Resources: Handout Checklist of Common Errors to Eliminate During the Editing Phase of the Writing Process (Note to Instructor: You may wish to shorten this list or replace certain items on it with others more relevant to your particular students. You may also wish to eliminate the entries that are universal errors or to use two checklists, one for universal errors and one for multilingual errors. In other words, adapt this checklist to your needs as you see fit.) 1. Correct the sentence provided for each error. If you don t understand how to correct the sentences, you probably won t be able to find or fix similar errors in your own writing. Work with other students, consult your handbook, visit the writing center, or do whatever else you need to in order to ensure you have properly corrected each sentence before proceeding to #2. Some sentences contain correct examples of the item under consideration, so think critically! 2. Find and fix the same errors in the draft of your own essay. You may need to cycle through the draft more than once or proceed category by category. After revising each of these types of errors in your own writing, write one of the following numbers in the blank next to each number: 0 = I don t have or couldn t find any instances of this type of error in my draft. 1 = I had just one or only a couple of errors of this type in my draft. 2 = I had several errors of this type in my draft. 3 = I had many errors of this type in my draft. 3. Combine any number with a question mark (?) to indicate where you are confused and need additional help in order to master the particular error. Be sure to also correct any spelling problems in your draft. Universal Sentence and Comma Errors 1. Avoid fragments. A sentence that starts with which, that, because, when, or some other subordinate word may be incomplete and you may need to attach it to an adjacent word group. I was upset. Because no one had told me. That she had transferred to another school. I will miss her tremendously. 2. Avoid comma splices. If one sentence comes after another but is only connected by a comma without a conjunction, you need to properly combine the sentences. Don t confuse transitions such as however and therefore with conjunctions! I didn t want to go, therefore, she asked you to go, but remember that you re just her second choice. 3. Avoid run-ons. If one sentence comes after another but is not connected by a conjunction or any punctuation, you need to properly combine the sentences. A run-on is worse than a comma splice because the reader gets lost without a separation. The kids were outside they were having a great time on the jumping balloon. 4. Separate compound sentences (not compound verbs) with a comma. A comma is needed before (not after) and or but when either is connecting two complete sentences but not when either is connecting two predicates.
The principal gave a presentation in the cafeteria and then the students went to their classrooms and began their first class. 5. Follow an introductory element with a comma. A subordinate clause or phrase coming at the beginning of a sentence needs a comma after it to separate it from the main idea, but the same element at the end of a sentence doesn t normally need a comma. When we got up early this morning we couldn t go for a walk or play Frisbee in the park because it was raining. 6. Commas for interruptions or extra explanations in the middle of sentences come in pairs to separate the interruption, so don t forget to use both commas. Her name which is very hard to pronounce, is Russian. Other Universal Errors 7. Avoid simple subject-verb agreement errors. He don t understand what she mean, but we do. 8. Don t regularize or use the wrong forms of irregular verbs. We had went to the park to run, and later we swimmed for awhile. 9. Include -ed endings to form the past tense of regular verbs or after has/have helpers. George was suppose to return the movie last night, but he hasn t return it yet. I plan to take it back later. 10. Don t use the present tense to discuss the past. So Martha tells her friends everything that happened that night and I get furious and refuse to talk to her. 11. Don t use a plural pronoun to refer to a singular antecedent. A student needs to arrive early and have all their materials ready by the time their teacher enters the classroom. 12. Don t use adjectives for adverbs. She answered me rude and harsh, but I refused to respond mean to her, even though I felt angry. 13. Don t use you to mean anybody if you re not speaking directly to or about the reader. Most buyers prefer to buy compact cars, but you have to trade in your big gas guzzlers first.
14. Don t use double negatives. Neither you nor nobody will keep us from doing the right thing; we won t tolerate none of your immortality. 15. Almost always, you should use especially instead of specially. I am specially concerned about violence in our schools. 16. Use as if, not like if. They act like if they had never heard anything about it. 17. Do not write of after should, could, would, or other modal helpers. Use have instead. Vh-2b (80) We should of listened to our parents and gone to school when were younger, so we could of had an easier life. Multilingual Verb Form Errors 18. Use the base (simple) form of the verb, not the past participle, after did or didn t. Vh-1e (74) They didn t helped us, so they didn t got to eat for free. 19. Use have instead of had after modal helpers such as would, could, or should. Vh-2a (75) They should had gone to the concert with us, and we could had enjoyed it together. 20. Don t use the simple form of the verb when the to infinitive or a gerund is needed instead. N-5b (188) Do one nice thing for someone every day is a good idea, and we need pray for peace too. 21. Don t use any past verb form after to in an infinitive. Va-4a (131) The lawyers needed to found the missing files in order to proved that the doctor was guilty of malpractice. 22. Use the right form of the participial modifier (present -ing or past -ed ) as required by the meaning: -ing means that the modified word causes the effect and ed means that the modified word receives the effect. A-1a (222) He was boring at that party because none of the excited people went. Multilingual Word Order Errors 23. Don t begin an independent clause with a verb and in a subordinate clause, don t follow subordinating conjunction such as because, when, or if with a verb even if you think the meaning is obvious. A subject or an expletive
( it or there ) ordinarily must come before the verb. Were so many students at the prom. Was fun to dance with my friends and will never forget that night. Left very early some students, but I stayed until ended everything. 24. Do not ordinarily place an adverb between the verb and an object. We considered carefully all the helpful suggestions and will solve soon the problem. 25. Avoid double subjects. My sister, she bought a new car, which it s very nice, don t you think? Multilingual Errors with Other Parts of Speech 26. Don t use a/an, a number, or a plural form with noncount nouns because noncount nouns represent mass quantities rather than individual items. He cleaned several fine jewelries and repaired five antique furnitures so well that I offered him a work in our store. 27. Don t use a/an with a plural noun. A/an means one. Use some instead. We saw a wild dogs running in the alley behind our house. 28. Don t use the with nouns for general or abstract concepts. I have always liked the music and the art, so now I am learning to play the violin and studying the sculpture. 29. Don t mix more with -er comparative forms (for two) or most with -est superlative forms (for more than two). She is the most richest person I know, and she looks more younger and more beautiful than she did before. 30. Don t use this, that, or much when plural these, those, or many is needed instead. A-1c (226) & -1f (229) Not much workers want this factory jobs because they don t pay very much. 31. Don t use which for people (unless you are indicating an option, as in Tell me which man you talked to ). Who/m is preferred instead, although that is often used as well. There is an art teacher here which is an expert in colonial Mexican art. 32. Don t confuse in, on, or at when dealing with time or location. In indicates that something is interior to or contained within something else. On indicates that something is on the surface of or along the parameter or edge of something, or it indicates a particular day. It can also refer to being in a special mode of operation. At pinpoints a specific place (not a whole city or region) or a particular time. To refers to a destination of any size before getting there and not to arrival. Some incorrect examples:
"On June of 2004, in the 21st, to be exact, we arrived at New York on 4:00 p.m. and went at the Frick Museum in Fifth Avenue. We arrived to the museum at 4:30 p.m. However, all the workers were in strike. We saw the note in the door saying that in Monday the museum would probably reopen."