Top 25 Errors in Student Papers

Printed Page H-2

Top 25 Errors in Student Papers

Printed Page H-3
  1. Wordiness W1-a–W1-c
  2. Misused word W2-a, W2-e
  3. Incorrect or ambiguous pronoun reference G1
  4. Verb tense errors G5-a, G5-b
  5. Missing comma between independent clauses P1-a
  6. Problems with hyphens between compound adjectives M1-a
  7. Missing comma after introductory elements P1-b
  8. Capitalization of proper or common nouns M2-a
  9. Unnecessary comma between compound elements P2-a
  10. Incorrect spacing M3
  11. Missing words E1-a–E1-d
  12. 12. Missing comma with nonrestrictive word groups P1-c
  13. Comma splice or fused sentence S1, S2
  14. Problems in using quotation marks with other punctuation P6-b
  15. Missing or unnecessary hyphens in compound nouns M1-b
  16. Missing comma with transitional and parenthetical expressions, absolute phrases, and contrasted elements P1-d
  17. Problems of pronoun-antecedent agreement G2
  18. Incorrect preposition W2-b, T3
  19. Misuse of who, which, or that G3
  20. Unnecessarily complex sentence structure W1-b
  21. Spelling out or using figures for numbers incorrectly M4
  22. Problems with apostrophes in possessive nouns P7-a
  23. Sentence fragment S3
  24. Missing comma in items in a series P1-e
  25. Unnecessary comma with restrictive word groups P2-b

This list of the top twenty-five errors can be categorized into the following five major patterns of errors. You may find it useful to keep these patterns in mind as you edit your work.

  1. Missing or unnecessary commas (P1-a–P1-d, P2-a–P2-g)
  2. Errors in word choice (W1-a–W1-d, W2-a–W2-d)
  3. Errors in pronoun reference, agreement, or use (G1, G2, G3)
  4. Verb tense errors (G5-a, G5-b)
  5. Errors in recognizing and punctuating sentences—comma splices, fused sentences, fragments (S1, S2, S3)