2.3 GRAMMAR: The Four Most Common Errors in ESOL Writing — and How to Fix Them

When you apply metacognition to your writing, the first thing you might realize is that we all make mistakes. It’s natural. It’s a part of learning. And we even have a name for it: “trial and error.” In other words, you try something new. You make a mistake. You learn from your mistakes. In some ways, it’s a good way to learn because the information is presented to you in context. You see how the grammar rule is really applied. And that helps you to understand it better and remember it.

Four types of grammar errors are responsible for the majority of mistakes students make. In other words, if you learn how to recognize and fix these four errors, your writing will instantly improve a great deal! You probably have already heard of these four types of errors, but if you are still making these errors, then it’s good to review.

Watch each video below. Use the self-scoring exercises to check your knowledge. These are not graded; they are only for practice. Then take a quiz to show what you have learned.

 

1. Subject-verb agreement

In English, a singular subject requires a singular form of the verb. A plural subject requires a plural form of the verb. This is usually only a problem when writing in the present tense. For example:

One cat lives in the gray house, but three dogs live in the brown house.

• cat = singular so we write lives (the singular form of the verb in the present tense)
• dogs = plural so we write live (the plural form of the verb in the present tense)

There are some exceptions, of course, for collective nouns, gerunds, etc. Watch this video to learn more:

Now practice with this exercise; it is not graded, and you may repeat it as many times as you wish:

 

 

2. Sentence fragments

Fragments are pieces of something. They are not whole. This often happens when writers do not attach a dependent clause or a prepositional phrase to an independent clause. What’s left is an incomplete idea, and that can confuse your reader. For example:

• If he is tired. = This is a fragment. Although it has a subject and a verb, the idea is not finished. It is a dependent clause. You cannot use it by itself.
• If he is tired, he will not come to the party. = This is complete sentence. It has a subject, a verb, and a complete idea.

Remember this: a complete sentence requires a subject, a verb, and a complete idea. Usually, sentence fragments can be corrected by adding information to make a complete idea, or attaching the fragment to the sentence before or the sentence after — often as a dependent clause. Watch this video to learn more:

Now practice with this exercise; it is not graded, and you may repeat it as many times as you wish:

 

 

3. and 4. Run-on sentences and comma splices

A run-on sentence is when you use two independent clauses in one sentence without conjunctions or enough punctuation. This makes it difficult for readers to know where the first idea ends and the second one begins. For example:

• I have a dog he is small. = run-on sentence

A comma splice is similar; it’s when a writer uses only a comma to join two independent clauses. However, a comma alone is not strong enough. It needs a little help. For example:

• I have a dog, he is small. = comma splice

Here are three simple ways to fix them:

• I have a dog, and he is small. = add a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
• I have a dog; he is small. = use a semicolon (if the two ideas are closely related)
• I have a dog. He is small. = use a period and start a new sentence. (remember to capitalize the first word of the new sentence)

Watch this video to learn more:

Practice

Now practice with this exercise; it is not graded, and you may repeat it as many times as you wish: