Essay Improvements

Sentence Problems

Sentence Fragments, Comma Splices and Run-On sentences.

Fragments

Improvements from your final exams - Fragments

Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have become disconnected from the main clause.

Info. provided by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab

Improvements from your final exams – Run-on Sentences

Run-on sentences are very common errors for today's students. A run-on sentence is one in which two or more independent clauses (clauses that can stand alone as sentences) are placed together without the proper use of punctuation or conjunctions.

Improvements

Homophones – sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. To determine which spelling to use, use the meaning of the word and visual memory.

Improvements Homophones

Improvements

There Their They’re

Improvements - homophones

• 'Their' indicates possession.

• Their books are heavy.

• I am going to see their play.

Improvements - homophones

'There' refers to a place.

I would rather go there.

Driving there takes a long time.

Improvements - homophones

• 'They're' is a contraction of the two words they are, so this word is used to replace 'they are.‘

• They’re going to the store.

Improvements - homophones

Two, to, and too.

• Simply enough, two is a number and is used for nothing else.

Improvements - homophones

Two, to, and too.

• 'To' is a preposition and indicates directionality. • I go to the store. • I try to improve.

Improvements - homophones

Two, to, and too.

• 'Too' means in addition or also.

• I love that too. • There are too many grammar mistakes.

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• Your and you're.

• 'Your' indicates possession. This is your book. Your tie is ugly.

• 'You're' is a contraction of the two words you and are. You're funny. You’re silly.

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Through and threw. 'Threw' is a verb, and is used when

referring to something projected away.

'Through' indicates where something goes. He threw the ball through the window. People do not go threw a crisis, they go through it.

Most Common Grammar Mistakes

Grammar mistake

Grammar mistake number one: If you are an American writer then

the rule is periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks with only a couple of exceptions. (This rule does not apply to any other punctuation marks.)

Grammar mistake

Wrong: I rode in his "truck".

Correct: I rode in his "truck."

Grammar mistake

Wrong: We named the dog "Ralph", but he doesn't respond to it.

Correct: We named the dog "Ralph," but he doesn't respond to it.

Grammar mistake number two

Grammar mistake number two: Me and my boyfriend went to the beach, is incorrect. You wouldn't say, Me went to the beach, so why say, Me and my boyfriend....

Grammar mistake

There is no such word as alot. This may come about in the future since a lot of people use it, but right now, you won't find it in the dictionary.

Grammar mistake

Never place a comma or period after an explanation point or question mark.

For example:

Grammar mistake

Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?". Wrong: He asked, "Can I go, too?."Wrong: "Can I go, too?", he asked.Correct: He asked, "Can I go, too?"Correct: "Can I go, too?" he asked.

Wrong: "I want to go!", he exclaimed.Wrong: He exclaimed, "I want to go!".Correct: "I want to go!" he exclaimed.Correct: He exclaimed, "I want to go!"

Improvements

Use academic language.

Don’t use slang: Sucks Cool Stuff It was like awesome.

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Proofread. Read the paper out loud to yourself. Look for missing words or jumbled up words.

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Don’t say, “In my essay I’m going to talk about …”

Just say what you want to say.

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Numbers:Write out 1-9 as words and 10 and up as

numerals.Big numbers can be a combination (17 million)

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Organize – Plan what you want to say. Don’t ramble. Ok for planning, but not your final draft.

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Maintain past or present tense.

It helped me when I think about it.

past present

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Maintain past or present tense.

It helps me when I think about it.

present present

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Maintain past or present tense.

It helped me when I thought about it.

past past

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Add an “s” to make something plural

Dog Dogs

Add “’s” for contraction

He is he’s

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Avoid Double Negatives

I didn't see nothing. It wasn't uninteresting. She is not unattractive.

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Don’t repeat words right near each other.

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Capitalize all the main words in your title.