theme?).”
 Is the Pope Catholic?
DON’T STATE THE OBVIOUS. IT IS
AN INSULT TO INTELLIGENCE.

“There are differences between the two

works.”
(Hell, yeah.)
 Each sentence counts!
Make every sentence MEANINGFUL
(RICH WITH MEANING)

Avoid short or vague sentences. You

can easily connect them to the
previous sentence or add more detail
to give them more weight.
 Formal Register
• Avoid writing in first or second person – I,
you, we. ‘We’ is a little more forgivable but
aim to write in 3rd person as far as possible
in academic writing
• Write in full – Cannot, not can’t. Do not,
not don’t.
• Say ‘no’ to colloquialism, slang and
informal expressions. (say ‘man’, not ‘guy’)
 I didn’t say that!
• Don’t put words into the
character’s/author’s mouth.

• If you can’t prove it from the text either

directly or indirectly, you’re making it
up and the author/character is not
going to like that.
 THE READER CAN READ
If you are going to re-tell the story,
don’t bother.
The reader of your essay can read the
story himself.
Your job is to INTERPRET THE MEANING
of what happened in the story.
 This might seem contradictory but….

Assume the reader hasn’t

read the text.
Now what? You can’t re-tell the story but you
have to assume the reader hasn’t read it.
What do you do?
Go on and interpret but give sufficient detail
about the character or events while you do
this so that the reader can put two and two
together even without reading the text.
INTERPRETATION FIRST
State the argument in the topic
sentence of the paragraph and use
details/events from the texts as
EVIDENCE. (not the other way
around)
avoid rhetorical
questions
 THE SHOPPING LIST
You recognise all the stylistic devices in the book!
That’s great BUT can you explain how they each
support theme/purpose of the text? If you can’t,
don’t mention the device in the first place.

Where should you discuss them?

Immediately after you quote evidence in each
paragraph. Analyse the evidence’s style.
 Use the
simple present
tense
 “First person narration is
subjective”
Generalisations about devices that don’t
tell you about the theme specifically are
useless.

The more relevant question is:

So what if you get a subjective p.o.v. or if it
is more objective? What’s the difference in
relation to this THEME in particular? If you
can’t answer that question, don’t mention
the device.
 “Quote, end quote”
•Don’t use brackets.
•e.g. X describes Y as “ …” continue
with your interpretation
•As X says, “…..”, it can be argued
that ..
•The narrator makes a complaint:
“……”.
 OVERQUOTING
You know you’re overquoting when most of the
paragraph is in inverted commas than in your own
words.
When should I “quote directly”?
a) if you plan to analyse the quote’s stylistic devices
b) when your INTERPRETATION is more complicated than it
is obvious.

You don’t have to quote directly if it’s more or less

obvious. Paraphrase but cite line e.g.
Billy feels like he is flying (line 19) when he is able to create
spontaneous comedy.
The blue phrase says what is written in the text but not ad verbatim
and doesn’t need to be, since the meaning is direct.
 The Conclusion
• Reiterate the Thesis Stmt
• Don’t waste time summarising all the points
you just made in the body. You’ll end up
sounding like a broken record
• Think broadly and engage in a ToK discussion
on the topic, even when writing a personal
response. Be insightful. Don’t just say
something that more or less means this: “I
thought it was interesting” or “I like it”
AHEM…THAT REALLY WAS THE
CONCLUSION