Grammatical errors in your writing will compromise the value of your ideas. A reader is unlikely to take your ideas seriously if they are poorly written. This workout covers some common errors in academic writing. If you really struggle with basic grammar, you might want to explore a wider range of support.
In this workout, you will practice three strategies for improving the accuracy of your writing:
- Avoid sentence fragments, run-on sentences and common splices
- Avoid errors with modifiers
- Avoid mixed construction sentences
Let’s get started.
Avoid sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma splices
Examples:
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Problem:
Sentence fragments are very common in student writing. When the focus is on working out the ideas, we sometimes don’t pay enough attention to how they are expressed. Incomplete ideas can sometimes be presented as proper sentences.
Fix the problem:
To fix a sentence fragment, it is necessary to write a complete thought. Look for the main subject and the main verb as the basis of a good sentence. Sometimes you will need to rewrite the sentence, and other times a comma could be used.
Here’s another example:
Example:
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Students spend a lot of time using social media the problem is they need to spend more time reading their course work.
OR Students spend a lot of time using social media, the problem is they need to spend more time reading their course work. |
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Students spend a lot of time using social media. They need to spend more time reading their course work.
OR Students spend a lot of time using social media, but they need to spend more time reading their course work. OR Students spend a lot of time using social media, and after they need to spend more time reading their course work. OR Students spend a lot of time using social media; however, they need to spend more time reading their course work. |
Problem:
Sometimes our ideas can run away with us, creating run-on sentences where two full sentences are mashed together. But be careful; run-on sentences cannot be fixed with a simple comma – this leads to a comma splice, where two sentences are stuck together with only a comma.
Remember – commas don’t have enough “glue” in them to stick sentences together; they need help.
Fix the Problem:
The solutions in the example use different linking words to join the two ideas together. A period can be used to simply make two distinct sentences. However, remember that we use linking words to shape and refine our meaning. Look carefully at the way the small linking words can shift the meaning in each sentence. Note the different punctuation required for “however,” which is not a conjunction!
Avoid errors with modifiers
Example:
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Changes to the course schedule recently affected the student’s plans. |
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Recent changes to the course schedule affected the student’s plans.
OR The student’s plans were recently affected by changes to the course schedule. |
Problem:
Modifiers are words or groups of words that describe something in the sentence. If they are in the wrong place, the sentence will not make sense. In the example, the modifier “recently” could refer to the changes in the schedule or to the verb “affected.”
Fix the Problem:
To reduce any confusion, restructure the sentence to ensure the use of the modifier is clear.
Avoid mixed construction sentences
Example:
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By practicing our skills was how we developed strong writing techniques. |
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By practicing our skills, we developed strong writing techniques.
OR Practicing our skills develops strong writing techniques. |
Problem:
Mixed constructions happen when a sentence starts in one grammatical pattern, but ends in another. This happens when we start to say one thing but change our minds, or when we don’t think through what we really want to say.
In the example, “By practicing our skills” cannot be the subject of the verb “was.” This does not make sense.
Fix the Problem:
The key to solving mixed constructions is finding the logical subject of the sentence.
For example, we could keep the descriptive phrase “By practicing our skills,” and make “we” the subject. Or, we can fix this sentence by changing the opening phrase into a logical subject. “Practicing our skills” becomes the subject of the verb “to develop.”
